1
|
de Assis MA, da Silva JJB, de Carvalho LM, Parreiras LS, Cairo JPLF, Marone MP, Gonçalves TA, Silva DS, Dantzger M, de Figueiredo FL, Carazzolle MF, Pereira GAG, Damasio A. A Multiomics Perspective on Plant Cell Wall-Degrading Enzyme Production: Insights from the Unexploited Fungus Trichoderma erinaceum. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:407. [PMID: 38921393 PMCID: PMC11205114 DOI: 10.3390/jof10060407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Trichoderma erinaceum is a filamentous fungus that was isolated from decaying sugarcane straw at a Brazilian ethanol biorefinery. This fungus shows potential as a source of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs). In this study, we conducted a comprehensive multiomics investigation of T. erinaceum to gain insights into its enzymatic capabilities and genetic makeup. Firstly, we performed genome sequencing and assembly, which resulted in the identification of 10,942 genes in the T. erinaceum genome. We then conducted transcriptomics and secretome analyses to map the gene expression patterns and identify the enzymes produced by T. erinaceum in the presence of different substrates such as glucose, microcrystalline cellulose, pretreated sugarcane straw, and pretreated energy cane bagasse. Our analyses revealed that T. erinaceum highly expresses genes directly related to lignocellulose degradation when grown on pretreated energy cane and sugarcane substrates. Furthermore, our secretome analysis identified 35 carbohydrate-active enzymes, primarily PCWDEs. To further explore the enzymatic capabilities of T. erinaceum, we selected a β-glucosidase from the secretome data for recombinant production in a fungal strain. The recombinant enzyme demonstrated superior performance in degrading cellobiose and laminaribiose compared to a well-known enzyme derived from Trichoderma reesei. Overall, this comprehensive study provides valuable insights into both the genetic patterns of T. erinaceum and its potential for lignocellulose degradation and enzyme production. The obtained genomic data can serve as an important resource for future genetic engineering efforts aimed at optimizing enzyme production from this fungus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A. de Assis
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Molecular Biology (LEBIMO), Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (M.A.d.A.); (J.P.L.F.C.); (T.A.G.); (F.L.d.F.)
| | - Jovanderson J. B. da Silva
- Genomics and BioEnergy Laboratory (LGE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (J.J.B.d.S.); (L.M.d.C.); (L.S.P.); (M.D.); (M.F.C.); (G.A.G.P.)
| | - Lucas M. de Carvalho
- Genomics and BioEnergy Laboratory (LGE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (J.J.B.d.S.); (L.M.d.C.); (L.S.P.); (M.D.); (M.F.C.); (G.A.G.P.)
| | - Lucas S. Parreiras
- Genomics and BioEnergy Laboratory (LGE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (J.J.B.d.S.); (L.M.d.C.); (L.S.P.); (M.D.); (M.F.C.); (G.A.G.P.)
| | - João Paulo L. F. Cairo
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Molecular Biology (LEBIMO), Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (M.A.d.A.); (J.P.L.F.C.); (T.A.G.); (F.L.d.F.)
- York Structural Biology Laboratory (YSBL), Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Marina P. Marone
- Genomics and BioEnergy Laboratory (LGE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (J.J.B.d.S.); (L.M.d.C.); (L.S.P.); (M.D.); (M.F.C.); (G.A.G.P.)
| | - Thiago A. Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Molecular Biology (LEBIMO), Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (M.A.d.A.); (J.P.L.F.C.); (T.A.G.); (F.L.d.F.)
| | - Desireé S. Silva
- SENAI Institute for Biomass Innovation, Três Lagoas 79640-250, Brazil;
| | - Miriam Dantzger
- Genomics and BioEnergy Laboratory (LGE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (J.J.B.d.S.); (L.M.d.C.); (L.S.P.); (M.D.); (M.F.C.); (G.A.G.P.)
| | - Fernanda L. de Figueiredo
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Molecular Biology (LEBIMO), Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (M.A.d.A.); (J.P.L.F.C.); (T.A.G.); (F.L.d.F.)
| | - Marcelo F. Carazzolle
- Genomics and BioEnergy Laboratory (LGE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (J.J.B.d.S.); (L.M.d.C.); (L.S.P.); (M.D.); (M.F.C.); (G.A.G.P.)
| | - Gonçalo A. G. Pereira
- Genomics and BioEnergy Laboratory (LGE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (J.J.B.d.S.); (L.M.d.C.); (L.S.P.); (M.D.); (M.F.C.); (G.A.G.P.)
| | - André Damasio
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Molecular Biology (LEBIMO), Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil; (M.A.d.A.); (J.P.L.F.C.); (T.A.G.); (F.L.d.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Flipphi M, Harispe ML, Hamari Z, Kocsubé S, Scazzocchio C, Ramón A. An ascomycete H4 variant with an unknown function. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231705. [PMID: 38384781 PMCID: PMC10878826 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Histone variants leading to altered nucleosome structure, dynamics and DNA accessibility occur frequently, albeit rarely for H4. We carried out a comprehensive in silico scrutiny of fungal genomes, which revealed the presence of a novel H4 variant (H4E) in the ascomycetes, throughout the Pezizomycotina, in basal species of the Taphrinomycotina and also in the Glomeromycota. The coding cognate genes show a specific intron/exon organization, different from H4 canonical genes. H4Es diverge from canonical H4s mainly in the N- and C-terminal extensions, showing marked differences in the distribution and number of Lys and Arg residues, which may result in novel post-translational modifications. In Aspergillus nidulans (Pezizomycotina, Eurotiomycetes) the H4E variant protein level is low in mycelia. However, the encoding gene is well expressed at 37°C under nitrogen starvation. H4E localizes to the nucleus and interacts with H3, but its absence or overexpression does not result in any detectable phenotype. Deletion of only one of the of the two canonical H4 genes results in a strikingly impaired growth phenotype, which indicates that H4E cannot replace this canonical histone. Thus, an H4 variant is present throughout a whole subphylum of the ascomycetes, but with hitherto no experimentally detectable function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Flipphi
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - María Laura Harispe
- Instituto de Profesores Artigas, Consejo de Formación en Educación (CFE, ANEP), Uruguay
| | - Zsuzsanna Hamari
- Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Kocsubé
- Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91198, France
| | - Ana Ramón
- Dpto. de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Sección Bioquímica, UdelaR, Uruguay
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lelandais G, Remy D, Malagnac F, Grognet P. New insights into genome annotation in Podospora anserina through re-exploiting multiple RNA-seq data. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:859. [PMID: 36581831 PMCID: PMC9801653 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-09085-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Publicly available RNA-seq datasets are often underused although being helpful to improve functional annotation of eukaryotic genomes. This is especially true for filamentous fungi genomes which structure differs from most well annotated yeast genomes. Podospora anserina is a filamentous fungal model, which genome has been sequenced and annotated in 2008. Still, the current annotation lacks information about cis-regulatory elements, including promoters, transcription starting sites and terminators, which are instrumental to integrate epigenomic features into global gene regulation strategies. RESULTS Here we took advantage of 37 RNA-seq experiments that were obtained in contrasted developmental and physiological conditions, to complete the functional annotation of P. anserina genome. Out of the 10,800 previously annotated genes, 5'UTR and 3'UTR were defined for 7554, among which, 3328 showed differential transcriptional signal starts and/or transcriptional end sites. In addition, alternative splicing events were detected for 2350 genes, mostly due alternative 3'splice sites and 1732 novel transcriptionally active regions (nTARs) in unannotated regions were identified. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides a comprehensive genome-wide functional annotation of P. anserina genome, including chromatin features, cis-acting elements such as UTRs, alternative splicing events and transcription of non-coding regions. These new findings will likely improve our understanding of gene regulation strategies in compact genomes, such as those of filamentous fungi. Characterization of alternative transcripts and nTARs paves the way to the discovery of putative new genes, alternative peptides or regulatory non-coding RNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Lelandais
- grid.457334.20000 0001 0667 2738Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Damien Remy
- grid.457334.20000 0001 0667 2738Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Fabienne Malagnac
- grid.457334.20000 0001 0667 2738Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pierre Grognet
- grid.457334.20000 0001 0667 2738Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yap A, Glarcher I, Misslinger M, Haas H. Characterization and engineering of the xylose-inducible xylP promoter for use in mold fungal species. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 15:e00214. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
|
5
|
Quantitative characterization of filamentous fungal promoters on a single-cell resolution to discover cryptic natural products. SCIENCE CHINA LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 66:848-860. [PMID: 36287342 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2175-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Characterization of filamentous fungal regulatory elements remains challenging because of time-consuming transformation technologies and limited quantitative methods. Here we established a method for quantitative assessment of filamentous fungal promoters based on flow cytometry detection of the superfolder green fluorescent protein at single-cell resolution. Using this quantitative method, we acquired a library of 93 native promoter elements from Aspergillus nidulans in a high-throughput format. The strengths of identified promoters covered a 37-fold range by flow cytometry. PzipA and PsltA were identified as the strongest promoters, which were 2.9- and 1.5-fold higher than that of the commonly used constitutive promoter PgpdA. Thus, we applied PzipA and PsltA to activate the silent nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene Afpes1 from Aspergillus fumigatus in its native host and the heterologous host A. nidulans. The metabolic products of Afpes1 were identified as new cyclic tetrapeptide derivatives, namely, fumiganins A and B. Our method provides an innovative strategy for natural product discovery in fungi.
