1
|
Zhang Y, Cai H, Chen R, Feng J. DNA Damage Checkpoints Govern Global Gene Transcription and Exhibit Species-Specific Regulation on HOF1 in Candida albicans. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:387. [PMID: 38921373 PMCID: PMC11204775 DOI: 10.3390/jof10060387] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA damage checkpoints are essential for coordinating cell cycle arrest and gene transcription during DNA damage response. Exploring the targets of checkpoint kinases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi has expanded our comprehension of the downstream pathways involved in DNA damage response. While the function of checkpoint kinases, specifically Rad53, is well documented in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, their targets remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored the impact of deleting RAD53 on the global transcription profiles and observed alterations in genes associated with ribosome biogenesis, DNA replication, and cell cycle. However, the deletion of RAD53 only affected a limited number of known DNA damage-responsive genes, including MRV6 and HMX1. Unlike S. cerevisiae, the downregulation of HOF1 transcription in C. albicans under the influence of Methyl Methanesulfonate (MMS) did not depend on Dun1 but still relied on Rad53 and Rad9. In addition, the transcription factor Mcm1 was identified as a regulator of HOF1 transcription, with evidence of dynamic binding to its promoter region; however, this dynamic binding was interrupted following the deletion of RAD53. Furthermore, Rad53 was observed to directly interact with the promoter region of HOF1, thus suggesting a potential role in governing its transcription. Overall, checkpoints regulate global gene transcription in C. albicans and show species-specific regulation on HOF1; these discoveries improve our understanding of the signaling pathway related to checkpoints in this pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jinrong Feng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226007, China; (Y.Z.); (H.C.); (R.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sanpedro-Luna JA, Vega-Alvarado L, Vázquez-Cruz C, Sánchez-Alonso P. Global Gene Expression of Post-Senescent Telomerase-Negative ter1Δ Strain of Ustilago maydis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:896. [PMID: 37755003 PMCID: PMC10532341 DOI: 10.3390/jof9090896] [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: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the global expression patterns of telomerase-negative mutants from haploid cells of Ustilago maydis to identify the gene network required for cell survival in the absence of telomerase. Mutations in either of the telomerase core subunits (trt1 and ter1) of the dimorphic fungus U. maydis cause deficiencies in teliospore formation. We report the global transcriptome analysis of two ter1Δ survivor strains of U. maydis, revealing the deregulation of telomerase-deleted responses (TDR) genes, such as DNA-damage response, stress response, cell cycle, subtelomeric, and proximal telomere genes. Other differentially expressed genes (DEGs) found in the ter1Δ survivor strains were related to pathogenic lifestyle factors, plant-pathogen crosstalk, iron uptake, meiosis, and melanin synthesis. The two ter1Δ survivors were phenotypically comparable, yet DEGs were identified when comparing these strains. Our findings suggest that teliospore formation in U. maydis is controlled by key pathogenic lifestyle and meiosis genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Sanpedro-Luna
- Posgrado en Microbiología, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico;
| | - Leticia Vega-Alvarado
- Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico;
| | - Candelario Vázquez-Cruz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico;
| | - Patricia Sánchez-Alonso
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
The Rheb GTPase promotes pheromone blindness via a TORC1-independent pathway in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010483. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The target of the rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway plays a negative role in controlling virulence in phytopathogenic fungi. However, the actual targets involved in virulence are currently unknown. Using the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis, we tried to address the effects of the ectopic activation of TOR on virulence. We obtained gain-of-function mutations in the Rheb GTPase, one of the conserved TOR kinase regulators. We have found that unscheduled activation of Rheb resulted in the alteration of the proper localization of the pheromone receptor, Pra1, and thereby pheromone insensitivity. Since pheromone signaling triggers virulence in Ustilaginales, we believe that the Rheb-induced pheromone blindness was responsible for the associated lack of virulence. Strikingly, although these effects required the concourse of the Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase and the Art3 α-arrestin, the TOR kinase was not involved. Several eukaryotic organisms have shown that Rheb transmits environmental information through TOR-dependent and -independent pathways. Therefore, our results expand the range of signaling manners at which environmental conditions could impinge on the virulence of phytopathogenic fungi.
