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Sepúlveda VE, Goldman WE, Matute DR. Genotypic diversity, virulence, and molecular genetic tools in Histoplasma. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0007623. [PMID: 38819148 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00076-23] [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] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYHistoplasmosis is arguably the most common fungal respiratory infection worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of new infections occurring annually in the United States alone. The infection can progress in the lung or disseminate to visceral organs and can be difficult to treat with antifungal drugs. Histoplasma, the causative agent of the disease, is a pathogenic fungus that causes life-threatening lung infections and is globally distributed. The fungus has the ability to germinate from conidia into either hyphal (mold) or yeast form, depending on the environmental temperature. This transition also regulates virulence. Histoplasma and histoplasmosis have been classified as being of emergent importance, and in 2022, the World Health Organization included Histoplasma as 1 of the 19 most concerning human fungal pathogens. In this review, we synthesize the current understanding of the ecological niche, evolutionary history, and virulence strategies of Histoplasma. We also describe general patterns of the symptomatology and epidemiology of histoplasmosis. We underscore areas where research is sorely needed and highlight research avenues that have been productive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E Sepúlveda
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - William E Goldman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel R Matute
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Luo Z, Xiong D, Tian C. The Roles of Gti1/Pac2 Family Proteins in Fungal Growth, Morphogenesis, Stress Response, and Pathogenicity. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:488-497. [PMID: 38427716 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-23-0198-cr] [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: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Gti1/Pac2 is a fungal-specific transcription factor family with a stable and conserved N-terminal domain. Generally, there are two members in this family, named Gti1/Wor1/Rpy1/Mit1/Reg1/Ros1/Sge1 and Pac2, which are involved in fungal growth, development, stress response, spore production, pathogenicity, and so on. The Gti1/Pac2 family proteins share some conserved and distinct functions. For example, in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Gti1 promotes the initiation of gluconate uptake during glucose starvation, while Pac2 controls the onset of sexual development in a pathway independent of the cAMP cascade. In the last two decades, more attention was focused on the Gti1 and its orthologs because of their significant effect on morphological switching and fungal virulence. By contrast, limited work was published on the functions of Pac2, which is required for stress responses and conidiation, but plays a minor role in fungal virulence. In this review, we present an overview of our current understanding of the Gti1/Pac2 proteins that contribute to fungal development and/or pathogenicity and of the regulation mechanisms during infection related development. Understanding the working networks of the conserved Gti1/Pac2 transcription factors in fungal pathogenicity not only advances our knowledge of the highly elaborate infection process but may also lead to the development of novel strategies for the control of plant disease. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 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)
- Zheng Luo
- State Key laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Dianguang Xiong
- State Key laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chengming Tian
- State Key laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
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3
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Characterization of Host-Specific Genes from Pine- and Grass-Associated Species of the Fusarium fujikuroi Species Complex. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11080858. [PMID: 36014979 PMCID: PMC9415769 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) includes socioeconomically important pathogens that cause disease for numerous crops and synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites that can contaminate feedstocks and food. Here, we used comparative genomics to elucidate processes underlying the ability of pine-associated and grass-associated FFSC species to colonize tissues of their respective plant hosts. We characterized the identity, possible functions, evolutionary origins, and chromosomal positions of the host-range-associated genes encoded by the two groups of fungi. The 72 and 47 genes identified as unique to the respective genome groups were potentially involved in diverse processes, ranging from transcription, regulation, and substrate transport through to virulence/pathogenicity. Most genes arose early during the evolution of Fusarium/FFSC and were only subsequently retained in some lineages, while some had origins outside Fusarium. Although differences in the densities of these genes were especially noticeable on the conditionally dispensable chromosome of F. temperatum (representing the grass-associates) and F. circinatum (representing the pine-associates), the host-range-associated genes tended to be located towards the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that multiple mechanisms drive the emergence of genes in the grass- and pine-associated FFSC taxa examined. It also highlighted the diversity of the molecular processes potentially underlying niche-specificity in these and other Fusarium species.
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Shivarathri R, Jenull S, Chauhan M, Singh A, Mazumdar R, Chowdhary A, Kuchler K, Chauhan N. Comparative Transcriptomics Reveal Possible Mechanisms of Amphotericin B Resistance in Candida auris. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0227621. [PMID: 35652307 PMCID: PMC9211394 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02276-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant human fungal pathogen often refractory to treatment by all classes of antifungal drugs. Amphotericin B (AmB) is a fungicidal drug that, despite its toxic side effects, remains a drug of choice for the treatment of drug-resistant fungal infections, including those caused by C. auris. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying AmB resistance are poorly understood. In this study, we present data that suggests membrane lipid alterations and chromatin modifications are critical processes that may contribute to or cause adaptive AmB resistance in clinical C. auris isolates. To determine the plausible cause of increased AmB resistance, we performed RNA-seq of AmB-resistant and sensitive C. auris isolates. Remarkably, AmB-resistant strains show a pronounced enrichment of genes involved in lipid and ergosterol biosynthesis, adhesion, drug transport as well as chromatin remodeling. The transcriptomics data confirm increased adhesion and reduced lipid membrane permeability of AmB-resistant strains compared to the sensitive isolates. The AmB-resistant strains also display hyper-resistance to cell wall perturbing agents, including Congo red, calcofluor white and caffeine. Additionally, we noticed an increased phosphorylation of Mkc1 cell integrity MAP kinase upon AmB treatment. Collectively, these data identify differences in the transcriptional landscapes of AmB-resistant versus AmB-sensitive isolates and provide a framework for the mechanistic understanding of AmB resistance in C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raju Shivarathri
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sabrina Jenull
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max Perutz Labs Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Functional Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manju Chauhan
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ashutosh Singh
- Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance in Fungal Pathogens, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Rounik Mazumdar
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max Perutz Labs Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anuradha Chowdhary
- Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance in Fungal Pathogens, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Karl Kuchler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max Perutz Labs Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Neeraj Chauhan
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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Gao X, Wang Q, Feng Q, Zhang B, He C, Luo H, An B. Heat Shock Transcription Factor CgHSF1 Is Required for Melanin Biosynthesis, Appressorium Formation, and Pathogenicity in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020175. [PMID: 35205929 PMCID: PMC8876323 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are a family of transcription regulators. Although HSFs’ functions in controlling the transcription of the molecular chaperone heat shock proteins and resistance to stresses are well established, their effects on the pathogenicity of plant pathogenic fungi remain unknown. In this study, we analyze the role of CgHSF1 in the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and investigate the underlying mechanism. Failure to generate the Cghsf1 knock-out mutant suggested that the gene is essential for the viability of the fungus. Then, genetic depletion of the Cghsf1 was achieved by inserting the repressive promoter of nitrite reductase gene (PniiA) before its coding sequence. The mutant showed significantly decrease in the pathogenicity repression of appressorium formation, and severe defects in melanin biosynthesis. Moreover, four melanin synthetic genes were identified as direct targets of CgHSF1. Taken together, this work highlights the role of CgHSF1 in fungal pathogenicity via the transcriptional activation of melanin biosynthesis. Our study extends the understanding of fungal HSF1 proteins, especially their involvement in pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuesheng Gao
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Qiannan Wang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Qingdeng Feng
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
| | - Bei Zhang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Chaozu He
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Hongli Luo
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (B.A.)
| | - Bang An
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (B.A.)
