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Lu K, Chen R, Yang Y, Xu H, Jiang J, Li L. Involvement of the Cell Wall-Integrity Pathway in Signal Recognition, Cell-Wall Biosynthesis, and Virulence in Magnaporthe oryzae. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2023; 36:608-622. [PMID: 37140471 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-22-0231-cr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The fungal cell wall is the first layer exposed to the external environment. The cell wall has key roles in regulating cell functions, such as cellular stability, permeability, and protection against stress. Understanding the structure of the cell wall and the mechanism of its biogenesis is important for the study of fungi. Highly conserved in fungi, including Magnaporthe oryzae, the cell wall-integrity (CWI) pathway is the primary signaling cascade regulating cell-wall structure and function. The CWI pathway has been demonstrated to correlate with pathogenicity in many phytopathogenic fungi. In the synthesis of the cell wall, the CWI pathway cooperates with multiple signaling pathways to regulate cell morphogenesis and secondary metabolism. Many questions have arisen regarding the cooperation of different signaling pathways with the CWI pathway in regulating cell-wall synthesis and pathogenicity. In this review, we summarized the latest advances in the M. oryzae CWI pathway and cell-wall structure. We discussed the CWI pathway components and their involvement in different aspects, such as virulence factors, the possibility of the pathway as a target for antifungal therapies, and crosstalk with other signaling pathways. This information will aid in better understanding the universal functions of the CWI pathway in regulating cell-wall synthesis and pathogenicity in M. oryzae. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailun Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Rangrang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Yi Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Hui Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Jihong Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Lianwei Li
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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Wang ZH, Shen ZF, Wang JY, Cai YY, Li L, Liao J, Lu JP, Zhu XM, Lin FC, Liu XH. MoCbp7, a Novel Calcineurin B Subunit-Binding Protein, Is Involved in the Calcium Signaling Pathway and Regulates Fungal Development, Virulence, and ER Homeostasis in Magnaporthe oryzae. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119297. [PMID: 37298247 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcineurin, a key regulator of the calcium signaling pathway, is involved in calcium signal transduction and calcium ion homeostasis. Magnaporthe oryzae is a devastating filamentous phytopathogenic fungus in rice, yet little is known about the function of the calcium signaling system. Here, we identified a novel calcineurin regulatory-subunit-binding protein, MoCbp7, which is highly conserved in filamentous fungi and was found to localize in the cytoplasm. Phenotypic analysis of the MoCBP7 gene deletion mutant (ΔMocbp7) showed that MoCbp7 influenced the growth, conidiation, appressorium formation, invasive growth, and virulence of M. oryzae. Some calcium-signaling-related genes, such as YVC1, VCX1, and RCN1, are expressed in a calcineurin/MoCbp7-dependent manner. Furthermore, MoCbp7 synergizes with calcineurin to regulate endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis. Our research indicated that M. oryzae may have evolved a new calcium signaling regulatory network to adapt to its environment compared to the fungal model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-He Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zi-Fang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jing-Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ying-Ying Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Jian Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jian-Ping Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xue-Ming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Fu-Cheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Liu Q, Li Y, Wu H, Zhang B, Liu C, Gao Y, Guo H, Zhao J. Hyphopodium-Specific Signaling Is Required for Plant Infection by Verticillium dahliae. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040484. [PMID: 37108938 PMCID: PMC10143791 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
For successful colonization, fungal pathogens have evolved specialized infection structures to overcome the barriers present in host plants. The morphology of infection structures and pathogenic mechanisms are diverse according to host specificity. Verticillium dahliae, a soil-borne phytopathogenic fungus, generates hyphopodium with a penetration peg on cotton roots while developing appressoria, that are typically associated with leaf infection on lettuce and fiber flax roots. In this study, we isolated the pathogenic fungus, V. dahliae (VdaSm), from Verticillium wilt eggplants and generated a GFP-labeled isolate to explore the colonization process of VdaSm on eggplants. We found that the formation of hyphopodium with penetration peg is crucial for the initial colonization of VdaSm on eggplant roots, indicating that the colonization processes on eggplant and cotton share a similar feature. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the VdNoxB/VdPls1-dependent Ca2+ elevation activating VdCrz1 signaling is a common genetic pathway to regulate infection-related development in V. dahliae. Our results indicated that VdNoxB/VdPls1-dependent pathway may be a desirable target to develop effective fungicides, to protect crops from V. dahliae infection by interrupting the formation of specialized infection structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yingchao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Huawei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Bosen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chuanhui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yi Gao
- Qilu Zhongke Academy of Modern Microbiology Technology, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Huishan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jianhua Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Han P, Hua Z, Zhao Y, Huang L, Yuan Y. PuCRZ1, an C2H2 transcription factor from Polyporus umbellatus, positively regulates mycelium response to osmotic stress. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1131605. [PMID: 37089566 PMCID: PMC10115967 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1131605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyporus umbellatus is an edible and medicinal mushroom with the capacity to produce sclerotia. However, the mechanism of P. umbellatus sclerotia formation is unclear. CRZ1 is a C2H2 family transcription factor involved in the Ca2+-calcineurin signaling pathway, which has the function of regulating sclerotia formation, maintaining ion homeostasis, and responding to stress. In this study, we identified 28 C2H2 transcription factors in P. umbellatus genome, 13 of which are differentially expressed between mycelium and sclerotia, including PuCRZ1. Combining DNA affinity purification and sequencing (DAP-seq) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), three genes (PuG10, PuG11, PuG12) were identified as putative PuCRZ1 target genes containing a putative binding motif (GTGGCG) within their promoter. Yeast single hybridization (Y1H) and EMSA further confirmed that PuCRZ1 can bind to the promoter region of PuG10, PuG11, and PuG12. PuCRZ1 gene could reduce the sensitivity of NaCl in yeast cells. Furthermore, overexpression of the PuCRZ1 target gene, especially the FVLY domain containing gene PuG11, could improve the mycelia growth rate and mannitol tolerance in P. umbellatus. These results demonstrate that PuCRZ1 in the Ca2+-calcineurin signaling pathway plays an important role in mycelia growth, as well as osmotic stress tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengjie Han
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongyi Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luqi Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Luqi Huang,
| | - Yuan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan Yuan,
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Gupta S, Kumar A, Tamuli R. CRZ1 transcription factor is involved in cell survival, stress tolerance, and virulence in fungi. J Biosci 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-022-00294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Li C, Xia Y, Jin K. N-terminal zinc fingers of MaNCP1 contribute to growth, stress tolerance, and virulence in Metarhizium acridum. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 216:426-436. [PMID: 35809667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
C2H2 zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are a class of important transcriptional regulators in eukaryotes involved in multiple biological regulation processes. Here, MaNCP1, a C2H2 ZFP, was functionally characterized in the model entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Deletion of MaNCP1 delayed conidial germination and hyphal growth, decreased the conidial yield and reduced the tolerances to UV-B irradiation and heat-shock. The N-terminal zinc fingers (ZFs) of MaNCP1 made the main contributions to these traits. In addition, disruption of MaNCP1 altered the conidial surface structure and decreased the conidial hydrophobicity. Bioassays showed that the virulence of the MaNCP1-disruption strain (ΔMaNCP1) was reduced in topical inoculation compared to the WT or the mutant complemented strain (CP), and the N-terminal C2H2 ZFs made a major contribution to virulence. Furthermore, the ΔMaNCP1 and C2H2 ZFs deletion mutants (MaNCP1∆N and MaNCP1∆N+C) impaired cuticular penetration. RNA-seq showed that several cuticle-degrading genes were down-regulated in the ΔMaNCP1 background, suggesting that MaNCP1 plays vital roles in regulating insect cuticle penetration. In summary, MaNCP1 affected the growth, stress tolerances and virulence of M. acridum, and the N-terminal C2H2 ZFs played indispensable roles in these important biocontrol traits. These results provide further insights into the functions of C2H2 ZFPs in entomopathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochuang Li
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 401331, PR China
| | - Yuxian Xia
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 401331, PR China.
| | - Kai Jin
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 401331, PR China.
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7
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Action Mechanisms of Effectors in Plant-Pathogen Interaction. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126758. [PMID: 35743201 PMCID: PMC9224169 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant pathogens are one of the main factors hindering the breeding of cash crops. Pathogens, including oomycetes, fungus, and bacteria, secrete effectors as invasion weapons to successfully invade and propagate in host plants. Here, we review recent advances made in the field of plant-pathogen interaction models and the action mechanisms of phytopathogenic effectors. The review illustrates how effectors from different species use similar and distinct strategies to infect host plants. We classify the main action mechanisms of effectors in plant-pathogen interactions according to the infestation process: targeting physical barriers for disruption, creating conditions conducive to infestation, protecting or masking themselves, interfering with host cell physiological activity, and manipulating plant downstream immune responses. The investigation of the functioning of plant pathogen effectors contributes to improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of plant-pathogen interactions. This understanding has important theoretical value and is of practical significance in plant pathology and disease resistance genetics and breeding.
