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Hernandez-Escribano L, Morales Clemente MT, Fariña-Flores D, Raposo R. A delayed response in phytohormone signaling and production contributes to pine susceptibility to Fusarium circinatum. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:727. [PMID: 39080528 PMCID: PMC11289988 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05342-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fusarium circinatum is the causal agent of pine pitch canker disease, which affects Pinus species worldwide, causing significant economic and ecological losses. In Spain, two Pinus species are most affected by the pathogen; Pinus radiata is highly susceptible, while Pinus pinaster has shown moderate resistance. In F. circinatum-Pinus interactions, phytohormones are known to play a crucial role in plant defense. By comparing species with different degrees of susceptibility, we aimed to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms underlying resistance to the pathogen. For this purpose, we used an integrative approach by combining gene expression and metabolomic phytohormone analyses at 5 and 10 days post inoculation. RESULTS Gene expression and metabolite phytohormone contents suggested that the moderate resistance of P. pinaster to F. circinatum is determined by the induction of phytohormone signaling and hormone rearrangement beginning at 5 dpi, when symptoms are still not visible. Jasmonic acid was the hormone that showed the greatest increase by 5 dpi, together with the active gibberellic acid 4 and the cytokinin dehydrozeatin; there was also an increase in abscisic acid and salicylic acid by 10 dpi. In contrast, P. radiata hormonal changes were delayed until 10 dpi, when symptoms were already visible; however, this increase was not as high as that in P. pinaster. Indeed, in P. radiata, no differences in jasmonic acid or salicylic acid production were found. Gene expression analysis supported the hormonal data, since the activation of genes related to phytohormone synthesis was observed earlier in P. pinaster than in the susceptible P. radiata. CONCLUSIONS We determine that the moderate resistance of P. pinaster to F. circinatum is in part a result of early and strong activation of plant phytohormone-based defense responses before symptoms become visible. We suggest that jasmonic acid signaling and production are strongly associated with F. circinatum resistance. In contrast, P. radiata susceptibility was attributed to a delayed response to the fungus at the moment when symptoms were visible. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the phytohormone-based defense mechanism involved in the Pinus-F. circinatum interactions and provide insight into the development of new strategies for disease mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hernandez-Escribano
- Instituto de Ciencias Forestales (ICIFOR-INIA), CSIC, Carretera Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | | | - David Fariña-Flores
- Instituto de Ciencias Forestales (ICIFOR-INIA), CSIC, Carretera Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, E.T.S. de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Rosa Raposo
- Instituto de Ciencias Forestales (ICIFOR-INIA), CSIC, Carretera Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
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Child HT, Deeks MJ, Rudd JJ, Bates S. Comparison of the impact of two key fungal signalling pathways on Zymoseptoria tritici infection reveals divergent contribution to invasive growth through distinct regulation of infection-associated genes. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2023; 24:1220-1237. [PMID: 37306534 PMCID: PMC10502814 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The lifecycle of Zymoseptoria tritici requires a carefully regulated asymptomatic phase within the wheat leaf following penetration of the mesophyll via stomata. Here we compare the roles in this process of two key fungal signalling pathways, mutants of which were identified through forward genetics due to their avirulence on wheat. Whole-genome resequencing of avirulent Z. tritici T-DNA transformants identified disruptive mutations in ZtBCK1 from the kinase cascade of the cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway, and the adenylate cyclase gene ZtCYR1. Targeted deletion of these genes abolished the pathogenicity of the fungus and led to similar in vitro phenotypes to those associated with disruption of putative downstream kinases, both supporting previous studies and confirming the importance of these pathways in virulence. RNA sequencing was used to investigate the effect of ZtBCK1 and ZtCYR1 deletion on gene expression in both the pathogen and host during infection. ZtBCK1 was found to be required for the adaptation to the host environment, controlling expression of infection-associated secreted proteins, including known virulence factors. Meanwhile, ZtCYR1 is implicated in controlling the switch to necrotrophy, regulating expression of effectors associated with this transition. This represents the first study to compare the influence of CWI and cAMP signalling on in planta transcription of a fungal plant pathogen, providing insights into their differential regulation of candidate effectors during invasive growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason J. Rudd
- Department of Protecting Crops and the EnvironmentRothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
| | - Steven Bates
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
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Yang Y, Huang P, Ma Y, Jiang R, Jiang C, Wang G. Insights into intracellular signaling network in Fusarium species. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 222:1007-1014. [PMID: 36179869 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium is a large genus of filamentous fungi including numerous important plant pathogens. In addition to causing huge economic losses of crops, some Fusarium species produce a wide range of mycotoxins in cereal crops that affect human and animal health. The intracellular signaling in Fusarium plays an important role in growth, sexual and asexual developments, pathogenesis, and mycotoxin biosynthesis. In this review, we highlight the recent advances and provide insight into signal sensing and transduction in Fusarium species. G protein-coupled receptors and other conserved membrane receptors mediate recognition of environmental cues and activate complex intracellular signaling. Once activated, the cAMP-PKA and three well-conserved MAP kinase pathways activate downstream transcriptional regulatory networks. The functions of individual signaling pathways have been well characterized in a variety of Fusarium species, showing the conserved components with diverged functions. Furthermore, these signaling pathways crosstalk and coordinately regulate various fungal development and infection-related morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Panpan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yutong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ruoxuan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Cong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Guanghui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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Recent advances in metabolic regulation and bioengineering of gibberellic acid biosynthesis in Fusarium fujikuroi. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:131. [PMID: 35689127 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03324-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The plant growth hormone gibberellic acid (GA3), as one of the representative secondary metabolites, is widely used in agriculture, horticulture and brewing industry. GA3 is detected in both plants and several fungi with the ability to stimulate plant growth. Currently, the main mode of industrial production of GA3 is depended on the microbial fermentation via long-period submerged fermentation using Fusarium fujikuroi as the only producing strain, qualified for its natural productivity. However, the demand of large-sale industrialization of GA3 was still restricted by the low productivity. The biosynthetic route of GA3 in F. fujikuroi is now well-defined. Furthermore, the multi-level regulation mechanisms involved in the whole network of GA3 production have also been gradually unveiled by the past two decades based on the identification and characterization of several global regulators and their mutual functions. Combined with the quick development of genetic manipulation techniques, the rational modification of producing strain F. fujikuroi development become practical for higher productivity achievement. Herein, we review the latest advances in the molecular regulation of GA3 biosynthesis in F. fujikuroi and conclude a comprehensive network involving nitrogen depression, global regulator, histone modification and G protein signaling pathway. Correspondingly, the bioengineering strategies covering conventional random mutation, genetic manipulating platform development, metabolic edition and fermentation optimization were also systematically proposed.
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Mohiddin FA, Majid R, Bhat AH, Dar MS, Shikari AB, Sofi NR, Nabi SU, Hamid A, Ahanger MA, Bhat FA, Hussain A, Bhat NA. Molecular phylogeny, pathogenic variability and phytohormone production of Fusarium species associated with bakanae disease of rice in temperate agro-ecosystems. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:3173-3184. [PMID: 33891273 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06337-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Bakanae is the emerging disease threating the rice cultivation globally. Yield reduction of 4-70% is recorded in different parts of the world. A total of 119 Fusarium isolates were collected from rice plants at different geographical locations and seeds of different rice cultivars. The isolates were evaluated for morphological, biochemical and pathogenic diversity. The amplification of TEF-1α gene was carried out for exploring the species spectrum associated with the cultivated and pre-released rice varieties. The production of gibberellin varied from 0.53 to 2.26 µg/25 ml, while as that of Indole acetic acid varied from 0.60 to 3.15 µg/25 ml among the Fusarium isolates. The phylogenetic analysis identified 5 different species of the genus Fusarium viz. Fusarium fujikuroi, F. proliferatum, F. equiseti, F.oxysporum and F. persicinum after nucleotide blasting in NCBI. Only two Fusarium spp. F. fujikuroi and F. proliferatum were found to be pathogenic under virulence assays of the isolates. The isolates showed a considerable variation in morphological and pathogenic characters. The isolates were divided into different groups based on morphology and pathogenicity tests. The isolates showed a considerable variation in morphology, phytohormone profile and virulence indicative of population diversity. Three species F. equiseti, F.oxysporum and F. persicinum which have not been reported as pathogens of rice in India were found to be associated with bakanae disease of rice, however their pathogenicity could not be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A Mohiddin
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | - Rukhsanah Majid
- SKUAST-Kashmir Department of Plant Pathology, FoA, Sopore, J&K, India
| | - Arif Hussain Bhat
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Srinagar, J&K, India.
