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Nowell RW, Rodriguez F, Hecox-Lea BJ, Mark Welch DB, Arkhipova IR, Barraclough TG, Wilson CG. Bdelloid rotifers deploy horizontally acquired biosynthetic genes against a fungal pathogen. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5787. [PMID: 39025839 PMCID: PMC11258130 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49919-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Coevolutionary antagonism generates relentless selection that can favour genetic exchange, including transfer of antibiotic synthesis and resistance genes among bacteria, and sexual recombination of disease resistance alleles in eukaryotes. We report an unusual link between biological conflict and DNA transfer in bdelloid rotifers, microscopic animals whose genomes show elevated levels of horizontal gene transfer from non-metazoan taxa. When rotifers were challenged with a fungal pathogen, horizontally acquired genes were over twice as likely to be upregulated as other genes - a stronger enrichment than observed for abiotic stressors. Among hundreds of upregulated genes, the most markedly overrepresented were clusters resembling bacterial polyketide and nonribosomal peptide synthetases that produce antibiotics. Upregulation of these clusters in a pathogen-resistant rotifer species was nearly ten times stronger than in a susceptible species. By acquiring, domesticating, and expressing non-metazoan biosynthetic pathways, bdelloids may have evolved to resist natural enemies using antimicrobial mechanisms absent from other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuben W Nowell
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh; Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Fernando Rodriguez
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Bette J Hecox-Lea
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - David B Mark Welch
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Irina R Arkhipova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Timothy G Barraclough
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Christopher G Wilson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
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2
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Patra A, Kandasamy T, Ghosh SS, Saini GK. In vitro anticancer effects of recombinant anisoplin through activation of SAPK/JNK and downregulation of NFκB. Toxicol In Vitro 2024; 94:105737. [PMID: 37984481 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Emerging chemotherapeutic resistance is considered as one of the major obstacles in breast cancer therapy. Fungal ribotoxins possess promising therapeutic potential against cancer owing to their ribosome-targeted protein synthesis inhibitory action. Though the entomopathogenic ribotoxin anisoplin was characterized in the earlier study, its therapeutic efficacy against cancer cells remained unexplored. In the current study, recombinant anisoplin has been successfully produced in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) expression system and further purified and validated by in silico, biophysical and functional characterizations. Recombinant anisoplin significantly reduced the viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. It exhibited an IC50 value of 4 μM with concurrent 3.5 fold elevation in the intracellular reactive oxygen species. Anisoplin also resulted in depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane and subsequently induced apoptosis, as evident from flow cytometric analyses. In addition, MCF-7 cells significantly lost their self-renewal capability for clonal expansion and regeneration upon treatment. Immunoblotting experiments further confirmed activation of downstream JNK-dependent MAP kinase signaling pathway due to ribotoxic stress response generated by anisoplin through upregulation of phospho-SAPK/JNK expression. This upregulation was further correlated with the NFκB expression profile, leading to cell death, highlighting therapeutic potential of the recombinant anisoplin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arupam Patra
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, North Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Thirukumaran Kandasamy
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, North Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Siddhartha Sankar Ghosh
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, North Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Gurvinder Kaur Saini
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, North Guwahati, Assam, India.