Collapse
|
6
|
James SW, Palmer J, Keller NP, Brown ML, Dunworth MR, Francisco SG, Watson KG, Titchen B, Achimovich A, Mahoney A, Artemiou JP, Buettner KG, Class M, Sydenstricker AL, Anglin SL. A reciprocal translocation involving Aspergillus nidulans snxAHrb1/Gbp2 and gyfA uncovers a new regulator of the G2-M transition and reveals a role in transcriptional repression for the setBSet2 histone H3-lysine-36 methyltransferase. Genetics 2022; 222:iyac130. [PMID: 36005881 PMCID: PMC9526064 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus nidulans snxA, an ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hrb1/Gbp2 messenger RNA shuttle proteins, is-in contrast to budding yeast-involved in cell cycle regulation, in which snxA1 and snxA2 mutations as well as a snxA deletion specifically suppress the heat sensitivity of mutations in regulators of the CDK1 mitotic induction pathway. snxA mutations are strongly cold sensitive, and at permissive temperature snxA mRNA and protein expression are strongly repressed. Initial attempts to identify the causative snxA mutations revealed no defects in the SNXA protein. Here, we show that snxA1/A2 mutations resulted from an identical chromosome I-II reciprocal translocation with breakpoints in the snxA first intron and the fourth exon of a GYF-domain gene, gyfA. Surprisingly, a gyfA deletion and a reconstructed gyfA translocation allele suppressed the heat sensitivity of CDK1 pathway mutants in a snxA+ background, demonstrating that 2 unrelated genes, snxA and gyfA, act through the CDK1-CyclinB axis to restrain the G2-M transition, and for the first time identifying a role in G2-M regulation for a GYF-domain protein. To better understand snxA1/A2-reduced expression, we generated suppressors of snxA cold sensitivity in 2 genes: (1) loss of the abundant nucleolar protein Nsr1/nucleolin bypassed the requirement for snxA and (2) loss of the Set2 histone H3 lysine36 (H3K36) methyltransferase or a nonmethylatable histone H3K36L mutant rescued hypomorphic snxA mutants by restoring full transcriptional proficiency, indicating that methylation of H3K36 acts normally to repress snxA transcription. These observations are in line with known Set2 functions in preventing excessive and cryptic transcription of active genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven W James
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA
| | - Jonathan Palmer
- Data Analytics, Genencor Technology Center, IFF, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, USA
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Morgan L Brown
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew R Dunworth
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sarah G Francisco
- Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Katherine G Watson
- School of Medicine, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Provo, UT 84606, USA
| | - Breanna Titchen
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Alecia Achimovich
- Department of Chemistry, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA
| | - Andrew Mahoney
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Kyra G Buettner
- School of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19144, USA
| | - Madelyn Class
- School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
A complete nicotinate degradation pathway in the microbial eukaryote Aspergillus nidulans. Commun Biol 2022; 5:723. [PMID: 35864155 PMCID: PMC9304392 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03684-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several strikingly different aerobic and anaerobic pathways of nicotinate breakdown are extant in bacteria. Here, through reverse genetics and analytical techniques we elucidated in Aspergillus nidulans, a complete eukaryotic nicotinate utilization pathway. The pathway extant in this fungus and other ascomycetes, is quite different from bacterial ones. All intermediate metabolites were identified. The cognate proteins, encoded by eleven genes (hxn) mapping in three clusters are co-regulated by a specific transcription factor. Several enzymatic steps have no prokaryotic equivalent and two metabolites, 3-hydroxypiperidine-2,6-dione and 5,6-dihydroxypiperidine-2-one, have not been identified previously in any organism, the latter being a novel chemical compound. Hydrolytic ring opening results in α-hydroxyglutaramate, a compound not detected in analogous prokaryotic pathways. Our earlier phylogenetic analysis of Hxn proteins together with this complete biochemical pathway illustrates convergent evolution of catabolic pathways between fungi and bacteria. A novel nicotinate degradation pathway is described in Aspergillus nidulans, with metabolic products identified that were not previously found in prokaryotic species. This is the first such pathway to be described in a eukaryote.
Collapse
|
8
|
Jeon J, Kim KT, Choi J, Cheong K, Ko J, Choi G, Lee H, Lee GW, Park SY, Kim S, Kim ST, Min CW, Kang S, Lee YH. Alternative splicing diversifies the transcriptome and proteome of the rice blast fungus during host infection. RNA Biol 2022; 19:373-385. [PMID: 35311472 PMCID: PMC8942408 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2043040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) contributes to diversifying and regulating cellular responses to environmental conditions and developmental cues by differentially producing multiple mRNA and protein isoforms from a single gene. Previous studies on AS in pathogenic fungi focused on profiling AS isoforms under a limited number of conditions. We analysed AS profiles in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, a global threat to rice production, using high-quality transcriptome data representing its vegetative growth (mycelia) and multiple host infection stages. We identified 4,270 AS isoforms derived from 2,413 genes, including 499 genes presumably regulated by infection-specific AS. AS appears to increase during infection, with 32.7% of the AS isoforms being produced during infection but absent in mycelia. Analysis of the isoforms observed at each infection stage showed that 636 AS isoforms were more abundant than corresponding annotated mRNAs, especially after initial hyphal penetration into host cell. Many such dominant isoforms were predicted to encode regulatory proteins such as transcription factors and phospho-transferases. We also identified the genes encoding distinct proteins via AS and confirmed the translation of some isoforms via a proteomic analysis, suggesting potential AS-mediated neo-functionalization of some genes during infection. Comprehensive profiling of the pattern of genome-wide AS during multiple stages of rice-M. oryzae interaction established a foundational resource that will help investigate the role and regulation of AS during rice infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jongbum Jeon
- Interdisciplinary Program in Agricultural Genomics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Plant Immunity Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Korea Bioinformation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Ki-Tae Kim
- Department of Agricultural Life Science, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Korea
| | - Jaeyoung Choi
- Smart Farm Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung, Korea
| | - Kyeongchae Cheong
- Interdisciplinary Program in Agricultural Genomics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jaeho Ko
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Gobong Choi
- Interdisciplinary Program in Agricultural Genomics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyunjun Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Sook-Young Park
- Department of Agricultural Life Science, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Korea
| | - Seongbeom Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sun Tae Kim
- Department of Plant Bioscience, Pusan National University, Miryang, Korea
- Life and Energy Convergence Research Institute, Pusan National University, Miryang, Korea
| | - Cheol Woo Min
- Department of Plant Bioscience, Pusan National University, Miryang, Korea
| | - Seogchan Kang
- Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
| | - Yong-Hwan Lee
- Interdisciplinary Program in Agricultural Genomics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Plant Immunity Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bokor E, Flipphi M, Kocsubé S, Ámon J, Vágvölgyi C, Scazzocchio C, Hamari Z. Genome organization and evolution of a eukaryotic nicotinate co-inducible pathway. Open Biol 2021; 11:210099. [PMID: 34582709 PMCID: PMC8478523 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In Aspergillus nidulans a regulon including 11 hxn genes (hxnS, T, R, P, Y, Z, X, W, V, M and N) is inducible by a nicotinate metabolic derivative, repressible by ammonium and under stringent control of the nitrogen-state-sensitive GATA factor AreA and the specific transcription factor HxnR. This is the first report in a eukaryote of the genomic organization of a possibly complete pathway of nicotinate utilization. In A. nidulans the regulon is organized in three distinct clusters, this organization is variable in the Ascomycota. In some Pezizomycotina species all 11 genes map in a single cluster; in others they map in two clusters. This variable organization sheds light on cluster evolution. Instances of gene duplication followed by or simultaneous with integration in the cluster, partial or total cluster loss, and horizontal gene transfer of several genes (including an example of whole cluster re-acquisition in Aspergillus of section Flavi) were detected, together with the incorporation in some clusters of genes not found in the A. nidulans co-regulated regulon, which underlie both the plasticity and the reticulate character of metabolic cluster evolution. This study provides a comprehensive phylogeny of six members of the cluster across representatives of all Ascomycota classes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Bokor
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Michel Flipphi
- Institute de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Sándor Kocsubé
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Judit Ámon
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Csaba Vágvölgyi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London, UK,Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette 91198, France
| | - Zsuzsanna Hamari
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Transcription Factors in the Fungus Aspergillus nidulans: Markers of Genetic Innovation, Network Rewiring and Conflict between Genomics and Transcriptomics. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7080600. [PMID: 34436139 PMCID: PMC8396895 DOI: 10.3390/jof7080600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are shaped by the democratic/hierarchical relationships among transcription factors (TFs) and associated proteins, together with the cis-regulatory sequences (CRSs) bound by these TFs at target promoters. GRNs control all cellular processes, including metabolism, stress response, growth and development. Due to the ability to modify morphogenetic and developmental patterns, there is the consensus view that the reorganization of GRNs is a driving force of species evolution and differentiation. GRNs are rewired through events including the duplication of TF-coding genes, their divergent sequence evolution and the gain/loss/modification of CRSs. Fungi (mainly Saccharomycotina) have served as a reference kingdom for the study of GRN evolution. Here, I studied the genes predicted to encode TFs in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans (Pezizomycotina). The analysis of the expansion of different families of TFs suggests that the duplication of TFs impacts the species level, and that the expansion in Zn2Cys6 TFs is mainly due to dispersed duplication events. Comparison of genomic annotation and transcriptomic data suggest that a significant percentage of genes should be re-annotated, while many others remain silent. Finally, a new regulator of growth and development is identified and characterized. Overall, this study establishes a novel theoretical framework in synthetic biology, as the overexpression of silent TF forms would provide additional tools to assess how GRNs are rewired.