| | - M S Dar
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | - Asif B Shikari
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | | | - Sajad Un Nabi
- Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture Plant Pathology, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | - Aflaq Hamid
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Seed Pathology, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | | | - F A Bhat
- SKUAST-Kashmir Department of Plant Pathology, FoA, Sopore, J&K, India
| | - Ashaq Hussain
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | - N A Bhat
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Srinagar, J&K, India
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Stępień Ł, Lalak-Kańczugowska J. Signaling pathways involved in virulence and stress response of plant-pathogenic Fusarium species. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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van Wyk S, Wingfield BD, De Vos L, van der Merwe NA, Steenkamp ET. Genome-Wide Analyses of Repeat-Induced Point Mutations in the Ascomycota. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:622368. [PMID: 33597932 PMCID: PMC7882544 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.622368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutation pathway is a fungus-specific genome defense mechanism that mitigates the deleterious consequences of repeated genomic regions and transposable elements (TEs). RIP mutates targeted sequences by introducing cytosine to thymine transitions. We investigated the genome-wide occurrence and extent of RIP with a sliding-window approach. Using genome-wide RIP data and two sets of control groups, the association between RIP, TEs, and GC content were contrasted in organisms capable and incapable of RIP. Based on these data, we then set out to determine the extent and occurrence of RIP in 58 representatives of the Ascomycota. The findings were summarized by placing each of the fungi investigated in one of six categories based on the extent of genome-wide RIP. In silico RIP analyses, using a sliding-window approach with stringent RIP parameters, implemented simultaneously within the same genetic context, on high quality genome assemblies, yielded superior results in determining the genome-wide RIP among the Ascomycota. Most Ascomycota had RIP and these mutations were particularly widespread among classes of the Pezizomycotina, including the early diverging Orbiliomycetes and the Pezizomycetes. The most extreme cases of RIP were limited to representatives of the Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes. By contrast, the genomes of the Taphrinomycotina and Saccharomycotina contained no detectable evidence of RIP. Also, recent losses in RIP combined with controlled TE proliferation in the Pezizomycotina subphyla may promote substantial genome enlargement as well as the formation of sub-genomic compartments. These findings have broadened our understanding of the taxonomic range and extent of RIP in Ascomycota and how this pathway affects the genomes of fungi harboring it.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Emma T. Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Liu J, Du Y, Ma H, Pei X, Li M. Enhancement of Monascus yellow pigments production by activating the cAMP signalling pathway in Monascus purpureus HJ11. Microb Cell Fact 2020; 19:224. [PMID: 33287814 PMCID: PMC7720387 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01486-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monascus azaphilone pigments (MonAzPs), which were produced by Monascus species, have been used as important food colorant and food supplements for more than one billion people during their daily life. Moreover, MonAzPs recently have received more attention because of their diverse physiological activities. However, the high microbial production of MonAzPs is still not always guaranteed. Herein, the aim of this study was to develop an efficient biotechnological process for MonAzPs production. RESULTS In this study, exogenous cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) treatment not only induced MonAzPs production, but also stimulated the expression of a cAMP phosphodiesterase gene, named as mrPDE, in M. purpureus HJ11. Subsequently, MrPDE was identified as a cAMP phosphodiesterase by in vitro enzymatic reaction with purified enzyme. Further, a gene knockout mutant of mrPDE was constructed to verify the activation of cAMP signalling pathway. Deletion of mrPDE in M. purpureus HJ11 improved cAMP concentration by 378% and enhanced PKA kinase activity 1.5-fold, indicating that activation of cAMP signalling pathway was achieved. The ΔmrPDE strain produced MonAzPs at 8563 U/g, with a 2.3-fold increase compared with the WT strain. Moreover, the NAPDH/NADP+ ratio of the ΔmrPDE strain was obviously higher than that of the wild type strain, which led to a higher proportion of yellow MonAzPs. With fed-batch fermentation of the ΔmrPDE strain, the production and yield of MonAzPs achieved 332.1 U/mL and 8739 U/g. CONCLUSIONS A engineered M. purpureus strain for high MonAzPs production was successfully developed by activating the cAMP signalling pathway. This study not only describes a novel strategy for development of MonAzPs-producing strain, but also provides a roadmap for engineering efforts towards the production of secondary metabolism in other filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Liu
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yun Du
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hongmin Ma
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiaolin Pei
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Mu Li
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Szabó Z, Pákozdi K, Murvai K, Pusztahelyi T, Kecskeméti Á, Gáspár A, Logrieco AF, Emri T, Ádám AL, Leiter É, Hornok L, Pócsi I. FvatfA regulates growth, stress tolerance as well as mycotoxin and pigment productions in Fusarium verticillioides. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:7879-7899. [PMID: 32719911 PMCID: PMC7447684 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10717-6] [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: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
FvatfA from the maize pathogen Fusarium verticillioides putatively encodes the Aspergillus nidulans AtfA and Schizasaccharomyces pombe Atf1 orthologous bZIP-type transcription factor, FvAtfA. In this study, a ΔFvatfA deletion mutant was constructed and then genetically complemented with the fully functional FvatfA gene. Comparing phenotypic features of the wild-type parental, the deletion mutant and the restored strains shed light on the versatile regulatory functions played by FvAtfA in (i) the maintenance of vegetative growth on Czapek-Dox and Potato Dextrose agars and invasive growth on unwounded tomato fruits, (ii) the preservation of conidiospore yield and size, (iii) the orchestration of oxidative (H2O2, menadione sodium bisulphite) and cell wall integrity (Congo Red) stress defences and (iv) the regulation of mycotoxin (fumonisins) and pigment (bikaverin, carotenoid) productions. Expression of selected biosynthetic genes both in the fumonisin (fum1, fum8) and the carotenoid (carRA, carB) pathways were down-regulated in the ΔFvatfA strain resulting in defected fumonisin production and considerably decreased carotenoid yields. The expression of bik1, encoding the polyketide synthase needed in bikaverin biosynthesis, was not up-regulated by the deletion of FvatfA meanwhile the ΔFvatfA strain produced approximately ten times more bikaverin than the wild-type or the genetically complemented strains. The abolishment of fumonisin production of the ΔFvatfA strain may lead to the development of new-type, biology-based mycotoxin control strategies. The novel information gained on the regulation of pigment production by this fungus can be interesting for experts working on new, Fusarium-based biomass and pigment production technologies.Key points • FvatfA regulates vegetative and invasive growths of F. verticillioides. • FvatfA also orchestrates oxidative and cell wall integrity stress defenses. • The ΔFvatfA mutant was deficient in fumonisin production. • FvatfA deletion resulted in decreased carotenoid and increased bikaverin yields. |
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsa Szabó
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Klaudia Pákozdi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Katalin Murvai
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tünde Pusztahelyi
- Central Laboratory of Agricultural and Food Products, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ádám Kecskeméti
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila Gáspár
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Tamás Emri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila L Ádám
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Leiter
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Hornok
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
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A Single Nucleotide Mutation in Adenylate Cyclase Affects Vegetative Growth, Sclerotial Formation and Virulence of Botrytis cinerea. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082912. [PMID: 32326350 PMCID: PMC7215688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea is a pathogenic fungus that causes gray mold disease in a broad range of crops. The high intraspecific variability of B. cinerea makes control of this fungus very difficult. Here, we isolated a variant B05.10M strain from wild-type B05.10. The B05.10M strain showed serious defects in mycelial growth, spore and sclerotia production, and virulence. Using whole-genome resequencing and site-directed mutagenesis, a single nucleotide mutation in the adenylate cyclase (BAC) gene that results in an amino acid residue (from serine to proline, S1407P) was shown to be the cause of various defects in the B05.10M strain. When we further investigated the effect of S1407 on BAC function, the S1407P mutation in bac showed decreased accumulation of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), and the growth defect could be partially restored by exogenous cAMP, indicating that the S1407P mutation reduced the enzyme activity of BAC. Moreover, the S1407P mutation exhibited decreased spore germination rate and infection cushion formation, and increased sensitivity to cell wall stress, which closely related to fungal development and virulence. Taken together, our study indicates that the S1407 site of bac plays an important role in vegetative growth, sclerotial formation, conidiation and virulence in B. cinerea.