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Foresman D, Tartar A. The transcriptome of the entomopathogenic fungus Culicinomyces clavisporus contains an ortholog of the insecticidal ribotoxin Hirsutellin. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16259. [PMID: 37868071 PMCID: PMC10586291 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The entomopathogenic fungus Culicinomyces clavisporus is known to infect and kill mosquito larvae and therefore has been seen as a potential biological control agent against disease vector mosquitoes. Whereas most fungal entomopathogens infect hosts by penetrating the external cuticle, C. clavisporus initiates infection through ingestion (per os). This unique infection strategy suggests that the C. clavisporus genome may be mined for novel pathogenicity factors with potential for vector control. To this end, an Isoseq-based transcriptome analysis was initiated, and resulted in a total of 3,512,145 sequences, with an average length of 1,732 bp. Transcripts assembly and annotation suggested that the C. clavisporus transcriptome lacked the cuticle-degrading proteins that have been associated with other entomopathogenic fungi, supporting the per os pathogenicity process. Furthermore, mining of the sequence data unexpectedly revealed C. clavisporus transcripts homologous to the Hirsutellin toxin. Comparative sequence analyses indicated that the C. clavisporus Hirsutellin predicted protein has retained the canonical molecular features that have been associated with the ribotoxic and insecticidal properties of the original toxin isolated from Hirsutella thompsonii. The identification of an Hirsutellin ortholog in C. clavisporus was supported by phylogenetic analyses demonstrating that Culicinomyces and Hirsutella were closely related genera in the Ophiocordycipitaceae family. Validation of the mosquitocidal activity of this novel C. clavisporus protein has yet to be performed but may help position Hirsutellin orthologs as prime candidates for the development of alternative biocontrol approaches complementing the current toolbox of vector mosquito management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Foresman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Aurélien Tartar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
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4
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Arreguin-Perez CA, Miranda-Miranda E, Folch-Mallol JL, Cossío-Bayúgar R. Identification of Virulence Factors in Entomopathogenic Aspergillus flavus Isolated from Naturally Infected Rhipicephalus microplus. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2107. [PMID: 37630667 PMCID: PMC10457961 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082107] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus has been found to be an effective entomopathogenic fungus for various arthropods, including ticks. In particular, natural fungal infections in cattle ticks show promise for biocontrol of the Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus tick, which is a major ectoparasite affecting cattle worldwide. Our study aimed to elucidate the specific entomopathogenic virulence factors encoded in the genome of an A. flavus strain isolated from naturally infected cattle ticks. We performed morphological and biochemical phenotyping alongside complete genome sequencing, which revealed that the isolated fungus was A. flavus related to the L morphotype, capable of producing a range of gene-coded entomopathogenic virulence factors, including ribotoxin, aflatoxin, kojic acid, chitinases, killer toxin, and satratoxin. To evaluate the efficacy of this A. flavus strain against ticks, we conducted experimental bioassays using healthy engorged female ticks. A morbidity rate of 90% was observed, starting at a concentration of 105 conidia/mL. At a concentration of 107 conidia/mL, we observed a 50% mortality rate and a 21.5% inhibition of oviposition. The highest levels of hatch inhibition (30.8%) and estimated reproduction inhibition (34.64%) were achieved at a concentration of 108 conidia/mL. Furthermore, the tick larval progeny that hatched from the infected tick egg masses showed evident symptoms of Aspergillus infection after incubation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A. Arreguin-Perez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias INIFAP, Boulevard Cuauhnahuac 8534, Jiutepec 62574, Morelos, Mexico; (C.A.A.-P.); (E.M.-M.)
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico;
| | - Estefan Miranda-Miranda
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias INIFAP, Boulevard Cuauhnahuac 8534, Jiutepec 62574, Morelos, Mexico; (C.A.A.-P.); (E.M.-M.)
| | - Jorge Luis Folch-Mallol
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico;
| | - Raquel Cossío-Bayúgar
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias INIFAP, Boulevard Cuauhnahuac 8534, Jiutepec 62574, Morelos, Mexico; (C.A.A.-P.); (E.M.-M.)