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Liu C, Liu T, Lv Z, Qin M, Qu Z, Zhang Z, Li F, Chen D, Zhang X, Chen XL, Shen M. A Calcineurin Regulator MoRCN1 Is Important for Asexual Development, Stress Response, and Plant Infection of Magnaporthe oryzae. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:925645. [PMID: 35783935 PMCID: PMC9244802 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.925645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The calcium/calcineurin signaling pathway plays a key role in the development and virulence of plant pathogenic fungi, but the regulation of this signaling pathway is still not clear. In this study, we identified a calcineurin regulator MoRCN1 in the plant pathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and found it is important for virulence by regulating the calcineurin pathway. MoRCN1 deletion mutants were severely decreased in colony growth and conidia formation. More importantly, the deletion of MoRCN1 led to a significant reduction in virulence due to defects in appressorium formation and invasive growth. The ΔMorcn1 mutants were more sensitive to different stresses and induced host ROS accumulation, suggesting a role of MoRCN1 in stress adaptation. We found that MoRCN1 directly interacted with the calcineurin catalytic subunit MoCNA and affected its protein stability, which was therefore important for regulating the calcineurin pathway. Transcriptome analysis showed that MoRCN1 significantly activated 491 genes and suppressed 337 genes in response to calcium ion, partially overlapped with the MoCRZ1-bound genes. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that MoRCN1-regulated genes were enriched in stress adaptation, lipid metabolism, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, reflecting a function of MoRCN1 in host cell adaptation. Altogether, these results suggest MoRCN1 functions as a regulator of the calcium/calcineurin signaling pathway for fungal development and infection of host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiyun Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tiangu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziwei Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengyuan Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiguang Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Deng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinrong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mi Shen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China
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Identification and Functional Analysis of a Novel Hydrophobic Protein VdHP1 from Verticillium dahliae. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0247821. [PMID: 35377232 PMCID: PMC9045179 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02478-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Verticillium dahliae could cause destructive vascular wilt disease on hundreds of plant species around the world, including cotton. In this study, we characterized the function of a hydrophobin gene VdHP1 in pathogen development and pathogenicity. Results showed that VdHP1 could induce cell death and activate plant immune responses. The VdHP1 deletion mutants (ΔVdHP1) and the complement mutants (C-ΔVdHP1) were obtained by the homologous recombination method. The VdHP1 deletion mutants exhibited increased hydrophilicity, inhibited microsclerotial formation, and reduced spore smoothness. In addition, the deletion mutants were more sensitive to NaCl, while relatively insensitive to KCl and sorbitol. Mutants also had greater resistance to Congo red, UV radiation, and high temperature, which suggested that ΔVdHP1 strains have stronger resistance to abiotic stress in general. Different carbon source assays showed that the utilization ability of skim milk, cellulose, and starch was greatly enhanced in ΔVdHP1, compared with that of WT and complemented strains. Furthermore, VdHP1 did not affect mycelium penetration on cellophane but contributed to mycelium growth on surface of the living plant cells. The pathogenicity test found that the crude toxin content, colonization, and dispersal of ΔVdHP1 was significantly increased compared with the WT and complementary strains. In addition, cotton seedlings showed more severe wilting symptoms after inoculation with ΔVdHP1 strains. These results suggested that the hydrophobin VdHP1 negatively regulated the virulence of V. dahliae, and played an important role in development, adaptability, and pathogenicity in V. dahliae, which maybe provide a new viewpoint to further understand the molecular mechanisms of pathogen virulence. IMPORTANCE Verticillium dahliae is a soilborne fungal pathogen that causes a destructive vascular disease on a large number of plant hosts, resulting in great threat to agricultural production. In this study, it was illustrated that the hydrophobin VdHP1 could induce cell death and activate plant immune responses. VdHP1 affected the hydrophobicity of V. dahliae, and negatively regulated the strains resistant to stress, and the utilization ability of different carbon sources. In addition, VdHP1 did not affect mycelium penetration on cellophane but contributed to mycelium growth on surface of the living plant cells. The VdHP1 gene negatively regulated the total virulence, colonization, and dispersal of V. dahliae, with enhanced pathogenicity of mutant strains in this gene. These results suggested that the hydrophobin VdHP1 played an importance in development, adaptability, and pathogenicity in V. dahliae, and would provide a new viewpoint to further understand the molecular mechanisms of pathogen virulence.
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Transcription Factor Crz1 from Cryptococcus humicola Conferred Aluminum Resistance and Interacted with Calcineurin. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:138. [PMID: 35304662 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02831-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Calcineurin was activated by aluminum stress and increased aluminum resistance. To investigate how the calcineurin pathway regulates aluminum stress in Cryptococcus humicola, the expressions of Crz1 under stresses were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Calcium, cadmium, and aluminum induced the expression of Crz1. Cna1, calcineurin catalytic subunit A (CNA1) encoding gene, was constructed into pGBKT7 and Crz1 gene was constructed into pGADT7. The resultant plasmids, pGADT7-Crz1 and pGBKT7-Cna1, were transformed into Y2HGold and Y187 yeast strain, respectively. Yeast two-hybridization results showed an interaction between CNA1 and Crz1. The role of Crz1 gene in stresses resistance including hydrogen peroxide, calcium, cadmium, and aluminum was assayed by constructing transgenic yeast. The growth of Crz1 transgenic yeasts was much better than that of the control yeast under these stress conditions. These results suggested that Crz1 participated in resistance to stresses and Crz1 showed an interaction with CNA1.
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11
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Huang L, Li X, Dong L, Wang B, Pan L. Profiling of chromatin accessibility identifies transcription factor binding sites across the genome of Aspergillus species. BMC Biol 2021; 19:189. [PMID: 34488759 PMCID: PMC8419926 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01114-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The identification of open chromatin regions and transcription factor binding sites (TFBs) is an important step in understanding the regulation of gene expression in diverse species. ATAC-seq is a technique used for such purpose by providing high-resolution measurements of chromatin accessibility revealed through integration of Tn5 transposase. However, the existence of cell walls in filamentous fungi and associated difficulty in purifying nuclei have precluded the routine application of this technique, leading to a lack of experimentally determined and computationally inferred data on the identity of genome-wide cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and TFBs. In this study, we constructed an ATAC-seq platform suitable for filamentous fungi and generated ATAC-seq libraries of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae grown under a variety of conditions. Results We applied the ATAC-seq assay for filamentous fungi to delineate the syntenic orthologue and differentially changed chromatin accessibility regions among different Aspergillus species, during different culture conditions, and among specific TF-deleted strains. The syntenic orthologues of accessible regions were responsible for the conservative functions across Aspergillus species, while regions differentially changed between culture conditions and TFs mutants drove differential gene expression programs. Importantly, we suggest criteria to determine TFBs through the analysis of unbalanced cleavage of distinct TF-bound DNA strands by Tn5 transposase. Based on this criterion, we constructed data libraries of the in vivo genomic footprint of A. niger under distinct conditions, and generated a database of novel transcription factor binding motifs through comparison of footprints in TF-deleted strains. Furthermore, we validated the novel TFBs in vivo through an artificial synthetic minimal promoter system. Conclusions We characterized the chromatin accessibility regions of filamentous fungi species, and identified a complete TFBs map by ATAC-seq, which provides valuable data for future analyses of transcriptional regulation in filamentous fungi. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01114-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianggang Huang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Xuejie Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Liangbo Dong
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Bin Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Li Pan
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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John E, Singh KB, Oliver RP, Tan K. Transcription factor control of virulence in phytopathogenic fungi. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2021; 22:858-881. [PMID: 33973705 PMCID: PMC8232033 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pathogenic fungi are a significant threat to economic and food security worldwide. Novel protection strategies are required and therefore it is critical we understand the mechanisms by which these pathogens cause disease. Virulence factors and pathogenicity genes have been identified, but in many cases their roles remain elusive. It is becoming increasingly clear that gene regulation is vital to enable plant infection and transcription factors play an essential role. Efforts to determine their regulatory functions in plant-pathogenic fungi have expanded since the annotation of fungal genomes revealed the ubiquity of transcription factors from a broad range of families. This review establishes the significance of transcription factors as regulatory elements in plant-pathogenic fungi and provides a systematic overview of those that have been functionally characterized. Detailed analysis is provided on regulators from well-characterized families controlling various aspects of fungal metabolism, development, stress tolerance, and the production of virulence factors such as effectors and secondary metabolites. This covers conserved transcription factors with either specialized or nonspecialized roles, as well as recently identified regulators targeting key virulence pathways. Fundamental knowledge of transcription factor regulation in plant-pathogenic fungi provides avenues to identify novel virulence factors and improve our understanding of the regulatory networks linked to pathogen evolution, while transcription factors can themselves be specifically targeted for disease control. Areas requiring further insight regarding the molecular mechanisms and/or specific classes of transcription factors are identified, and direction for future investigation is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan John
- Centre for Crop and Disease ManagementCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Karam B. Singh
- Agriculture and FoodCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationFloreatWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Richard P. Oliver
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Kar‐Chun Tan
- Centre for Crop and Disease ManagementCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
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Han Z, Yu R, Xiong D, Tian C. A Sge1 homolog in Cytospora chrysosperma governs conidiation, virulence and the expression of putative effectors. Gene 2021; 778:145474. [PMID: 33549711 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