Collapse
|
11
|
Duplication and Functional Divergence of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Biosynthesis Genes in Aspergillus nidulans. mBio 2021; 12:e0076821. [PMID: 34154419 PMCID: PMC8262921 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00768-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi, bacteria, and plants, but not animals, synthesize the branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. While branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis has been well characterized in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is incompletely understood in filamentous fungi. The three BCAAs share several early biosynthesis steps before divergence into specific pathways. In Aspergillus nidulans, the genes for the first two dedicated steps in leucine biosynthesis have been characterized, but the final two have not. We used sequence searches of the A. nidulans genome to identify two genes encoding β-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the penultimate step of leucine biosynthesis, and six genes encoding BCAA aminotransferase, which catalyzes the final step in biosynthesis of all three BCAA. We have used combinations of gene knockouts to determine the relative contribution of each of these genes to BCAA biosynthesis. While both β-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase genes act in leucine biosynthesis, the two most highly expressed BCAA aminotransferases are responsible for BCAA biosynthesis. We have also characterized the expression of leucine biosynthesis genes using reverse transcriptase-quantitative PCR and found regulation in response to leucine availability is mediated through the Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor LeuB. IMPORTANCE Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis is important for pathogenic fungi to successfully cause disease in human and plant hosts. The enzymes for their production are absent from humans and, therefore, provide potential antifungal targets. While BCAA biosynthesis is well characterized in yeasts, it is poorly understood in filamentous fungal pathogens. Developing a thorough understanding of both the genes encoding the metabolic enzymes for BCAA biosynthesis and how their expression is regulated will inform target selection for antifungal drug development.
Collapse
|
12
|
Fang S, Hou X, Qiu K, He R, Feng X, Liang X. The occurrence and function of alternative splicing in fungi. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
13
|
Roux I, Woodcraft C, Hu J, Wolters R, Gilchrist CLM, Chooi YH. CRISPR-Mediated Activation of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters for Bioactive Molecule Discovery in Filamentous Fungi. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:1843-1854. [PMID: 32526136 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Accessing the full biosynthetic potential encoded in the genomes of fungi is limited by the low expression of most biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) under common laboratory culture conditions. CRISPR-mediated transcriptional activation (CRISPRa) of fungal BGCs could accelerate genomics-driven bioactive secondary metabolite discovery. In this work, we established the first CRISPRa system for filamentous fungi. First, we constructed a CRISPR/dLbCas12a-VPR-based system and demonstrated the activation of a fluorescent reporter in Aspergillus nidulans. Then, we targeted the native nonribosomal peptide synthetase-like (NRPS-like) gene micA in both chromosomal and episomal contexts, achieving increased production of the compound microperfuranone. Finally, multigene CRISPRa led to the discovery of the mic cluster product as dehydromicroperfuranone. Additionally, we demonstrated the utility of the variant dLbCas12aD156R-VPR for CRISPRa at room temperature culture conditions. Different aspects that influence the efficiency of CRISPRa in fungi were investigated, providing a framework for the further development of fungal artificial transcription factors based on CRISPR/Cas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Indra Roux
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Clara Woodcraft
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jinyu Hu
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Rebecca Wolters
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Cameron L M Gilchrist
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Yit-Heng Chooi
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Umemura M, Kuriiwa K, Dao LV, Okuda T, Terai G. Promoter tools for further development of Aspergillus oryzae as a platform for fungal secondary metabolite production. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2020; 7:3. [PMID: 32211196 PMCID: PMC7092444 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-020-00093-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is widely used for secondary metabolite production by heterologous expression; thus, a wide variety of promoter tools is necessary to broaden the application of this species. Here we built a procedure to survey A. flavus genes constitutively highly expressed in 83 transcriptome datasets obtained under various conditions affecting secondary metabolite production, to find promoters useful for heterologous expression of genes in A. oryzae. Results To test the ability of the promoters of the top 6 genes to induce production of a fungal secondary metabolite, ustiloxin B, we inserted the promoters before the start codon of ustR, which encodes the transcription factor of the gene cluster responsible for ustiloxin B biosynthesis, in A. oryzae. Four of the 6 promoters induced ustiloxin B production in all tested media (solid maize, liquid V8 and PDB media), and also ustR expression. Two of the 4 promoters were those of tef1 and gpdA, which are well characterized in A. oryzae and A. nidulans, respectively, whereas the other two, those of AFLA_030930 and AFLA_113120, are newly reported here and show activities comparable to that of the gpdA promoter with respect to induction of gene expression and ustiloxin B production. Conclusion We newly reported two sequences as promoter tools for secondary metabolite production in A. oryzae. Our results demonstrate that our simple strategy of surveying for constitutively highly expressed genes in large-scale transcriptome datasets is useful for finding promoter sequences that can be used as heterologous expression tools in A. oryzae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maiko Umemura
- 1Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, 305-8566 Japan.,2Computational Bio Big Data Open Innovation Laboratory, AIST, Ibaraki, 305-8566 Japan
| | - Kaoru Kuriiwa
- 1Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, 305-8566 Japan.,3Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Ibaraki, 305-0005 Japan
| | - Linh Viet Dao
- 1Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, 305-8566 Japan.,5Present Address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117583 Singapore
| | - Tetsuya Okuda
- 1Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, 305-8566 Japan
| | - Goro Terai
- 4Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Chiba, 277-8561 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Chudzicka-Ormaniec P, Macios M, Koper M, Weedall GD, Caddick MX, Weglenski P, Dzikowska A. The role of the GATA transcription factor AreB in regulation of nitrogen and carbon metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 366:5426211. [PMID: 30939206 PMCID: PMC6494665 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Aspergillus nidulans, nitrogen and carbon metabolism are under the control of wide-domain regulatory systems, including nitrogen metabolite repression, carbon catabolite repression and the nutrient starvation response. Transcriptomic analysis of the wild type strain grown under different combinations of carbon and nitrogen regimes was performed, to identify differentially regulated genes. Carbon metabolism predominates as the most important regulatory signal but for many genes, both carbon and nitrogen metabolisms coordinate regulation. To identify mechanisms coordinating nitrogen and carbon metabolism, we tested the role of AreB, previously identified as a regulator of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism. Deletion of areB has significant phenotypic effects on the utilization of specific carbon sources, confirming its role in the regulation of carbon metabolism. AreB was shown to regulate the expression of areA, tamA, creA, xprG and cpcA regulatory genes suggesting areB has a range of indirect, regulatory effects. Different isoforms of AreB are produced as a result of differential splicing and use of two promoters which are differentially regulated by carbon and nitrogen conditions. These isoforms are likely to be functionally distinct and thus contributing to the modulation of AreB activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Chudzicka-Ormaniec
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, ul. Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maria Macios
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, ul. Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Koper
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, ul. Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gareth D Weedall
- Institute of Integrative Biology, The University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK.,School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Mark X Caddick
- Institute of Integrative Biology, The University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Piotr Weglenski
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 93, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Dzikowska
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, ul. Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Alternative transcription start sites of the enolase-encoding gene enoA are stringently used in glycolytic/gluconeogenic conditions in Aspergillus oryzae. Curr Genet 2020; 66:729-747. [PMID: 32072240 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-020-01053-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression using alternative transcription start sites (TSSs) is an important transcriptional regulatory mechanism for environmental responses in eukaryotes. Here, we identify two alternative TSSs in the enolase-encoding gene (enoA) in Aspergillus oryzae, an industrially important filamentous fungus. TSS use in enoA is strictly dependent on the difference in glycolytic and gluconeogenic carbon sources. Transcription from the upstream TSS (uTSS) or downstream TSS (dTSS) predominantly occurs under gluconeogenic or glycolytic conditions, respectively. In addition to enoA, most glycolytic genes involved in reversible reactions possess alternative TSSs. The fbaA gene, which encodes fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, also shows stringent alternative TSS selection, similar to enoA. Alignment of promoter sequences of enolase-encoding genes in Aspergillus predicted two conserved regions that contain a putative cis-element required for enoA transcription from each TSS. However, uTSS-mediated transcription of the acuN gene, an enoA ortholog in Aspergillus nidulans, is not strictly dependent on carbon source, unlike enoA. Furthermore, enoA transcript levels in glycolytic conditions are higher than in gluconeogenic conditions. Conversely, acuN is more highly transcribed in gluconeogenic conditions. This suggests that the stringent usage of alternative TSSs and higher transcription in glycolytic conditions in enoA may reflect that the A. oryzae evolutionary genetic background was domesticated by exclusive growth in starch-rich environments. These findings provide novel insights into the complexity and diversity of transcriptional regulation of glycolytic/gluconeogenic genes among Aspergilli.