Collapse
|
4
|
Yao S, Feng Y, Zhang Y, Feng J. DNA damage checkpoint and repair: From the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:6343-6354. [PMID: 34938410 PMCID: PMC8645783 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells are constantly challenged by internal or external genotoxic assaults, which may induce a high frequency of DNA lesions, leading to genome instability. Accumulation of damaged DNA is severe or even lethal to cells and can result in abnormal proliferation that can cause cancer in multicellular organisms, aging or cell death. Eukaryotic cells have evolved a comprehensive defence system termed the DNA damage response (DDR) to monitor and remove lesions in their DNA. The DDR has been extensively studied in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Emerging evidence indicates that DDR genes in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans show functional consistency with their orthologs in S. cerevisiae, but may act through distinct mechanisms. In particular, the DDR in C. albicans appears critical for resisting DNA damage stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced from immune cells, and this plays a vital role in pathogenicity. Therefore, DDR genes could be considered as potential targets for clinical therapies. This review summarizes the identified DNA damage checkpoint and repair genes in C. albicans based on their orthologs in S. cerevisiae, and discusses their contribution to pathogenicity in C. albicans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuangyan Yao
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
- Nantong Health College of Jiangsu Province, Nantong 226016, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuting Feng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinrong Feng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
LncRNA DINOR is a virulence factor and global regulator of stress responses in Candida auris. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:842-851. [PMID: 34083769 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00915-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The emergent fungal pathogen Candida auris exhibits high resistance to antifungal drugs and environmental stresses, impeding treatment and decontamination1-3. The fungal factors mediating this stress tolerance are largely unknown. In the present study, we performed piggyBac, transposon-mediated, genome-wide mutagenesis and genetic screening in C. auris, and identified a mutant that grew constitutively in the filamentous form. Mapping the transposon insertion site revealed the disruption of a long non-coding RNA, named DINOR for DNA damage-inducible non-coding RNA. Deletion of DINOR caused DNA damage and an upregulation of genes involved in morphogenesis, DNA damage and DNA replication. The DNA checkpoint kinase Rad53 was hyperphosphorylated in dinorΔ mutants, and deletion of RAD53 abolished DNA damage-induced filamentation. DNA-alkylating agents, which cause similar filamentous growth, induced DINOR expression, suggesting a role for DINOR in maintaining genome integrity. Upregulation of DINOR also occurred during exposure to the antifungal drugs caspofungin and amphotericin B, macrophages, H2O2 and sodium dodecylsulfate, indicating that DINOR orchestrates multiple stress responses. Consistently, dinorΔ mutants displayed increased sensitivity to these stresses and were attenuated for virulence in mice. Moreover, genome-wide genetic interaction studies revealed links between the function of DINOR and TOR signalling, an evolutionarily conserved pathway that regulates the stress response. Identification of the mechanism(s) by which DINOR regulates stress responses in C. auris may provide future opportunities for the development of therapeutics.
Collapse
|
6
|
de la Torre A, Castanheira S, Pérez-Martín J. Incompatibility between proliferation and plant invasion is mediated by a regulator of appressorium formation in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30599-30609. [PMID: 33199618 PMCID: PMC7720189 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006909117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant pathogenic fungi often developed specialized infection structures to breach the outer surface of a host plant. These structures, called appressoria, lead the invasion of the plant by the fungal hyphae. Studies in different phytopathogenic fungi showed that appressorium formation seems to be subordinated to the cell cycle. This subordination ensures the loading in the invading hypha of the correct genetic information to proceed with plant infection. However, how the cell cycle transmits its condition to the genetic program controlling appressorium formation and promoting the plant's invasion is unknown. Our results have uncovered how this process occurs for the appressorium of Ustilago maydis, the agent responsible for corn smut disease. Here, we described that the complex Clb2-cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)1, one of the master regulators of G2/M cell cycle progression in U. maydis, interacts and controls the subcellular localization of Biz1, a transcriptional factor required for the activation of the appressorium formation. Besides, Biz1 can arrest the cell cycle by down-regulation of the gene encoding a second b-cyclin Clb1 also required for the G2/M transition. These results revealed a negative feedback loop between appressorium formation and cell cycle progression in U. maydis, which serves as a "toggle switch" to control the fungal decision between infecting the plant or proliferating out of the plant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sónia Castanheira
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (CSIC), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (CSIC), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bardetti P, Castanheira SM, Valerius O, Braus GH, Pérez-Martín J. Cytoplasmic retention and degradation of a mitotic inducer enable plant infection by a pathogenic fungus. eLife 2019; 8:e48943. [PMID: 31621584 PMCID: PMC6887120 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the fungus Ustilago maydis, sexual pheromones elicit mating resulting in an infective filament able to infect corn plants. Along this process a G2 cell cycle arrest is mandatory. Such as cell cycle arrest is initiated upon the pheromone recognition in each mating partner, and sustained once cell fusion occurred until the fungus enter the plant tissue. We describe that the initial cell cycle arrest resulted from inhibition of the nuclear transport of the mitotic inducer Cdc25 by targeting its importin, Kap123. Near cell fusion to take place, the increase on pheromone signaling promotes Cdc25 degradation, which seems to be important to ensure the maintenance of the G2 cell cycle arrest to lead the formation of the infective filament. This way, premating cell cycle arrest is linked to the subsequent steps required for establishment of the infection. Disabling this connection resulted in the inability of fungal cells to infect plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Bardetti
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (CSIC)SalamancaSpain
| | | | - Oliver Valerius
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and GeneticsGeorg-August-UniversityGöttingenGermany
| | - Gerhard H Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and GeneticsGeorg-August-UniversityGöttingenGermany