SIX Gene Expression 1 (Sge1) is an important and well-recognized fungal-specific transcription regulator from the Gti1/Pac2 family that exhibits a conserved function in the vegetative growth, regulating the expression of effector genes and pathogenicity in plant pathogenic fungi. However, its functions in Cytospora chrysosperma, a notorious phytopathogenic fungus in forestry, remain poorly understood. Here, we characterized a Sge1 orthologue, CcSge1, in C. chrysosperma and deleted its Gti1/Pac2 domain for functional analysis. The CcSge1 deletion mutants showed obvious defects in hyphal growth, conidial production and response to hydrogen peroxide. Correspondingly, significantly lower expression of conidiation related genes were found in deletion mutants compared to that of the wild type. Importantly, the CcSge1 deletion mutants totally lost their pathogenicity to the host. Further analysis demonstrated that CcSge1 was responsible for the expression of putative effector genes and the transcription of CcSge1 was under tight control by pathogenicity-related MAP Kinase 1 (CcPmk1). What's more, one of the putative effector gene CCG_07874 was positively regulated by both CcSge1 and CcPmk1. Taken together, these data indicate that CcSge1is indispensable for hyphal radial growth, conidiation, the expression of effector genes and fungal virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Han
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ran Yu
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Dianguang Xiong
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Chengming Tian
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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Wang P, Li B, Pan YT, Zhang YZ, Li DW, Huang L. Calcineurin-Responsive Transcription Factor CgCrzA Is Required for Cell Wall Integrity and Infection-Related Morphogenesis in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. THE PLANT PATHOLOGY JOURNAL 2020; 36:385-397. [PMID: 33082723 PMCID: PMC7542025 DOI: 10.5423/ppj.oa.04.2020.0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The ascomycete fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides infects a wide range of plant hosts and causes enormous economic losses in the world. The transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in development and pathogenicity of many organisms. In this study, we found that the C2H2 TF CgCrzA is localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus under standard condition, and it translocated from cytoplasm to nucleus in a calcineurin-dependent manner. Moreover, the ΔCgCrzA was hypersensitive to cell wall perturbing agents and showed severe cell wall integrity defects. Deletion of the CgCRZA inhibited the development of invasive structures and lost pathogenicity to plant hosts. Our results suggested that calcineurin-responsive TF CgCrzA was not only involved in regulating cell wall integrity, but also in morphogenesis and virulence in C. gloeosporioides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 20037, China
| | - Bing Li
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 5009, China
| | - Yu-Ting Pan
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 20037, China
| | - Yun-Zhao Zhang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 20037, China
| | - De-Wei Li
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Valley Laboratory, Windsor, CT 06095, USA
| | - Lin Huang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 20037, China
- Corresponding author. Phone) +86-25-85427301, E-mail) , ORCID, De-Wei Li https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2788-7938, Lin Huang https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7536-0914
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Li H, Zhong JJ. Role of calcineurin-responsive transcription factor CRZ1 in ganoderic acid biosynthesis by Ganoderma lucidum. Process Biochem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2020.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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16
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Huang Y, Li Y, Li D, Bi Y, Prusky DB, Dong Y, Wang T, Zhang M, Zhang X, Liu Y. Phospholipase C From Alternaria alternata Is Induced by Physiochemical Cues on the Pear Fruit Surface That Dictate Infection Structure Differentiation and Pathogenicity. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1279. [PMID: 32695073 PMCID: PMC7339947 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the mechanisms of phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated calcium (Ca2+) signaling in Alternaria alternata, the regulatory roles of PLC were elucidated using neomycin, a specific inhibitor of PLC activity. Three isotypes of PLC designated AaPLC1, AaPLC2, and AaPLC3 were identified in A. alternata through genome sequencing. qRT-PCR analysis showed that fruit wax extracts significantly upregulated the expression of all three PLC genes in vitro. Pharmacological experiments showed that neomycin treatment led to a dose-dependent reduction in spore germination and appressorium formation in A. alternata. Appressorium formation was stimulated on hydrophobic and pear wax-coated surfaces but was significantly inhibited by neomycin treatment. The appressorium formation rates of neomycin treated A. alternata on hydrophobic and wax-coated surfaces decreased by 86.6 and 47.4%, respectively. After 4 h of treatment, exogenous CaCl2 could partially reverse the effects of neomycin treatment. Neomycin also affected mycotoxin production in alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene (ALT), and tentoxin (TEN), with exogenous Ca2+ partially reversing these effects. These results suggest that PLC is required for the growth, infection structure differentiation, and secondary metabolism of A. alternata in response to physiochemical signals on the pear fruit surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yongcai Li
- Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Dongmei Li
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yang Bi
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dov B Prusky
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.,Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Yupeng Dong
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Tiaolan Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Miao Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yongxiang Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
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FgHtf1 Regulates Global Gene Expression towards Aerial Mycelium and Conidiophore Formation in the Cereal Fungal Pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.03024-19. [PMID: 32086302 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03024-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The homeobox gene family of transcription factors (HTF) controls many developmental pathways and physiological processes in eukaryotes. We previously showed that a conserved HTF in the plant-pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum, Htf1 (FgHtf1), regulates conidium morphology in that organism. This study investigated the mechanism of FgHtf1-mediated regulation and identified putative FgHtf1 target genes by a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay combined with parallel DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA sequencing. A total of 186 potential binding peaks, including 142 genes directly regulated by FgHtf1, were identified. Subsequent motif prediction analysis identified two DNA-binding motifs, TAAT and CTTGT. Among the FgHtf1 target genes were FgHTF1 itself and several important conidiation-related genes (e.g., FgCON7), the chitin synthase pathway genes, and the aurofusarin biosynthetic pathway genes. In addition, FgHtf1 may regulate the cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA)-Msn2/4 and Ca2+-calcineurin-Crz1 pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that, in addition to autoregulation, FgHtf1 also controls global gene expression and promotes a shift to aerial growth and conidiation in F. graminearum by activation of FgCON7 or other conidiation-related genes.IMPORTANCE The homeobox gene family of transcription factors is known to be involved in the development and conidiation of filamentous fungi. However, the regulatory mechanisms and downstream targets of homeobox genes remain unclear. FgHtf1 is a homeobox transcription factor that is required for phialide development and conidiogenesis in the plant pathogen F. graminearum In this study, we identified FgHtf1-controlled target genes and binding motifs. We found that, besides autoregulation, FgHtf1 also controls global gene expression and promotes conidiation in F. graminearum by activation of genes necessary for aerial growth, FgCON7, and other conidiation-related genes.
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Xu H, Fang T, Omran RP, Whiteway M, Jiang L. RNA sequencing reveals an additional Crz1-binding motif in promoters of its target genes in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Cell Commun Signal 2020; 18:1. [PMID: 31900175 PMCID: PMC6942403 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-019-0473-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The calcium/calcineurin signaling pathway is mediated by the transcription factors NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) in mammals and Crz1 (calcineurin-responsive zinc finger 1) in yeasts and other lower eukaryotes. A previous microarray analysis identified a putative Crz1-binding motif in promoters of its target genes in Candida albicans, but it has not been experimentally demonstrated. Methods An inactivation mutant for CaCRZ1 was generated through CRISPR/Cas9 approach. Transcript profiling was carried out by RNA sequencing of the wild type and the inactivation mutant for CaCRZ1 in response to 0.2 M CaCl2. Gene promoters were scanned by the online MEME (Multiple Em for Motif Elicitation) software. Gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis were used for in vitro and in vivo CaCrz1-binding experiments, respectively. Results RNA sequencing reveals that expression of 219 genes is positively, and expression of 59 genes is negatively, controlled by CaCrz1 in response to calcium stress. These genes function in metabolism, cell cycling, protein fate, cellular transport, signal transduction, transcription, and cell wall biogenesis. Forty of these positively regulated 219 genes have previously been identified by DNA microarray analysis. Promoter analysis of these common 40 genes reveals a consensus motif [5′-GGAGGC(G/A)C(T/A)G-3′], which is different from the putative CaCrz1-binding motif [5′-G(C/T)GGT-3′] identified in the previous study, but similar to Saccharomyces cerevisiae ScCrz1-binding motif [5′-GNGGC(G/T)CA-3′]. EMSA and ChIP assays indicate that CaCrz1 binds in vitro and in vivo to both motifs in the promoter of its target gene CaUTR2. Promoter mutagenesis demonstrates that these two CaCrz1-binding motifs play additive roles in the regulation of CaUTR2 expression. In addition, the CaCRZ1 gene is positively regulated by CaCrz1. CaCrz1 can bind in vitro and in vivo to its own promoter, suggesting an autoregulatory mechanism for CaCRZ1 expression. Conclusions CaCrz1 differentially binds to promoters of its target genes to regulate their expression in response to calcium stress. CaCrz1 also regulates its own expression through the 5′-TGAGGGACTG-3′ site in its promoter. Video abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Xu
- Laboratory for Yeast Molecular and Cell Biology, Department of Food Science, School of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255000, China
| | - Tianshu Fang
- Laboratory for Yeast Molecular and Cell Biology, Department of Food Science, School of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255000, China
| | - Raha Parvizi Omran
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Malcolm Whiteway
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Linghuo Jiang
- Laboratory for Yeast Molecular and Cell Biology, Department of Food Science, School of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255000, China.
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19
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Wang Y, Wu Q, Liu L, Li X, Lin A, Li C. MoMCP1, a Cytochrome P450 Gene, Is Required for Alleviating Manganese Toxin Revealed by Transcriptomics Analysis in Magnaporthe oryzae. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20071590. [PMID: 30934953 PMCID: PMC6480321 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20071590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Manganese, as an essential trace element, participates in many physiological reactions by regulating Mn associated enzymes. Magnaporthe oryzae is a serious pathogen and causes destructive losses for rice production. We identified a cytochrome P450 gene, MoMCP1, involving the alleviation of manganese toxin and pathogenicity. To identify the underlying mechanisms, transcriptomics were performed. The results indicated that many pathogenicity related genes were regulated, especially hydrophobin related genes in ∆Momcp1. Furthermore, the Mn2+ toxicity decreased the expressions of genes involved in the oxidative phosphorylation and energy production, and increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which might impair the functions of mitochondrion and vacuole, compromising the pathogenicity and development in ∆Momcp1. Additionally, our results provided further information about Mn associated the gene network for Mn metabolism in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
| | - Qi Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
- College of Science, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
| | - Lina Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
- Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China.
| | - Xiaoling Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
- Kunming Edible Fungi Institute of All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, Kunming 650223, China.