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Cen YK, Lin JG, Wang YL, Wang JY, Liu ZQ, Zheng YG. The Gibberellin Producer Fusarium fujikuroi: Methods and Technologies in the Current Toolkit. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:232. [PMID: 32292777 PMCID: PMC7118215 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in research interests on the Fusarium species, which includes prevalent plant pathogens and human pathogens, common microbial food contaminants and industrial microbes. Taken the advantage of gibberellin synthesis, Fusarium fujikuroi succeed in being a prevalent plant pathogen. At the meanwhile, F. fujikuroi was utilized for industrial production of gibberellins, a group of extensively applied phytohormone. F. fujikuroi has been known for its outstanding performance in gibberellin production for almost 100 years. Research activities relate to this species has lasted for a very long period. The slow development in biological investigation of F. fujikuroi is largely due to the lack of efficient research technologies and molecular tools. During the past decade, technologies to analyze the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions and metabolic regulations have been developed rapidly, especially on the aspects of genetic manipulation. At the meanwhile, the industrial fermentation technologies kept sustained development. In this article, we reviewed the currently available research tools/methods for F. fujikuroi research, focusing on the topics about genetic engineering and gibberellin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ke Cen
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Guang Lin
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - You-Liang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun-You Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Guo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
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12
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Fusarium Secondary Metabolism Biosynthetic Pathways: So Close but So Far Away. REFERENCE SERIES IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-96397-6_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Sensing and transduction of nutritional and chemical signals in filamentous fungi: Impact on cell development and secondary metabolites biosynthesis. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:107392. [PMID: 31034961 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi respond to hundreds of nutritional, chemical and environmental signals that affect expression of primary metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. These signals are sensed at the membrane level by G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs contain usually seven transmembrane domains, an external amino terminal fragment that interacts with the ligand, and an internal carboxy terminal end interacting with the intracellular G protein. There is a great variety of GPCRs in filamentous fungi involved in sensing of sugars, amino acids, cellulose, cell-wall components, sex pheromones, oxylipins, calcium ions and other ligands. Mechanisms of signal transduction at the membrane level by GPCRs are discussed, including the internalization and compartmentalisation of these sensor proteins. We have identified and analysed the GPCRs in the genome of Penicillium chrysogenum and compared them with GPCRs of several other filamentous fungi. We have found 66 GPCRs classified into 14 classes, depending on the ligand recognized by these proteins, including most previously proposed classes of GPCRs. We have found 66 putative GPCRs, representatives of twelve of the fourteen previously proposed classes of GPCRs, depending on the ligand recognized by these proteins. A staggering fortytwo putative members of the new GPCR class XIV, the so-called Pth11 sensors of cellulosic material as reported for Neurospora crassa and some other fungi, were identified. Several GPCRs sensing sex pheromones, known in yeast and in several fungi, were also identified in P. chrysogenum, confirming the recent unravelling of the hidden sexual capacity of this species. Other sensing mechanisms do not involve GPCRs, including the two-component systems (HKRR), the HOG signalling system and the PalH mediated pH transduction sensor. GPCR sensor proteins transmit their signals by interacting with intracellular heterotrimeric G proteins, that are well known in several fungi, including P. chrysogenum. These G proteins are inactive in the GDP containing heterotrimeric state, and become active by nucleotide exchange, allowing the separation of the heterotrimeric protein in active Gα and Gβγ dimer subunits. The conversion of GTP in GDP is mediated by the endogenous GTPase activity of the G proteins. Downstream of the ligand interaction, the activated Gα protein and also the Gβ/Gγ dimer, transduce the signals through at least three different cascades: adenylate cyclase/cAMP, MAPK kinase, and phospholipase C mediated pathways.
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Disturbance in biosynthesis of arachidonic acid impairs the sexual development of the onion blight pathogen Stemphylium eturmiunum. Curr Genet 2019; 65:759-771. [PMID: 30649584 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-00930-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The formation of sexual fruiting bodies for plant pathogenic fungi is a key strategy to propagate their progenies upon environmental stresses. Stemphylium eturmiunum is an opportunistic plant pathogen fungus causing blight in onion. This self-fertilizing filamentous ascomycete persists in the soil by forming pseudothecia, the sexual fruiting body which helps the fungus survive in harsh environments. However, the regulatory mechanism of pseudothecial formation remains unknown. To uncover the mechanism for pseudothecial formation so as to find a practical measure to control the propagation of this onion pathogen, we tentatively used DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-AC) to treat S. eturmiunum. 5-AC treatment silenced the gene-encoding monoacylglycerol lipase (magl) concomitant with the presence of the inheritable fluffy phenotype and defectiveness in pseudothecial development. Moreover, the silence of magl also resulted in a reduction of arachidonic acid (AA) formation from 27 ± 3.1 µg/g to 9.5 ± 1.5 µg/g. To correlate the biosynthesis of AA and pseudothecial formation, we created magl knockdown and overexpression strains. Knockdown of magl reduced AA to 11 ± 2.4 µg/g, which subsequently disabled pseudothecial formation. In parallel, overexpression of magl increased AA to 37 ± 3.4 µg/g, which also impaired pseudothecial formation. Furthermore, exogenous addition of AA to the culture of magl-silenced or magl knockdown strains rescued the pseudothecial formation but failed in the gpr1 knockdown strain of S. eturmiunum, which implicates the involvement of AA in signal transduction via a putative G protein-coupled receptor 1. Thus, AA at a cellular level of 27 ± 3.1 µg/g is essential for sexual development of S. eturmiunum. Disturbance in the biosynthesis of AA by up- and down-regulating the expression of magl disables the pseudothecial development. The specific requirement for AA in pseudothecial development by S. eturmiunum provides a hint to curb this onion pathogen: to impede pseudothecial formation by application of AA.
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Hu Y, Liu Y, Hao X, Wang D, Akhberdi O, Xiang B, Zhu X. Regulation of the Gα-cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in cellulose utilization of Chaetomium globosum. Microb Cell Fact 2018; 17:160. [PMID: 30309363 PMCID: PMC6182798 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-018-1008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The canonical heterotrimeric G protein-cAMP/PKA pathway regulates numerous cellular processes in filamentous fungi. Chaetomium globosum, a saprophytic fungus, is known for producing many secondary metabolites, including cytotoxic chaetoglobosin A (ChA), as well as abundant cellulase and xylanase. RESULTS Here we report on the functional characterization of this signaling pathway in C. globosum. We blocked the pathway by knocking down the putative Gα-encoding gene gna1 (in the pG14 mutant). This led to impaired cellulase production and significantly decreased transcription of the major cellulase and xylanase genes. Almost all the glycohydrolase family genes involved in cellulose degradation were downregulated, including the major cellulase genes, cel7a, cel6a, egl1, and egl2. Importantly, the expression of transcription factors was also found to be regulated by gna1, especially Ace1, Clr1/2 and Hap2/3/5 complex. Additionally, carbon metabolic processes including the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway were substantially diminished, as evidenced by RNA-Seq profiling and quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR. Interestingly, these defects could be restored by simultaneous knockdown of the pkaR gene encoding the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent PKA (in the pGP6 mutant) or supplement of the cAMP analog, 8-Br-cAMP. Moreover, the Gα-cAMP/PKA pathway regulating cellulase production is modulated by environmental signals including carbon sources and light, in which VelB/VeA/LaeA complex and ENVOY probably work as downstream effectors. CONCLUSION These results revealed, for the first time, the positive role of the heterotrimeric Gα-cAMP/PKA pathway in the regulation of cellulase and xylanase utilization in C. globosum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Hu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanjie Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, XinJieKouWai St., HaiDian District, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xiaoran Hao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, XinJieKouWai St., HaiDian District, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Dan Wang
- National Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University (DMNU), Tianjin, China
| | - Oren Akhberdi
- National Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University (DMNU), Tianjin, China
| | - Biyun Xiang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, XinJieKouWai St., HaiDian District, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xudong Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, XinJieKouWai St., HaiDian District, Beijing, 100875, China. .,National Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University (DMNU), Tianjin, China.