Collapse
|
17
|
Nguyen DX, Sakaguchi T, Nakazawa T, Sakamoto M, Honda Y. A 14-bp stretch plays a critical role in regulating gene expression from β1-tubulin promoters of basidiomycetes. Curr Genet 2019; 66:217-228. [DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-01014-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
18
|
Kumar A, Kumar V, Kumar A. Functional characterization of host toxic EcdB transcription factor protein of echinocandin B biosynthetic gene cluster. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2019; 66:626-633. [PMID: 31069846 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ecdB is a transcription factor, located in the echinocandin B biosynthetic gene cluster of Emericella rugulosa NRRL11440. Here, we validated the ecdB mRNA sequence for functional expression and to explore the role of EcdB protein in the echinocandin B regulation. The sequence alignment study revealed that the ecdB coding sequence was found 75 bp shorter than the reference mRNA sequence. This coding sequence encodes for EcdB protein and comprises three conserved domains; DNA binding domain (DBD), coiled-coil domain, and signature middle homology region. The full-length and DBD (truncated) DNA sequences were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) under different tested conditions. The expression of EcdB protein was found to be toxic, which curbs the cell growth. In contrast to truncated protein (GST:EcdB1-54), the full-length (GST:EcdB) protein was expressed at very low titer and not detectable in SDS-PAGE under the varying isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), temperature, and media conditions. However, GST:EcdB1-54 was successfully purified under standard conditions (0.5 mM IPTG at 0.5OD) with 33 kDa expected size. The functionality of GST:EcdB1-54 was attained by electrophoretic mobility shift assay study as a clear band shifting showed with ecdA promoter. Taken together, we conclude that EcdB interacts with the ecdA promoter that reflected to require for echinocandin B regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Panchanpur, Gaya, India
| | - Vinay Kumar
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Antresh Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Panchanpur, Gaya, India
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Podolsky IA, Seppälä S, Lankiewicz TS, Brown JL, Swift CL, O'Malley MA. Harnessing Nature's Anaerobes for Biotechnology and Bioprocessing. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2019; 10:105-128. [PMID: 30883214 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-060718-030340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Industrial biotechnology has the potential to decrease our reliance on petroleum for fuel and bio-based chemical production and also enable valorization of waste streams. Anaerobic microorganisms thrive in resource-limited environments and offer an array of novel bioactivities in this regard that could revolutionize biomanufacturing. However, they have not been adopted for widespread industrial use owing to their strict growth requirements, limited number of available strains, difficulty in scale-up, and genetic intractability. This review provides an overview of current and future uses for anaerobes in biotechnology and bioprocessing in the postgenomic era. We focus on the recently characterized anaerobic fungi (Neocallimastigomycota) native to the digestive tract of large herbivores, which possess a trove of enzymes, pathways, transporters, and other biomolecules that can be harnessed for numerous biotechnological applications. Resolving current genetic intractability, scale-up, and cultivation challenges will unlock the potential of these lignocellulolytic fungi and other nonmodel micro-organisms to accelerate bio-based production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Igor A Podolsky
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Susanna Seppälä
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Thomas S Lankiewicz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Jennifer L Brown
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Candice L Swift
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Michelle A O'Malley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA; , , , , ,
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Ocaña-Pallarès E, Najle SR, Scazzocchio C, Ruiz-Trillo I. Reticulate evolution in eukaryotes: Origin and evolution of the nitrate assimilation pathway. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007986. [PMID: 30789903 PMCID: PMC6400420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Genes and genomes can evolve through interchanging genetic material, this leading to reticular evolutionary patterns. However, the importance of reticulate evolution in eukaryotes, and in particular of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), remains controversial. Given that metabolic pathways with taxonomically-patchy distributions can be indicative of HGT events, the eukaryotic nitrate assimilation pathway is an ideal object of investigation, as previous results revealed a patchy distribution and suggested that the nitrate assimilation cluster of dikaryotic fungi (Opisthokonta) could have been originated and transferred from a lineage leading to Oomycota (Stramenopiles). We studied the origin and evolution of this pathway through both multi-scale bioinformatic and experimental approaches. Our taxon-rich genomic screening shows that nitrate assimilation is present in more lineages than previously reported, although being restricted to autotrophs and osmotrophs. The phylogenies indicate a pervasive role of HGT, with three bacterial transfers contributing to the pathway origin, and at least seven well-supported transfers between eukaryotes. In particular, we propose a distinct and more complex HGT path between Opisthokonta and Stramenopiles than the one previously suggested, involving at least two transfers of a nitrate assimilation gene cluster. We also found that gene fusion played an essential role in this evolutionary history, underlying the origin of the canonical eukaryotic nitrate reductase, and of a chimeric nitrate reductase in Ichthyosporea (Opisthokonta). We show that the ichthyosporean pathway, including this novel nitrate reductase, is physiologically active and transcriptionally co-regulated, responding to different nitrogen sources; similarly to distant eukaryotes with independent HGT-acquisitions of the pathway. This indicates that this pattern of transcriptional control evolved convergently in eukaryotes, favoring the proper integration of the pathway in the metabolic landscape. Our results highlight the importance of reticulate evolution in eukaryotes, by showing the crucial contribution of HGT and gene fusion in the evolutionary history of the nitrate assimilation pathway. One of the most relevant findings in evolution was that lineages, either genes or genomes, can evolve through interchanging genetic material. For example, exon shuffling can lead to genes with complete novel functions, and genomes can acquire novel functionalities by means of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Whereas HGT is known to be an important driver of metabolic remodelling and ecological adaptations in Bacteria, its importance and prevalence in eukaryotes remains controversial. We show that HGT played a major role in the origin and evolution of the eukaryotic nitrate assimilation pathway, with several bacteria-to-eukaryote and eukaryote-to-eukaryote transfers promoting the acquisition of this ecologically-relevant pathway to autotrophs and to distinct groups of osmotrophs. Moreover, we also show that gene fusion was important in this evolutionary history, underlying the origin of the canonical eukaryotic nitrate reductase, but also of a non-canonical nitrate reductase that we describe in Ichthyosporea, a poorly-characterized eukaryotic group that includes many parasitic species. In conclusion, our results highlight the importance of reticulate evolution in eukaryotes, by showing the contribution of HGT and gene fusion in the evolutionary history of the nitrate assimilation pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Ocaña-Pallarès
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- * E-mail: (EOP); (IRT)
| | - Sebastián R. Najle
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET) and Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda s/n, Rosario S2000FHQ, Argentina
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- * E-mail: (EOP); (IRT)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Aspergillus nidulans in the post-genomic era: a top-model filamentous fungus for the study of signaling and homeostasis mechanisms. Int Microbiol 2019; 23:5-22. [DOI: 10.1007/s10123-019-00064-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
22
|
Martins-Santana L, Nora LC, Sanches-Medeiros A, Lovate GL, Cassiano MHA, Silva-Rocha R. Systems and Synthetic Biology Approaches to Engineer Fungi for Fine Chemical Production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:117. [PMID: 30338257 PMCID: PMC6178918 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the advent of systems and synthetic biology, many studies have sought to harness microbes as cell factories through genetic and metabolic engineering approaches. Yeast and filamentous fungi have been successfully harnessed to produce fine and high value-added chemical products. In this review, we present some of the most promising advances from recent years in the use of fungi for this purpose, focusing on the manipulation of fungal strains using systems and synthetic biology tools to improve metabolic flow and the flow of secondary metabolites by pathway redesign. We also review the roles of bioinformatics analysis and predictions in synthetic circuits, highlighting in silico systemic approaches to improve the efficiency of synthetic modules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Martins-Santana
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, São Paulo University (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Luisa C Nora
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, São Paulo University (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ananda Sanches-Medeiros
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, São Paulo University (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gabriel L Lovate
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, São Paulo University (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Murilo H A Cassiano
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, São Paulo University (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rafael Silva-Rocha
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, São Paulo University (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ámon J, Fernández-Martín R, Bokor E, Cultrone A, Kelly JM, Flipphi M, Scazzocchio C, Hamari Z. A eukaryotic nicotinate-inducible gene cluster: convergent evolution in fungi and bacteria. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170199. [PMID: 29212709 PMCID: PMC5746545 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinate degradation has hitherto been elucidated only in bacteria. In the ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans, six loci, hxnS/AN9178 encoding the molybdenum cofactor-containing nicotinate hydroxylase, AN11197 encoding a Cys2/His2 zinc finger regulator HxnR, together with AN11196/hxnZ, AN11188/hxnY, AN11189/hxnP and AN9177/hxnT, are clustered and stringently co-induced by a nicotinate derivative and subject to nitrogen metabolite repression mediated by the GATA factor AreA. These genes are strictly co-regulated by HxnR. Within the hxnR gene, constitutive mutations map in two discrete regions. Aspergillus nidulans is capable of using nicotinate and its oxidation products 6-hydroxynicotinic acid and 2,5-dihydroxypyridine as sole nitrogen sources in an HxnR-dependent way. HxnS is highly similar to HxA, the canonical xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH), and has originated by gene duplication, preceding the origin of the Pezizomycotina. This cluster is conserved with some variations throughout the Aspergillaceae. Our results imply that a fungal pathway has arisen independently from bacterial ones. Significantly, the neo-functionalization of XDH into nicotinate hydroxylase has occurred independently from analogous events in bacteria. This work describes for the first time a gene cluster involved in nicotinate catabolism in a eukaryote and has relevance for the formation and evolution of co-regulated primary metabolic gene clusters and the microbial degradation of N-heterocyclic compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judit Ámon