| | - Aijia Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
| | - Chengyun Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
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Zhang X, He D, Zhao Y, Cheng X, Zhao W, Taylor IA, Yang J, Liu J, Peng YL. A positive-charged patch and stabilized hydrophobic core are essential for avirulence function of AvrPib in the rice blast fungus. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 96:133-146. [PMID: 29989241 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Fungal avirulence effectors, a key weapon utilized by pathogens to promote their infection, are recognized by immune receptors to boost host R gene-mediated resistance. Many avirulence effectors share sparse sequence homology to proteins with known functions, and their molecular and biochemical functions together with the evolutionary relationship among different members remain largely unknown. Here, the crystal structure of AvrPib, an avirulence effector from Magnaporthe oryzae, was determined and showed a high degree of similarity to the M. oryzae Avrs and ToxB (MAX) effectors. Compared with other MAX effectors, AvrPib has a distinct positive-charge patch formed by five positive-charged residues (K29, K30, R50, K52 and K70) on the surface. These five key residues were essential to avirulence function of AvrPib and affected its nuclear localization into host cells. Moreover, residues V39 and V58, which locate in the hydrophobic core of the structure, cause loss of function of AvrPib by single-point mutation in natural isolates. In comparison with the wild-type AvrPib, the V39A or V58A mutations resulted in a partial or entire loss of secondary structure elements. Taken together, our results suggest that differences in the surface charge distribution of avirulence proteins could be one of the major bases for the variation in effector-receptor specificity, and that destabilization of the hydrophobic core is one of the major mechanisms employed by AvrPib for the fungus to evade recognition by resistance factors in the host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Dan He
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yanxiang Zhao
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xilan Cheng
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wensheng Zhao
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ian A Taylor
- Macromolecular Structure Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jun Yang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Junfeng Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - You-Liang Peng
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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The transcription factor FgCrz1A is essential for fungal development, virulence, deoxynivalenol biosynthesis and stress responses in Fusarium graminearum. Curr Genet 2018; 65:153-166. [DOI: 10.1007/s00294-018-0853-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Dissecting the Roles of the Calcineurin Pathway in Unisexual Reproduction, Stress Responses, and Virulence in Cryptococcus deneoformans. Genetics 2017; 208:639-653. [PMID: 29233811 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin orchestrates sexual reproduction, stress responses, and virulence via branched downstream pathways in the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans The calcineurin-binding protein Cbp1, the calcineurin temperature suppressor Cts1, the calcineurin-responsive zinc finger transcription factor Crz1, and the calcineurin targets Pbp1, Tif3, and Puf4, all function downstream of calcineurin to orchestrate distinct cellular processes. To elucidate how the calcineurin pathway regulatory network governs unisexual reproduction, stress responses, and virulence, we have analyzed the self-filamentous C. deneoformans strain, XL280α, and generated double mutants of these calcineurin downstream genes. We demonstrated that calcineurin governs unisexual reproduction at different sexual developmental stages, in which the initiation of the yeast-hyphal morphological transition is independent of Crz1, whereas the sporulation process is dependent on Crz1. Calcineurin-dependent unisexual reproduction is independent of the pheromone response pathway. Crz1 synergistically interacts with different calcineurin downstream targets in responding to ER, high-calcium, and cell wall stresses. We observed a widespread synergy suggesting that these proteins function in complex branched pathways downstream of calcineurin with some functional redundancy, which may allow efficient signaling network rewiring within the pathway for prompt adaptation to changing environments. Finally, we showed that deletion of PBP1 or TIF3 in the cna1∆ mutant background conferred a modest level of growth tolerance at 37°, but that the cna1∆ pbp1∆ and cna1∆ tif3∆ double mutants were both avirulent, suggesting that calcineurin may control virulence via mechanisms beyond thermotolerance.
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Ghosh S, Kanwar P, Jha G. Identification of candidate pathogenicity determinants of Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, which causes sheath blight disease in rice. Curr Genet 2017; 64:729-740. [PMID: 29196814 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-017-0791-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Sheath blight disease is one of the predominant diseases of rice and it is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. The mechanistic insight about its widespread success as a broad host range pathogen is limited. In this study, we endeavor to identify pathogenicity determinants of R. solani during infection process in rice. Through RNAseq analysis, we identified a total of 65 and 232 R. solani (strain BRS1) genes to be commonly upregulated in three different rice genotypes (PB1, Tetep, and TP309) at establishment and necrotrophic phase, respectively. The induction of genes encoding extracellular protease, ABC transporter, and transcription factors were notable during establishment phase. While during necrotrophic phase, several CAZymes, sugar transporters, cellular metabolism, and protein degradation-related genes were prominently induced. We have also identified few putative secreted effector encoding genes that were upregulated during pathogenesis. The qPCR analysis further validated the phase-specific expression dynamics of some selected putative effectors and pathogenicity-associated genes. Overall, the present study reports identification of key genes and processes that might be crucial for R. solani pathogenesis. The ability to effectively damage host cell wall and survive in hostile plant environment by managing oxidative stress, cytotoxic compounds, etc. is being proposed to be important for pathogenesis of R. solani in rice. The functional characterization of these genes would provide key insights about this important pathosystem and facilitate development of strategies to control this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srayan Ghosh
- Plant Microbe Interactions Laboratory, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Poonam Kanwar
- Plant Microbe Interactions Laboratory, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Gopaljee Jha
- Plant Microbe Interactions Laboratory, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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Choi K, Marek SM. A noncanonical poly(A) RNA polymerase gene affects morphology in Phoma medicaginis. Fungal Genet Biol 2017; 111:47-59. [PMID: 29155068 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2017.11.004] [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: 05/07/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Phoma medicaginis (syn. Ascochyta medicaginicola Qchen & L. Cai) causes spring black stem and leaf spot, an important disease of alfalfa and annual medics. P. medicaginis forms uninucleate conidia in melanized pycnidia and is genetically tractable using Agrobacterium mediated transformation (ATMT), resulting in random integration of T-DNA that occasionally generates pycnidial mutants. The T-DNA tagged mutant, P265 displayed smaller pycnidia and more aerial hyphae than the wild type. A single T-DNA disrupted a putative noncanonical poly(A) RNA polymerase gene, Pmncpap1, which in yeast interacts with ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). As in yeast mutants, P265 showed sensitivity to hydroxyurea (HU), a RNR inhibitor. To characterize the role of Pmncpap1, targeted ΔPmncpap1 mutants were created using a hygromycin selectable marker flanked by 1 Kbp regions of Pmncpap1. ΔPmncpap1 mutants possessed similar morphological features to those of P265. The plasmid for rescue of PmncPAP1, pCAM-Nat1 (nourseothricin selection) was constructed and used to introduce full-length PmncPAP1 into mutants. Rescued P265 showed partial recovery of wild type and the original T-DNA was lost due to homologous integration. To our knowledge, this is the first ncPAP to be examined in a filamentous fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kihyuck Choi
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA; Department of Applied Bioscience, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
| | - Stephen M Marek
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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Chow EWL, Clancey SA, Billmyre RB, Averette AF, Granek JA, Mieczkowski P, Cardenas ME, Heitman J. Elucidation of the calcineurin-Crz1 stress response transcriptional network in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006667. [PMID: 28376087 PMCID: PMC5380312 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcineurin is a highly conserved Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase that orchestrates cellular Ca2+ signaling responses. In Cryptococcus neoformans, calcineurin is activated by multiple stresses including high temperature, and is essential for stress adaptation and virulence. The transcription factor Crz1 is a major calcineurin effector in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi. Calcineurin dephosphorylates Crz1, thereby enabling Crz1 nuclear translocation and transcription of target genes. Here we show that loss of Crz1 confers phenotypes intermediate between wild-type and calcineurin mutants, and demonstrate that deletion of the calcineurin docking domain results in the inability of Crz1 to translocate into the nucleus under thermal stress. RNA-sequencing revealed 102 genes that are regulated in a calcineurin-Crz1-dependent manner at 37°C. The majority of genes were down-regulated in cna1Δ and crz1Δ mutants, indicating these genes are normally activated by the calcineurin-Crz1 pathway at high temperature. About 58% of calcineurin-Crz1 target genes have unknown functions, while genes with known or predicted functions are involved in cell wall remodeling, calcium transport, and pheromone production. We identified three calcineurin-dependent response element motifs within the promoter regions of calcineurin-Crz1 target genes, and show that Crz1 binding to target gene promoters is increased upon thermal stress in a calcineurin-dependent fashion. Additionally, we found a large set of genes independently regulated by calcineurin, and Crz1 regulates 59 genes independently of calcineurin. Given the intermediate crz1Δ mutant phenotype, and our recent evidence for a calcineurin regulatory network impacting mRNA in P-bodies and stress granules independently of Crz1, calcineurin likely acts on factors beyond Crz1 that govern mRNA expression/stability to operate a branched transcriptional/post-transcriptional stress response network necessary for fungal virulence. Taken together, our findings reveal the core calcineurin-Crz1 stress response cascade is maintained from ascomycetes to a pathogenic basidiomycete fungus, but its output in C. neoformans appears to be adapted to promote fungal virulence. The ubquitiously conserved serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase calcineurin is crucial for virulence of several opportunistic human fungal pathogens including Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans. We show that Crz1 acts downstream of calcineurin, to 1) govern expression of genes involved in cell wall integrity, and calcium and small molecule transport, and 2) contribute to stress survival and virulence of C. neoformans. Our studies reveal that calcineurin also controls mRNA expression levels of other genes independently of Crz1. We propose that calcineurin operates in a branched signal transduction cascade controlling targets at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve W. L. Chow
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Shelly A. Clancey
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - R. Blake Billmyre
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Anna Floyd Averette
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joshua A. Granek
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Center for the Genomics of Microbial Systems, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Piotr Mieczkowski
- High-Throughput Sequencing Facility, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Maria E. Cardenas
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Cation-Stress-Responsive Transcription Factors SltA and CrzA Regulate Morphogenetic Processes and Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168561. [PMID: 28030573 PMCID: PMC5193415 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in the presence of cation salts NaCl and KCl inhibited fungal growth and anthracnose symptom of colonization. Previous reports indicate that adaptation of Aspergillus nidulans to salt- and osmotic-stress conditions revealed the role of zinc-finger transcription factors SltA and CrzA in cation homeostasis. Homologs of A. nidulans SltA and CrzA were identified in C. gloeosporioides. The C. gloeosporioides CrzA homolog is a 682-amino acid protein, which contains a C2H2 zinc finger DNA-binding domain that is highly conserved among CrzA proteins from yeast and filamentous fungi. The C. gloeosporioides SltA homolog encodes a 775-amino acid protein with strong similarity to A. nidulans SltA and Trichoderma reesei ACE1, and highest conservation in the three zinc-finger regions with almost no changes compared to ACE1 sequences. Knockout of C. gloeosporioides crzA (ΔcrzA) resulted in a phenotype with inhibited growth, sporulation, germination and appressorium formation, indicating the importance of this calciu006D-activated transcription factor in regulating these morphogenetic processes. In contrast, knockout of C. gloeosporioides sltA (ΔsltA) mainly inhibited appressorium formation. Both mutants had reduced pathogenicity on mango and avocado fruit. Inhibition of the different morphogenetic stages in the ΔcrzA mutant was accompanied by drastic inhibition of chitin synthase A and B and glucan synthase, which was partially restored with Ca2+ supplementation. Inhibition of appressorium formation in ΔsltA mutants was accompanied by downregulation of the MAP kinase pmk1 and carnitine acetyl transferase (cat1), genes involved in appressorium formation and colonization, which was restored by Ca2+ supplementation. Furthermore, exposure of C. gloeosporioides ΔcrzA or ΔsltA mutants to cations such as Na+, K+ and Li+ at concentrations that the wild type C. gloeosporioides is not affected had further adverse morphogenetic effects on C. gloeosporioides which were partially or fully restored by Ca2+. Overall results suggest that both genes modulating alkali cation homeostasis have significant morphogenetic effects that reduce C. gloeosporioides colonization.