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Hu Y, Hao X, Chen L, Akhberdi O, Yu X, Liu Y, Zhu X. Gα-cAMP/PKA pathway positively regulates pigmentation, chaetoglobosin A biosynthesis and sexual development in Chaetomium globosum. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195553. [PMID: 29652900 PMCID: PMC5898716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensing the environmental signals, the canonical Gα-cAMP/PKA pathway modulates mycelial growth and development, and negatively regulates some secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi, e.g. aflatoxin in Aspergillus nidulans. Here we report the characterization of this signaling pathway in Chaetomium globosum, a widely spread fungus known for synthesizing abundant secondary metabolites, e.g. chaetoglobosin A (ChA). RNAi-mediated knockdown of a putative Gα-encoding gene gna-1, led to plural changes in phenotype, e.g. albino mycelium, significant restriction on perithecium development and decreased production of ChA. RNA-seq profiling and qRT-PCR verified significantly fall in expression of corresponding genes, e.g. pks-1 and CgcheA. These defects could be restored by simultaneous knock-down of the pkaR gene encoding a regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), suggesting that pkaR had a negative effect on the above mentioned traits. Confirmatively, the intracellular level of cAMP in wild-type strain was about 3.4-fold to that in gna-1 silenced mutant pG14, and addition of a cAMP analog, 8-Br-cAMP, restored the same defects, e.g., the expression of CgcheA. Furthermore, the intracellular cAMP in gna-1 and pkaR double silenced mutant was approaching the normal level. The following activity inhibition experiment proved that the expression of CgcheA was indeed regulated by PKA. Down-regulation of LaeA/VeA/SptJ expression in gna-1 mutant was also observed, implying that Gα signaling may crosstalk to other regulatory pathways. Taken together, this study proposes that the heterotrimeric Gα protein-cAMP/PKA signaling pathway positively mediates the sexual development, melanin biosynthesis, and secondary metabolism in C. globosum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Hu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoran Hao
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstrating Center, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (XH)
| | - Longfei Chen
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Oren Akhberdi
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xi Yu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanjie Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xudong Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (XH)
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Liu Y, Yang K, Qin Q, Lin G, Hu T, Xu Z, Wang S. G Protein α Subunit GpaB is Required for Asexual Development, Aflatoxin Biosynthesis and Pathogenicity by Regulating cAMP Signaling in Aspergillus flavus. Toxins (Basel) 2018. [PMID: 29534423 PMCID: PMC5869405 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10030117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterotrimeric G proteins are critical for signal transduction and function in numerous biological processes including vegetative growth, asexual development and fungal virulence in fungi. Here, we identified four G protein alpha subunits (GanA, GpaB, FadA and GaoC) in the notorious Aflatoxin-producing fungus Aspergillus flavus. GanA, GpaB and FadA have homologues in other fungal species, while GaoC is a novel one. Here, we showed that the loss function of gpaB displayed a defect in conidiophore formation and considerably reduced expression levels of conidia-specific genes brlA and abaA. A decreased viability of cell wall integrity stress and oxidative stress were also found in the ∆gpaB mutant. More importantly, aflatoxin (AF) biosynthesis and infection on crop seeds were severely impaired in the gpaB-deficient mutant. Further analyses demonstrated that the intracellular cAMP levels significantly reduced in the gpaB-deficient mutant compared to wildtype strains. Additionally, an alteration of PKA activities in the ∆gpaB mutant was also found. Overall, our results indicated that GpaB played diverse roles in asexual sporulation, AF biosynthesis and virulence by regulating cAMP signaling in Aspergillus flavus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghang Liu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Kunlong Yang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Qiuping Qin
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- Xiamen Anjie Medical Data Technology Co. Ltd., Xiamen 361115, China.
| | - Guinan Lin
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Tianran Hu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Zhangling Xu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Shihua Wang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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García-Rico RO, Gil-Durán C, Rojas-Aedo JF, Vaca I, Figueroa L, Levicán G, Chávez R. Heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit controls growth, stress response, extracellular protease activity, and cyclopiazonic acid production in Penicillium camemberti. Fungal Biol 2017; 121:754-762. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Avalos J, Pardo-Medina J, Parra-Rivero O, Ruger-Herreros M, Rodríguez-Ortiz R, Hornero-Méndez D, Limón MC. Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Fusarium. J Fungi (Basel) 2017; 3:E39. [PMID: 29371556 PMCID: PMC5715946 DOI: 10.3390/jof3030039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Many fungi of the genus Fusarium stand out for the complexity of their secondary metabolism. Individual species may differ in their metabolic capacities, but they usually share the ability to synthesize carotenoids, a family of hydrophobic terpenoid pigments widely distributed in nature. Early studies on carotenoid biosynthesis in Fusariumaquaeductuum have been recently extended in Fusarium fujikuroi and Fusarium oxysporum, well-known biotechnological and phytopathogenic models, respectively. The major Fusarium carotenoid is neurosporaxanthin, a carboxylic xanthophyll synthesized from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate through the activity of four enzymes, encoded by the genes carRA, carB, carT and carD. These fungi produce also minor amounts of β-carotene, which may be cleaved by the CarX oxygenase to produce retinal, the rhodopsin's chromophore. The genes needed to produce retinal are organized in a gene cluster with a rhodopsin gene, while other carotenoid genes are not linked. In the investigated Fusarium species, the synthesis of carotenoids is induced by light through the transcriptional induction of the structural genes. In some species, deep-pigmented mutants with up-regulated expression of these genes are affected in the regulatory gene carS. The molecular mechanisms underlying the control by light and by the CarS protein are currently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Avalos
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Javier Pardo-Medina
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Obdulia Parra-Rivero
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Macarena Ruger-Herreros
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Roberto Rodríguez-Ortiz
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
- Present Address: CONACYT-Instituto de Neurobiología-UNAM, Juriquilla, Querétaro 076230, Mexico.
| | - Dámaso Hornero-Méndez
- Departamento de Fitoquímica de los Alimentos, Instituto de la Grasa, CSIC, Campus Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - María Carmen Limón
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
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Yu X, Liu H, Niu X, Akhberdi O, Wei D, Wang D, Zhu X. The Gα1-cAMP signaling pathway controls conidiation, development and secondary metabolism in the taxol-producing fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora. Microbiol Res 2017; 203:29-39. [PMID: 28754205 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
G-protein-mediated signaling pathways regulate fungal morphogenesis, development and secondary metabolism. In this study, we report a gene, pgα1, that putatively encodes the α-subunit of a group I G protein in Pestalotiopsis microspora NK17, which is known to produce various secondary metabolites, including the antitumor drug taxol and pestalotiollide B (PB). Mutants of pgα1 showed retarded vegetative growth, aging of the mycelium, premature conidiation, deformed conidia, significantly increased melanin production, and a sharp decrease in PB production. The introduction of extra copies of pgα1 led to a different phenotype that was characterized by enhanced production of PB. qRT-PCR revealed that the expression of pks1, which encodes melanin polyketide synthase, an enzyme that is involved in 1, 8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin biosynthesis, was up regulated by 55-fold in the absence of pgα1. Changes in conidiation and PB production in pgα1 mutants were able to be restored by the addition of exogenous cAMP. The deficiencies of PB production and conidiation in Δpgα1 were not able to be rescued by deletion or overexpression of a previously reported histone deacetylase gene (hid1), suggesting that pgα1 is able to override the effect of hid1 on PB production and conidiation. Our results suggested that the G protein-cAMP pathway plays a critical role in vegetative growth as well as in asexual development of P. microspora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yu
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Heng Liu
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xueliang Niu
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Oren Akhberdi
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Dongsheng Wei
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Dan Wang
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xudong Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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Górna K, Perlikowski D, Kosmala A, Stępień Ł. Host extracts induce changes in the proteome of plant pathogen Fusarium proliferatum. Fungal Biol 2017; 121:676-688. [PMID: 28705396 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium proliferatum is a polyphagous pathogenic fungus able to infect many crop plants worldwide. Differences in proteins accumulated were observed when maize- and asparagus-derived F. proliferatum strains were exposed to host extracts prepared from asparagus, maize, garlic, and pineapple tissues. Seventy-three unique proteins were up-regulated in extract-supplemented cultures compared to the controls. They were all identified using mass spectrometry and their putative functions were assigned. A major part of identified proteins was involved in sugar metabolism and basic metabolic processes. Increased accumulation of proteins typically associated with stress response (heat shock proteins, superoxide dismutases, and glutaredoxins) as well as others, putatively involved in signal transduction, suggests that some metabolites present in plant extracts may act as elicitors inducing similar reaction as the abiotic stress factors. As a case study, thirteen genes encoding the proteins induced by the extracts were identified in the genomes of diverse F. proliferatum strains using gene-specific DNA markers. Extract-induced changes in the pathogen's metabolism are putatively a result of differential gene expression regulation. Our findings suggest that host plant metabolites present in the extracts can cause biotic stress resulting in elevated accumulation of diverse set of proteins, including those associated with pathogen's stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Górna
- Department of Pathogen Genetics and Plant Resistance, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Dawid Perlikowski
- Department of Environmental Stress Biology, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Kosmala
- Department of Environmental Stress Biology, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Łukasz Stępień
- Department of Pathogen Genetics and Plant Resistance, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland.