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rad53- and Chk1-Dependent DNA Damage Response Pathways Cooperatively Promote Fungal Pathogenesis and Modulate Antifungal Drug Susceptibility. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.01726-18. [PMID: 30602579 PMCID: PMC6315099 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01726-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome instability is detrimental for living things because it induces genetic disorder diseases and transfers incorrect genome information to descendants. Therefore, living organisms have evolutionarily conserved signaling networks to sense and repair DNA damage. However, how the DNA damage response pathway is regulated for maintaining the genome integrity of fungal pathogens and how this contributes to their pathogenicity remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the DNA damage response pathway in the basidiomycete pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes life-threatening meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals, with an average of 223,100 infections leading to 181,100 deaths reported annually. Here, we found that perturbation of Rad53- and Chk1-dependent DNA damage response pathways attenuated the virulence of C. neoformans and increased its susceptibility to certain antifungal drugs, such as amphotericin B and flucytosine. Therefore, our work paves the way to understanding the important role of human fungal DNA damage networks in pathogenesis and antifungal drug susceptibility. Living organisms are constantly exposed to DNA damage stress caused by endogenous and exogenous events. Eukaryotic cells have evolutionarily conserved DNA damage checkpoint surveillance systems. We previously reported that a unique transcription factor, Bdr1, whose expression is strongly induced by the protein kinase Rad53 governs DNA damage responses by controlling the expression of DNA repair genes in the basidiomycetous fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. However, the regulatory mechanism of the Rad53-dependent DNA damage signal cascade and its function in pathogenicity remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Rad53 is required for DNA damage response and is phosphorylated by two phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-like kinases, Tel1 and Mec1, in response to DNA damage stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Rad53 regulates the expression of several DNA repair genes in response to gamma radiation. We found that expression of CHK1, another effector kinase involved in the DNA damage response, is regulated by Rad53 and that CHK1 deletion rendered cells highly susceptible to DNA damage stress. Nevertheless, BDR1 expression is regulated by Rad53, but not Chk1, indicating that DNA damage signal cascades mediated by Rad53 and Chk1 exhibit redundant and distinct functions. We found that perturbation of both RAD53 and CHK1 attenuated the virulence of C. neoformans, perhaps by promoting phagosome maturation within macrophage, reducing melanin production, and increasing susceptibility to oxidative stresses. Furthermore, deletion of both RAD53 and CHK1 increased susceptibility to certain antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B. This report provides insight into the regulatory mechanism of fungal DNA damage repair systems and their functional relationship with fungal virulence and antifungal drug susceptibility.
Collapse
|
9
|
Pérez-Martín J, Bardetti P, Castanheira S, de la Torre A, Tenorio-Gómez M. Virulence-specific cell cycle and morphogenesis connections in pathogenic fungi. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 57:93-99. [PMID: 27032479 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
To initiate pathogenic development, pathogenic fungi respond to a set of inductive cues. Some of them are of an extracellular nature (environmental signals), while others are intracellular (developmental signals). These signals must be integrated into a single response whose major outcome is changes in the morphogenesis of the fungus. The regulation of the cell cycle is pivotal during these cellular differentiation steps; therefore, cell cycle regulation would likely provide control points for infectious development by fungal pathogens. Here, we provide clues to understanding how the control of the cell cycle is integrated with the morphogenesis program in pathogenic fungi, and we review current examples that support these connections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Pérez-Martín
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Paola Bardetti
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sónia Castanheira
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Antonio de la Torre
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Salamanca, Spain
| | - María Tenorio-Gómez
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Salamanca, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tenorio-Gómez M, de Sena-Tomás C, Pérez-Martín J. MRN- and 9-1-1-Independent Activation of the ATR-Chk1 Pathway during the Induction of the Virulence Program in the Phytopathogen Ustilago maydis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137192. [PMID: 26367864 PMCID: PMC4573213 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA damage response (DDR) leads to DNA repair, and depending on the extent of the
damage, to further events, including cell death. Evidence suggests that cell
differentiation may also be a consequence of the DDR. During the formation of
the infective hypha in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago
maydis, two DDR kinases, Atr1 and Chk1, are required to induce a G2
cell cycle arrest, which in turn is essential to display the virulence program.
However, the triggering factor of DDR in this process has remained elusive. In
this report we provide data suggesting that no DNA damage is associated with the
activation of the DDR during the formation of the infective filament in
U. maydis. We have analyzed bulk DNA
replication during the formation of the infective filament, and we found no
signs of impaired DNA replication. Furthermore, using RPA-GFP fusion as a
surrogate marker of the presence of DNA damage, we were unable to detect any
sign of DNA damage at the cellular level. In addition, neither MRN nor 9-1-1
complexes, both instrumental to transmit the DNA damage signal, are required for
the induction of the above mentioned cell cycle arrest, as well as for
virulence. In contrast, we have found that the claspin-like protein Mrc1, which
in other systems serves as scaffold for Atr1 and Chk1, was required for both
processes. We discuss possible alternative ways to trigger the DDR, independent
of DNA damage, in U. maydis during virulence
program activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jose Pérez-Martín
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica
(CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Jiang C, Xu JR, Liu H. Distinct cell cycle regulation during saprophytic and pathogenic growth in fungal pathogens. Curr Genet 2015; 62:185-9. [PMID: 26337287 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-015-0515-9] [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: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In a number of dimorphic and hemibiotrophic pathogens, cell cycle regulation has been shown to be important for morphological changes related to infectious growth or infection-related morphogenesis. However, the role of mitotic CDK kinase Cdc2, the key regulator of cell cycle, in pathogenic growth is not clear, because most fungal pathogens have a single CDC2 gene that is essential for cell cycle progression and viability. Interestingly, the wheat scab fungus Fusarium graminearum has two CDC2 genes. Although CDC2A and CDC2B have redundant functions in vegetative growth and asexual production, only CDC2A is required for invasive growth and plant infection. In this study, we showed that Cdc2A and Cdc2B interacted with each other and may form homo- and heterodimers in vegetative hyphae. We also identified sequence and structural differences between Cdc2A and Cdc2B that may be related to their functional divergence. These results, together with earlier studies with cyclins, important for differentiation and infection in Candida albicans and Ustilago maydis, indicated that dimorphic and hemibiotrophic fungal pathogens may have stage-specific cyclin-CDK combinations or CDK targets during saprophytic and pathogenic growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.,Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jin-Rong Xu
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Huiquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
de Sena-Tomás C, Sutherland JH, Milisavljevic M, Nikolic DB, Pérez-Martín J, Kojic M, Holloman WK. LAMMER kinase contributes to genome stability in Ustilago maydis. DNA Repair (Amst) 2015; 33:70-7. [PMID: 26176563 PMCID: PMC4526389 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2015.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Here we report identification of the lkh1 gene encoding a LAMMER kinase homolog (Lkh1) from a screen for DNA repair-deficient mutants in Ustilago maydis. The mutant allele isolated results from a mutation at glutamine codon 488 to a stop codon that would be predicted to lead to truncation of the carboxy-terminal kinase domain of the protein. This mutant (lkh1(Q488*)) is highly sensitive to ultraviolet light, methyl methanesulfonate, and hydroxyurea. In contrast, a null mutant (lkh1Δ) deleted of the entire lkh1 gene has a less severe phenotype. No epistasis was observed when an lkh1(Q488*)rad51Δ double mutant was tested for genotoxin sensitivity. However, overexpressing the gene for Rad51, its regulator Brh2, or the Brh2 regulator Dss1 partially restored genotoxin resistance of the lkh1Δ and lkh1(Q488*) mutants. Deletion of lkh1 in a chk1Δ mutant enabled these double mutant cells to continue to cycle when challenged with hydroxyurea. lkh1Δ and lkh1(Q488*) mutants were able to complete the meiotic process but exhibited reduced heteroallelic recombination and aberrant chromosome segregation. The observations suggest that Lkh1 serves in some aspect of cell cycle regulation after DNA damage or replication stress and that it also contributes to proper chromosome segregation in meiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen de Sena-Tomás
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jeanette H Sutherland
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mira Milisavljevic
- Laboratory for Plant Molecular Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragana B Nikolic
- Laboratory for Plant Molecular Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Serbia
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Milorad Kojic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA; Laboratory for Plant Molecular Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Serbia
| | - William K Holloman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ryder LS, Talbot NJ. Regulation of appressorium development in pathogenic fungi. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 26:8-13. [PMID: 26043436 PMCID: PMC4781897 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2015.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Many plant pathogenic fungi have the capacity to breach the intact cuticles of their plant hosts using specialised infection cells called appressoria. These cells exert physical force to rupture the plant surface, or deploy enzymes in a focused way to digest the cuticle and plant cell wall. They also provide the means by which focal secretion of effectors occurs at the point of plant infection. Development of appressoria is linked to re-modelling of the actin cytoskeleton, mediated by septin GTPases, and rapid cell wall differentiation. These processes are regulated by perception of plant cell surface components, and starvation stress, but also linked to cell cycle checkpoints that control the overall progression of infection-related development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren S Ryder
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J Talbot
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
de Sena-Tomás C, Yu EY, Calzada A, Holloman WK, Lue NF, Pérez-Martín J. Fungal Ku prevents permanent cell cycle arrest by suppressing DNA damage signaling at telomeres. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:2138-51. [PMID: 25653166 PMCID: PMC4344518 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ku heterodimer serves in the initial step in repairing DNA double-strand breaks by the non-homologous end-joining pathway. Besides this key function, Ku also plays a role in other cellular processes including telomere maintenance. Inactivation of Ku can lead to DNA repair defects and telomere aberrations. In model organisms where Ku has been studied, inactivation can lead to DNA repair defects and telomere aberrations. In general Ku deficient mutants are viable, but a notable exception to this is human where Ku has been found to be essential. Here we report that similar to the situation in human Ku is required for cell proliferation in the fungus Ustilago maydis. Using conditional strains for Ku expression, we found that cells arrest permanently in G2 phase when Ku expression is turned off. Arrest results from cell cycle checkpoint activation due to persistent signaling via the DNA damage response (DDR). Our results point to the telomeres as the most likely source of the DNA damage signal. Inactivation of the DDR makes the Ku complex dispensable for proliferation in this organism. Our findings suggest that in U. maydis, unprotected telomeres arising from Ku depletion are the source of the signal that activates the DDR leading to cell cycle arrest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen de Sena-Tomás
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (CSIC), Zacarías González 2, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Eun Young Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Cancer Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, 10021 NY, USA
| | - Arturo Calzada
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - William K Holloman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Cancer Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, 10021 NY, USA
| | - Neal F Lue
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Cancer Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, 10021 NY, USA