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Hernández-Ortiz P, Espeso EA. Spatiotemporal dynamics of the calcineurin target CrzA. Cell Signal 2016; 29:168-180. [PMID: 27832964 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The response of Aspergilli to elevated concentrations of extracellular calcium and manganese, or environmental alkalinization is mediated by CrzA, a calcineurin-responsive transcription factor (TF). CrzA is the effector of a signaling pathway which includes the apical protein's calmodulin and calcineurin, and the protein kinases GskA and CkiA. Preferentially located in the cytoplasm, CrzA is the only element of the pathway modifying its localization under those stress conditions, being imported into nuclei. Remarkably, there is a direct relationship between the nature/intensity of the stimulus and the pace of nuclear import and time of nuclear permanence of CrzA. Alkalinity caused a transient nuclear accumulation of CrzA while high Ca2+ and Mn2+ concentrations generated a long-lasting accumulation. Furthermore, Ca2+ concentrations (below 5mM) that are non-toxic for a crzAΔ mutant promoted full signaling of CrzA. However, micromolar concentrations or a mutation disrupting the interaction of CrzA with the phosphatase complex calcineurin, permitted the visualization of a transient and polarized nuclear accumulation of the TF in a tip-to-base gradient. Overall, these results support a model in which nucleo-cytoplasmic dynamics and transcriptional activity of CrzA are driven by apical signals transmitted by calmodulin and calcineurin. This communication is essential to understand Ca+2-induced stress response in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Hernández-Ortiz
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo A Espeso
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
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Genome-wide recruitment profiling of transcription factor Crz1 in response to high pH stress. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:662. [PMID: 27544903 PMCID: PMC4992276 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3006-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Exposure of the budding Saccharomyces cerevisiae to an alkaline environment produces a robust transcriptional response involving hundreds of genes. Part of this response is triggered by an almost immediate burst of calcium that activates the Ser/Thr protein phosphatase calcineurin. Activated calcineurin dephosphorylates the transcription factor (TF) Crz1, which moves to the nucleus and binds to calcineurin/Crz1 responsive gene promoters. In this work we present a genome-wide study of the binding of Crz1 to gene promoters in response to high pH stress. Results Environmental alkalinization promoted a time-dependent recruitment of Crz1 to 152 intergenic regions, the vast majority between 1 and 5 min upon stress onset. Positional evaluation of the genomic coordinates combined with existing transcriptional studies allowed identifying 140 genes likely responsive to Crz1 regulation. Gene Ontology analysis confirmed the relevant impact of calcineurin/Crz1 on a set of genes involved in glucose utilization, and uncovered novel targets, such as genes responsible for trehalose metabolism. We also identified over a dozen of genes encoding TFs that are likely under the control of Crz1, suggesting a possible mechanism for amplification of the signal at the transcription level. Further analysis of the binding sites allowed refining the consensus sequence for Crz1 binding to gene promoters and the effect of chromatin accessibility in the timing of Crz1 recruitment to promoters. Conclusions The present work defines at the genomic-wide level the kinetics of binding of Crz1 to gene promoters in response to alkaline stress, confirms diverse previously known Crz1 targets and identifies many putative novel ones. Because of the relevance of calcineurin/Crz1 in signaling diverse stress conditions, our data will contribute to understand the transcriptional response in other circumstances that also involve calcium signaling, such as exposition to sexual pheromones or saline stress. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3006-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Cao H, Huang P, Zhang L, Shi Y, Sun D, Yan Y, Liu X, Dong B, Chen G, Snyder JH, Lin F, Lu J. Characterization of 47 Cys2 -His2 zinc finger proteins required for the development and pathogenicity of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 211:1035-51. [PMID: 27041000 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The Cys2 -His2 (C2H2) zinc finger protein family is the second-largest family of transcription factors (TFs) in Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal fungus responsible for the destructive rice blast disease. However, little is known about the roles of most C2H2 TFs in the development and pathogenicity of M. oryzae. The roles of 47 C2H2 genes in development and pathogenicity were investigated by gene deletion in M. oryzae. The TF-dependent genes in mycelia or appressoria were analyzed with RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Forty-four C2H2 genes are involved in growth (20 genes), conidiation (28 genes), appressorium formation (four genes) and pathogenicity (22 genes) in M. oryzae. Of these, MGG_14931, named as VRF1, is required for pathogenicity, specifically controlling appressorium maturation by affecting the expression of genes related to appressorial structure and function, including melanin biosynthesis, chitin catabolism, lipid metabolism, proteolysis, transmembrane transport, and response to oxidative stress; MGG_01776, named as VRF2, is required for plant penetration and invasive growth; conidiation-related gene CON7 is required for conidial differentiation; and MoCREA, encoding a carbon catabolite repression protein, is a novel repressor of lipid catabolism when glucose obtainable in M. oryzae. This study provides many insights into the regulation of growth, asexual development, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity by C2H2 TFs in M. oryzae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Pengyun Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Lilin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Yongkai Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Dandan Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Yuxin Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Bo Dong
- Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310021, China
| | - Guoqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 31006, China
| | - John Hugh Snyder
- China Tobacco Gene Research Center, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450001, China
| | - Fucheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Jianping Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
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Zhao YL, Zhou TT, Guo HS. Hyphopodium-Specific VdNoxB/VdPls1-Dependent ROS-Ca2+ Signaling Is Required for Plant Infection by Verticillium dahliae. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005793. [PMID: 27463643 PMCID: PMC4962994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Verticillium dahliae is a phytopathogenic fungus obligate in root infection. A few hyphopodia differentiate from large numbers of hyphae after conidia germination on the root surface for further infection. However, the molecular features and role of hyphopodia in the pathogenicity of V. dahliae remain elusive. In this study, we found that the VdPls1, a tetraspanin, and the VdNoxB, a catalytic subunit of membrane-bound NADPH oxidases for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, were specifically expressed in hyphopodia. VdPls1 and VdNoxB highly co-localize with the plasma membrane at the base of hyphopodia, where ROS and penetration pegs are generated. Mutant strains, VdΔnoxb and VdΔpls1, in which VdPls1 and VdNoxB were deleted, respectively, developed defective hyphpodia incapable of producing ROS and penetration pegs. Defective plasma membrane localization of VdNoxB in VdΔpls1 demonstrates that VdPls1 functions as an adaptor protein for the recruitment and activation of the VdNoxB. Furthermore, in VdΔnoxb and VdΔpls1, tip-high Ca2+ accumulation was impaired in hyphopodia, but not in vegetative hyphal tips. Moreover, nuclear targeting of VdCrz1 and activation of calcineurin-Crz1 signaling upon hyphopodium induction in wild-type V. dahliae was impaired in both knockout mutants, indicating that VdPls1/VdNoxB-dependent ROS was specifically required for tip-high Ca2+ elevation in hyphopodia to activate the transcription factor VdCrz1 in the regulation of penetration peg formation. Together with the loss of virulence of VdΔnoxb and VdΔpls1, which are unable to initiate colonization in cotton plants, our data demonstrate that VdNoxB/VdPls1-mediated ROS production activates VdCrz1 signaling through Ca2+ elevation in hyphopodia, infectious structures of V. dahliae, to regulate penetration peg formation during the initial colonization of cotton roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Long Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Microbiology, Beijing, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ting-Ting Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Microbiology, Beijing, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui-Shan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Microbiology, Beijing, China
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31
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Schmoll M, Dattenböck C, Carreras-Villaseñor N, Mendoza-Mendoza A, Tisch D, Alemán MI, Baker SE, Brown C, Cervantes-Badillo MG, Cetz-Chel J, Cristobal-Mondragon GR, Delaye L, Esquivel-Naranjo EU, Frischmann A, Gallardo-Negrete JDJ, García-Esquivel M, Gomez-Rodriguez EY, Greenwood DR, Hernández-Oñate M, Kruszewska JS, Lawry R, Mora-Montes HM, Muñoz-Centeno T, Nieto-Jacobo MF, Nogueira Lopez G, Olmedo-Monfil V, Osorio-Concepcion M, Piłsyk S, Pomraning KR, Rodriguez-Iglesias A, Rosales-Saavedra MT, Sánchez-Arreguín JA, Seidl-Seiboth V, Stewart A, Uresti-Rivera EE, Wang CL, Wang TF, Zeilinger S, Casas-Flores S, Herrera-Estrella A. The Genomes of Three Uneven Siblings: Footprints of the Lifestyles of Three Trichoderma Species. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2016; 80:205-327. [PMID: 26864432 PMCID: PMC4771370 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00040-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Trichoderma contains fungi with high relevance for humans, with applications in enzyme production for plant cell wall degradation and use in biocontrol. Here, we provide a broad, comprehensive overview of the genomic content of these species for "hot topic" research aspects, including CAZymes, transport, transcription factors, and development, along with a detailed analysis and annotation of less-studied topics, such as signal transduction, genome integrity, chromatin, photobiology, or lipid, sulfur, and nitrogen metabolism in T. reesei, T. atroviride, and T. virens, and we open up new perspectives to those topics discussed previously. In total, we covered more than 2,000 of the predicted 9,000 to 11,000 genes of each Trichoderma species discussed, which is >20% of the respective gene content. Additionally, we considered available transcriptome data for the annotated genes. Highlights of our analyses include overall carbohydrate cleavage preferences due to the different genomic contents and regulation of the respective genes. We found light regulation of many sulfur metabolic genes. Additionally, a new Golgi 1,2-mannosidase likely involved in N-linked glycosylation was detected, as were indications for the ability of Trichoderma spp. to generate hybrid galactose-containing N-linked glycans. The genomic inventory of effector proteins revealed numerous compounds unique to Trichoderma, and these warrant further investigation. We found interesting expansions in the Trichoderma genus in several signaling pathways, such as G-protein-coupled receptors, RAS GTPases, and casein kinases. A particularly interesting feature absolutely unique to T. atroviride is the duplication of the alternative sulfur amino acid synthesis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Schmoll
- Austrian Institute of Technology, Department Health and Environment, Bioresources Unit, Tulln, Austria
| | - Christoph Dattenböck
- Austrian Institute of Technology, Department Health and Environment, Bioresources Unit, Tulln, Austria
| | | | | | - Doris Tisch
- Research Division Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mario Ivan Alemán
- Cinvestav, Department of Genetic Engineering, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Scott E Baker
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Christopher Brown
- University of Otago, Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - José Cetz-Chel
- LANGEBIO, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity, Cinvestav-Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | | | - Luis Delaye