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StPBS2, a MAPK kinase gene, is involved in determining hyphal morphology, cell wall development, hypertonic stress reaction as well as the production of secondary metabolites in Northern Corn Leaf Blight pathogen Setosphaeria turcica. Microbiol Res 2017; 201:30-38. [PMID: 28602399 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) is a crucial component in the MAPK signaling pathway. However, the functions of MAPKKs in foliar pathogens remain poorly understood. In the current study, a MAPKK gene designated as StPBS2 was cloned from Setosphaeria turcica and the functions of this gene were investigated by RNAi technology. Four independent StPBS2 gene silence transformants with different efficiencies were confirmed by real time PCR. Compared to the wild type strain (WT), these transformants showed decreased colony growth, shortened hyphae cell length, broadened cell width and an obvious reduction in conidium yield. Moreover, the cell wall of the transformants was thicker and they were also more sensitive to substances that interfere with cell wall biosynthesis than WT. Additionally, the transformants displayed higher sensitivity to hypertonic stress than WT and the sensitivity was associated with the level of silencing of StPBS2. They were also resistant to the fungicides iprodione, procymidone and fludioxonil, to which WT almost completely sensitive. The transformants produced more red secondary metabolites than WT and the production was enhanced with increasing silencing level and increased glucose content in PDA medium. Our results suggest that StPBS2 is involved in morphogenesis, condiogenesis, cell wall development, hypertonic stress reaction and resistance to fungicides, as well as in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in S. turcica.
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Induction of apoptosis and ganoderic acid biosynthesis by cAMP signaling in Ganoderma lucidum. Sci Rep 2017; 7:318. [PMID: 28336949 PMCID: PMC5428012 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00281-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is an essential physiological process that controls many important biological functions. However, apoptosis signaling in relation to secondary metabolite biosynthesis in plants and fungi remains a mystery. The fungus Ganoderma lucidum is a popular herbal medicine worldwide, but the biosynthetic regulation of its active ingredients (ganoderic acids, GAs) is poorly understood. We investigated the role of 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling in fungal apoptosis and GA biosynthesis in G. lucidum. Two phosphodiesterase inhibitors (caffeine and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, IBMX) and an adenylate cyclase activator (sodium fluoride, NaF) were used to increase intracellular cAMP levels. Fungal apoptosis was identified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and a condensed nuclear morphology. Our results showed that GA production and fungal apoptosis were induced when the mycelium was treated with NaF, caffeine, or cAMP/IBMX. Downregulation of squalene synthase and lanosterol synthase gene expression by cAMP was detected in the presence of these chemicals, which indicates that these two genes are not critical for GA induction. Transcriptome analysis indicated that mitochondria might play an important role in cAMP-induced apoptosis and GA biosynthesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to reveal that cAMP signaling induces apoptosis and secondary metabolite production in fungi.
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Song N, Dai Q, Zhu B, Wu Y, Xu M, Voegele RT, Gao X, Kang Z, Huang L. Gα proteins Gvm2 and Gvm3 regulate vegetative growth, asexual development, and pathogenicityon apple in Valsa mali. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173141. [PMID: 28267786 PMCID: PMC5340391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In fungi, heterotrimeric guanine-nucleotide binding proteins (G-proteins) are key elements of signal transduction pathways, which control growth, asexual and sexual development, as well as virulence. In this study, we have identified two genes encoding heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunits, named Gvm2 and Gvm3, from Valsa mali, the causal agent of apple Valsa canker. Characterization of Gvm2 and Gvm3 mutants indicates that Gvm3 may be a crucial regulator of vegetative growth. Deletion of the corresponding gene results in a 20% reduction in growth rate. Besides, Gvm2 and Gvm3 seem to be involved in asexual reproduction, and mutants are hypersensitive to oxidative and cell membrane stresses. Interestingly, both G protein alpha subunits were most probably involved in V. mali virulence. In infection assays using Malus domestica cv. ‘Fuji’ leaves and twigs, the size of lesions caused by deletion mutants △Gvm2, or △Gvm3 are significantly reduced. Furthermore, many genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes—important virulence factors in V. mali—are expressed at a lower level in these deletion mutants. Our results suggest that Gvm2 and Gvm3 play an important role in virulence probably by regulation of expression of cell wall degrading enzymes. △Gvm2, and △Gvm3 mutants were further analyzed with respect to their impact on the transcript levels of genes in the cAMP/PKA pathway. The expression of the genes encoding adenylate cyclase VmAC, protein kinase A (PKA) regulatory subunit VmPKR, and PKA catalytic subunit VmPKA1 are down-regulated in both mutants. Further analyses indicated that intracellular cAMP level and PKA activity are down-regulated in the △Gvm3 mutant, but are basically unchanged in the △Gvm2 mutant. Overall, our findings indicate that both Gvm2 and Gvm3 play diverse roles in the modulation of vegetative growth, asexual development, and virulence in V. mali.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Song
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qingqing Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
| | - Baitao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuxing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ralf Thomas Voegele
- Fachgebiet Phytopathologie, Institut für Phytomedizin, Universitӓt Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Xiaoning Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhensheng Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lili Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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García-Rico RO, Fierro F. [Role of G-protein alpha sub-units in the morphogenic processes of filamentous Ascomycota fungi]. Rev Iberoam Micol 2017; 34:1-9. [PMID: 28169110 DOI: 10.1016/j.riam.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Ascomycota comprises about 75% of all the fungal species described, and includes species of medical, phytosanitary, agricultural, and biotechnological importance. The ability to spread, explore, and colonise new substrates is a feature of critical importance for this group of organisms. In this regard, basic processes such as conidial germination, the extension of hyphae and sporulation, make up the backbone of development in most filamentous fungi. These processes require specialised morphogenic machinery, coordinated and regulated by mechanisms that are still being elucidated. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in understanding the role of the signalling pathway mediated by heterotrimericG proteins in basic biological processes of many filamentous fungi. This review focuses on the role of the alpha subunits of heterotrimericG proteins in the morphogenic processes of filamentous Ascomycota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón O García-Rico
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia.