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (CSIC), Zacarías González 2, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Castanheira S, Pérez-Martín J. Appressorium formation in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis requires a G2 cell cycle arrest. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2015; 10:e1001227. [PMID: 25876077 PMCID: PMC4623337 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2014.1001227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Many of the most important plant diseases are caused by fungal pathogens that form specialized cell structures to breach the leaf surface as well as to proliferate inside the plant. To initiate pathogenic development, the fungus responds to a set of inductive cues. Some of them are of extracellular nature (environmental signals) while others respond to intracellular conditions (developmental signals). These signals have to be integrated into a single response that has as a major outcome changes in the morphogenesis of the fungus. The cell cycle regulation is pivotal during these cellular differentiations, and we hypothesized that cell cycle regulation would be likely to provide control points for infection development by fungal pathogens. Although efforts have been done in various fungal systems, there is still limited information available regarding the relationship of these processes with the induction of the virulence programs. Hence, the role of fungal cell cycle regulators -which are wide conserved elements- as true virulence factors, has yet to be defined. Here we discuss the recent finding that the formation of the appressorium, a structure required for plant penetration, in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis seems to be incompatible with an active cell cycle and, therefore genetic circuits evolved in this fungus to arrest the cell cycle during the growth of this fungus on plant surface, before the appressorium-mediated penetration into the plant tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sónia Castanheira
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Salamanca, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Salamanca, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Li Z, Hao Y, Wang L, Xiang H, Zhou Z. Genome-wide identification and comprehensive analyses of the kinomes in four pathogenic microsporidia species. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115890. [PMID: 25549259 PMCID: PMC4280135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia have attracted considerable attention because they infect a wide range of hosts, from invertebrates to vertebrates, and cause serious human diseases and major economic losses in the livestock industry. There are no prospective drugs to counteract this pathogen. Eukaryotic protein kinases (ePKs) play a central role in regulating many essential cellular processes and are therefore potential drug targets. In this study, a comprehensive summary and comparative analysis of the protein kinases in four microsporidia–Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Nosema bombycis and Nosema ceranae–was performed. The results show that there are 34 ePKs and 4 atypical protein kinases (aPKs) in E. bieneusi, 29 ePKs and 6 aPKs in E. cuniculi, 41 ePKs and 5 aPKs in N. bombycis, and 27 ePKs and 4 aPKs in N. ceranae. These data support the previous conclusion that the microsporidian kinome is the smallest eukaryotic kinome. Microsporidian kinomes contain only serine-threonine kinases and do not contain receptor-like and tyrosine kinases. Many of the kinases related to nutrient and energy signaling and the stress response have been lost in microsporidian kinomes. However, cell cycle-, development- and growth-related kinases, which are important to parasites, are well conserved. This reduction of the microsporidian kinome is in good agreement with genome compaction, but kinome density is negatively correlated with proteome size. Furthermore, the protein kinases in each microsporidian genome are under strong purifying selection pressure. No remarkable differences in kinase family classification, domain features, gain and/or loss, and selective pressure were observed in these four species. Although microsporidia adapt to different host types, the coevolution of microsporidia and their hosts was not clearly reflected in the protein kinases. Overall, this study enriches and updates the microsporidian protein kinase database and may provide valuable information and candidate targets for the design of treatments for pathogenic diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Youjin Hao
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Linling Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Heng Xiang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Castanheira S, Mielnichuk N, Pérez-Martín J. Programmed cell cycle arrest is required for infection of corn plants by the fungus Ustilago maydis. Development 2014; 141:4817-26. [PMID: 25411209 DOI: 10.1242/dev.113415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a plant pathogen that requires a specific structure called infective filament to penetrate the plant tissue. Although able to grow, this filament is cell cycle arrested on the plant surface. This cell cycle arrest is released once the filament penetrates the plant tissue. The reasons and mechanisms for this cell cycle arrest are unknown. Here, we have tried to address these questions. We reached three conclusions from our studies. First, the observed cell cycle arrest is the result of the cooperation of at least two distinct mechanisms: one involving the activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) cascade; and the other relying on the transcriptional downregulation of Hsl1, a kinase that modulates the G2/M transition. Second, a sustained cell cycle arrest during the infective filament step is necessary for the virulence in U. maydis, as a strain unable to arrest the cell cycle was severely impaired in its ability to infect corn plants. Third, production of the appressorium, a structure required for plant penetration, is incompatible with an active cell cycle. The inability to infect plants by strains defective in cell cycle arrest seems to be caused by their failure to induce the appressorium formation process. In summary, our findings uncover genetic circuits to arrest the cell cycle during the growth of this fungus on the plant surface, thus allowing the penetration into plant tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sónia Castanheira
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Zacarías González 2, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Natalia Mielnichuk