- Cinvestav, Department of Genetic Engineering, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | | | - Alexa Frischmann
- Research Division Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Monica García-Esquivel
- LANGEBIO, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity, Cinvestav-Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | | | - David R Greenwood
- The University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Miguel Hernández-Oñate
- LANGEBIO, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity, Cinvestav-Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Joanna S Kruszewska
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Laboratory of Fungal Glycobiology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert Lawry
- Lincoln University, Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sebastian Piłsyk
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Laboratory of Fungal Glycobiology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kyle R Pomraning
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Aroa Rodriguez-Iglesias
- Austrian Institute of Technology, Department Health and Environment, Bioresources Unit, Tulln, Austria
| | | | | | - Verena Seidl-Seiboth
- Research Division Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Chih-Li Wang
- National Chung-Hsing University, Department of Plant Pathology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Fang Wang
- Academia Sinica, Institute of Molecular Biology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susanne Zeilinger
- Research Division Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria University of Innsbruck, Institute of Microbiology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Alfredo Herrera-Estrella
- LANGEBIO, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity, Cinvestav-Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
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Structure Analysis Uncovers a Highly Diverse but Structurally Conserved Effector Family in Phytopathogenic Fungi. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005228. [PMID: 26506000 PMCID: PMC4624222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytopathogenic ascomycete fungi possess huge effector repertoires that are dominated by hundreds of sequence-unrelated small secreted proteins. The molecular function of these effectors and the evolutionary mechanisms that generate this tremendous number of singleton genes are largely unknown. To get a deeper understanding of fungal effectors, we determined by NMR spectroscopy the 3-dimensional structures of the Magnaporthe oryzae effectors AVR1-CO39 and AVR-Pia. Despite a lack of sequence similarity, both proteins have very similar 6 β-sandwich structures that are stabilized in both cases by a disulfide bridge between 2 conserved cysteins located in similar positions of the proteins. Structural similarity searches revealed that AvrPiz-t, another effector from M. oryzae, and ToxB, an effector of the wheat tan spot pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis have the same structures suggesting the existence of a family of sequence-unrelated but structurally conserved fungal effectors that we named MAX-effectors (MagnaportheAvrs and ToxB like). Structure-informed pattern searches strengthened this hypothesis by identifying MAX-effector candidates in a broad range of ascomycete phytopathogens. Strong expansion of the MAX-effector family was detected in M. oryzae and M. grisea where they seem to be particularly important since they account for 5–10% of the effector repertoire and 50% of the cloned avirulence effectors. Expression analysis indicated that the majority of M. oryzae MAX-effectors are expressed specifically during early infection suggesting important functions during biotrophic host colonization. We hypothesize that the scenario observed for MAX-effectors can serve as a paradigm for ascomycete effector diversity and that the enormous number of sequence-unrelated ascomycete effectors may in fact belong to a restricted set of structurally conserved effector families. Fungal plant pathogens are of outstanding economic and ecological importance and cause destructive diseases on many cultivated and wild plants. Effector proteins that are secreted during infection to manipulate the host and to promote disease are a key element in fungal virulence. Phytopathogenic fungi possess huge effector repertoires that are dominated by hundreds of sequence-unrelated small secreted proteins. The molecular functions of this most important class of fungal effectors and the evolutionary mechanisms that generate this tremendous numbers of apparently unrelated proteins are largely unknown. By investigating the 3-dimensional structures of effectors from the rice blast fungus M. oryzae, we discovered an effector family comprising structurally conserved but sequence-unrelated effectors from M. oryzae and the phylogenetically distant wheat pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis that we named MAX-effectors (M. oryzaeAvrs and ToxB). Structure-informed searches of whole genome sequence databases suggest that MAX-effectors are present at low frequencies and with a patchy phylogenetic distribution in many ascomycete phytopathogens. They underwent strong lineage-specific expansion in fungi of the Pyriculariae family that contains M. oryzae where they seem particularly important during biotrophic plant colonization and account for 50% of the cloned Avr effectors and 5–10% of the effector repertoire. Based on our results on the MAX-effectors and the widely accepted concept that fungal effectors evolve according to a birth-and-death model we propose the hypothesis that the majority of the immense numbers of different ascomycete effectors could in fact belong to a limited set of structurally defined families whose members are phylogenetically related.
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Xiong D, Wang Y, Tang C, Fang Y, Zou J, Tian C. VdCrz1 is involved in microsclerotia formation and required for full virulence in Verticillium dahliae. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 82:201-12. [PMID: 26235044 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Calcium signaling plays crucial roles in ion stress tolerance, sporulation and pathogenicity in fungi. Although the signaling pathway mediated by calcineurin and the calcineurin-responsive zinc finger transcription factor Crz1 is well characterized in other fungi, this pathway is not well characterized in the phytopathogenic fungus, Verticillium dahliae. To better understand the role of this calcineurin-dependent transcription factor in V. dahliae, an ortholog of CRZ1, VdCrz1, was identified and characterized functionally. Transcriptional analysis of VdCrz1 and GFP expression driven by the VdCrz1 promoter indicated that VdCrz1 was involved in microsclerotia development. After targeted deletion of VdCrz1, microsclerotia formation and melanin accumulation were impaired. Furthermore, the ΔVdCrz1 mutants were hypersensitive to high concentrations of Ca(2+) and cell wall-perturbing agents, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate. The addition of Mg(2+) to the medium restores the microsclerotia formation in ΔVdCrz1 mutants. The ΔVdCrz1 mutants exhibited delayed Verticillium wilt symptoms on smoke tree. These results suggest that VdCrz1 plays important roles in Ca(2+) signaling, cell wall integrity, microsclerotia development and full virulence in V. dahliae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianguang Xiong
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yonglin Wang
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
| | - Chen Tang
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Fang
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyi Zou
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Chengming Tian
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
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Lee SC, Li A, Calo S, Inoue M, Tonthat NK, Bain JM, Louw J, Shinohara ML, Erwig LP, Schumacher MA, Ko DC, Heitman J. Calcineurin orchestrates dimorphic transitions, antifungal drug responses and host-pathogen interactions of the pathogenic mucoralean fungus Mucor circinelloides. Mol Microbiol 2015; 97:844-65. [PMID: 26010100 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Calcineurin plays essential roles in virulence and growth of pathogenic fungi and is a target of the natural products FK506 and Cyclosporine A. In the pathogenic mucoralean fungus Mucor circinelloides, calcineurin mutation or inhibition confers a yeast-locked phenotype indicating that calcineurin governs the dimorphic transition. Genetic analysis in this study reveals that two calcineurin A catalytic subunits (out of three) are functionally diverged. Homology modeling illustrates modes of resistance resulting from amino substitutions in the interface between each calcineurin subunit and the inhibitory drugs. In addition, we show how the dimorphic transition orchestrated by calcineurin programs different outcomes during host-pathogen interactions. For example, when macrophages phagocytose Mucor yeast, subsequent phagosomal maturation occurs, indicating host cells respond appropriately to control the pathogen. On the other hand, upon phagocytosis of spores, macrophages fail to form mature phagosomes. Cytokine production from immune cells differs following exposure to yeast versus spores (which germinate into hyphae). Thus, the morphogenic transition can be targeted as an efficient treatment option against Mucor infection. In addition, genetic analysis (including gene disruption and mutational studies) further strengthens the understanding of calcineurin and provides a foundation to develop antifungal agents targeting calcineurin to deploy against Mucor and other pathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Chan Lee
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Alicia Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Silvia Calo
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Makoto Inoue
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Nam K Tonthat
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Judith M Bain
- Division of Applied Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Johanna Louw
- Division of Applied Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Mari L Shinohara
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Lars P Erwig
- Division of Applied Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.,Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Maria A Schumacher
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Dennis C Ko
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Center for Human Genome Variation, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
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Chromatin analyses of Zymoseptoria tritici: Methods for chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq). Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 79:63-70. [PMID: 25857259 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The presence or absence of specific transcription factors, chromatin remodeling machineries, chromatin modification enzymes, post-translational histone modifications and histone variants all play crucial roles in the regulation of pathogenicity genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) provides an important tool to study genome-wide protein-DNA interactions to help understand gene regulation in the context of native chromatin. ChIP-seq is a convenient in vivo technique to identify, map and characterize occupancy of specific DNA fragments with proteins against which specific antibodies exist or which can be epitope-tagged in vivo. We optimized existing ChIP protocols for use in the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici and closely related sister species. Here, we provide a detailed method, underscoring which aspects of the technique are organism-specific. Library preparation for Illumina sequencing is described, as this is currently the most widely used ChIP-seq method. One approach for the analysis and visualization of representative sequence is described; improved tools for these analyses are constantly being developed. Using ChIP-seq with antibodies against H3K4me2, which is considered a mark for euchromatin or H3K9me3 and H3K27me3, which are considered marks for heterochromatin, the overall distribution of euchromatin and heterochromatin in the genome of Z. tritici can be determined. Our ChIP-seq protocol was also successfully applied to Z. tritici strains with high levels of melanization or aberrant colony morphology, and to different species of the genus (Z. ardabiliae and Z. pseudotritici), suggesting that our technique is robust. The methods described here provide a powerful framework to study new aspects of chromatin biology and gene regulation in this prominent wheat pathogen.