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary (present address of ZH)
| | | | - Eszter Bokor
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary (present address of ZH)
| | - Antonietta Cultrone
- Institute de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Joan M Kelly
- Department of Biology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Michel Flipphi
- Institute de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Institute de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France .,Department of Biology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.,Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London, UK (present address of CS).,Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France (present address of CS)
| | - Zsuzsanna Hamari
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary (present address of ZH) .,Institute de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Xu Q, Fu Y, Li S, Jiang L, Rongfeng G, Huang H. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of Rhizopus oryzae with different morphologies. Process Biochem 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
25
|
Flipphi M, Ág N, Karaffa L, Kavalecz N, Cerqueira G, Scazzocchio C, Fekete E. Emergence and loss of spliceosomal twin introns. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2017; 4:7. [PMID: 29046814 PMCID: PMC5639578 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-017-0037-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the primary transcript of nuclear genes, coding sequences-exons-usually alternate with non-coding sequences-introns. In the evolution of spliceosomal intron-exon structure, extant intron positions can be abandoned and new intron positions can be occupied. Spliceosomal twin introns ("stwintrons") are unconventional intervening sequences where a standard "internal" intron interrupts a canonical splicing motif of a second, "external" intron. The availability of genome sequences of more than a thousand species of fungi provides a unique opportunity to study spliceosomal intron evolution throughout a whole kingdom by means of molecular phylogenetics. RESULTS A new stwintron was encountered in Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus niger. It is present across three classes of Leotiomyceta in the transcript of a well-conserved gene encoding a putative lipase (lipS). It occupies the same position as a standard intron in the orthologue gene in species of the early divergent classes of the Pezizomycetes and the Orbiliomycetes, suggesting that an internal intron has appeared within a pre-extant intron. On the other hand, the stwintron has been lost from certain taxa in Leotiomycetes and Eurotiomycetes at several occasions, most likely by a mechanism involving reverse transcription and homologous recombination. Another ancient stwintron present across whole Pezizomycotina orders-in the transcript of the bifunctional biotin biosynthesis gene bioDA-occurs at the same position as a standard intron in many species of non-Dikarya. Nevertheless, also the bioDA stwintron has disappeared from certain lineages within the taxa where it occurs, i.e., Sordariomycetes and Botryosphaeriales. Intriguingly, only the internal intron was lost from the Sordariomycetes bioDA stwintron at all but one occasion, leaving a standard intron in the same position, while where the putative lipase stwintron was lost, no intronic sequences remain. CONCLUSIONS Molecular phylogeny of the peptide product was used to monitor the existence and fate of a stwintron in the transcripts of two neatly defined fungal genes, encoding well conserved proteins. Both defining events-stwintron emergence and loss-can be explained with extant models for intron insertion and loss. We thus demonstrate that stwintrons can serve as model systems to study spliceosomal intron evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Flipphi
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032 Hungary
| | - Norbert Ág
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032 Hungary
| | - Levente Karaffa
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032 Hungary
| | - Napsugár Kavalecz
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032 Hungary
| | | | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, UK.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule, CEA/CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay UMR, 9198 Orsay, France
| | - Erzsébet Fekete
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032 Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Mello LV, Tregilgas L, Cowley G, Gupta A, Makki F, Jhutty A, Shanmugasundram A. 'Students-as-partners' scheme enhances postgraduate students' employability skills while addressing gaps in bioinformatics education. HIGHER EDUCATION PEDAGOGIES 2017; 2:43-57. [PMID: 29098185 PMCID: PMC5632996 DOI: 10.1080/23752696.2017.1339287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Teaching bioinformatics is a longstanding challenge for educators who need to demonstrate to students how skills developed in the classroom may be applied to real world research. This study employed an action research methodology which utilised student-staff partnership and peer-learning. It was centred on the experiences of peer-facilitators, students who had previously taken a postgraduate bioinformatics module, and had applied knowledge and skills gained from it to their own research. It aimed to demonstrate to peer-receivers, current students, how bioinformatics could be used in their own research while developing peer-facilitators' teaching and mentoring skills. This student-centred approach was well received by the peer-receivers, who claimed to have gained improved understanding of bioinformatics and its relevance to research. Equally, peer-facilitators also developed a better understanding of the subject and appreciated that the activity was a rare and invaluable opportunity to develop their teaching and mentoring skills, enhancing their employability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Luke Tregilgas
- Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA), Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Gwen Cowley
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anshul Gupta
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Fatima Makki
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anjeet Jhutty
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Donaldson ME, Ostrowski LA, Goulet KM, Saville BJ. Transcriptome analysis of smut fungi reveals widespread intergenic transcription and conserved antisense transcript expression. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:340. [PMID: 28464849 PMCID: PMC5414199 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3720-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Biotrophic fungal plant pathogens cause billions of dollars in losses to North American crops annually. The model for functional investigation of these fungi is Ustilago maydis. Its 20.5 Mb annotated genome sequence has been an excellent resource for investigating biotrophic plant pathogenesis. Expressed-sequence tag libraries and microarray hybridizations have provided insight regarding the type of transcripts produced by U. maydis but these analyses were not comprehensive and there were insufficient data for transcriptome comparison to other smut fungi. To improve transcriptome annotation and enable comparative analyses, comprehensive strand-specific RNA-seq was performed on cell-types of three related smut species: U. maydis (common smut of corn), Ustilago hordei (covered smut of barley), and Sporisorium reilianum (head smut of corn). Results In total, >1 billion paired-end sequence reads were obtained from haploid cell, dikaryon and teliospore RNA of U. maydis, haploid cell RNA of U. hordei, and haploid and dikaryon cell RNA of S. reilianum. The sequences were assembled into transfrags using Trinity, and updated gene models were created using PASA and categorized with Cufflinks Cuffcompare. Representative genes that were predicted for the first time with these RNA-seq analyses and genes with novel annotation features were independently assessed by reverse transcriptase PCR. The analyses indicate hundreds more predicted proteins, relative to the previous genome annotation, could be produced by U. maydis from altered transcript forms, and that the number of non-coding RNAs produced, including transcribed intergenic sequences and natural antisense transcripts, approximately equals the number of mRNAs. This high representation of non-coding RNAs appears to be a conserved feature of the smut fungi regardless of whether they have RNA interference machinery. Approximately 50% of the identified NATs were conserved among the smut fungi. Conclusions Overall, these analyses revealed: 1) smut genomes encode a number of transcriptional units that is twice the number of annotated protein-coding genes, 2) a small number of intergenic transcripts may encode proteins with characteristics of fungal effectors, 3) the vast majority of intergenic and antisense transcripts do not contain ORFs, 4) a large proportion of the identified antisense transcripts were detected at orthologous loci among the smut fungi, and 5) there is an enrichment of functional categories among orthologous loci that suggests antisense RNAs could have a genome-wide, non-RNAi-mediated, influence on gene expression in smut fungi. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3720-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Donaldson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, ON, Canada
| | - Lauren A Ostrowski
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, ON, Canada.,Present Address: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, ON, Canada
| | - Kristi M Goulet
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, ON, Canada
| | - Barry J Saville
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, ON, Canada. .,Forensic Science Program, Trent University, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Penicillium citrinum Cultured with Different Carbon Sources Identifies Genes Involved in Citrinin Biosynthesis. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9020069. [PMID: 28230802 PMCID: PMC5331448 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9020069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Citrinin is a toxic secondary metabolite of Penicillium citrinum and its contamination in many food items has been widely reported. However, research on the citrinin biosynthesis pathway and its regulation mechanism in P. citrinum is rarely reported. In this study, we investigated the effect of different carbon sources on citrinin production by P. citrinum and used transcriptome analysis to study the underlying molecular mechanism. Our results indicated that glucose, used as the sole carbon source, could significantly promote citrinin production by P. citrinum in Czapek’s broth medium compared with sucrose. A total of 19,967 unigenes were annotated by BLAST in Nr, Nt, Swiss-Prot and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Transcriptome comparison between P. citrinum cultured with sucrose and glucose revealed 1085 differentially expressed unigenes. Among them, 610 were upregulated while 475 were downregulated under glucose as compared to sucrose. KEGG pathway and Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that many metabolic processes (e.g., carbohydrate, secondary metabolism, fatty acid and amino acid metabolism) were affected, and potentially interesting genes that encoded putative components of signal transduction, stress response and transcription factor were identified. These genes obviously had important impacts on their regulation in citrinin biosynthesis, which provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of citrinin biosynthesis by P. citrinum.