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Yin C, Li J, Wang D, Zhang D, Song J, Kong Z, Wang B, Hu X, Klosterman SJ, Subbarao KV, Chen J, Dai X. A secreted ribonuclease effector from Verticillium dahliae localizes in the plant nucleus to modulate host immunity. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2022; 23:1122-1140. [PMID: 35363930 PMCID: PMC9276946 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The arms race between fungal pathogens and plant hosts involves recognition of fungal effectors to induce host immunity. Although various fungal effectors have been identified, the effector functions of ribonucleases are largely unknown. Herein, we identified a ribonuclease secreted by Verticillium dahliae (VdRTX1) that translocates into the plant nucleus to modulate immunity. The activity of VdRTX1 causes hypersensitive response (HR)-related cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana and cotton. VdRTX1 possesses a signal peptide but is unlikely to be an apoplastic effector because its nuclear localization in the plant is necessary for cell death induction. Knockout of VdRTX1 significantly enhanced V. dahliae virulence on tobacco while V. dahliae employs the known suppressor VdCBM1 to escape the immunity induced by VdRTX1. VdRTX1 homologs are widely distributed in fungi but transient expression of 24 homologs from other fungi did not yield cell death induction, suggesting that this function is specific to the VdRTX1 in V. dahliae. Expression of site-directed mutants of VdRTX1 in N. benthamiana leaves revealed conserved ligand-binding sites that are important for VdRTX1 function in inducing cell death. Thus, VdRTX1 functions as a unique HR-inducing effector in V. dahliae that contributes to the activation of plant immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun‐Mei Yin
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute of Food Science TechnologyChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jun‐Jiao Li
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Dan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Dan‐Dan Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jian Song
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhi‐Qiang Kong
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Bao‐Li Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiao‐Ping Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid AreasCollege of Plant ProtectionNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Steven J. Klosterman
- United States Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research ServiceSalinasCaliforniaUSA
| | - Krishna V. Subbarao
- Department of Plant PathologyUniversity of California, Davis, c/o U.S. Agricultural Research StationSalinasCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jie‐Yin Chen
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiao‐Feng Dai
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
- Institute of Food Science TechnologyChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
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Stuart AKDC, Furuie JL, Cataldi TR, Stuart RM, Zawadneak MAC, Labate CA, Pimentel IC. Fungal consortium of two Beauveria bassiana strains increases their virulence, growth, and resistance to stress: A metabolomic approach. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271460. [PMID: 35834517 PMCID: PMC9282594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of two or more microorganisms in a microbial consortium has been increasingly applied in the biological control of diseases and pests. Beauveria bassiana is one of the most widely studied fungal species in biological control, yet little is known about its role in fungal consortiums. In a previous study, our group found that a consortium formed by two strains of B. bassiana had significantly greater biocontrol potential against the polyphagous caterpillars Duponchelia fovealis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) than either strain on its own. In this study, we use GC-MS and LC-MS/MS to evaluate and discuss the metabolomics of the consortium. A total of 21 consortium biomarkers were identified, corresponding to 14 detected by LC-MS/MS and seven by GC-MS. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms are the main properties of the metabolites produced by the consortium. These metabolites can depress the insect’s immune system, increasing its vulnerability and, hence, the fungal virulence of the consortium. In light of these results, we propose an action model of insect mortality due to the metabolites secreted by the consortium. The model includes the inhibition of defense mechanisms such as pro-inflammatory interleukin secretion, cell migration, cell aggregation, Dif, Dorsal and Relish gene transcription, and JAK/STAT and JNK signaling pathways. It also promotes the cleaning of oxidative molecules, like ROS, NOS, and H2O2, and the induction of virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Katiski da Costa Stuart
- Departamento de Patologia Básica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Microbiologia e Biologia Molecular (LabMicro), Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Jason Lee Furuie
- Departamento de Patologia Básica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Microbiologia e Biologia Molecular (LabMicro), Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Thais Regiani Cataldi
- Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Genética de Plantas Max Feffer, Escola Superior de Agronomia Luiz de Queiroz – Esalq/USP, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Makowiecky Stuart
- Departamento de Patologia Básica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Microbiologia e Biologia Molecular (LabMicro), Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Maria Aparecida Cassilha Zawadneak
- Departamento de Patologia Básica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Microbiologia e Biologia Molecular (LabMicro), Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Departamento de Fitotecnia e Fitossanitaríssimo, Programa de Pós-graduação em Agronomia Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Labate
- Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Genética de Plantas Max Feffer, Escola Superior de Agronomia Luiz de Queiroz – Esalq/USP, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ida Chapaval Pimentel
- Departamento de Patologia Básica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Microbiologia e Biologia Molecular (LabMicro), Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
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Berestetskiy A, Hu Q. The Chemical Ecology Approach to Reveal Fungal Metabolites for Arthropod Pest Management. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1379. [PMID: 34202923 PMCID: PMC8307166 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biorational insecticides (for instance, avermectins, spinosins, azadirachtin, and afidopyropen) of natural origin are increasingly being used in agriculture. The review considers the chemical ecology approach for the search for new compounds with insecticidal properties (entomotoxic, antifeedant, and hormonal) produced by fungi of various ecological groups (entomopathogens, soil saprotrophs, endophytes, phytopathogens, and mushrooms). The literature survey revealed that insecticidal metabolites of entomopathogenic fungi have not been sufficiently studied, and most of the well-characterized compounds show moderate insecticidal activity. The greatest number of substances with insecticidal properties was found to be produced by soil fungi, mainly from the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium. Metabolites with insecticidal and antifeedant properties were also found in endophytic and phytopathogenic fungi. It was noted that insect pests of stored products are mostly low sensitive to mycotoxins. Mushrooms were found to be promising producers of antifeedant compounds as well as insecticidal proteins. The expansion of the number of substances with insecticidal properties detected in prospective fungal species is possible by mining fungal genomes for secondary metabolite gene clusters and secreted proteins with their subsequent activation by various methods. The efficacy of these studies can be increased with high-throughput techniques of extraction of fungal metabolites and their analysis by various methods of chromatography and mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qiongbo Hu
- College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China;
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Ragucci S, Landi N, Russo R, Valletta M, Pedone PV, Chambery A, Di Maro A. Ageritin from Pioppino Mushroom: The Prototype of Ribotoxin-Like Proteins, a Novel Family of Specific Ribonucleases in Edible Mushrooms. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:263. [PMID: 33917246 PMCID: PMC8068006 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13040263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageritin is a specific ribonuclease, extracted from the edible mushroom Cyclocybe aegerita (synonym Agrocybe aegerita), which cleaves a single phosphodiester bond located within the universally conserved alpha-sarcin loop (SRL) of 23-28S rRNAs. This cleavage leads to the inhibition of protein biosynthesis, followed by cellular death through apoptosis. The structural and enzymatic properties show that Ageritin is the prototype of a novel specific ribonucleases family named 'ribotoxin-like proteins', recently found in fruiting bodies of other edible basidiomycetes mushrooms (e.g., Ostreatin from Pleurotus ostreatus, Edulitins from Boletus edulis, and Gambositin from Calocybe gambosa). Although the putative role of this toxin, present in high amount in fruiting body (>2.5 mg per 100 g) of C. aegerita, is unknown, its antifungal and insecticidal actions strongly support a role in defense mechanisms. Thus, in this review, we focus on structural, biological, antipathogenic, and enzymatic characteristics of this ribotoxin-like protein. We also highlight its biological relevance and potential biotechnological applications in agriculture as a bio-pesticide and in biomedicine as a therapeutic and diagnostic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Antimo Di Maro
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100-Caserta, Italy; (S.R.); (N.L.); (R.R.); (M.V.); (P.V.P.); (A.C.)
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Yuan Y, Huang W, Chen K, Ling E. Beauveria bassiana ribotoxin inhibits insect immunity responses to facilitate infection via host translational blockage. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 106:103605. [PMID: 31904434 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi are promising bio-pesticides. To facilitate infection, fungi recruit multiple virulence factors and deploy different molecular strategies to evade host immunity. Fungal ribotoxins are extracellular secreted ribonucleases (RNases) with ribotoxic cytotoxicity and insecticidal activity. However, it remains unclear whether they have further biological functions. Here we show that the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana ribotoxin (Rib) contributes to fungal virulence by inhibiting insect host immunity. Gene deletion of Rib (ΔRib) resulted in attenuated fungal virulence during infection. Pathogenesis analysis demonstrated that Rib mainly inhibits insect immunity through modulating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) response, suppressing antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) production and retarding hyphae penetration from insect cuticles. To further confirm this immunosuppressive function, recombinant ribotoxin (rRib) protein was purified and co-injected with living or heat-killed bacteria, bacteria-derived peptidoglycan (PGN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) separately, which also significantly inhibited the AMPs production in Drosophila fat bodies. Furthermore, co-injection of rRib with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus significantly enhanced bacterial pathogenicity and facilitated infection. In addition, rRib injection resulted in a global inhibition of protein expression in different tissues of Drosophila adults. This work identified B. bassiana ribotoxin as a key virulence factor that inhibits insect immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yuan
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China; Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wuren Huang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Keping Chen