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Zacarías González 2, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Zacarías González 2, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Pöhlmann J, Risse C, Seidel C, Pohlmann T, Jakopec V, Walla E, Ramrath P, Takeshita N, Baumann S, Feldbrügge M, Fischer R, Fleig U. The Vip1 inositol polyphosphate kinase family regulates polarized growth and modulates the microtubule cytoskeleton in fungi. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004586. [PMID: 25254656 PMCID: PMC4177672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) are pivotal for numerous eukaryotic processes ranging from cellular morphogenesis, chromosome segregation to intracellular transport. Execution of these tasks requires intricate regulation of MT dynamics. Here, we identify a new regulator of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe MT cytoskeleton: Asp1, a member of the highly conserved Vip1 inositol polyphosphate kinase family. Inositol pyrophosphates generated by Asp1 modulate MT dynamic parameters independent of the central +TIP EB1 and in a dose-dependent and cellular-context-dependent manner. Importantly, our analysis of the in vitro kinase activities of various S. pombe Asp1 variants demonstrated that the C-terminal phosphatase-like domain of the dual domain Vip1 protein negatively affects the inositol pyrophosphate output of the N-terminal kinase domain. These data suggest that the former domain has phosphatase activity. Remarkably, Vip1 regulation of the MT cytoskeleton is a conserved feature, as Vip1-like proteins of the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans and the distantly related pathogenic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis also affect the MT cytoskeleton in these organisms. Consistent with the role of interphase MTs in growth zone selection/maintenance, all 3 fungal systems show aspects of aberrant cell morphogenesis. Thus, for the first time we have identified a conserved biological process for inositol pyrophosphates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Pöhlmann
- Lehrstuhl für funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carmen Risse
- Lehrstuhl für funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Constanze Seidel
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Dept. of Microbiology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Thomas Pohlmann
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Visnja Jakopec
- Lehrstuhl für funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Eva Walla
- Lehrstuhl für funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Pascal Ramrath
- Lehrstuhl für funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Norio Takeshita
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Dept. of Microbiology, Karlsruhe, Germany
- University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Ibaraki, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Sebastian Baumann
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Dept. of Microbiology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ursula Fleig
- Lehrstuhl für funktionelle Genomforschung der Mikroorganismen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Perez-Nadales E, Nogueira MFA, Baldin C, Castanheira S, El Ghalid M, Grund E, Lengeler K, Marchegiani E, Mehrotra PV, Moretti M, Naik V, Oses-Ruiz M, Oskarsson T, Schäfer K, Wasserstrom L, Brakhage AA, Gow NAR, Kahmann R, Lebrun MH, Perez-Martin J, Di Pietro A, Talbot NJ, Toquin V, Walther A, Wendland J. Fungal model systems and the elucidation of pathogenicity determinants. Fungal Genet Biol 2014; 70:42-67. [PMID: 25011008 PMCID: PMC4161391 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2014.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Fungi have the capacity to cause devastating diseases of both plants and animals, causing significant harvest losses that threaten food security and human mycoses with high mortality rates. As a consequence, there is a critical need to promote development of new antifungal drugs, which requires a comprehensive molecular knowledge of fungal pathogenesis. In this review, we critically evaluate current knowledge of seven fungal organisms used as major research models for fungal pathogenesis. These include pathogens of both animals and plants; Ashbya gossypii, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Magnaporthe oryzae, Ustilago maydis and Zymoseptoria tritici. We present key insights into the virulence mechanisms deployed by each species and a comparative overview of key insights obtained from genomic analysis. We then consider current trends and future challenges associated with the study of fungal pathogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Perez-Nadales
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
| | | | - Clara Baldin
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutembergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sónia Castanheira
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y GenómicaCSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Mennat El Ghalid
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Grund
- Functional Genomics of Plant Pathogenic Fungi, UMR 5240 CNRS-UCB-INSA-Bayer SAS, Bayer CropScience, 69263 Lyon, France
| | - Klaus Lengeler
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Elisabetta Marchegiani
- Evolution and Genomics of Plant Pathogen Interactions, UR 1290 INRA, BIOGER-CPP, Campus AgroParisTech, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Pankaj Vinod Mehrotra
- Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Marino Moretti
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Vikram Naik
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Oses-Ruiz
- School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Therese Oskarsson
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Katja Schäfer
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Lisa Wasserstrom
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutembergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Neil A R Gow
- Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marc-Henri Lebrun
- Evolution and Genomics of Plant Pathogen Interactions, UR 1290 INRA, BIOGER-CPP, Campus AgroParisTech, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - José Perez-Martin
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y GenómicaCSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Antonio Di Pietro
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Nicholas J Talbot
- School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Valerie Toquin
- Biochemistry Department, Bayer SAS, Bayer CropScience, CRLD, 69263 Lyon, France
| | - Andrea Walther
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Jürgen Wendland
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Turrà D, Segorbe D, Di Pietro A. Protein kinases in plant-pathogenic fungi: conserved regulators of infection. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2014; 52:267-88. [PMID: 25090477 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-102313-050143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Phytopathogenic fungi have evolved an amazing diversity of infection modes and nutritional strategies, yet the signaling pathways that govern pathogenicity are remarkably conserved. Protein kinases (PKs) catalyze the reversible phosphorylation of proteins, regulating a variety of cellular processes. Here, we present an overview of our current understanding of the different classes of PKs that contribute to fungal pathogenicity on plants and of the mechanisms that regulate and coordinate PK activity during infection-related development. In addition to the well-studied PK modules, such as MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate)-PKA (protein kinase A) cascades, we also discuss new PK pathways that have emerged in recent years as key players of pathogenic development and disease. Understanding how conserved PK signaling networks have been recruited during the evolution of fungal pathogenicity not only advances our knowledge of the highly elaborate infection process but may also lead to the development of novel strategies for the control of plant disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Turrà