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A Fungal Transcription Regulator of Vacuolar Function Modulates Candida albicans Interactions with Host Epithelial Cells. mBio 2021; 12:e0302021. [PMID: 34781731 PMCID: PMC8593675 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03020-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms typically maintain cellular homeostasis despite facing large fluctuations in their surroundings. Microbes that reside on human mucosal surfaces may experience significant variations in nutrient and ion availability as well as pH. Whether the mechanisms employed by these microbial cells to sustain homeostasis directly impact on the interplay with the host’s mucosae remains unclear. Here, we report that the previously uncharacterized transcription regulator ZCF8 in the human-associated yeast Candida albicans maintains vacuole homeostasis when the fungus faces fluctuations in nitrogen. Genome-wide identification of genes directly regulated by Zcf8p followed by fluorescence microscopy to define their subcellular localization uncovered the fungal vacuole as a top target of Zcf8p regulation. Deletion and overexpression of ZCF8 resulted in alterations in vacuolar morphology and luminal pH and rendered the fungus resistant or susceptible to nigericin and brefeldin A, two drugs that impair vacuole and associated functions. Furthermore, we establish that the regulator modulates C. albicans attachment to epithelial cells in a manner that depends on the status of the fungal vacuole. Our findings, therefore, suggest that fungal vacuole physiology regulation is intrinsically linked to, and shapes to a significant extent, the physical interactions that Candida cells establish with mammalian mucosal surfaces.
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Rana A, Gupta N, Thakur A. Post-transcriptional and translational control of the morphology and virulence in human fungal pathogens. Mol Aspects Med 2021; 81:101017. [PMID: 34497025 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2021.101017] [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: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level are the key to fungal pathogenesis. Fungal pathogens utilize several mechanisms such as adhesion, invasion, phenotype switching and metabolic adaptations, to survive in the host environment and respond. Post-transcriptional and translational regulations have emerged as key regulatory mechanisms ensuring the virulence and survival of fungal pathogens. Through these regulations, fungal pathogens effectively alter their protein pool, respond to various stress, and undergo morphogenesis, leading to efficient and comprehensive changes in fungal physiology. The regulation of virulence through post-transcriptional and translational regulatory mechanisms is mediated through mRNA elements (cis factors) or effector molecules (trans factors). The untranslated regions upstream and downstream of the mRNA, as well as various RNA-binding proteins involved in translation initiation or circularization of the mRNA, play pivotal roles in the regulation of morphology and virulence by influencing protein synthesis, protein isoforms, and mRNA stability. Therefore, post-transcriptional and translational mechanisms regulating the morphology, virulence and drug-resistance processes in fungal pathogens can be the target for new therapeutics. With improved "omics" technologies, these regulatory mechanisms are increasingly coming to the forefront of basic biology and drug discovery. This review aims to discuss various modes of post-transcriptional and translation regulations, and how these mechanisms exert influence in the virulence and morphogenesis of fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Rana
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, 3rd Milestone Gurgaon-Faridabad Expressway, Faridabad 121001, India
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, 3rd Milestone Gurgaon-Faridabad Expressway, Faridabad 121001, India
| | - Anil Thakur
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, 3rd Milestone Gurgaon-Faridabad Expressway, Faridabad 121001, India.
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Qiu L, Zhang TS, Song JZ, Zhang J, Li Z, Wang JJ. BbWor1, a Regulator of Morphological Transition, Is Involved in Conidium-Hypha Switching, Blastospore Propagation, and Virulence in Beauveria bassiana. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0020321. [PMID: 34319134 PMCID: PMC8552717 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00203-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphological transition is an important adaptive mechanism in the host invasion process. Wor1 is a conserved fungal regulatory protein that controls the phenotypic switching and pathogenicity of Candida albicans. By modulating growth conditions, we simulated three models of Beauveria bassiana morphological transitions, including CTH (conidia to hyphae), HTC (hyphae to conidia), and BTB (blastospore to blastospore). Disruption of BbWor1 (an ortholog of Wor1) resulted in a distinct reduction in the time required for conidial germination (CTH), a significant increase in hyphal growth, and a decrease in the yield of conidia (HTC), indicating that BbWor1 positively controls conidium production and negatively regulates hyphal growth in conidium-hypha switching. Moreover, ΔBbWor1 prominently decreased blastospore yield, shortened the G0/G1 phase, and prolonged the G2/M phase under the BTB model. Importantly, BbWor1 contributed to conidium-hypha switching and blastospore propagation via different genetic pathways, and yeast one-hybrid testing demonstrated the necessity of BbWor1 to control the transcription of an allergen-like protein gene (BBA_02580) and a conidial wall protein gene (BBA_09998). Moreover, the dramatically weakened virulence of ΔBbWor1 was examined by immersion and injection methods. Our findings indicate that BbWor1 is a vital participant in morphological transition and pathogenicity in entomopathogenic fungi. IMPORTANCE As a well-known entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana has a complex life cycle and involves transformations among single-cell conidia, blastospores, and filamentous hyphae. This study provides new insight into the regulation of the fungal cell morphological transitions by simulating three models. Our research identified BbWor1 as a core transcription factor of morphological differentiation that positively regulates the production of conidia and blastospores but negatively regulates hyphal growth. More importantly, BbWor1 affects fungal pathogenicity and the global transcription profiles within three models of growth stage transformation. The present study lays a foundation for the exploration of the transition mechanism of entomopathogenic fungi and provides material for the morphological study of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Qiu
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Tong-Sheng Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Ji-Zheng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Ze Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Juan-Juan Wang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
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Kumar A. The Complex Genetic Basis and Multilayered Regulatory Control of Yeast Pseudohyphal Growth. Annu Rev Genet 2021; 55:1-21. [PMID: 34280314 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-071719-020249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are exquisitely responsive to external and internal cues, achieving precise control of seemingly diverse growth processes through a complex interplay of regulatory mechanisms. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides a fascinating model of cell growth in its stress-responsive transition from planktonic single cells to a filamentous pseudohyphal growth form. During pseudohyphal growth, yeast cells undergo changes in morphology, polarity, and adhesion to form extended and invasive multicellular filaments. This pseudohyphal transition has been studied extensively as a model of conserved signaling pathways regulating cell growth and for its relevance in understanding the pathogenicity of the related opportunistic fungus Candida albicans, wherein filamentous growth is required for virulence. This review highlights the broad gene set enabling yeast pseudohyphal growth, signaling pathways that regulate this process, the role and regulation of proteins conferring cell adhesion, and interesting regulatory mechanisms enabling the pseudohyphal transition. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genetics, Volume 55 is November 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Kumar
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
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10
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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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11
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Arita Y, Kim G, Li Z, Friesen H, Turco G, Wang RY, Climie D, Usaj M, Hotz M, Stoops EH, Baryshnikova A, Boone C, Botstein D, Andrews BJ, McIsaac RS. A genome-scale yeast library with inducible expression of individual genes. Mol Syst Biol 2021; 17:e10207. [PMID: 34096681 PMCID: PMC8182650 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202110207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to switch a gene from off to on and monitor dynamic changes provides a powerful approach for probing gene function and elucidating causal regulatory relationships. Here, we developed and characterized YETI (Yeast Estradiol strains with Titratable Induction), a collection in which > 5,600 yeast genes are engineered for transcriptional inducibility with single-gene precision at their native loci and without plasmids. Each strain contains SGA screening markers and a unique barcode, enabling high-throughput genetics. We characterized YETI using growth phenotyping and BAR-seq screens, and we used a YETI allele to identify the regulon of Rof1, showing that it acts to repress transcription. We observed that strains with inducible essential genes that have low native expression can often grow without inducer. Analysis of data from eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems shows that native expression is a variable that can bias promoter-perturbing screens, including CRISPRi. We engineered a second expression system, Z3 EB42, that gives lower expression than Z3 EV, a feature enabling conditional activation and repression of lowly expressed essential genes that grow without inducer in the YETI library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Arita
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- RIKEN Centre for Sustainable Resource ScienceWakoSaitamaJapan
| | - Griffin Kim
- Calico Life Sciences LLCSouth San FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Zhijian Li
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Helena Friesen
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Gina Turco
- Calico Life Sciences LLCSouth San FranciscoCAUSA
| | | | - Dale Climie
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Matej Usaj
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Manuel Hotz
- Calico Life Sciences LLCSouth San FranciscoCAUSA
| | | | | | - Charles Boone
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- RIKEN Centre for Sustainable Resource ScienceWakoSaitamaJapan
- Department of Molecular GeneticsUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | | | - Brenda J Andrews
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of Molecular GeneticsUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
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Mattoon ER, Casadevall A, Cordero RJB. Beat the heat: correlates, compounds, and mechanisms involved in fungal thermotolerance. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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13