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China; Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Erjun Ling
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, 200032, China; Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
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10
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Heterologous Production and Functional Characterization of Ageritin, a Novel Type of Ribotoxin Highly Expressed during Fruiting of the Edible Mushroom Agrocybe aegerita. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01549-19. [PMID: 31444206 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01549-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi produce various defense proteins against antagonists, including ribotoxins. These toxins cleave a single phosphodiester bond within the universally conserved sarcin-ricin loop of ribosomes and inhibit protein biosynthesis. Here, we report on the structure and function of ageritin, a previously reported ribotoxin from the edible mushroom Agrocybe aegerita The amino acid sequence of ageritin was derived from cDNA isolated from the dikaryon A. aegerita AAE-3 and lacks, according to in silico prediction, a signal peptide for classical secretion, predicting a cytoplasmic localization of the protein. The calculated molecular weight of the protein is slightly higher than the one reported for native ageritin. The A. aegerita ageritin-encoding gene, AaeAGT1, is highly induced during fruiting, and toxicity assays with AaeAGT1 heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli showed a strong toxicity against Aedes aegypti larvae yet not against nematodes. The activity of recombinant A. aegerita ageritin toward rabbit ribosomes was confirmed in vitro Mutagenesis studies revealed a correlation between in vivo and in vitro activities, indicating that entomotoxicity is mediated by ribonucleolytic cleavage. The strong larvicidal activity of ageritin makes this protein a promising candidate for novel biopesticide development.IMPORTANCE Our results suggest a pronounced organismal specificity of a protein toxin with a very conserved intracellular molecular target. The molecular details of the toxin-target interaction will provide important insight into the mechanism of action of protein toxins and the ribosome. This insight might be exploited to develop novel bioinsecticides.
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11
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Binding and enzymatic properties of Ageritin, a fungal ribotoxin with novel zinc-dependent function. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 136:625-631. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.06.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Citores L, Ragucci S, Ferreras JM, Di Maro A, Iglesias R. Ageritin, a Ribotoxin from Poplar Mushroom ( Agrocybe aegerita) with Defensive and Antiproliferative Activities. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:1319-1327. [PMID: 31136705 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ribotoxins make up a group of extracellular rRNA endoribonucleases produced by ascomycetes that display cytotoxicity toward animal cells, having been proposed as insecticidal agents. Recently, the ribotoxin Ageritin has been isolated from the basidiomycetes Agrocybe aegerita (poplar mushroom), suggesting that ribotoxins are widely distributed among fungi. To gain insights into the protective properties of Ageritin against pathogens and its putative biotechnological applications, we have tested several biological activities of Ageritin, comparing them with those of the well-known ribotoxin α-sarcin, and we found that Ageritin displayed, in addition to the already reported activities, (i) antibacterial activity against Micrococcus lysodeikticus, (ii) activity against the tobacco mosaic virus RNA, (iii) endonuclease activity against a supercoiled plasmid, (iv) nuclease activity against genomic DNA, (v) cytotoxicity to COLO 320, HeLa, and Raji cells by promoting apoptosis, and (vi) antifungal activity against the green mold Penicillium digitatum. Therefore, Ageritin and α-sarcin can induce resistance not only to insects but also to viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The multiple biological activities of Ageritin could be exploited to improve resistance to different pathogens by engineering transgenic plants. Furthermore, the induction of cell death by different mechanisms turns these ribotoxins into useful tools for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Citores
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Valladolid, E−47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sara Ragucci
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - José M. Ferreras
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Valladolid, E−47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Antimo Di Maro
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Rosario Iglesias
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Valladolid, E−47011 Valladolid, Spain
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Harith Fadzilah N, Abdul-Ghani I, Hassan M. Proteomics as a tool for tapping potential of entomopathogens as microbial insecticides. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 100:e21520. [PMID: 30426561 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Biopesticides are collective pest control harnessing the knowledge of the target pest and its natural enemies that minimize the risks of synthetic pesticides. A subset of biopesticides; bioinsecticides, are specifically used in controlling insect pests. Entomopathogens (EPMs) are micro-organisms sought after as subject for bioinsecticide development. However, lack of understanding of EPM mechanism of toxicity and pathogenicity slowed the progress of bioinsecticide development. Proteomics is a useful tool in elucidating the interaction of entomopathogenic fungi, entomopathogenic bacteria, and entomopathogenic virus with their target host. Collectively, proteomics shed light onto insect host response to EPM infection, mechanism of action of EPM's toxic proteins and secondary metabolites besides characterizing secreted and membrane-bound proteins of EPM that more precisely describe relevant proteins for host recognition and mediating pathogenesis. However, proteomics requires optimized protein extraction methods to maximize the number of proteins for analysis and availability of organism's genome for a more precise protein identification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Idris Abdul-Ghani