- Departamento de Genética and Campus de Excelencia Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; , ,
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Heimel K, Freitag J, Hampel M, Ast J, Bölker M, Kämper J. Crosstalk between the unfolded protein response and pathways that regulate pathogenic development in Ustilago maydis. THE PLANT CELL 2013; 25:4262-77. [PMID: 24179126 PMCID: PMC3877826 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.113.115899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a conserved eukaryotic signaling pathway regulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis during ER stress, which results, for example, from an increased demand for protein secretion. Here, we characterize the homologs of the central UPR regulatory proteins Hac1 (for Homologous to ATF/CREB1) and Inositol Requiring Enzyme1 in the plant pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis and demonstrate that the UPR is tightly interlinked with the b mating-type-dependent signaling pathway that regulates pathogenic development. Exact timing of UPR is required for virulence, since premature activation interferes with the b-dependent switch from budding to filamentous growth. In addition, we found crosstalk between UPR and the b target Clampless1 (Clp1), which is essential for cell cycle release and proliferation in planta. The unusual C-terminal extension of the U. maydis Hac1 homolog, Cib1 (for Clp1 interacting bZIP1), mediates direct interaction with Clp1. The interaction between Clp1 and Cib1 promotes stabilization of Clp1, resulting in enhanced ER stress tolerance that prevents deleterious UPR hyperactivation. Thus, the interaction between Cib1 and Clp1 constitutes a checkpoint to time developmental progression and increased secretion of effector proteins at the onset of biotrophic development. Crosstalk between UPR and the b mating-type regulated developmental program adapts ER homeostasis to the changing demands during biotrophy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Heimel
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Bioscience, Department of Genetics, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Johannes Freitag
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin Hampel
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ast
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Michael Bölker
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Address correspondence to
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Bioscience, Department of Genetics, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
A DNA damage checkpoint pathway coordinates the division of dikaryotic cells in the ink cap mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea. Genetics 2013; 195:47-57. [PMID: 23792951 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.113.152231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungal fruiting body or mushroom is a multicellular structure essential for sexual reproduction. It is composed of dikaryotic cells that contain one haploid nucleus from each mating partner sharing the same cytoplasm without undergoing nuclear fusion. In the mushroom, the pileus bears the hymenium, a layer of cells that includes the specialized basidia in which nuclear fusion, meiosis, and sporulation occur. Coprinopsis cinerea is a well-known model fungus used to study developmental processes associated with the formation of the fruiting body. Here we describe that knocking down the expression of Atr1 and Chk1, two kinases shown to be involved in the response to DNA damage in a number of eukaryotic organisms, dramatically impairs the ability to develop fruiting bodies in C. cinerea, as well as other developmental decisions such as sclerotia formation. These developmental defects correlated with the impairment in silenced strains to sustain an appropriated dikaryotic cell cycle. Dikaryotic cells in which chk1 or atr1 genes were silenced displayed a higher level of asynchronous mitosis and as a consequence aberrant cells carrying an unbalanced dose of nuclei. Since fruiting body initiation is dependent on the balanced mating-type regulator doses present in the dikaryon, we believe that the observed developmental defects were a consequence of the impaired cell cycle in the dikaryon. Our results suggest a connection between the DNA damage response cascade, cell cycle regulation, and developmental processes in this fungus.
Collapse
|
23
|
Sartorel E, Pérez-Martín J. The distinct interaction between cell cycle regulation and the widely conserved morphogenesis-related (MOR) pathway in the fungus Ustilago maydis determines morphology. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:4597-608. [PMID: 22767510 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.107862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphogenesis-related NDR kinase (MOR) pathway regulates morphogenesis in fungi. In spite of the high conservation of its components, impairing their functions results in highly divergent cellular responses depending on the fungal species. The reasons for such differences are unclear. Here we propose that the species-specific connections between cell cycle regulation and the MOR pathway could be partly responsible for these divergences. We based our conclusion on the characterization of the MOR pathway in the fungus Ustilago maydis. Each gene that encodes proteins of this pathway in U. maydis was deleted. All mutants exhibited a constitutive hyperpolarized growth, contrasting with the loss of polarity observed in other fungi. Using a conditional allele of the central NDR kinase Ukc1, we found that impairing MOR function resulted in a prolonged G2 phase. This cell cycle delay appears to be the consequence of an increase in Cdk1 inhibitory phosphorylation. Strikingly, prevention of the inhibitory Cdk1 phosphorylation abolished the hyperpolarized growth associated with MOR pathway depletion. We found that the prolonged G2 phase resulted in higher levels of expression of crk1, a conserved kinase that promotes polar growth in U. maydis. Deletion of crk1 also abolished the dramatic activation of polar growth in cells lacking the MOR pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that Cdk1 inhibitory phosphorylation may act as an integrator of signaling cascades regulating fungal morphogenesis and that the distinct morphological response observed in U. maydis upon impairment of the MOR pathway could be due to a cell cycle deregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Sartorel
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (CSIC), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Pérez-Martín J. Cell Cycle and Morphogenesis Connections During the Formation of the Infective Filament in Ustilago maydis. TOPICS IN CURRENT GENETICS 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-22916-9_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
25
|