Collapse
|
29
|
Ivanova C, Ramoni J, Aouam T, Frischmann A, Seiboth B, Baker SE, Le Crom S, Lemoine S, Margeot A, Bidard F. Genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis of Trichoderma reesei QM9978 strain reveals a distal chromosome translocation to be responsible for loss of vib1 expression and loss of cellulase induction. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:209. [PMID: 28912831 PMCID: PMC5588705 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0897-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hydrolysis of biomass to simple sugars used for the production of biofuels in biorefineries requires the action of cellulolytic enzyme mixtures. During the last 50 years, the ascomycete Trichoderma reesei, the main source of industrial cellulase and hemicellulase cocktails, has been subjected to several rounds of classical mutagenesis with the aim to obtain higher production levels. During these random genetic events, strains unable to produce cellulases were generated. Here, whole genome sequencing and transcriptomic analyses of the cellulase-negative strain QM9978 were used for the identification of mutations underlying this cellulase-negative phenotype. RESULTS Sequence comparison of the cellulase-negative strain QM9978 to the reference strain QM6a identified a total of 43 mutations, of which 33 were located either close to or in coding regions. From those, we identified 23 single-nucleotide variants, nine InDels, and one translocation. The translocation occurred between chromosomes V and VII, is located upstream of the putative transcription factor vib1, and abolishes its expression in QM9978 as detected during the transcriptomic analyses. Ectopic expression of vib1 under the control of its native promoter as well as overexpression of vib1 under the control of a strong constitutive promoter restored cellulase expression in QM9978, thus confirming that the translocation event is the reason for the cellulase-negative phenotype. Gene deletion of vib1 in the moderate producer strain QM9414 and in the high producer strain Rut-C30 reduced cellulase expression in both cases. Overexpression of vib1 in QM9414 and Rut-C30 had no effect on cellulase production, most likely because vib1 is already expressed at an optimal level under normal conditions. CONCLUSION We were able to establish a link between a chromosomal translocation in QM9978 and the cellulase-negative phenotype of the strain. We identified the transcription factor vib1 as a key regulator of cellulases in T. reesei whose expression is absent in QM9978. We propose that in T. reesei, as in Neurospora crassa, vib1 is involved in cellulase induction, although the exact mechanism remains to be elucidated. The data presented here show an example of a combined genome sequencing and transcriptomic approach to explain a specific trait, in this case the QM9978 cellulase-negative phenotype, and how it helps to better understand the mechanisms during cellulase gene regulation. When focusing on mutations on the single base-pair level, changes on the chromosome level can be easily overlooked and through this work we provide an example that stresses the importance of the big picture of the genomic landscape during analysis of sequencing data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christa Ivanova
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue de Bois-Préau, 92852 Rueil-Malmaison, France
- Present Address: Genetics of Biofilms Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jonas Ramoni
- Molecular Biotechnology, Research Division Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU-Wien, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thiziri Aouam
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue de Bois-Préau, 92852 Rueil-Malmaison, France
| | - Alexa Frischmann
- Molecular Biotechnology, Research Division Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU-Wien, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Seiboth
- Molecular Biotechnology, Research Division Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU-Wien, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Scott E. Baker
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 USA
| | - Stéphane Le Crom
- Evolution Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (EPS-IBPS), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Univ Antilles, Univ Nice Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sophie Lemoine
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie de l’École normale supérieure (IBENS), Plateforme Génomique, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Antoine Margeot
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue de Bois-Préau, 92852 Rueil-Malmaison, France
| | - Frédérique Bidard
- IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1-4 Avenue de Bois-Préau, 92852 Rueil-Malmaison, France
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Perazzolli M, Herrero N, Sterck L, Lenzi L, Pellegrini A, Puopolo G, Van de Peer Y, Pertot I. Transcriptomic responses of a simplified soil microcosm to a plant pathogen and its biocontrol agent reveal a complex reaction to harsh habitat. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:838. [PMID: 27784266 PMCID: PMC5081961 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3174-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soil microorganisms are key determinants of soil fertility and plant health. Soil phytopathogenic fungi are one of the most important causes of crop losses worldwide. Microbial biocontrol agents have been extensively studied as alternatives for controlling phytopathogenic soil microorganisms, but molecular interactions between them have mainly been characterised in dual cultures, without taking into account the soil microbial community. We used an RNA sequencing approach to elucidate the molecular interplay of a soil microbial community in response to a plant pathogen and its biocontrol agent, in order to examine the molecular patterns activated by the microorganisms. RESULTS A simplified soil microcosm containing 11 soil microorganisms was incubated with a plant root pathogen (Armillaria mellea) and its biocontrol agent (Trichoderma atroviride) for 24 h under controlled conditions. More than 46 million paired-end reads were obtained for each replicate and 28,309 differentially expressed genes were identified in total. Pathway analysis revealed complex adaptations of soil microorganisms to the harsh conditions of the soil matrix and to reciprocal microbial competition/cooperation relationships. Both the phytopathogen and its biocontrol agent were specifically recognised by the simplified soil microcosm: defence reaction mechanisms and neutral adaptation processes were activated in response to competitive (T. atroviride) or non-competitive (A. mellea) microorganisms, respectively. Moreover, activation of resistance mechanisms dominated in the simplified soil microcosm in the presence of both A. mellea and T. atroviride. Biocontrol processes of T. atroviride were already activated during incubation in the simplified soil microcosm, possibly to occupy niches in a competitive ecosystem, and they were not further enhanced by the introduction of A. mellea. CONCLUSIONS This work represents an additional step towards understanding molecular interactions between plant pathogens and biocontrol agents within a soil ecosystem. Global transcriptional analysis of the simplified soil microcosm revealed complex metabolic adaptation in the soil environment and specific responses to antagonistic or neutral intruders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Perazzolli
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S, Michele all'Adige, Italy.
| | - Noemí Herrero
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S, Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Present Address: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre-The Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31/1160, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Lieven Sterck
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luisa Lenzi
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S, Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Alberto Pellegrini
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S, Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Gerardo Puopolo
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S, Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Yves Van de Peer
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Genetics, Genomics Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield Campus, 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ilaria Pertot
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S, Michele all'Adige, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Meyer V, Andersen MR, Brakhage AA, Braus GH, Caddick MX, Cairns TC, de Vries RP, Haarmann T, Hansen K, Hertz-Fowler C, Krappmann S, Mortensen UH, Peñalva MA, Ram AFJ, Head RM. Current challenges of research on filamentous fungi in relation to human welfare and a sustainable bio-economy: a white paper. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2016; 3:6. [PMID: 28955465 PMCID: PMC5611618 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-016-0024-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The EUROFUNG network is a virtual centre of multidisciplinary expertise in the field of fungal biotechnology. The first academic-industry Think Tank was hosted by EUROFUNG to summarise the state of the art and future challenges in fungal biology and biotechnology in the coming decade. Currently, fungal cell factories are important for bulk manufacturing of organic acids, proteins, enzymes, secondary metabolites and active pharmaceutical ingredients in white and red biotechnology. In contrast, fungal pathogens of humans kill more people than malaria or tuberculosis. Fungi are significantly impacting on global food security, damaging global crop production, causing disease in domesticated animals, and spoiling an estimated 10 % of harvested crops. A number of challenges now need to be addressed to improve our strategies to control fungal pathogenicity and to optimise the use of fungi as sources for novel compounds and as cell factories for large scale manufacture of bio-based products. This white paper reports on the discussions of the Think Tank meeting and the suggestions made for moving fungal bio(techno)logy forward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Meyer
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Berlin University of Technology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mikael R. Andersen
- Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Building 223, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Gerhard H. Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mark X. Caddick
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Timothy C. Cairns
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Berlin University of Technology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ronald P. de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Kim Hansen
- Biotechnology Research, Production Strain Technology, Novozymes A/S, Krogshoejvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark
| | - Christiane Hertz-Fowler
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Sven Krappmann
- Mikrobiologisches Institut – Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg and University Hospital Erlangen, Wasserturmstr. 3/5, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Uffe H. Mortensen
- Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Building 223, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Miguel A. Peñalva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Arthur F. J. Ram
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Development and validation of a custom microarray for global transcriptome profiling of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Curr Genet 2016; 62:897-910. [PMID: 27038308 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-016-0597-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptome profiling is a powerful tool for identifying gene networks from whole genome expression analysis in many living species. Here is described the first extensively characterized platform using Agilent microarray technology for transcriptome analysis in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus (Emericella) nidulans. We developed and validated a reliable gene expression microarray in 8 × 15 K format, with predictive and experimental data establishing its specificity and sensitivity. Either one or two 60-mer oligonucleotide probes were selected for each of 10,550 nuclear as well as 20 mitochondrial coding sequences. More than 99 % of probes were predicted to hybridize with 100 % identity to their aimed specific A. nidulans target only. Probe sensitivity was supported by a highly narrow distribution of melting temperatures together with thermodynamic features, which strongly favored probe-target perfect match hybridization, in comparison with predicted secondary structures. Array quality was evaluated through transcriptome comparison of two A. nidulans strains, differing by the presence or not of Escherichia coli LacZ transgene. High signal-to-noise ratios were measured, and signal reproducibility was established at intra-probe and inter-probe levels. Reproducibility of microarray performances was assessed by high correlation between two-color dye signals and between technical replicates. Results were confirmed by RT-qPCR analysis on five genes. Though it covers 100 % of the A. nidulans targeted coding sequences, this low density array allows limited experimental costs and simplified data analysis process, making it suitable for studying gene expression in this model organism through large numbers of experimental conditions, in basic, biomedical or industrial microbiology research fields.