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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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Summers DK, Perry DS, Rao B, Madhani HD. Coordinate genomic association of transcription factors controlled by an imported quorum sensing peptide in Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008744. [PMID: 32956370 PMCID: PMC7537855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Qsp1 is a secreted quorum sensing peptide required for virulence of the fungal meningitis pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Qsp1 functions to control cell wall integrity in vegetatively growing cells and also functions in mating. Rather than acting on a cell surface receptor, Qsp1 is imported to act intracellularly via the predicted oligopeptide transporter Opt1. Here, we identify a transcription factor network as a target of Qsp1. Using whole-genome chromatin immunoprecipitation, we find Qsp1 controls the genomic associations of three transcription factors to genes whose outputs are regulated by Qsp1. One of these transcription factors, Cqs2, is also required for the action of Qsp1 during mating, indicating that it might be a shared proximal target of Qsp1. Consistent with this hypothesis, deletion of CQS2 impacts the binding of other network transcription factors specifically to Qsp1-regulated genes. These genetic and genomic studies illuminate mechanisms by which an imported peptide acts to modulate eukaryotic gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana K. Summers
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Daniela S. Perry
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Beiduo Rao
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Hiten D. Madhani
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
- Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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15
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Zhao S, An B, Guo Y, Hou X, Luo H, He C, Wang Q. Label free proteomics and systematic analysis of secretome reveals effector candidates regulated by SGE1 and FTF1 in the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:275. [PMID: 32245409 PMCID: PMC7119298 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6695-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phytopathogens secreted effectors during host colonization to suppress or trigger plant immunity. Identification of new effectors is one of the research focuses in recent years. There is only a limited knowledge about effectors of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), the causal agent of wilt disease in Cavendish banana. RESULTS Two transcription factors, SGE1 and FTF1, were constitutively over-expressed in Foc TR4 to partially mimic the in-planta state. Secreted proteins with high purity were prepared through a two-round extraction method. Then the secretome were analyzed via label free proteomics method. A total of 919 non-redundant proteins were detected, of which 74 proteins were predicted to be effector candidates. Among these candidates, 29 were up-regulated and 13 down-regulated in the strain over-expressing SGE1 and FTF1, 8 were up-regulated and 4 down-regulated in either SGE1 or FTF1 over expression strain. CONCLUSIONS Through label free proteomics analysis, a series of effector candidates were identified in secretome of Foc TR4. Our work put a foundation for functional research of these effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixue Zhao
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Bang An
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Guo
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingrong Hou
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, Hainan, 572022, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongli Luo
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaozu He
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiannan Wang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the ethanol stress response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sc131. J Proteomics 2019; 203:103377. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.103377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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17
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Variation in Filamentous Growth and Response to Quorum-Sensing Compounds in Environmental Isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:1533-1544. [PMID: 30862622 PMCID: PMC6505140 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In fungi, filamentous growth is a major developmental transition that occurs in response to environmental cues. In diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is known as pseudohyphal growth and presumed to be a foraging mechanism. Rather than unicellular growth, multicellular filaments composed of elongated, attached cells spread over and into surfaces. This morphogenetic switch can be induced through quorum sensing with the aromatic alcohols phenylethanol and tryptophol. Most research investigating pseudohyphal growth has been conducted in a single lab background, Σ1278b. To investigate the natural variation in this phenotype and its induction, we assayed the diverse 100-genomes collection of environmental isolates. Using computational image analysis, we quantified the production of pseudohyphae and observed a large amount of variation. Population origin was significantly associated with pseudohyphal growth, with the West African population having the most. Surprisingly, most strains showed little or no response to exogenous phenylethanol or tryptophol. We also investigated the amount of natural genetic variation in pseudohyphal growth using a mapping population derived from a highly-heterozygous clinical isolate that contained as much phenotypic variation as the environmental panel. A bulk-segregant analysis uncovered five major peaks with candidate loci that have been implicated in the Σ1278b background. Our results indicate that the filamentous growth response is a generalized, highly variable phenotype in natural populations, while response to quorum sensing molecules is surprisingly rare. These findings highlight the importance of coupling studies in tractable lab strains with natural isolates in order to understand the relevance and distribution of well-studied traits.
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18
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Abstract
Fungi are prone to phenotypic instability, that is, the vegetative phase of these organisms, be they yeasts or molds, undergoes frequent switching between two or more behaviors, often with different morphologies, but also sometime having different physiologies without any obvious morphological outcome. In the context of industrial utilization of fungi, this can have a negative impact on the maintenance of strains and/or on their productivity. Instabilities have been shown to result from various mechanisms, either genetic or epigenetic. This chapter will review different types of instabilities and discuss some lesser-known ones, mostly in filamentous fungi, while it will direct readers to additional literature in the case of well-known phenomena such as the amyloid prions or fungal senescence. It will present in depth the "white/opaque" switch of Candida albicans and the "crippled growth" degeneration of the model fungus Podospora anserina. These are two of the most thoroughly studied epigenetic phenotypic switches. I will also discuss the "sectors" presented by many filamentous ascomycetes, for which a prion-based model exists but is not demonstrated. Finally, I will also describe intriguing examples of phenotypic instability for which an explanation has yet to be provided.
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19
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del Olmo Toledo V, Puccinelli R, Fordyce PM, Pérez JC. Diversification of DNA binding specificities enabled SREBP transcription regulators to expand the repertoire of cellular functions that they govern in fungi. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007884. [PMID: 30596634 PMCID: PMC6329520 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins (SREBPs) are basic-helix-loop-helix transcription regulators that control the expression of sterol biosynthesis genes in higher eukaryotes and some fungi. Surprisingly, SREBPs do not regulate sterol biosynthesis in the ascomycete yeasts (Saccharomycotina) as this role was handed off to an unrelated transcription regulator in this clade. The SREBPs, nonetheless, expanded in fungi such as the ascomycete yeasts Candida spp., raising questions about their role and evolution in these organisms. Here we report that the fungal SREBPs diversified their DNA binding preferences concomitantly with an expansion in function. We establish that several branches of fungal SREBPs preferentially bind non-palindromic DNA sequences, in contrast to the palindromic DNA motifs recognized by most basic-helix-loop-helix proteins (including SREBPs) in higher eukaryotes. Reconstruction and biochemical characterization of the likely ancestor protein suggest that an intrinsic DNA binding promiscuity in the family was resolved by alternative mechanisms in different branches of fungal SREBPs. Furthermore, we show that two SREBPs in the human commensal yeast Candida albicans drive a transcriptional cascade that inhibits a morphological switch under anaerobic conditions. Preventing this morphological transition enhances C. albicans colonization of the mammalian intestine, the fungus' natural niche. Thus, our results illustrate how diversification in DNA binding preferences enabled the functional expansion of a family of eukaryotic transcription regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina del Olmo Toledo
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Robert Puccinelli
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Polly M. Fordyce
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Stanford CheM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - J. Christian Pérez
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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20
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Randhawa A, Kundu D, Sharma A, Prasad R, Mondal AK. Overexpression of the CORVET complex alleviates the fungicidal effects of fludioxonil on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing hybrid histidine kinase 3. J Biol Chem 2018; 294:461-475. [PMID: 30446623 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The hybrid histidine kinase 3 (HHK3) is a highly conserved sensor kinase in fungi that regulates the downstream HOG/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). In addition to its role in osmoadaptation, HHK3 is involved in hyphal morphogenesis, conidiation, virulence, and cellular adaptation to oxidative stress. However, the molecular mechanisms by which it controls these processes remain obscure. Moreover, HHK3 is a molecular target for antifungal agents such as fludioxonil, which thereby interferes with the HOG/p38 pathway, leading to the abnormal accumulation of glycerol and subsequent cell lysis. Here, we used a chemical genomics approach with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to better understand the fungicidal action of fludioxonil and the role of HHK3 in fungal growth and physiology. Our results indicated that the abnormal accumulation of glycerol is not the primary cause of fludioxonil toxicity. Fludioxonil appears to impair endosomal trafficking in the fungal cells. We found that the components of class C core vacuole/endosome tethering (CORVET) complex are essential for yeast viability in the presence of a subthreshold dose of fludioxonil and that their overexpression alleviates fludioxonil toxicity. We also noted that by impeding secretory vesicle trafficking, fludioxonil inhibits hyphal growth in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans Our results suggest that HHK3 regulates fungal hyphal growth by affecting vesicle trafficking. Together, our results reveal an important role of CORVET complex in the fungicidal action of fludioxonil downstream of HHK3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anmoldeep Randhawa