Pérez-Martín J, de Sena-Tomás C. Dikaryotic cell cycle in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis is controlled by the DNA damage response cascade. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011; 6:1574-7. [PMID: 21918381 PMCID: PMC3256387 DOI: 10.4161/psb.6.10.17055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2011] [Accepted: 06/27/2011] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In a large group of fungi, mating results in a dikaryon, a cell in which the two nuclei--one from each parent cell--share a single cytoplasm for a period of time without undergoing nuclear fusion. The dikaryon stage is typical in the life cycles of many fungal species primarily in the Basidiomycota, a large group that includes mushrooms, bracket fungi and many phytopathogenic fungi, such as the corn pathogen Ustilago maydis. Recently, we described that in U. maydis two conserved DNA-damage checkpoint kinases, Chk1 and Atr1, work together to control the dikaryon formation. However, how this pathway is activated during the dikaryon formation and how its activation/deactivation is coordinated with the different cell cycle phases is unknown. Here we propose and discuss several hypothesis to address these questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Pérez-Martín
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
de Sena-Tomás C, Fernández-Álvarez A, Holloman WK, Pérez-Martín J. The DNA damage response signaling cascade regulates proliferation of the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis in planta. THE PLANT CELL 2011; 23:1654-65. [PMID: 21478441 PMCID: PMC3101559 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.110.082552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
In the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis, the dikaryotic state dominates the period of growth occurring during the infectious phase. Dikaryons are cells in which two nuclei, one from each parent cell, share a single cytoplasm for a period of time without undergoing nuclear fusion. In fungal cells, maintenance of the dikaryotic state requires an intricate cell division process that often involves the formation of a structure known as the clamp connection as well as the sorting of one of the nuclei to this structure to ensure that each daughter dikaryon inherits a balance of each parental genome. Here, we describe an atypical role of the DNA damage checkpoint kinases Chk1 and Atr1 during pathogenic growth of U. maydis. We found that Chk1 and Atr1 collaborate to control cell cycle arrest during the induction of the virulence program in U. maydis and that Chk1 and Atr1 work together to control the dikaryon formation. These findings uncover a link between a widely conserved signaling cascade and the virulence program in a phytopathogen. We propose a model in which adjustment of the cell cycle by the Atr1-Chk1 axis controls fidelity in dikaryon formation. Therefore, Chk1 and Atr1 emerge as critical cell type regulators in addition to their roles in the DNA damage response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen de Sena-Tomás
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Fernández-Álvarez
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - William K. Holloman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Address correspondence to
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Heimel K, Scherer M, Schuler D, Kämper J. The Ustilago maydis Clp1 protein orchestrates pheromone and b-dependent signaling pathways to coordinate the cell cycle and pathogenic development. THE PLANT CELL 2010; 22:2908-22. [PMID: 20729384 PMCID: PMC2947178 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.110.076265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2010] [Revised: 07/30/2010] [Accepted: 08/05/2010] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of the cell cycle and morphogenetic switching during pathogenic and sexual development in Ustilago maydis is orchestrated by a concerted action of the a and b mating-type loci. Activation of either mating-type locus triggers the G2 cell cycle arrest that is a prerequisite for the formation of the infectious dikaryon; this cell cycle arrest is released only after penetration of the host plant. Here, we show that bW, one of the two homeodomain transcription factors encoded by the b mating-type locus, and the zinc-finger transcription factor Rbf1, a master regulator for pathogenic development, interact with Clp1 (clampless 1), a protein required for the distribution of nuclei during cell division of the dikaryon. In addition, we identify Cib1, a previously undiscovered bZIP transcription factor required for pathogenic development, as a Clp1-interacting protein. Clp1 interaction with bW blocks b-dependent functions, such as the b-dependent G2 cell cycle arrest and dimorphic switching. The interaction of Clp1 with Rbf1 results in the repression of the a-dependent pheromone pathway, conjugation tube formation, and the a-induced G2 cell cycle arrest. The concerted interaction of Clp1 with Rbf1 and bW coordinates a- and b-dependent cell cycle control and ensures cell cycle release and progression at the onset of biotrophic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Heimel
- Department of Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Mario Scherer
- Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - David Schuler
- Department of Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Department of Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Carbó N, Pérez-Martín J. Activation of the cell wall integrity pathway promotes escape from G2 in the fungus Ustilago maydis. PLoS Genet 2010; 6:e1001009. [PMID: 20617206 PMCID: PMC2895642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1001009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2009] [Accepted: 05/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that MAPK activation in budding and fission yeasts is often associated with negative effects on cell cycle progression, resulting in delay or arrest at a specific stage in the cell cycle, thereby enabling cells to adapt to changing environmental conditions. For instance, activation of the Cell Wall Integrity (CWI) pathway in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae signals an increase in CDK inhibitory phosphorylation, which leads cells to remain in the G2 phase. Here we characterized the CWI pathway of Ustilago maydis, a fungus evolutionarily distant from budding and fission yeasts, and show that activation of the CWI pathway forces cells to escape from G2 phase. In spite of these disparate cell cycle responses in S. cerevisiae and U. maydis, the CWI pathway in both organisms appears to respond to the same class cell wall stressors. To understand the basis of such a difference, we studied the mechanism behind the U. maydis response. We found that activation of CWI pathway in U. maydis results in a decrease in CDK inhibitory phosphorylation, which depends on the mitotic phosphatase Cdc25. Moreover, in response to activation of the CWI pathway, Cdc25 accumulates in the nucleus, providing a likely explanation for the increase in the unphosphorylated form of CDK. We also found that the extended N-terminal domain of Cdc25, which is dispensable under normal growth conditions, is required for this G2 escape as well as for resistance to cell wall stressors. We propose that the process of cell cycle adaptation to cell stress evolved differently in these two divergent organisms so that each can move towards a cell cycle phase most appropriate for responding to the environmental signals encountered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Carbó
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, National Center of Biotechnology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, National Center of Biotechnology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|