Collapse
|
33
|
Gene Expression in Filamentous Fungi: Advantages and Disadvantages Compared to Other Systems. Fungal Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-27951-0_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
34
|
Muraguchi H, Umezawa K, Niikura M, Yoshida M, Kozaki T, Ishii K, Sakai K, Shimizu M, Nakahori K, Sakamoto Y, Choi C, Ngan CY, Lindquist E, Lipzen A, Tritt A, Haridas S, Barry K, Grigoriev IV, Pukkila PJ. Strand-Specific RNA-Seq Analyses of Fruiting Body Development in Coprinopsis cinerea. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141586. [PMID: 26510163 PMCID: PMC4624876 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The basidiomycete fungus Coprinopsis cinerea is an important model system for multicellular development. Fruiting bodies of C. cinerea are typical mushrooms, which can be produced synchronously on defined media in the laboratory. To investigate the transcriptome in detail during fruiting body development, high-throughput sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed using cDNA libraries strand-specifically constructed from 13 points (stages/tissues) with two biological replicates. The reads were aligned to 14,245 predicted transcripts, and counted for forward and reverse transcripts. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between two adjacent points and between vegetative mycelium and each point were detected by Tag Count Comparison (TCC). To validate RNA-seq data, expression levels of selected genes were compared using RPKM values in RNA-seq data and qRT-PCR data, and DEGs detected in microarray data were examined in MA plots of RNA-seq data by TCC. We discuss events deduced from GO analysis of DEGs. In addition, we uncovered both transcription factor candidates and antisense transcripts that are likely to be involved in developmental regulation for fruiting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Muraguchi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, Akita, 010-0195, Japan
| | - Kiwamu Umezawa
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Mai Niikura
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Makoto Yoshida
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Toshinori Kozaki
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Kazuo Ishii
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
| | - Kiyota Sakai
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Meijo University, Nagoya, Aichi, 468-0073, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Shimizu
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Meijo University, Nagoya, Aichi, 468-0073, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Nakahori
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Yuichi Sakamoto
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate, 024-0003, Japan
| | - Cindy Choi
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Chew Yee Ngan
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Eika Lindquist
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Anna Lipzen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Andrew Tritt
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Sajeet Haridas
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Kerrie Barry
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States of America
| | - Patricia J Pukkila
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3280, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ág N, Flipphi M, Karaffa L, Scazzocchio C, Fekete E. Alternatively spliced, spliceosomal twin introns in Helminthosporium solani. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 85:7-13. [PMID: 26514742 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Spliceosomal twin introns, "stwintrons", have been defined as complex intervening sequences that carry a second intron ("internal intron") interrupting one of the conserved sequence domains necessary for their correct splicing via consecutive excision events. Previously, we have described and experimentally verified stwintrons in species of Sordariomycetes, where an "internal intron" interrupted the donor sequence of an "external intron". Here we describe and experimentally verify two novel stwintrons of the potato pathogen Helminthosporium solani. One instance involves alternative splicing of an internal intron interrupting the donor domain of an external intron and a second one interrupting the acceptor domain of an overlapping external intron, both events leading to identical mature mRNAs. In the second case, an internal intron interrupts the donor domain of the external intron, while an alternatively spliced intron leads to an mRNA carrying a premature chain termination codon. We thus extend the stwintron concept to the acceptor domain and establish a link of the occurrence of stwintrons with that of alternative splicing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Ág
- Dept. of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Michel Flipphi
- Dept. of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Levente Karaffa
- Dept. of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Dept. of Microbiology, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), UMR CEA/CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Erzsébet Fekete
- Dept. of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Mellado L, Calcagno-Pizarelli AM, Lockington RA, Cortese MS, Kelly JM, Arst HN, Espeso EA. A second component of the SltA-dependent cation tolerance pathway in Aspergillus nidulans. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 82:116-28. [PMID: 26119498 PMCID: PMC4557415 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 06/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
SltB is a novel component of the cation stress responsive pathway. Loss of SltB function results in sensitivity to elevated extracellular concentrations of cations and to alkalinity. SltB is involved in signaling to transcription factor SltA. SltA regulates expression of sltB. The Slt pathway is unique to fungi from the pezizomycotina subphylum.
The transcriptional response to alkali metal cation stress is mediated by the zinc finger transcription factor SltA in Aspergillus nidulans and probably in other fungi of the pezizomycotina subphylum. A second component of this pathway has been identified and characterized. SltB is a 1272 amino acid protein with at least two putative functional domains, a pseudo-kinase and a serine-endoprotease, involved in signaling to the transcription factor SltA. Absence of SltB activity results in nearly identical phenotypes to those observed for a null sltA mutant. Hypersensitivity to a variety of monovalent and divalent cations, and to medium alkalinization are among the phenotypes exhibited by a null sltB mutant. Calcium homeostasis is an exception and this cation improves growth of sltΔ mutants. Moreover, loss of kinase HalA in conjunction with loss-of-function sltA or sltB mutations leads to pronounced calcium auxotrophy. sltA sltB double null mutants display a cation stress sensitive phenotype indistinguishable from that of single slt mutants showing the close functional relationship between these two proteins. This functional relationship is reinforced by the fact that numerous mutations in both slt loci can be isolated as suppressors of poor colonial growth resulting from certain null vps (vacuolar protein sorting) mutations. In addition to allowing identification of sltB, our sltB missense mutations enabled prediction of functional regions in the SltB protein. Although the relationship between the Slt and Vps pathways remains enigmatic, absence of SltB, like that of SltA, leads to vacuolar hypertrophy. Importantly, the phenotypes of selected sltA and sltB mutations demonstrate that suppression of null vps mutations is not dependent on the inability to tolerate cation stress. Thus a specific role for both SltA and SltB in the VPS pathway seems likely. Finally, it is noteworthy that SltA and SltB have a similar, limited phylogenetic distribution, being restricted to the pezizomycotina subphylum. The relevance of the Slt regulatory pathway to cell structure, intracellular trafficking and cation homeostasis and its restricted phylogenetic distribution makes this pathway of general interest for future investigation and as a source of targets for antifungal drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mellado
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Robin A Lockington
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Marc S Cortese
- Dept. of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country, Manuel de Lardizabal, 3, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Joan M Kelly
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Herbert N Arst
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Section of Microbiology, Imperial College London, Flowers Building, Armstrong Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Eduardo A Espeso
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Identification of a critical determinant that enables efficient fatty acid synthesis in oleaginous fungi. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11247. [PMID: 26059272 PMCID: PMC4462047 DOI: 10.1038/srep11247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are valuable resources for lipid production. What makes one microbe but not the other able to efficiently synthesize and accumulate lipids is poorly understood. In the present study, global gene expression prior to and after the onset of lipogenesis was determined by transcriptomics using the oleaginous fungus Mortierella alpina as a model system. A core of 23 lipogenesis associated genes was identified and their expression patterns shared a high similarity among oleaginous microbes Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Mucor circinelloides and Rhizopus oryzae but was dissimilar to the non-oleaginous Aspergillus nidulans. Unexpectedly, Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) were found to be the NADPH producers responding to lipogenesis in the oleaginous microbes. Their role in lipogenesis was confirmed by a knockdown experiment. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that the PPP plays a significant role during fungal lipogenesis. Up-regulation of NADPH production by the PPP, especially G6PD, may be one of the critical determinants that enables efficiently fatty acid synthesis in oleaginous microbes.
Collapse
|
38
|
Krypotou E, Evangelidis T, Bobonis J, Pittis AA, Gabaldón T, Scazzocchio C, Mikros E, Diallinas G. Origin, diversification and substrate specificity in the family of NCS1/FUR transporters. Mol Microbiol 2015; 96:927-50. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Krypotou
- Faculty of Biology; University of Athens; Panepistimioupolis Athens 15784 Greece
| | - Thomas Evangelidis
- Faculty of Pharmacy; University of Athens; Panepistimioupolis Athens 15771 Greece
| | - Jacob Bobonis
- Faculty of Biology; University of Athens; Panepistimioupolis Athens 15784 Greece
| | - Alexandros A. Pittis
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme; Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG); Dr. Aiguader, 88 Barcelona 08003 Spain
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF); Barcelona 08003 Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme; Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG); Dr. Aiguader, 88 Barcelona 08003 Spain
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF); Barcelona 08003 Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA); Pg. Lluís Companys 23 Barcelona 08010 Spain
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology; Imperial College; London SW7 2AZ UK
- Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie; Université Paris-Sud; France
| | - Emmanuel Mikros
- Faculty of Pharmacy; University of Athens; Panepistimioupolis Athens 15771 Greece
| | - George Diallinas
- Faculty of Biology; University of Athens; Panepistimioupolis Athens 15784 Greece
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Sá-Pessoa J, Amillis S, Casal M, Diallinas G. Expression and specificity profile of the major acetate transporter AcpA in Aspergillus nidulans. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 76:93-103. [PMID: 25708319 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
AcpA has been previously characterized as a high-affinity transporter essential for the uptake and use of acetate as sole carbon source in Aspergillus nidulans. Here, we follow the expression profile of AcpA and define its substrate specificity. AcpA-mediated acetate transport is detected from the onset of conidiospore germination, peaks at the time of germ tube emergence, and drops to low basal levels in germlings and young mycelia, where a second acetate transporter is also becoming apparent. AcpA activity also responds to acetate presence in the growth medium, but is not subject to either carbon or nitrogen catabolite repression. Short-chain monocarboxylates (benzoate, formate, butyrate and propionate) inhibit AcpA-mediated acetate transport with apparent inhibition constants (Ki) of 16.89±2.12, 9.25±1.01, 12.06±3.29 and 1.44±0.13mM, respectively. AcpA is also shown not to be directly involved in ammonia export, as proposed for its Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue Ady2p. In the second part of this work, we search for the unknown acetate transporter expressed in mycelia, and for other transporters that might contribute to acetate uptake. In silico analysis, genetic construction of relevant null mutants, and uptake assays, reveal that the closest AcpA homologue (AN1839), named AcpB, is the 'missing' secondary acetate transporter in mycelia. We also identify two major short-chain carboxylate (lactate, succinate, pyruvate and malate) transporters, named JenA (AN6095) and JenB (AN6703), which however are not involved in acetate uptake. This work establishes a framework for further exploiting acetate and carboxylate transport in filamentous ascomycetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Sá-Pessoa
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
| | - Sotiris Amillis
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Athens 15781, Greece
| | - Margarida Casal
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga 4710-057, Portugal.