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Phylogenic analysis revealed an expanded C₂H₂-homeobox subfamily and expression profiles of C₂H₂ zinc finger gene family in Verticillium dahliae. Gene 2015; 562:169-79. [PMID: 25725127 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.02.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
C2H2 zinc finger (CZF) proteins are a major class of transcription factors that play crucial roles in fungal growth, development, various stress responses, and virulence. Little genome-wide data is available regarding the roles of CZF proteins in Verticillium dahliae, a destructive pathogen that causes vascular wilt disease in more than 200 plant species. We identified a total of 79 typical CZF genes in V. dahliae. Comparative analysis revealed that four plant pathogenic fungi, V. dahliae, Fusarium oxysporum, Magnaporthe oryzae, and Botrytis cinerea, have comparable numbers of predicted CZF genes with similar characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis identified a C2H2-homeobox subfamily in V. dahliae containing seven genes with similar gene structures. V. dahliae and F. oxysporum (Hypocreomycetidae) have more genes of this subfamily than M. oryzae (Sordariomycetidae) and B. cinerea (Leotiomycetes). Furthermore, gene-expression analysis of the smoke tree wilt fungus V. dahliae strain XS11 using digital gene-expression profiling and RT-qPCR revealed that a number of CZF genes were differentially expressed during microsclerotia formation, nutritional starvation, and simulated in planta conditions. Furthermore, the expression profiles revealed that some CZF genes were overrepresented during multiple stages, indicating that they might play diverse roles. Our results provide useful information concerning the functions of CZF genes in microsclerotia formation, nutritional stress responses, and pathogenicity in V. dahliae, and form a basis for future functional studies of these genes.
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Li F, Wang ZL, Zhang LB, Ying SH, Feng MG. The role of three calcineurin subunits and a related transcription factor (Crz1) in conidiation, multistress tolerance and virulence in Beauveria bassiana. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 99:827-40. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-6124-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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de Castro PA, Chen C, de Almeida RSC, Freitas FZ, Bertolini MC, Morais ER, Brown NA, Ramalho LNZ, Hagiwara D, Mitchell TK, Goldman GH. ChIP-seq reveals a role for CrzA in the Aspergillus fumigatus high-osmolarity glycerol response (HOG) signalling pathway. Mol Microbiol 2014; 94:655-74. [PMID: 25196896 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic pathogen and allergen of mammals. Calcium signalling is essential for A. fumigatus pathogenicity and is regulated by the CrzA transcription factor. We used ChIP-seq (Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA sequencing) to explore CrzA gene targets in A. fumigatus. In total, 165 potential binding peaks including 102 directly regulated genes were identified, resulting in the prediction of the A[GT][CG]CA[AC][AG] CrzA-binding motif. The 102 CrzA putatively regulated genes exhibited a diverse array of functions. The phkB (Afu3g12530) histidine kinase and the sskB (Afu1g10940) MAP kinase kinase kinase of the HOG (high-osmolarity glycerol response) pathway were regulated by CrzA. Several members of the two-component system (TCS) and the HOG pathway were more sensitive to calcium. CrzA::GFP was translocated to the nucleus upon osmotic stress. CrzA is important for the phosphorylation of the SakA MAPK in response to osmotic shock. The ΔsskB was more sensitive to CaCl2 , NaCl, and paraquat stress, while being avirulent in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. The presence of CaCl2 and osmotic stresses resulted in synergistic inhibition of ΔcrzA and ΔsskB growth. These results suggest there is a genetic interaction between the A. fumigatus calcineurin-CrzA and HOG pathway that is essential for full virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia A de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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Cao Y, Du M, Luo S, Xia Y. Calcineurin modulates growth, stress tolerance, and virulence in Metarhizium acridum and its regulatory network. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:8253-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5876-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Abstract
Calcium ions are ubiquitous intracellular messengers. An increase in the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration activates many proteins, including calmodulin and the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin. The phosphatase is conserved from yeast to humans (except in plants), and many target proteins of calcineurin have been identified. The most prominent and best-investigated targets, however, are the transcription factors NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) in mammals and Crz1 (calcineurin-responsive zinc finger 1) in yeast. In recent years, many orthologues of Crz1 have been identified and characterized in various species of fungi, amoebae, and other lower eukaryotes. It has been shown that the functions of calcineurin-Crz1 signaling, ranging from ion homeostasis through cell wall biogenesis to the building of filamentous structures, are conserved in the different organisms. Furthermore, frequency-modulated gene expression through Crz1 has been discovered as a striking new mechanism by which cells can coordinate their response to a signal. In this review, I focus on the latest findings concerning calcineurin-Crz1 signaling in fungi, amoebae and other lower eukaryotes. I discuss the potential of Crz1 and its orthologues as putative drug targets, and I also discuss possible parallels with calcineurin-NFAT signaling in mammals.
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Mathioni SM, Patel N, Riddick B, Sweigard JA, Czymmek KJ, Caplan JL, Kunjeti SG, Kunjeti S, Raman V, Hillman BI, Kobayashi DY, Donofrio NM. Transcriptomics of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae in response to the bacterial antagonist Lysobacter enzymogenes reveals candidate fungal defense response genes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76487. [PMID: 24098512 PMCID: PMC3789685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants and animals have evolved a first line of defense response to pathogens called innate or basal immunity. While basal defenses in these organisms are well studied, there is almost a complete lack of understanding of such systems in fungal species, and more specifically, how they are able to detect and mount a defense response upon pathogen attack. Hence, the goal of the present study was to understand how fungi respond to biotic stress by assessing the transcriptional profile of the rice blast pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae, when challenged with the bacterial antagonist Lysobacter enzymogenes. Based on microscopic observations of interactions between M. oryzae and wild-type L. enzymogenes strain C3, we selected early and intermediate stages represented by time-points of 3 and 9 hours post-inoculation, respectively, to evaluate the fungal transcriptome using RNA-seq. For comparative purposes, we also challenged the fungus with L. enzymogenes mutant strain DCA, previously demonstrated to be devoid of antifungal activity. A comparison of transcriptional data from fungal interactions with the wild-type bacterial strain C3 and the mutant strain DCA revealed 463 fungal genes that were down-regulated during attack by C3; of these genes, 100 were also found to be up-regulated during the interaction with DCA. Functional categorization of genes in this suite included those with roles in carbohydrate metabolism, cellular transport and stress response. One gene in this suite belongs to the CFEM-domain class of fungal proteins. Another CFEM class protein called PTH11 has been previously characterized, and we found that a deletion in this gene caused advanced lesion development by C3 compared to its growth on the wild-type fungus. We discuss the characterization of this suite of 100 genes with respect to their role in the fungal defense response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M. Mathioni
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Nrupali Patel
- Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Bianca Riddick
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - James A. Sweigard
- DuPont Stine Haskell Research Center, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Kirk J. Czymmek
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute BioImaging Center, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey L. Caplan
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute BioImaging Center, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Sridhara G. Kunjeti
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Saritha Kunjeti
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Vidhyavathi Raman
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Bradley I. Hillman
- Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Donald Y. Kobayashi
- Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Nicole M. Donofrio
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
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Genetic bypass of Aspergillus nidulans crzA function in calcium homeostasis. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2013; 3:1129-41. [PMID: 23665873 PMCID: PMC3704241 DOI: 10.1534/g3.113.005983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
After dephosphorylation by the phosphatase calcineurin, the fungal transcription factor CrzA enters the nucleus and activates the transcription of genes responsible for calcium homeostasis and many other calcium-regulated activities. A lack of CrzA confers calcium-sensitivity to the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. To further understand calcium signaling in filamentous fungi and to identify genes that interact genetically with CrzA, we selected for mutations that were able to suppress crzAΔ calcium intolerance and identified three genes. Through genetic mapping, gene sequencing, and mutant rescue, we were able to identify these as cnaB (encoding the calcineurin regulatory subunit), folA (encoding an enzyme involved in folic acid biosynthesis, dihydroneopterin aldolase), and scrC (suppression of crzA-, encoding a hypothetical protein). By using a calcium indicator, Fluo-3, we were able to determine that the wild-type and the suppressor strains were either able to regulate intracellular calcium levels or were able to take up and or store calcium correctly. The increased expression of calcium transporters, pmcA and/or pmcB, in suppressor mutants possibly enabled tolerance to high levels of calcium. Our results suggest that a cnaB suppressor mutation confers calcium tolerance to crzAΔ strains through restoration of calcium homeostasis. These results stress that in A. nidulans there are calcineurin-dependent and CrzA-independent pathways. In addition, it is possible that CrzA is able to contribute to the modulation of folic acid biosynthesis.