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Maizom Hassan
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
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Landi N, Ragucci S, Russo R, Pedone PV, Chambery A, Di Maro A. Structural insights into nucleotide and protein sequence of Ageritin: a novel prototype of fungal ribotoxin. J Biochem 2018; 165:415-422. [DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvy113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Landi
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DISTABIF), University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, I Caserta, Italy
| | - Sara Ragucci
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DISTABIF), University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, I Caserta, Italy
| | - Rosita Russo
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DISTABIF), University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, I Caserta, Italy
| | - Paolo V Pedone
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DISTABIF), University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, I Caserta, Italy
| | - Angela Chambery
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DISTABIF), University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, I Caserta, Italy
| | - Antimo Di Maro
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DISTABIF), University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, I Caserta, Italy
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Ruggiero A, García-Ortega L, Ragucci S, Russo R, Landi N, Berisio R, Di Maro A. Structural and enzymatic properties of Ageritin, a novel metal-dependent ribotoxin-like protein with antitumor activity. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1862:2888-2894. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Li H, Xia Y. High cell density fed-batch production of insecticidal recombinant ribotoxin hirsutellin A from Pichia pastoris. Microb Cell Fact 2018; 17:145. [PMID: 30342541 PMCID: PMC6195745 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-018-0992-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fungal ribotoxin hirsutellin A (HtA) exhibits strong insecticidal activity; however, efficient systems for expressing recombinant HtA (rHtA) are lacking. Here, we established an efficient heterologous expression system to produce large amounts of rHtA. RESULTS Recombinant Pichia pastoris transformants with high levels of secretory rHtA were screened, and in a fed-batch reactor, rHtA was secreted at levels up to 80 mg/l following methanol induction, which was more than sixfold higher than that in shake flasks. Approximately 7 mg of highly pure rHtA was obtained from 300 ml of fed-batch culture supernatant by Ni+-nitriloacetic acid affinity chromatography and CM Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography. Mass spectrometry results revealed rHtA as a native N-terminal non-glycosylated monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 15.3 kDa. Purified rHtA exhibited excellent thermal and protease stability and dose-dependent cytotoxicity to Sf9 insect cells and insecticidal activity against Galleria mellonella larvae. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of rHtA expression in P. pastoris. The rHtA was expressed at a high level under high-cell-density fed-batch fermentation and was efficiently purified using a two-step purification method. Purified rHtA exhibited thermal and protease stability, as well as appropriate bioactivities. Our results indicate that fed-batch production by P. pastoris is an efficient method to produce functional rHtA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Li
- Postdoctoral Mobile Station of Biology, Genetic Engineering Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Huaihua University, Huaihua, 418008, China
| | - Yuxian Xia
- Postdoctoral Mobile Station of Biology, Genetic Engineering Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China.
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, No. 55 South Road of University Town, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 401331, China.
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Minimized natural versions of fungal ribotoxins show improved active site plasticity. Arch Biochem Biophys 2017; 619:45-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Fungal Ribotoxins: A Review of Potential Biotechnological Applications. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9020071. [PMID: 28230789 PMCID: PMC5331450 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9020071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi establish a complex network of biological interactions with other organisms in nature. In many cases, these involve the production of toxins for survival or colonization purposes. Among these toxins, ribotoxins stand out as promising candidates for their use in biotechnological applications. They constitute a group of highly specific extracellular ribonucleases that target a universally conserved sequence of RNA in the ribosome, the sarcin-ricin loop. The detailed molecular study of this family of toxic proteins over the past decades has highlighted their potential in applied research. Remarkable examples would be the recent studies in the field of cancer research with promising results involving ribotoxin-based immunotoxins. On the other hand, some ribotoxin-producer fungi have already been studied in the control of insect pests. The recent role of ribotoxins as insecticides could allow their employment in formulas and even as baculovirus-based biopesticides. Moreover, considering the important role of their target in the ribosome, they can be used as tools to study how ribosome biogenesis is regulated and, eventually, may contribute to a better understanding of some ribosomopathies.
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