- From the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Debasree Kundu
- From the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39A, Chandigarh 160036, India.,School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India, and
| | - Anupam Sharma
- From the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University, Gurgaon 122413, India
| | - Alok K Mondal
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India, and
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21
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Paes HC, Derengowski LDS, Peconick LDF, Albuquerque P, Pappas GJ, Nicola AM, Silva FBA, Vallim MA, Alspaugh JA, Felipe MSS, Fernandes L. A Wor1-Like Transcription Factor Is Essential for Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:369. [PMID: 30483479 PMCID: PMC6243373 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gti1/Pac2 transcription factors occur exclusively in fungi and their roles vary according to species, including regulating morphological transition and virulence, mating and secondary metabolism. Many of these functions are important for fungal pathogenesis. We therefore hypothesized that one of the two proteins of this family in Cryptococcus neoformans, a major pathogen of humans, would also control virulence-associated cellular processes. Elimination of this protein in C. neoformans results in reduced polysaccharide capsule expression and defective cytokinesis and growth at 37°C. The mutant loses virulence in a mouse model of cryptococcal infection and retains only partial virulence in the Galleria mellonella alternative model at 30°C. We performed RNA-Seq experiments on the mutant and found abolished transcription of genes that, in combination, are known to account for all the observed phenotypes. The protein has been named Required for cytokinesis and virulence 1 (Rcv1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Costa Paes
- Clinical Medicine Division, University of Brasília Medical School, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Georgios Joannis Pappas
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo Afonso Vallim
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Division, Biological Sciences Department, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J Andrew Alspaugh
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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22
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Abstract
Fungi must meet four criteria to infect humans: growth at human body temperatures, circumvention or penetration of surface barriers, lysis and absorption of tissue, and resistance to immune defenses, including elevated body temperatures. Morphogenesis between small round, detachable cells and long, connected cells is the mechanism by which fungi solve problems of locomotion around or through host barriers. Secretion of lytic enzymes, and uptake systems for the released nutrients, are necessary if a fungus is to nutritionally utilize human tissue. Last, the potent human immune system evolved in the interaction with potential fungal pathogens, so few fungi meet all four conditions for a healthy human host. Paradoxically, the advances of modern medicine have made millions of people newly susceptible to fungal infections by disrupting immune defenses. This article explores how different members of four fungal phyla use different strategies to fulfill the four criteria to infect humans: the Entomophthorales, the Mucorales, the Ascomycota, and the Basidiomycota. Unique traits confer human pathogenic potential on various important members of these phyla: pathogenic Onygenales comprising thermal dimorphs such as Histoplasma and Coccidioides; the Cryptococcus spp. that infect immunocompromised as well as healthy humans; and important pathogens of immunocompromised patients-Candida, Pneumocystis, and Aspergillus spp. Also discussed are agents of neglected tropical diseases important in global health such as mycetoma and paracoccidiomycosis and common pathogens rarely implicated in serious illness such as dermatophytes. Commensalism is considered, as well as parasitism, in shaping genomes and physiological systems of hosts and fungi during evolution.
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23
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Hanson SJ, Byrne KP, Wolfe KH. Flip/flop mating-type switching in the methylotrophic yeast Ogataea polymorpha is regulated by an Efg1-Rme1-Ste12 pathway. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007092. [PMID: 29176810 PMCID: PMC5720833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In haploid cells of Ogataea (Hansenula) polymorpha an environmental signal, nitrogen starvation, induces a reversible change in the structure of a chromosome. This process, mating-type switching, inverts a 19-kb DNA region to place either MATa or MATα genes under centromeric repression of transcription, depending on the orientation of the region. Here, we investigated the genetic pathway that controls switching. We characterized the transcriptomes of haploid and diploid O. polymorpha by RNAseq in rich and nitrogen-deficient media, and found that there are no constitutively a-specific or α-specific genes other than the MAT genes themselves. We mapped a switching defect in a sibling species (O. parapolymorpha strain DL-1) by interspecies bulk segregant analysis to a frameshift in the transcription factor EFG1, which in Candida albicans regulates filamentous growth and white-opaque switching. Gene knockout, overexpression and ChIPseq experiments show that EFG1 regulates RME1, which in turn regulates STE12, to achieve mating-type switching. All three genes are necessary both for switching and for mating. Overexpression of RME1 or STE12 is sufficient to induce switching without a nitrogen depletion signal. The homologous recombination genes RAD51 and RAD17 are also necessary for switching. The pathway controlling switching in O. polymorpha shares no components with the regulation of HO in S. cerevisiae, which does not involve any environmental signal, but it shares some components with mating-type switching in Kluyveromyces lactis and with white-opaque phenotypic switching in C. albicans. The molecular mechanisms of self-fertility (homothallism) vary enormously among fungal species. We previously found that in the yeast Ogataea polymorpha, homothallism is achieved by a novel mating-type switching mechanism that exchanges the locations of MATa and MATα genes between expression and repression contexts. Switching in this species is induced by nitrogen depletion, unlike the analogous process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we show that the upstream parts of the genetic pathway controlling the environmental induction of switching in O. polymorpha are the same as the environmental pathway that induces competence for mating in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J. Hanson
- UCD Conway Institute, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Department of Molecular Biology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kevin P. Byrne
- UCD Conway Institute, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Kenneth H. Wolfe
- UCD Conway Institute, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
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24
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Li R, Xiong G, Yuan S, Wu Z, Miao Y, Weng P. Investigating the underlying mechanism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to ethanol stress employing RNA-seq analysis. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 33:206. [PMID: 29101531 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-017-2376-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been widely used for wine fermentation and bio-fuels production. A S. cerevisiae strain Sc131 isolated from tropical fruit shows good fermentation properties and ethanol tolerance, exhibiting significant potential in Chinese bayberry wine fermentation. In this study, RNA-sequence and RT-qPCR was used to investigate the transcriptome profile of Sc131 in response to ethanol stress. Scanning Electron Microscopy were carried out to observe surface morphology of yeast cells. Totally, 937 genes were identified differential expressed, including 587 up-regulated and 350 down-regulated genes, after 4-h ethanol stress (10% v/v). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that, most genes involved in regulating filamentous growth or pseudohyphal growth were significantly up-regulated in response to ethanol stress. The complex protein quality control machineries, Hsp90/Hsp70 and Hsp104/Hsp70/Hsp40 based chaperone system combining with ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway were both activated to recognize and degrade misfolding proteins. Genes related to biosynthesis and metabolism of two well-known stress-responsive substances trehalose and ergosterol were generally up-regulated, while genes associated with amino acids biosynthesis and metabolism processes were differentially expressed. Moreover, thiamine was also important in response to ethanol stress. This research may promote the potential applications of Sc131 in the fermentation of Chinese bayberry wine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyun Li
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People's Republic of China
| | - Guotong Xiong
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People's Republic of China
| | - Shukun Yuan
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People's Republic of China
| | - Zufang Wu
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yingjie Miao
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People's Republic of China
| | - Peifang Weng
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People's Republic of China
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25
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Zuza-Alves DL, Silva-Rocha WP, Chaves GM. An Update on Candida tropicalis Based on Basic and Clinical Approaches. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1927. [PMID: 29081766 PMCID: PMC5645804 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida tropicalis has emerged as one of the most important Candida species. It has been widely considered the second most virulent Candida species, only preceded by C. albicans. Besides, this species has been recognized as a very strong biofilm producer, surpassing C. albicans in most of the studies. In addition, it produces a wide range of other virulence factors, including: adhesion to buccal epithelial and endothelial cells; the secretion of lytic enzymes, such as proteinases, phospholipases, and hemolysins, bud-to-hyphae transition (also called morphogenesis) and the phenomenon called phenotypic switching. This is a species very closely related to C. albicans and has been easily identified with both phenotypic and molecular methods. In addition, no cryptic sibling species were yet described in the literature, what is contradictory to some other medically important Candida species. C. tropicalis is a clinically relevant species and may be the second or third etiological agent of candidemia, specifically in Latin American countries and Asia. Antifungal resistance to the azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins has already been described. Apart from all these characteristics, C. tropicalis has been considered an osmotolerant microorganism and this ability to survive to high salt concentration may be important for fungal persistence in saline environments. This physiological characteristic makes this species suitable for use in biotechnology processes. Here we describe an update of C. tropicalis, focusing on all these previously mentioned subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guilherme M. Chaves