| | - George Diallinas
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Athens 15781, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Beyond asexual development: modifications in the gene expression profile caused by the absence of the Aspergillus nidulans transcription factor FlbB. Genetics 2015; 199:1127-42. [PMID: 25701285 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.174342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans, asexual development is induced from vegetative hyphae by a set of early regulators including the bZIP-type transcription factor FlbB. To determine the range of genes under the influence of the transcriptional activity of FlbB and to characterize their role in fungal development, we sequenced and compared the transcriptomes of a ΔflbB mutant and its isogenic wild-type strain at different developmental stages. Results confirmed the activating role of FlbB on downstream regulators of conidiation such as flbD and brlA. However, FlbB has additional functions beyond the induction of asexual development. Among the changes observed, absence of a functional FlbB caused induction of the dba cluster and synthesis of a secondary metabolite with bactericidal properties. In addition, a new transcriptional target of FlbB was unveiled, urdA, that codes for a putative transcription factor that represses premature sexual development. Taken together, our results indicate that the activators of asexual development simultaneously exert a role on other cellular functions, including an inhibitory effect on the sexual cycle, and reinforce the hypothesis that mutually exclusive metabolic and cellular patterns are associated with different morphogenetic programs.
Collapse
|
41
|
Markossian S, Suresh S, Osmani AH, Osmani SA. Nup2 requires a highly divergent partner, NupA, to fulfill functions at nuclear pore complexes and the mitotic chromatin region. Mol Biol Cell 2014; 26:605-21. [PMID: 25540430 PMCID: PMC4325833 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e14-09-1359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Among nuclear pore proteins, Nup2 is unique because it transfers to the mitotic chromatin region to fulfill unknown functions. Analysis of Nup2 and a novel targeting partner, NupA, shows that they are required for normal anaphase and nucleokinesis. Their functions also involve an import pathway for Mad1 but apparently not general nuclear protein import. Chromatin and nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) undergo dramatic changes during mitosis, which in vertebrates and Aspergillus nidulans involves movement of Nup2 from NPCs to the chromatin region to fulfill unknown functions. This transition is shown to require the Cdk1 mitotic kinase and be promoted prematurely by ectopic expression of the NIMA kinase. Nup2 localizes with a copurifying partner termed NupA, a highly divergent yet essential NPC protein. NupA and Nup2 locate throughout the chromatin region during prophase but during anaphase move to surround segregating DNA. NupA function is shown to involve targeting Nup2 to its interphase and mitotic locations. Deletion of either Nup2 or NupA causes identical mitotic defects that initiate a spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC)–dependent mitotic delay and also cause defects in karyokinesis. These mitotic problems are not caused by overall defects in mitotic NPC disassembly–reassembly or general nuclear import. However, without Nup2 or NupA, although the SAC protein Mad1 locates to its mitotic locations, it fails to locate to NPCs normally in G1 after mitosis. Collectively the study provides new insight into the roles of Nup2 and NupA during mitosis and in a surveillance mechanism that regulates nucleokinesis when mitotic defects occur after SAC fulfillment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarine Markossian
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Development, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | | | - Aysha H Osmani
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Stephen A Osmani
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Scazzocchio C. Fungal biology in the post-genomic era. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2014; 1:7. [PMID: 28955449 PMCID: PMC5611559 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-014-0007-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review I give a personal perspective of how fungal biology has changed since I started my Ph. D. in 1963. At that time we were working in the shadow of the birth of molecular biology as an autonomous and reductionistic discipline, embodied in Crick’s central dogma. This first period was methodologically characterised by the fact that we knew what genes were, but we could not access them directly. This radically changed in the 70s-80s when gene cloning, reverse genetics and DNA sequencing become possible. The “next generation” sequencing techniques have produced a further qualitative revolutionary change. The ready access to genomes and transcriptomes of any microbial organism allows old questions to be asked in a radically different way and new questions to be approached. I provide examples chosen somewhat arbitrarily to illustrate some of these changes, from applied aspects to fundamental problems such as the origin of fungal specific genes, the evolutionary history of genes clusters and the realisation of the pervasiveness of horizontal transmission. Finally, I address how the ready availability of genomes and transcriptomes could change the status of model organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ UK.,Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, CNRS UMR 8621, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, 91405 France
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Meijueiro ML, Santoyo F, Ramirez L, Pisabarro AG. Transcriptome characteristics of filamentous fungi deduced using high-throughput analytical technologies. Brief Funct Genomics 2014; 13:440-50. [DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elu033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
|
44
|
Wu X, Zhou B, Yin C, Guo Y, Lin Y, Pan L, Wang B. Characterization of natural antisense transcript, sclerotia development and secondary metabolism by strand-specific RNA sequencing of Aspergillus flavus. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97814. [PMID: 24849659 PMCID: PMC4029826 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus has received much attention owing to its severe impact on agriculture and fermented products induced by aflatoxin. Sclerotia morphogenesis is an important process related to A. flavus reproduction and aflatoxin biosynthesis. In order to obtain an extensive transcriptome profile of A. flavus and provide a comprehensive understanding of these physiological processes, the isolated mRNA of A. flavus CA43 cultures was subjected to high-throughput strand-specific RNA sequencing (ssRNA-seq). Our ssRNA-seq data profiled widespread transcription across the A. flavus genome, quantified vast transcripts (73% of total genes) and annotated precise transcript structures, including untranslated regions, upstream open reading frames (ORFs), alternative splicing variants and novel transcripts. We propose natural antisense transcripts in A. flavus might regulate gene expression mainly on the post-transcriptional level. This regulation might be relevant to tune biological processes such as aflatoxin biosynthesis and sclerotia development. Gene Ontology annotation of differentially expressed genes between the mycelia and sclerotia cultures indicated sclerotia development was related closely to A. flavus reproduction. Additionally, we have established the transcriptional profile of aflatoxin biosynthesis and its regulation model. We identified potential genes linking sclerotia development and aflatoxin biosynthesis. These genes could be used as targets for controlled regulation of aflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinliang Wu
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chao Yin
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yong Guo
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Lin
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Pan
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Wang
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
De Souza CP, Hashmi SB, Osmani AH, Osmani SA. Application of a new dual localization-affinity purification tag reveals novel aspects of protein kinase biology in Aspergillus nidulans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90911. [PMID: 24599037 PMCID: PMC3944740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi occupy critical environmental niches and have numerous beneficial industrial applications but devastating effects as pathogens and agents of food spoilage. As regulators of essentially all biological processes protein kinases have been intensively studied but how they regulate the often unique biology of filamentous fungi is not completely understood. Significant understanding of filamentous fungal biology has come from the study of the model organism Aspergillus nidulans using a combination of molecular genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and genomic approaches. Here we describe dual localization-affinity purification (DLAP) tags enabling endogenous N or C-terminal protein tagging for localization and biochemical studies in A. nidulans. To establish DLAP tag utility we endogenously tagged 17 protein kinases for analysis by live cell imaging and affinity purification. Proteomic analysis of purifications by mass spectrometry confirmed association of the CotA and NimXCdk1 kinases with known binding partners and verified a predicted interaction of the SldABub1/R1 spindle assembly checkpoint kinase with SldBBub3. We demonstrate that the single TOR kinase of A. nidulans locates to vacuoles and vesicles, suggesting that the function of endomembranes as major TOR cellular hubs is conserved in filamentous fungi. Comparative analysis revealed 7 kinases with mitotic specific locations including An-Cdc7 which unexpectedly located to mitotic spindle pole bodies (SPBs), the first such localization described for this family of DNA replication kinases. We show that the SepH septation kinase locates to SPBs specifically in the basal region of apical cells in a biphasic manner during mitosis and again during septation. This results in gradients of SepH between G1 SPBs which shift along hyphae as each septum forms. We propose that SepH regulates the septation initiation network (SIN) specifically at SPBs in the basal region of G1 cells and that localized gradients of SIN activity promote asymmetric septation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colin P. De Souza
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Shahr B. Hashmi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Aysha H. Osmani
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Stephen A. Osmani
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|