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Lev S, Desmarini D, Chayakulkeeree M, Sorrell TC, Djordjevic JT. The Crz1/Sp1 transcription factor of Cryptococcus neoformans is activated by calcineurin and regulates cell wall integrity. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51403. [PMID: 23251520 PMCID: PMC3520850 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans survives host temperature and regulates cell wall integrity via a calcium-dependent phosphatase, calcineurin. However, downstream effectors of C. neoformans calcineurin are largely unknown. In S. cerevisiae and other fungal species, a calcineurin-dependent transcription factor Crz1, translocates to nuclei upon activation and triggers expression of target genes. We now show that the C. neoformans Crz1 ortholog (Crz1/Sp1), previously identified as a protein kinase C target during starvation, is a bona fide target of calcineurin under non-starvation conditions, during cell wall stress and growth at high temperature. Both the calcineurin-defective mutant, Δcna1, and a CRZ1/SP1 mutant (Δcrz1) were susceptible to cell wall perturbing agents. Furthermore, expression of the chitin synthase encoding gene, CHS6, was reduced in both mutants. We tracked the subcellular localization of Crz1-GFP in WT C. neoformans and Δcna1 in response to different stimuli, in the presence and absence of the calcineurin inhibitor, FK506. Exposure to elevated temperature (30–37°C vs 25°C) and extracellular calcium caused calcineurin-dependent nuclear accumulation of Crz1-GFP. Unexpectedly, 1M salt and heat shock triggered calcineurin-independent Crz1-GFP sequestration within cytosolic and nuclear puncta. To our knowledge, punctate cytosolic distribution, as opposed to nuclear targeting, is a unique feature of C. neoformans Crz1. We conclude that Crz1 is selectively activated by calcium/calcineurin-dependent and independent signals depending on the environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lev
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Medical School and Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
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Genetic control of infection-related development in Magnaporthe oryzae. Curr Opin Microbiol 2012; 15:678-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2012.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2012] [Revised: 09/24/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Convergent Evolution of Calcineurin Pathway Roles in Thermotolerance and Virulence in Candida glabrata. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2012; 2:675-91. [PMID: 22690377 PMCID: PMC3362297 DOI: 10.1534/g3.112.002279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Candida glabrata is an emerging human fungal pathogen that is frequently drug tolerant, resulting in difficulties in treatment and a higher mortality in immunocompromised patients. The calcium-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin plays critical roles in controlling drug tolerance, hyphal growth, and virulence in diverse fungal pathogens via distinct mechanisms involving survival in serum or growth at host temperature (37° and higher). Here, we comprehensively studied the calcineurin signaling cascade in C. glabrata and found novel and uncharacterized functions of calcineurin and its downstream target Crz1 in governing thermotolerance, intracellular architecture, and pathogenesis in murine ocular, urinary tract, and systemic infections. This represents a second independent origin of a role for calcineurin in thermotolerant growth of a major human fungal pathogen, distinct from that which arose independently in Cryptococcus neoformans. Calcineurin also promotes survival of C. glabrata in serum via mechanisms distinct from C. albicans and thereby enables establishment of tissue colonization in a murine systemic infection model. To understand calcineurin signaling in detail, we performed global transcript profiling analysis and identified calcineurin- and Crz1-dependent genes in C. glabrata involved in cell wall biosynthesis, heat shock responses, and calcineurin function. Regulators of calcineurin (RCN) are a novel family of calcineurin modifiers, and two members of this family were identified in C. glabrata: Rcn1 and Rcn2. Our studies demonstrate that Rcn2 expression is controlled by calcineurin and Crz1 to function as a feedback inhibitor of calcineurin in a circuit required for calcium tolerance in C. glabrata. In contrast, the calcineurin regulator Rcn1 activates calcineurin signaling. Interestingly, neither Rcn1 nor Rcn2 is required for virulence in a murine systemic infection model. Taken together, our findings show that calcineurin signaling plays critical roles in thermotolerance and virulence, and that Rcn1 and Rcn2 have opposing functions in controlling calcineurin signaling in C. glabrata.
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Qi S, Sui W, Yang M, Chen J, Dai Y. CpG array analysis of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation by chromatin immunoprecipitation linked to microarrays analysis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of IgA nephropathy patients. Yonsei Med J 2012; 53:377-85. [PMID: 22318827 PMCID: PMC3282964 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2012.53.2.377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the present study was to investigate the aberrance of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) in patients with IgA Nephropathy (IgAN). MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, H3K4me3 variations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 15 IgAN patients and 15 healthy subjects were analyzed using chromatin immunoprecipitation linked to microarrays analysis (ChIP-chip). ChIP real-time PCR was used to validate the microarray results. Expression analysis by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed correlations between mRNA and H3K4me3 levels. DNA methylation status was analyzed by quantitative methylation-specific PCR. RESULTS We found that 321 probes displayed significant H3K4me3 differences in IgAN patients compared with healthy controls. Among these probes, 154 probes displayed increased H3K4me3 and 167 probes demonstrated decreased H3K4me3. For further validation, we selected 4 key relevant genes (FCRL4, GALK2, PTPRN2 and IL1RAPL1) to study. The results of ChIP real-time PCR coincided well with the microarray data. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed the correlations between the mRNA expression and the methylation levels of H3K4me3. Different degrees of DNA methylation alterations appeared on the selected positive genes. CONCLUSION Our studies indicated that there were significant alterations in H3K4me3 in IgAN patients. These findings may help to explain the disturbed immunity and abnormal glycosylation involved in IgAN patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suwen Qi
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Weiguo Sui
- Kidney Transplantation and Hemopurification Center of PLA, 181th Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area of PLA, Guangxi, China
| | - Ming Yang
- Kidney Transplantation and Hemopurification Center of PLA, 181th Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area of PLA, Guangxi, China
| | - Jiejing Chen
- Kidney Transplantation and Hemopurification Center of PLA, 181th Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area of PLA, Guangxi, China
| | - Yong Dai
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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SREBP coordinates iron and ergosterol homeostasis to mediate triazole drug and hypoxia responses in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Genet 2011; 7:e1002374. [PMID: 22144905 PMCID: PMC3228822 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2011] [Accepted: 09/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) are a class of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that regulate diverse cellular responses in eukaryotes. Adding to the recognized importance of SREBPs in human health, SREBPs in the human fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus are required for fungal virulence and susceptibility to triazole antifungal drugs. To date, the exact mechanism(s) behind the role of SREBP in these observed phenotypes is not clear. Here, we report that A. fumigatus SREBP, SrbA, mediates regulation of iron acquisition in response to hypoxia and low iron conditions. To further define SrbA's role in iron acquisition in relation to previously studied fungal regulators of iron metabolism, SreA and HapX, a series of mutants were generated in the ΔsrbA background. These data suggest that SrbA is activated independently of SreA and HapX in response to iron limitation, but that HapX mRNA induction is partially dependent on SrbA. Intriguingly, exogenous addition of high iron or genetic deletion of sreA in the ΔsrbA background was able to partially rescue the hypoxia growth, triazole drug susceptibility, and decrease in ergosterol content phenotypes of ΔsrbA. Thus, we conclude that the fungal SREBP, SrbA, is critical for coordinating genes involved in iron acquisition and ergosterol biosynthesis under hypoxia and low iron conditions found at sites of human fungal infections. These results support a role for SREBP-mediated iron regulation in fungal virulence, and they lay a foundation for further exploration of SREBP's role in iron homeostasis in other eukaryotes.
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Gui J, Patel IR. Recent advances in molecular technologies and their application in pathogen detection in foods with particular reference to yersinia. J Pathog 2011; 2011:310135. [PMID: 22567329 PMCID: PMC3335726 DOI: 10.4061/2011/310135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2011] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is an important zoonotic pathogen that can cause yersiniosis in humans and animals. Food has been suggested to be the main source of yersiniosis. It is critical for the researchers to be able to detect Yersinia or any other foodborne pathogen with increased sensitivity and specificity, as well as in real-time, in the case of a foodborne disease outbreak. Conventional detection methods are known to be labor intensive, time consuming, or expensive. On the other hand, more sensitive molecular-based detection methods like next generation sequencing, microarray, and many others are capable of providing faster results. DNA testing is now possible on a single molecule, and high-throughput analysis allows multiple detection reactions to be performed at once, thus allowing a range of characteristics to be rapidly and simultaneously determined. Despite better detection efficiencies, results derived using molecular biology methods can be affected by the various food matrixes. With the improvements in sample preparation, data analysis, and testing procedures, molecular detection techniques will likely continue to simplify and increase the speed of detection while simultaneously improving the sensitivity and specificity for tracking pathogens in food matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Gui
- College of Management and Technology, Walden University, 155 Fifth Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA
| | - Isha R. Patel
- Division of Molecular Biology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, MOD 1 Facility, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
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de Jonge R, Bolton MD, Thomma BPHJ. How filamentous pathogens co-opt plants: the ins and outs of fungal effectors. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2011; 14:400-6. [PMID: 21454120 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2011.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2011] [Revised: 03/01/2011] [Accepted: 03/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Research on effectors secreted by pathogens during host attack has dominated the field of molecular plant-microbe interactions over recent years. Functional analysis of type III secreted effectors injected by pathogenic bacteria into host cells has significantly advanced the field and demonstrated that many function to suppress host defense. Fungal and oomycete effectors are delivered outside the host plasma membrane, and although research has lagged behind on bacterial effectors, we are gradually learning more and more about the functions of these effectors. While some function outside the host cell to disarm defense, others exploit host cellular uptake mechanisms to suppress defense or liberate nutrients intracellularly. Comparative genomics suggests that the organization of effector genes drives effector evolution in many pathogen genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronnie de Jonge
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Abstract
The identification of the fungal genes essential for disease underpins the development of disease control strategies. Improved technologies for gene identification and functional analyses, as well as a plethora of sequenced fungal genomes, have led to the characterization of hundreds of genes, denoted as pathogenicity genes, which are required by fungi to cause disease. We describe recent technologies applied to characterize the fungal genes involved in disease and focus on some genes that are likely to attract continuing research activity.
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