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Mycology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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26
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Cromie GA, Tan Z, Hays M, Sirr A, Jeffery EW, Dudley AM. Transcriptional Profiling of Biofilm Regulators Identified by an Overexpression Screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2017; 7:2845-2854. [PMID: 28673928 PMCID: PMC5555487 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.042440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Biofilm formation by microorganisms is a major cause of recurring infections and removal of biofilms has proven to be extremely difficult given their inherent drug resistance . Understanding the biological processes that underlie biofilm formation is thus extremely important and could lead to the development of more effective drug therapies, resulting in better infection outcomes. Using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a biofilm model, overexpression screens identified DIG1, SFL1, HEK2, TOS8, SAN1, and ROF1/YHR177W as regulators of biofilm formation. Subsequent RNA-seq analysis of biofilm and nonbiofilm-forming strains revealed that all of the overexpression strains, other than DIG1 and TOS8, were adopting a single differential expression profile, although induced to varying degrees. TOS8 adopted a separate profile, while the expression profile of DIG1 reflected the common pattern seen in most of the strains, plus substantial DIG1-specific expression changes. We interpret the existence of the common transcriptional pattern seen across multiple, unrelated overexpression strains as reflecting a transcriptional state, that the yeast cell can access through regulatory signaling mechanisms, allowing an adaptive morphological change between biofilm-forming and nonbiofilm states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth A Cromie
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98122
| | - Zhihao Tan
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98122
- Institute of Medical Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648
| | - Michelle Hays
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Amy Sirr
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98122
| | - Eric W Jeffery
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98122
| | - Aimée M Dudley
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98122
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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Hope EA, Amorosi CJ, Miller AW, Dang K, Heil CS, Dunham MJ. Experimental Evolution Reveals Favored Adaptive Routes to Cell Aggregation in Yeast. Genetics 2017; 206:1153-1167. [PMID: 28450459 PMCID: PMC5499169 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.198895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Yeast flocculation is a community-building cell aggregation trait that is an important mechanism of stress resistance and a useful phenotype for brewers; however, it is also a nuisance in many industrial processes, in clinical settings, and in the laboratory. Chemostat-based evolution experiments are impaired by inadvertent selection for aggregation, which we observe in 35% of populations. These populations provide a testing ground for understanding the breadth of genetic mechanisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae uses to flocculate, and which of those mechanisms provide the biggest adaptive advantages. In this study, we employed experimental evolution as a tool to ask whether one or many routes to flocculation are favored, and to engineer a strain with reduced flocculation potential. Using a combination of whole genome sequencing and bulk segregant analysis, we identified causal mutations in 23 independent clones that had evolved cell aggregation during hundreds of generations of chemostat growth. In 12 of those clones, we identified a transposable element insertion in the promoter region of known flocculation gene FLO1, and, in an additional five clones, we recovered loss-of-function mutations in transcriptional repressor TUP1, which regulates FLO1 and other related genes. Other causal mutations were found in genes that have not been previously connected to flocculation. Evolving a flo1 deletion strain revealed that this single deletion reduces flocculation occurrences to 3%, and demonstrated the efficacy of using experimental evolution as a tool to identify and eliminate the primary adaptive routes for undesirable traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse A Hope
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Clara J Amorosi
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Aaron W Miller
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Kolena Dang
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Caiti Smukowski Heil
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Maitreya J Dunham
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
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Nizhnikov AA, Ryzhova TA, Volkov KV, Zadorsky SP, Sopova JV, Inge-Vechtomov SG, Galkin AP. Interaction of Prions Causes Heritable Traits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006504. [PMID: 28027291 PMCID: PMC5189945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of "protein-based inheritance" defines prions as epigenetic determinants that cause several heritable traits in eukaryotic microorganisms, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Podospora anserina. Previously, we discovered a non-chromosomal factor, [NSI+], which possesses the main features of yeast prions, including cytoplasmic infectivity, reversible curability, dominance, and non-Mendelian inheritance in meiosis. This factor causes omnipotent suppression of nonsense mutations in strains of S. cerevisiae bearing a deleted or modified Sup35 N-terminal domain. In this work, we identified protein determinants of [NSI+] using an original method of proteomic screening for prions. The suppression of nonsense mutations in [NSI+] strains is determined by the interaction between [SWI+] and [PIN+] prions. Using genetic and biochemical methods, we showed that [SWI+] is the key determinant of this nonsense suppression, whereas [PIN+] does not cause nonsense suppression by itself but strongly enhances the effect of [SWI+]. We demonstrated that interaction of [SWI+] and [PIN+] causes inactivation of SUP45 gene that leads to nonsense suppression. Our data show that prion interactions may cause heritable traits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The data presented in the paper deepens and enriches the concept of protein-based inheritance. According to this concept, prion conformational switches change protein functional activity, and such changes are inherited. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that heritable traits may appear not only due to a conformational switch of one protein but also can be caused by interactions between different prions. To identify the novel epigenetic factor that causes suppression of nonsense mutations in yeast, we applied our original method of proteomic screening of prions. We have shown that two yeast proteins, which normally do not interact, in prion form demonstrate genetic interaction: one is the key determinant of the suppression of nonsense mutation, while the second enhances this effect. Thus, by analogy with monogenic and polygenic inheritance, in the framework of the prion concept, we can distinguish “monoprionic” and “polyprionic” inheritance. We assume that new examples of polyprionic inheritance will be revealed using modern proteomic methods for identification of prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton A Nizhnikov
- St. Petersburg State University, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Tatyana A Ryzhova
- St. Petersburg State University, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Kirill V Volkov
- St. Petersburg State University, Research Park, Research Resource Center "Molecular and Cell Technologies", St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Sergey P Zadorsky
- St. Petersburg State University, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Julia V Sopova
- St. Petersburg State University, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Sergey G Inge-Vechtomov
- St. Petersburg State University, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey P Galkin
- St. Petersburg State University, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
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Phenotypic Profiling Reveals that Candida albicans Opaque Cells Represent a Metabolically Specialized Cell State Compared to Default White Cells. mBio 2016; 7:mBio.01269-16. [PMID: 27879329 PMCID: PMC5120136 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01269-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The white-opaque switch is a bistable, epigenetic transition affecting multiple traits in Candida albicans including mating, immunogenicity, and niche specificity. To compare how the two cell states respond to external cues, we examined the fitness, phenotypic switching, and filamentation properties of white cells and opaque cells under 1,440 different conditions at 25°C and 37°C. We demonstrate that white and opaque cells display striking differences in their integration of metabolic and thermal cues, so that the two states exhibit optimal fitness under distinct conditions. White cells were fitter than opaque cells under a wide range of environmental conditions, including growth at various pHs and in the presence of chemical stresses or antifungal drugs. This difference was exacerbated at 37°C, consistent with white cells being the default state of C. albicans in the mammalian host. In contrast, opaque cells showed greater fitness than white cells under select nutritional conditions, including growth on diverse peptides at 25°C. We further demonstrate that filamentation is significantly rewired between the two states, with white and opaque cells undergoing filamentous growth in response to distinct external cues. Genetic analysis was used to identify signaling pathways impacting the white-opaque transition both in vitro and in a murine model of commensal colonization, and three sugar sensing pathways are revealed as regulators of the switch. Together, these findings establish that white and opaque cells are programmed for differential integration of metabolic and thermal cues and that opaque cells represent a more metabolically specialized cell state than the default white state. IMPORTANCE Epigenetic transitions are an important mechanism by which microbes adapt to external stimuli. For Candida albicans, such transitions are crucial for adaptation to complex, fluctuating environments, and therefore contribute to its success as a human pathogen. The white-opaque switch modulates multiple C. albicans attributes, from sexual competency to niche specificity. Here, we demonstrate that metabolic circuits are extensively rewired between white and opaque states, so that the two cell types exhibit optimal fitness under different nutritional conditions and at different temperatures. We thereby establish that epigenetic events can profoundly alter the metabolism of fungal cells. We also demonstrate that epigenetic switching regulates filamentation and biofilm formation, two phenotypes closely associated with pathogenesis. These experiments reveal that white cells, considered the most clinically relevant form of C. albicans, are a "general-purpose" state suited to many environments, whereas opaque cells appear to represent a more metabolically specialized form of the species.