| | - Francisco Fierro
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal, México
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Voisey CR, Christensen MT, Johnson LJ, Forester NT, Gagic M, Bryan GT, Simpson WR, Fleetwood DJ, Card SD, Koolaard JP, Maclean PH, Johnson RD. cAMP Signaling Regulates Synchronised Growth of Symbiotic Epichloë Fungi with the Host Grass Lolium perenne. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1546. [PMID: 27833620 PMCID: PMC5082231 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The seed-transmitted fungal symbiont, Epichloë festucae, colonizes grasses by infecting host tissues as they form on the shoot apical meristem (SAM) of the seedling. How this fungus accommodates the complexities of plant development to successfully colonize the leaves and inflorescences is unclear. Since adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent signaling is often essential for host colonization by fungal pathogens, we disrupted the cAMP cascade by insertional mutagenesis of the E. festucae adenylate cyclase gene (acyA). Consistent with deletions of this gene in other fungi, acyA mutants had a slow radial growth rate in culture, and hyphae were convoluted and hyper-branched suggesting that fungal apical dominance had been disrupted. Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) staining of hyphae showed that cAMP disruption mutants were impaired in their ability to synthesize superoxide, indicating that cAMP signaling regulates accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Despite significant defects in hyphal growth and ROS production, E. festucae ΔacyA mutants were infectious and capable of forming symbiotic associations with grasses. Plants infected with E. festucae ΔacyA were marginally less robust than the wild-type (WT), however hyphae were hyper-branched, and leaf tissues heavily colonized, indicating that the tight regulation of hyphal growth normally observed in maturing leaves requires functional cAMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R. Voisey
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Michael T. Christensen
- Formally of Forage Improvement, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Linda J. Johnson
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Natasha T. Forester
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Milan Gagic
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Gregory T. Bryan
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Wayne R. Simpson
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Damien J. Fleetwood
- Biotelliga Ltd., Institute for Innovation in BiotechnologyAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Stuart D. Card
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - John P. Koolaard
- Bioinformatics and Statistics Team, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Paul H. Maclean
- Bioinformatics and Statistics Team, AgResearch Ltd., Lincoln Research CentreChristchurch, New Zealand
| | - Richard D. Johnson
- Forage Science, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research CentrePalmerston North, New Zealand
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Proteomic analysis of the signaling pathway mediated by the heterotrimeric Gα protein Pga1 of Penicillium chrysogenum. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:173. [PMID: 27716202 PMCID: PMC5053351 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0564-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The heterotrimeric Gα protein Pga1-mediated signaling pathway regulates the entire developmental program in Penicillium chrysogenum, from spore germination to the formation of conidia. In addition it participates in the regulation of penicillin biosynthesis. We aimed to advance the understanding of this key signaling pathway using a proteomics approach, a powerful tool to identify effectors participating in signal transduction pathways. Results Penicillium chrysogenum mutants with different levels of activity of the Pga1-mediated signaling pathway were used to perform comparative proteomic analyses by 2D-DIGE and LC–MS/MS. Thirty proteins were identified which showed differences in abundance dependent on Pga1 activity level. By modifying the intracellular levels of cAMP we could establish cAMP-dependent and cAMP-independent pathways in Pga1-mediated signaling. Pga1 was shown to regulate abundance of enzymes in primary metabolic pathways involved in ATP, NADPH and cysteine biosynthesis, compounds that are needed for high levels of penicillin production. An in vivo phosphorylated protein containing a pleckstrin homology domain was identified; this protein is a candidate for signal transduction activity. Proteins with possible roles in purine metabolism, protein folding, stress response and morphogenesis were also identified whose abundance was regulated by Pga1 signaling. Conclusions Thirty proteins whose abundance was regulated by the Pga1-mediated signaling pathway were identified. These proteins are involved in primary metabolism, stress response, development and signal transduction. A model describing the pathways through which Pga1 signaling regulates different cellular processes is proposed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-016-0564-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Wang W, Wang M, Wang J, Zhu C, Chung KR, Li H. Adenylyl cyclase is required for cAMP production, growth, conidial germination, and virulence in the citrus green mold pathogen Penicillium digitatum. Microbiol Res 2016; 192:11-20. [PMID: 27664719 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Penicillium digitatum is the causative agent of green mold decay on citrus fruit. The cAMP-mediated signaling pathway plays an important role in the transduction of extracellular signals and has been shown to regulate a wide range of developmental processes and pathogenicity in fungal pathogens. We cloned and characterized a Pdac1 gene of P. digitatum, which encodes a polypeptide similar to fungal adenylyl cyclases. Using a loss-of-function mutation in the Pdac1 gene we demonstrated a critical requirement for hyphal growth and conidial germination. Deletion of Pdac1 resulted in decreased accumulation of cAMP and down-regulation of genes encoding a G protein α subunit, both catalytic and regulatory subunits of PKA, and two transcriptional regulators StuA and Som1. Fungal mutants lacking Pdac1 produced abundant conidia, which failed to germinate effectively and displayed an elevated sensitivity to heat treatment. Pdac1 mutant failed to utilize carbohydrates effectively and thus displayed severe growth retardation on rich and synthetic media. Slow growth seen in the Pdac1 mutants could be due to a defect in nutrient sensing and acquisition. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that Pdac1 was primarily expressed at the early stage of infection. Fungal pathogenicity assayed on citrus fruit revealed that P. digitatum strains impaired for Pdac1 delayed lesion formation. Our results highlight important regulatory roles of adenylyl cyclase-mediated cAMP production in P. digitatum and provide insights into the critical role of cAMP in fungal growth, development and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weili Wang
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mingshuang Wang
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiye Wang
- Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Congyi Zhu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Kuang-Ren Chung
- Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, 40227 Taiwan.
| | - Hongye Li
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Jiang C, Zhang C, Wu C, Sun P, Hou R, Liu H, Wang C, Xu JR. TRI6 and TRI10 play different roles in the regulation of deoxynivalenol (DON) production by cAMP signalling in Fusarium graminearum. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:3689-3701. [PMID: 26940955 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The biosynthesis of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) in Fusarium graminearum is regulated by two pathway-specific transcription factors Tri6 and Tri10 and affected by various host and environmental factors. In this study, we showed that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) treatment induced DON production by stimulating TRI gene expression and DON-associated cellular differentiation in F. graminearum. Interestingly, exogenous cAMP had no effects on the tri6 mutant but partially recovered the defect of tri10 mutant in DON biosynthesis. Although the two cAMP phosphodiesterase genes PDE1 and PDE2 had overlapping functions in vegetative growth, conidiation, sexual reproduction and plant infection, deletion of PDE2 but not PDE1 activated intracellular PKA activities and increased DON production. Whereas the tri6 pde2 mutant failed to produce DON, the tri10 pde2 double mutant produced a significantly higher level of DON than the tri10 mutant. Cellular differentiation associated with DON production was stimulated by exogenous cAMP or deletion of PDE2 in both tri10 and tri6 mutants. These data indicate that TRI6 is essential for the regulation of DON biosynthesis by cAMP signalling but elevated PKA activities could partially bypass the requirement of TRI10 for TRI gene-expression and DON production, and Pde2 is the major cAMP phosphodiesterase to negatively regulate DON biosynthesis in F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.,Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Chengkang Zhang
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Chunlan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Panpan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Rui Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Huiquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Chenfang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jin-Rong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.,Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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31
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Díaz-Sánchez V, Limón MC, Schaub P, Al-Babili S, Avalos J. A RALDH-like enzyme involved in Fusarium verticillioides development. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 86:20-32. [PMID: 26688466 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.12.005] [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: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (RALDHs) convert retinal to retinoic acid, an important chordate morphogen. Retinal also occurs in some fungi, such as Fusarium and Ustilago spp., evidenced by the presence of rhodopsins and β-carotene cleaving, retinal-forming dioxygenases. Based on the assumption that retinoic acid may also be formed in fungi, we searched the Fusarium protein databases for RALDHs homologs, focusing on Fusarium verticillioides. Using crude lysates of Escherichia coli cells expressing the corresponding cDNAs, we checked the capability of best matches to convert retinal into retinoic acid in vitro. Thereby, we identified an aldehyde dehydrogenase, termed CarY, as a retinoic acid-forming enzyme, an activity that was also exerted by purified CarY. Targeted mutation of the carY gene in F. verticillioides resulted in alterations of mycelia development and conidia morphology in agar cultures, and reduced capacity to produce perithecia as a female in sexual crosses. Complementation of the mutant with a wild-type carY allele demonstrated that these alterations are caused by the lackof CarY. However, retinoic acid could not be detected by LC-MS analysis either in the wild type or the complemented carY strain in vivo, making elusive the connection between CarY enzymatic activity and retinoic acid formation in the fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Díaz-Sánchez
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - M Carmen Limón
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Patrick Schaub
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- Center for Desert Agriculture, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Javier Avalos
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain.