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van der Does HC, Fokkens L, Yang A, Schmidt SM, Langereis L, Lukasiewicz JM, Hughes TR, Rep M. Transcription Factors Encoded on Core and Accessory Chromosomes of Fusarium oxysporum Induce Expression of Effector Genes. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006401. [PMID: 27855160 PMCID: PMC5140021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins secreted by pathogens during host colonization largely determine the outcome of pathogen-host interactions and are commonly called 'effectors'. In fungal plant pathogens, coordinated transcriptional up-regulation of effector genes is a key feature of pathogenesis and effectors are often encoded in genomic regions with distinct repeat content, histone code and rate of evolution. In the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), effector genes reside on one of four accessory chromosomes, known as the 'pathogenicity' chromosome, which can be exchanged between strains through horizontal transfer. The three other accessory chromosomes in the Fol reference strain may also be important for virulence towards tomato. Expression of effector genes in Fol is highly up-regulated upon infection and requires Sge1, a transcription factor encoded on the core genome. Interestingly, the pathogenicity chromosome itself contains 13 predicted transcription factor genes and for all except one, there is a homolog on the core genome. We determined DNA binding specificity for nine transcription factors using oligonucleotide arrays. The binding sites for homologous transcription factors were highly similar, suggesting that extensive neofunctionalization of DNA binding specificity has not occurred. Several DNA binding sites are enriched on accessory chromosomes, and expression of FTF1, its core homolog FTF2 and SGE1 from a constitutive promoter can induce expression of effector genes. The DNA binding sites of only these three transcription factors are enriched among genes up-regulated during infection. We further show that Ftf1, Ftf2 and Sge1 can activate transcription from their binding sites in yeast. RNAseq analysis revealed that in strains with constitutive expression of FTF1, FTF2 or SGE1, expression of a similar set of plant-responsive genes on the pathogenicity chromosome is induced, including most effector genes. We conclude that the Fol pathogenicity chromosome may be partially transcriptionally autonomous, but there are also extensive transcriptional connections between core and accessory chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Like Fokkens
- Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ally Yang
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah M. Schmidt
- Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Léon Langereis
- Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Timothy R. Hughes
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Martijn Rep
- Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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31
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Anderson MZ, Porman AM, Wang N, Mancera E, Huang D, Cuomo CA, Bennett RJ. A Multistate Toggle Switch Defines Fungal Cell Fates and Is Regulated by Synergistic Genetic Cues. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006353. [PMID: 27711197 PMCID: PMC5053522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Heritable epigenetic changes underlie the ability of cells to differentiate into distinct cell types. Here, we demonstrate that the fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis exhibits multipotency, undergoing stochastic and reversible switching between three cellular states. The three cell states exhibit unique cellular morphologies, growth rates, and global gene expression profiles. Genetic analysis identified six transcription factors that play key roles in regulating cell differentiation. In particular, we show that forced expression of Wor1 or Efg1 transcription factors can be used to manipulate transitions between all three cell states. A model for tristability is proposed in which Wor1 and Efg1 are self-activating but mutually antagonistic transcription factors, thereby forming a symmetrical self-activating toggle switch. We explicitly test this model and show that ectopic expression of WOR1 can induce white-to-hybrid-to-opaque switching, whereas ectopic expression of EFG1 drives switching in the opposite direction, from opaque-to-hybrid-to-white cell states. We also address the stability of induced cell states and demonstrate that stable differentiation events require ectopic gene expression in combination with chromatin-based cues. These studies therefore experimentally test a model of multistate stability and demonstrate that transcriptional circuits act synergistically with chromatin-based changes to drive cell state transitions. We also establish close mechanistic parallels between phenotypic switching in unicellular fungi and cell fate decisions during stem cell reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Z. Anderson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Allison M. Porman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Na Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Eugenio Mancera
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Denis Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Christina A. Cuomo
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Richard J. Bennett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
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Tollot M, Assmann D, Becker C, Altmüller J, Dutheil JY, Wegner CE, Kahmann R. The WOPR Protein Ros1 Is a Master Regulator of Sporogenesis and Late Effector Gene Expression in the Maize Pathogen Ustilago maydis. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005697. [PMID: 27332891 PMCID: PMC4917244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The biotrophic basidiomycete fungus Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize. Hallmarks of the disease are large tumors that develop on all aerial parts of the host in which dark pigmented teliospores are formed. We have identified a member of the WOPR family of transcription factors, Ros1, as major regulator of spore formation in U. maydis. ros1 expression is induced only late during infection and hence Ros1 is neither involved in plant colonization of dikaryotic fungal hyphae nor in plant tumor formation. However, during late stages of infection Ros1 is essential for fungal karyogamy, massive proliferation of diploid fungal cells and spore formation. Premature expression of ros1 revealed that Ros1 counteracts the b-dependent filamentation program and induces morphological alterations resembling the early steps of sporogenesis. Transcriptional profiling and ChIP-seq analyses uncovered that Ros1 remodels expression of about 30% of all U. maydis genes with 40% of these being direct targets. In total the expression of 80 transcription factor genes is controlled by Ros1. Four of the upregulated transcription factor genes were deleted and two of the mutants were affected in spore development. A large number of b-dependent genes were differentially regulated by Ros1, suggesting substantial changes in this regulatory cascade that controls filamentation and pathogenic development. Interestingly, 128 genes encoding secreted effectors involved in the establishment of biotrophic development were downregulated by Ros1 while a set of 70 “late effectors” was upregulated. These results indicate that Ros1 is a master regulator of late development in U. maydis and show that the biotrophic interaction during sporogenesis involves a drastic shift in expression of the fungal effectome including the downregulation of effectors that are essential during early stages of infection. The fungus Ustilago maydis is a pathogen of maize which induces tumor formation in the infected tissue. In these tumors huge amounts of fungal spores develop. As a biotrophic pathogen, U. maydis establishes itself in the plant with the help of a large number of secreted effector proteins. Many effector proteins are important for virulence because they counteract plant defense reactions. In this manuscript we have identified and characterized Ros1, a master regulator for the late stages of U. maydis development. This transcription factor is expressed late during infection and controls nuclear fusion, hyphal aggregation and late proliferation. ros1 mutants are still able to induce tumor formation but these are a dead end because they do not contain any spores. We show that Ros1 interferes with the early regulatory cascade controlled by a complex of two homeodomain proteins. In addition, Ros1 triggers a major switch in the effector repertoire, suggesting that different sets of effectors are needed for different stages of fungal development inside the plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Tollot
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Assmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christian Becker
- Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julien Y. Dutheil
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany
| | - Carl-Eric Wegner
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Deparment of Biogeochemistry, Marburg, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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33
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Revisiting old friends: Developments in understanding Histoplasma capsulatum pathogenesis. J Microbiol 2016; 54:265-76. [DOI: 10.1007/s12275-016-6044-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Böhm L, Muralidhara P, Pérez JC. ACandida albicansregulator of disseminated infection operates primarily as a repressor and governs cell surface remodeling. Mol Microbiol 2016; 100:328-44. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Böhm
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
| | | | - J. Christian Pérez
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
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35
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Lohse MB, Kongsomboonvech P, Madrigal M, Hernday AD, Nobile CJ. Genome-Wide Chromatin Immunoprecipitation in Candida albicans and Other Yeasts. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1361:161-184. [PMID: 26483022 PMCID: PMC4773921 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3079-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments are critical to investigating the interactions between DNA and a wide range of nuclear proteins within a cell or biological sample. In this chapter we outline an optimized protocol for genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation that has been used successfully for several distinct morphological forms of numerous yeast species, and include an optimized method for amplification of chromatin immunoprecipitated DNA samples and hybridization to a high-density oligonucleotide tiling microarray. We also provide detailed suggestions on how to analyze the complex data obtained from these experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Lohse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Pisiwat Kongsomboonvech
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Maria Madrigal
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Aaron D Hernday
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.