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Pfannmüller A, Wagner D, Sieber C, Schönig B, Boeckstaens M, Marini AM, Tudzynski B. The General Amino Acid Permease FfGap1 of Fusarium fujikuroi Is Sorted to the Vacuole in a Nitrogen-Dependent, but Npr1 Kinase-Independent Manner. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125487. [PMID: 25909858 PMCID: PMC4409335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The rice pathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi is well known for the production of a broad spectrum of secondary metabolites (SMs) such as gibberellic acids (GAs), mycotoxins and pigments. The biosynthesis of most of these SMs strictly depends on nitrogen availability and of the activity of permeases of nitrogen sources, e.g. the ammonium and amino acid permeases. One of the three ammonium permeases, MepB, was recently shown to act not only as a transporter but also as a nitrogen sensor affecting the production of nitrogen-repressed SMs. Here we describe the identification of a general amino acid permease, FfGap1, among the 99 putative amino acid permeases (AAPs) in the genome of F. fujikuroi. FfGap1 is able to fully restore growth of the yeast gap1∆ mutant on several amino acids including citrulline and tryptophane. In S. cerevisiae, Gap1 activity is regulated by shuttling between the plasma membrane (nitrogen limiting conditions) and the vacuole (nitrogen sufficiency), which we also show for FfGap1. In yeast, the Npr1 serine/threonine kinase stabilizes the Gap1 position at the plasma membrane. Here, we identified and characterized three NPR1-homologous genes, encoding the putative protein kinases FfNpr1-1, FfNpr1-2 and FfNpr1-3 with significant similarity to yeast Npr1. Complementation of the yeast npr1Δ mutant with each of the three F. fujikuroi NPR1 homologues, resulted in partial restoration of ammonium, arginine and proline uptake by FfNPR1-1 while none of the three kinases affect growth on different nitrogen sources and nitrogen-dependent sorting of FfGap1 in F. fujikuroi. However, exchange of the putative ubiquitin-target lysine 9 (K9A) and 15 (K15A) residues of FfGap1 resulted in extended localization to the plasma membrane and increased protein stability independently of nitrogen availability. These data suggest a similar regulation of FfGap1 by nitrogen-dependent ubiquitination, but differences regarding the role of Fusarium Npr1 homologues compared to yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Pfannmüller
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dominik Wagner
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christian Sieber
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Birgit Schönig
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Mélanie Boeckstaens
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Transport Membranaire, Institut de Biologie et de Médecine Moléculaires, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Anna Maria Marini
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Transport Membranaire, Institut de Biologie et de Médecine Moléculaires, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Bettina Tudzynski
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
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Gil-Durán C, Rojas-Aedo JF, Medina E, Vaca I, García-Rico RO, Villagrán S, Levicán G, Chávez R. The pcz1 gene, which encodes a Zn(II)2Cys6 protein, is involved in the control of growth, conidiation, and conidial germination in the filamentous fungus Penicillium roqueforti. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120740. [PMID: 25811807 PMCID: PMC4374774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins containing Zn(II)(2)Cys(6) domains are exclusively found in fungi and yeasts. Genes encoding this class of proteins are broadly distributed in fungi, but few of them have been functionally characterized. In this work, we have characterized a gene from the filamentous fungus Penicillium roqueforti that encodes a Zn(II)(2)Cys(6) protein, whose function to date remains unknown. We have named this gene pcz1. We showed that the expression of pcz1 is negatively regulated in a P. roqueforti strain containing a dominant active Gαi protein, suggesting that pcz1 encodes a downstream effector that is negatively controlled by Gαi. More interestingly, the silencing of pcz1 in P. roqueforti using RNAi-silencing technology resulted in decreased apical growth, the promotion of conidial germination (even in the absence of a carbon source), and the strong repression of conidiation, concomitant with the downregulation of the genes of the central conidiation pathway brlA, abaA and wetA. A model for the participation of pcz1 in these physiological processes in P. roqueforti is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gil-Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan F. Rojas-Aedo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Exequiel Medina
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departmento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ramón O. García-Rico
- GIMBIO Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona, Colombia
| | - Sebastián Villagrán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Levicán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail: (RC)
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Transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis GCR1 mutant reveals its roles in stress, hormones, secondary metabolism and phosphate starvation. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117819. [PMID: 25668726 PMCID: PMC4357605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The controversy over the existence or the need for G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in plant G-protein signalling has overshadowed a more fundamental quest for the role of AtGCR1, the most studied and often considered the best candidate for GPCR in plants. Our whole transcriptome microarray analysis of the GCR1-knock-out mutant (gcr1-5) in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed 350 differentially expressed genes spanning all chromosomes. Many of them were hitherto unknown in the context of GCR1 or G-protein signalling, such as in phosphate starvation, storage compound and fatty acid biosynthesis, cell fate, etc. We also found some GCR1-responsive genes/processes that are reported to be regulated by heterotrimeric G-proteins, such as biotic and abiotic stress, hormone response and secondary metabolism. Thus, GCR1 could have G-protein-mediated as well as independent roles and regardless of whether it works as a GPCR, further analysis of the organism-wide role of GCR1 has a significance of its own.
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35
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Tudzynski B. Nitrogen regulation of fungal secondary metabolism in fungi. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:656. [PMID: 25506342 PMCID: PMC4246892 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi occupy diverse environments where they are constantly challenged by stressors such as extreme pH, temperature, UV exposure, and nutrient deprivation. Nitrogen is an essential requirement for growth, and the ability to metabolize a wide variety of nitrogen sources enables fungi to colonize different environmental niches and survive nutrient limitations. Favored nitrogen sources, particularly ammonium and glutamine, are used preferentially, while the expression of genes required for the use of various secondary nitrogen sources is subject to a regulatory mechanism called nitrogen metabolite repression. Studies on gene regulation in response to nitrogen availability were carried out first in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus nidulans, and Neurospora crassa. These studies revealed that fungi respond to changes in nitrogen availability with physiological and morphological alterations and activation of differentiation processes. In all fungal species studied, the major GATA transcription factor AreA and its co-repressor Nmr are central players of the nitrogen regulatory network. In addition to growth and development, the quality and quantity of nitrogen also affects the formation of a broad range of secondary metabolites (SMs). Recent studies, mainly on species of the genus Fusarium, revealed that AreA does not only regulate a large set of nitrogen catabolic genes, but can also be involved in regulating production of SMs. Furthermore, several other regulators, e.g., a second GATA transcription factor, AreB, that was proposed to negatively control nitrogen catabolic genes by competing with AreA for binding to GATA elements, was shown to act as activator of some nitrogen-repressed as well as nitrogen-induced SM gene clusters. This review highlights our latest understanding of canonical (AreA-dependent) and non-canonical nitrogen regulation mechanisms by which fungi may regulate biosynthesis of certain SMs in response to nitrogen availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Tudzynski
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfaelische Wilhelms-University Muenster Muenster, Germany
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Michielse CB, Studt L, Janevska S, Sieber CMK, Arndt B, Espino JJ, Humpf HU, Güldener U, Tudzynski B. The global regulator FfSge1 is required for expression of secondary metabolite gene clusters but not for pathogenicity in Fusarium fujikuroi. Environ Microbiol 2014; 17:2690-708. [PMID: 25115968 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi is the causal agent of bakanae disease on rice due to its ability to produce gibberellins. Besides these phytohormones, F. fujikuroi is able to produce several other secondary metabolites (SMs). Although much progress has been made in the field of secondary metabolism, the transcriptional regulation of SM biosynthesis is complex and still incompletely understood. Environmental conditions, global as well as pathway-specific regulators and chromatin remodelling have been shown to play major roles. Here, the role of FfSge1, a homologue of the morphological switch regulators Wor1 and Ryp1 in Candida albicans and Histoplasma capsulatum, respectively, is explored with emphasis on secondary metabolism. FfSge1 is not required for formation of conidia and pathogenicity but is involved in vegetative growth. Transcriptome analysis of the mutant Δffsge1 compared with the wild type, as well as comparative chemical analysis between the wild type, Δffsge1 and OE:FfSGE1, revealed that FfSge1 functions as a global activator of secondary metabolism in F. fujikuroi. Double mutants of FfSGE1 and other SM regulatory genes brought insights into the hierarchical regulation of secondary metabolism. In addition, FfSge1 is also required for expression of a yet uncharacterized SM gene cluster containing a non-canonical non-ribosomal peptide synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline B Michielse
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Lena Studt
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Slavica Janevska
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Christian M K Sieber
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Birgit Arndt
- NRW Graduate School of Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, Münster, 48149, Germany.,Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Corrensstr. 45, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Jose Juan Espino
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Humpf
- NRW Graduate School of Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, Münster, 48149, Germany.,Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Corrensstr. 45, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Bettina Tudzynski
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
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The adenylyl cyclase plays a regulatory role in the morphogenetic switch from vegetative to pathogenic lifestyle of Fusarium graminearum on wheat. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91135. [PMID: 24603887 PMCID: PMC3946419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a nucleotide derived from adenosine triphosphate that acts as a second messenger throughout all kingdoms. Intracellular cAMP levels are synthesized by a membrane-bound protein, the adenylyl cyclase. In order to analyze the function of this gene and the importance of cAMP in the life cycle of the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum, the adenylyl cyclase gene (FGSG_01234) was deleted by gene replacement (ΔFgac1). The ΔFgac1 mutant displayed a drastically reduced growth on agar medium which could be rescued by a cAMP analogon. Furthermore, the ΔFgac1 mutant was unable to produce perithecia on detached wheat nodes. However, artificial conditions like carrot agar allowed perithecia development. Pathogenicity towards wheat was drastically reduced in ΔFgac1 compared to the wild type. Point-inoculated spikelets showed only small lesions but no typical head blight disease symptoms. Fluorescence microscopy using dsRed-expressing strains revealed that the ΔFgac1 strain was unable to develop any complex infection structures like lobate appressoria and infection cushions. Instead, hyphal anastomosis occurs frequently. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the lack of fungal penetration. Hence, the formation of compound appressoria seems to be essential for infection of wheat. Hyphae on flower leaves produced huge amounts of new conidia, thereby circumventing the infection cycle. This abundant sporulation on wheat epidermis was not observed in wild type. Intriguingly, the Fgac1 deletion mutant was able to infect maize cobs as wild type, indicating that cAMP signaling is not important for maize infection. The ΔFgac1 mutant was unable to produce the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol both in vitro and during wheat infection. In this study, we show that cAMP signaling controls important cellular processes such as development of infection structures, pathogenicity, secondary metabolite production and sexual reproduction. For the first time, we show that cAMP regulates the switch from vegetative to pathogenic lifestyle of F. graminearum on wheat.
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García-Martínez J, Castrillo M, Avalos J. The gene cutA of Fusarium fujikuroi, encoding a protein of the haloacid dehalogenase family, is involved in osmotic stress and glycerol metabolism. Microbiology (Reading) 2014; 160:26-36. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.071761-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival of micro-organisms in natural habitats depends on their ability to adapt to variations in osmotic conditions. We previously described the gene cut-1 of Neurospora crassa, encoding a protein of the haloacid dehalogenase family with an unknown function in the osmotic stress response. Here we report on the functional analysis of cutA, the orthologous gene in the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi. cutA mRNA levels increased transiently after exposure to 0.68 M NaCl and were reduced upon return to normal osmotic conditions; deletion of the gene resulted in a partial reduction in tolerance to osmotic stress. ΔcutA mutants contained much lower intracellular levels of glycerol than the wild-type, and did not exhibit the increase following hyper-osmotic shock expected from the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) response. cutA is linked and divergently transcribed with the putative glycerol dehydrogenase gene gldB, which showed the same regulation by osmotic shock. The intergenic cutA/gldB regulatory region contains putative stress-response elements conserved in other fungi, and both genes shared other regulatory features, such as induction by heat shock and by illumination. Photoinduction was also observed in the HOG response gene hogA, and was lost in mutants of the white collar gene wcoA. Previous data on glycerol production in Aspergillus spp. and features of the predicted CutA protein lead us to propose that F. fujikuroi produces glycerol from dihydroxyacetone, and that CutA is the enzyme involved in the synthesis of this precursor by dephosphorylation of dihydroxyacetone-3P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge García-Martínez
- Departamento of Genética, Facultad of Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Marta Castrillo
- Departamento of Genética, Facultad of Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Avalos
- Departamento of Genética, Facultad of Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Seville, Spain
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Two histone deacetylases, FfHda1 and FfHda2, are important for Fusarium fujikuroi secondary metabolism and virulence. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:7719-34. [PMID: 24096420 PMCID: PMC3837819 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01557-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Histone modifications are crucial for the regulation of secondary metabolism in various filamentous fungi. Here we studied the involvement of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in secondary metabolism in the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi, a known producer of several secondary metabolites, including phytohormones, pigments, and mycotoxins. Deletion of three Zn(2+)-dependent HDAC-encoding genes, ffhda1, ffhda2, and ffhda4, indicated that FfHda1 and FfHda2 regulate secondary metabolism, whereas FfHda4 is involved in developmental processes but is dispensable for secondary-metabolite production in F. fujikuroi. Single deletions of ffhda1 and ffhda2 resulted not only in an increase or decrease but also in derepression of metabolite biosynthesis under normally repressing conditions. Moreover, double deletion of both the ffhda1 and ffhda2 genes showed additive but also distinct phenotypes with regard to secondary-metabolite biosynthesis, and both genes are required for gibberellic acid (GA)-induced bakanae disease on the preferred host plant rice, as Δffhda1 Δffhda2 mutants resemble the uninfected control plant. Microarray analysis with a Δffhda1 mutant that has lost the major HDAC revealed differential expression of secondary-metabolite gene clusters, which was subsequently verified by a combination of chemical and biological approaches. These results indicate that HDACs are involved not only in gene silencing but also in the activation of some genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation with the Δffhda1 mutant revealed significant alterations in the acetylation state of secondary-metabolite gene clusters compared to the wild type, thereby providing insights into the regulatory mechanism at the chromatin level. Altogether, manipulation of HDAC-encoding genes constitutes a powerful tool to control secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi.
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A sensing role of the glutamine synthetase in the nitrogen regulation network in Fusarium fujikuroi. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80740. [PMID: 24260467 PMCID: PMC3829961 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the plant pathogenic ascomycete Fusarium fujikuroi the synthesis of several economically important secondary metabolites (SM) depends on the nitrogen status of the cells. Of these SMs, gibberellin and bikaverin synthesis is subject to nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) and is therefore only executed under nitrogen starvation conditions. How the signal of available nitrogen quantity and quality is sensed and transmitted to transcription factors is largely unknown. Earlier work revealed an essential regulatory role of the glutamine synthetase (GS) in the nitrogen regulation network and secondary metabolism as its deletion resulted in total loss of SM gene expression. Here we present extensive gene regulation studies of the wild type, the Δgln1 mutant and complementation strains of the gln1 deletion mutant expressing heterologous GS-encoding genes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic origin or 14 different F. fujikuroi gln1 copies with site-directed mutations. All strains were grown under different nitrogen conditions and characterized regarding growth, expression of NCR-responsive genes and biosynthesis of SM. We provide evidence for distinct roles of the GS in sensing and transducing the signals to NCR-responsive genes. Three site directed mutations partially restored secondary metabolism and GS-dependent gene expression, but not glutamine formation, demonstrating for the first time that the catalytic and regulatory roles of GS can be separated. The distinct mutant phenotypes show that the GS (1) participates in NH4+-sensing and transducing the signal towards NCR-responsive transcription factors and their subsequent target genes; (2) affects carbon catabolism and (3) activates the expression of a distinct set of non-NCR GS-dependent genes. These novel insights into the regulatory role of the GS provide fascinating perspectives for elucidating regulatory roles of GS proteins of different organism in general.
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Matić S, Spadaro D, Prelle A, Gullino ML, Garibaldi A. Light affects fumonisin production in strains of Fusarium fujikuroi, Fusarium proliferatum, and Fusarium verticillioides isolated from rice. Int J Food Microbiol 2013; 166:515-23. [PMID: 24055868 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2013.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Revised: 07/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Three Fusarium species associated with bakanae disease of rice (Fusarium fujikuroi, Fusarium proliferatum, and Fusarium verticillioides) were investigated for their ability to produce fumonisins (FB1 and FB2) under different light conditions, and for pathogenicity. Compared to darkness, the conditions that highly stimulated fumonisin production were yellow and green light in F. verticillioides strains; white and blue light, and light/dark alternation in F. fujikuroi and F. proliferatum strains. In general, all light conditions positively influenced fumonisin production with respect to the dark. Expression of the FUM1 gene, which is necessary for the initiation of fumonisin production, was in accordance with the fumonisin biosynthetic profile. High and low fumonisin-producing F. fujikuroi strains showed typical symptoms of bakanae disease, abundant fumonisin-producing F. verticillioides strains exhibited chlorosis and stunting of rice plants, while fumonisin-producing F. proliferatum strains were asymptomatic on rice. We report that F. fujikuroi might be an abundant fumonisin producer with levels comparable to that of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum, highlighting the need of deeper mycotoxicological analyses on rice isolates of F. fujikuroi. Our results showed for the first time the influence of light on fumonisin production in isolates of F. fujikuroi, F. proliferatum, and F. verticillioides from rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slavica Matić
- Agroinnova, Centre of Competence for the Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector, University of Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (To), Italy; Dept. of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (To), Italy
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