| | - Clarissa J Nobile
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.
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Li Y, Wang G, Xu JR, Jiang C. Penetration Peg Formation and Invasive Hyphae Development Require Stage-Specific Activation of MoGTI1 in Magnaporthe oryzae. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2016; 29:36-45. [PMID: 26441323 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-06-15-0142-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The hemibiotrophic pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae causes one of the most destructive diseases in cultivated rice. Complex infection-related morphogenesis and production of various effectors are known to be important for successful colonization and disease development. In this study, we characterized the activation of the MoGTI1 transcription factor and its role in infection-related morphogenesis and effector gene expression. The Mogti1 mutant was nonpathogenic, although it was normal in appressorium formation and turgor generation. Close examination showed that Mogti1 was defective in penetration and growth of normal invasive hyphae. Deletion of MoGTI1 affected the expression of the majority of effector genes. The expression of MoGti1 appeared to be controlled by the Mps1 but not Pmk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the mps1 and Mogti1 mutants had similar phenotypes in plant infection and cell wall integrity defects. However, lack of MAPK phosphorylation sites and dispensability of the putative MAPK docking site suggested that MoGti1 is not a direct target of Mps1. Site-specific mutagenesis analyses showed that the putative protein kinase A phosphorylation site was not essential for localization of MoGti1 to the nucleus but important for its normal function. Although the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) phosphorylation site of MoGti1 is dispensable during vegetative growth and appressorium formation, the S77A mutation affected penetration and invasive growth. Localization of MoGti1(S77A)-green fluorescent protein to the nucleus in late stages of appressorium formation and during invasive growth was not observed, suggesting a stage-specific CDK phosphorylation of MoGti1. Overall, our data indicate that Mps1 may indirectly regulate the expression of MoGti1 in maintaining cell wall integrity, conidiation, and plant infection. MoGti1 is likely a stage-specific target of CDK and plays a crucial role in effector gene expression and morphogenesis related to the development of penetration pegs and invasive hyphae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- 2 Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, U.S.A
| | - Guanghui Wang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jin-Rong Xu
- 2 Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, U.S.A
| | - Cong Jiang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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Hogan GJ, Brown PO, Herschlag D. Evolutionary Conservation and Diversification of Puf RNA Binding Proteins and Their mRNA Targets. PLoS Biol 2015; 13:e1002307. [PMID: 26587879 PMCID: PMC4654594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reprogramming of a gene’s expression pattern by acquisition and loss of sequences recognized by specific regulatory RNA binding proteins may be a major mechanism in the evolution of biological regulatory programs. We identified that RNA targets of Puf3 orthologs have been conserved over 100–500 million years of evolution in five eukaryotic lineages. Focusing on Puf proteins and their targets across 80 fungi, we constructed a parsimonious model for their evolutionary history. This model entails extensive and coordinated changes in the Puf targets as well as changes in the number of Puf genes and alterations of RNA binding specificity including that: 1) Binding of Puf3 to more than 200 RNAs whose protein products are predominantly involved in the production and organization of mitochondrial complexes predates the origin of budding yeasts and filamentous fungi and was maintained for 500 million years, throughout the evolution of budding yeast. 2) In filamentous fungi, remarkably, more than 150 of the ancestral Puf3 targets were gained by Puf4, with one lineage maintaining both Puf3 and Puf4 as regulators and a sister lineage losing Puf3 as a regulator of these RNAs. The decrease in gene expression of these mRNAs upon deletion of Puf4 in filamentous fungi (N. crassa) in contrast to the increase upon Puf3 deletion in budding yeast (S. cerevisiae) suggests that the output of the RNA regulatory network is different with Puf4 in filamentous fungi than with Puf3 in budding yeast. 3) The coregulated Puf4 target set in filamentous fungi expanded to include mitochondrial genes involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and other nuclear-encoded RNAs with mitochondrial function not bound by Puf3 in budding yeast, observations that provide additional evidence for substantial rewiring of post-transcriptional regulation. 4) Puf3 also expanded and diversified its targets in filamentous fungi, gaining interactions with the mRNAs encoding the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex I as well as hundreds of other mRNAs with nonmitochondrial functions. The many concerted and conserved changes in the RNA targets of Puf proteins strongly support an extensive role of RNA binding proteins in coordinating gene expression, as originally proposed by Keene. Rewiring of Puf-coordinated mRNA targets and transcriptional control of the same genes occurred at different points in evolution, suggesting that there have been distinct adaptations via RNA binding proteins and transcription factors. The changes in Puf targets and in the Puf proteins indicate an integral involvement of RNA binding proteins and their RNA targets in the adaptation, reprogramming, and function of gene expression. A map of the evolutionary history of Puf proteins and their RNA targets shows that reprogramming of global gene expression programs via adaptive mutations that affect protein-RNA interactions is an important source of biological diversity. We set out to trace the evolutionary history of an RNA binding protein and how its interactions with targets change over evolution. Identifying this natural history is a step toward understanding the critical differences between organisms and how gene expression programs are rewired during evolution. Using bioinformatics and experimental approaches, we broadly surveyed the evolution of binding targets of a particular family of RNA binding proteins—the Puf proteins, whose protein sequences and target RNA sequences are relatively well-characterized—across 99 eukaryotic species. We found five groups of species in which targets have been conserved for at least 100 million years and then took advantage of genome sequences from a large number of fungal species to deeply investigate the conservation and changes in Puf proteins and their RNA targets. Our analyses identified multiple and extensive reconfigurations during the natural history of fungi and suggest that RNA binding proteins and their RNA targets are profoundly involved in evolutionary reprogramming of gene expression and help define distinct programs unique to each organism. Continuing to uncover the natural history of RNA binding proteins and their interactions will provide a unique window into the gene expression programs of present day species and point to new ways to engineer gene expression programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J. Hogan
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Patrick O. Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (POB); (DH)
| | - Daniel Herschlag
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (POB); (DH)
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Alkahyyat F, Ni M, Kim SC, Yu JH. The WOPR Domain Protein OsaA Orchestrates Development in Aspergillus nidulans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137554. [PMID: 26359867 PMCID: PMC4567300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Orchestration of cellular growth and development occurs during the life cycle of Aspergillus nidulans. A multi-copy genetic screen intended to unveil novel regulators of development identified the AN6578 locus predicted to encode a protein with the WOPR domain, which is a broadly present fungi-specific DNA-binding motif. Multi-copy of AN6578 disrupted the normal life cycle of the fungus leading to enhanced proliferation of vegetative cells, whereas the deletion resulted in hyper-active sexual fruiting with reduced asexual development (conidiation), thus named as osaA (Orchestrator of Sex and Asex). Further genetic studies indicate that OsaA balances development mainly by repressing sexual development downstream of the velvet regulator VeA. The absence of osaA is sufficient to suppress the veA1 allele leading to the sporulation levels comparable to veA+ wild type (WT). Genome-wide transcriptomic analyses of WT, veA1, and ΔosaA veA1 strains by RNA-Seq further corroborate that OsaA functions in repressing sexual development downstream of VeA. However, OsaA also plays additional roles in controlling development, as the ΔosaA veA1 mutant exhibits precocious and enhanced formation of Hülle cells compared to WT. The OsaA orthologue of Aspergillus flavus is able to complement the osaA null phenotype in A. nidulans, suggesting a conserved role of this group of WOPR domain proteins. In summary, OsaA is an upstream orchestrator of morphological and chemical development in Aspergillus that functions downstream of VeA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahad Alkahyyat
- Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Food Science, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Min Ni
- Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Sun Chang Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Dae-Jon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hyuk Yu
- Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Analysis of Polygenic Mutants Suggests a Role for Mediator in Regulating Transcriptional Activation Distance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 2015; 201:599-612. [PMID: 26281848 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.181164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of natural populations of many organisms have shown that traits are often complex, caused by contributions of mutations in multiple genes. In contrast, genetic studies in the laboratory primarily focus on studying the phenotypes caused by mutations in a single gene. However, the single mutation approach may be limited with respect to the breadth and degree of new phenotypes that can be found. We have taken the approach of isolating complex, or polygenic mutants in the lab to study the regulation of transcriptional activation distance in yeast. While most aspects of eukaryotic transcription are conserved from yeast to human, transcriptional activation distance is not. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the upstream activating sequence (UAS) is generally found within 450 base pairs of the transcription start site (TSS) and when the UAS is moved too far away, activation no longer occurs. In contrast, metazoan enhancers can activate from as far as several hundred kilobases from the TSS. Previously, we identified single mutations that allow transcription activation to occur at a greater-than-normal distance from the GAL1 UAS. As the single mutant phenotypes were weak, we have now isolated polygenic mutants that possess strong long-distance phenotypes. By identification of the causative mutations we have accounted for most of the heritability of the phenotype in each strain and have provided evidence that the Mediator coactivator complex plays both positive and negative roles in the regulation of transcription activation distance.
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Boyce KJ, Andrianopoulos A. Fungal dimorphism: the switch from hyphae to yeast is a specialized morphogenetic adaptation allowing colonization of a host. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2015; 39:797-811. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuv035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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Yan M, Nie X, Wang H, Gao N, Liu H, Chen J. SUMOylation of Wor1 by a novel SUMO E3 ligase controls cell fate in Candida albicans. Mol Microbiol 2015; 98:69-89. [PMID: 26112173 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most common human fungal pathogen, yet is a normal commensal resident of the human gut. CO(2) levels in the gut are much higher than in air, and it is known that elevated CO(2) concentration promotes C. albicans cells to undergo a phenotypic switch from white to opaque phase. Wor1, the master regulator of opaque cell formation, is required for both the white to opaque transition and opaque maintenance. To elucidate the regulatory mechanism of Wor1, we set out to identify Wor1-interacting proteins using a yeast two-hybrid screen. A SUMO E3 ligase named Wos1 (Wor1 SUMO-ligase 1) was identified to interact with Wor1 and regulate Wor1 SUMOylation. WOS1 expression is upregulated in response to high CO(2), and the induction by CO(2) is dependent on the transcription factor Flo8. Under high CO(2) conditions, Wos1 is required for the white to opaque switch and acts downstream of Flo8. At atmospheric CO(2) levels, overexpression of Wos1 enhances Wor1 SUMOylation and promotes the white to opaque switch. Wor1 is found to be SUMOylated at lysine 385, and loss of this mark by point mutation leads to a defect in CO(2) -mediated opaque cell induction. Together, our genetic and biological data show that Wos1-mediated Wor1 SUMOylation contributes to the regulation of CO(2) -induced white to opaque switching as well as heritable maintenance of the opaque cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xinyi Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Huafeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Ning Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Haoping Liu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Jiangye Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
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Lind AL, Wisecaver JH, Smith TD, Feng X, Calvo AM, Rokas A. Examining the evolution of the regulatory circuit controlling secondary metabolism and development in the fungal genus Aspergillus. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005096. [PMID: 25786130 PMCID: PMC4364702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi produce diverse secondary metabolites (SMs) essential to their ecology and adaptation. Although each SM is typically produced by only a handful of species, global SM production is governed by widely conserved transcriptional regulators in conjunction with other cellular processes, such as development. We examined the interplay between the taxonomic narrowness of SM distribution and the broad conservation of global regulation of SM and development in Aspergillus, a diverse fungal genus whose members produce well-known SMs such as penicillin and gliotoxin. Evolutionary analysis of the 2,124 genes comprising the 262 SM pathways in four Aspergillus species showed that most SM pathways were species-specific, that the number of SM gene orthologs was significantly lower than that of orthologs in primary metabolism, and that the few conserved SM orthologs typically belonged to non-homologous SM pathways. RNA sequencing of two master transcriptional regulators of SM and development, veA and mtfA, showed that the effects of deletion of each gene, especially veA, on SM pathway regulation were similar in A. fumigatus and A. nidulans, even though the underlying genes and pathways regulated in each species differed. In contrast, examination of the role of these two regulators in development, where 94% of the underlying genes are conserved in both species showed that whereas the role of veA is conserved, mtfA regulates development in the homothallic A. nidulans but not in the heterothallic A. fumigatus. Thus, the regulation of these highly conserved developmental genes is divergent, whereas-despite minimal conservation of target genes and pathways-the global regulation of SM production is largely conserved. We suggest that the evolution of the transcriptional regulation of secondary metabolism in Aspergillus represents a novel type of regulatory circuit rewiring and hypothesize that it has been largely driven by the dramatic turnover of the target genes involved in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail L. Lind
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jennifer H. Wisecaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Timothy D. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Xuehuan Feng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ana M. Calvo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America,Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America,* E-mail:
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Abstract
Few among the millions of fungal species fulfill four basic conditions necessary to infect humans: high temperature tolerance, ability to invade the human host, lysis and absorption of human tissue, and resistance to the human immune system. In previously healthy individuals, invasive fungal disease is rare because animals' sophisticated immune systems evolved in constant response to fungal challenges. In contrast, fungal diseases occur frequently in immunocompromised patients. Paradoxically, successes of modern medicine have put increasing numbers of patients at risk for invasive fungal infections. Uncontrolled HIV infection additionally makes millions vulnerable to lethal fungal diseases. A concerted scientific and social effort is needed to meet these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Köhler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461
| | - John Perfect
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
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Teixeira MM, de Almeida LGP, Kubitschek-Barreira P, Alves FL, Kioshima ÉS, Abadio AKR, Fernandes L, Derengowski LS, Ferreira KS, Souza RC, Ruiz JC, de Andrade NC, Paes HC, Nicola AM, Albuquerque P, Gerber AL, Martins VP, Peconick LDF, Neto AV, Chaucanez CB, Silva PA, Cunha OL, de Oliveira FFM, dos Santos TC, Barros ALN, Soares MA, de Oliveira LM, Marini MM, Villalobos-Duno H, Cunha MML, de Hoog S, da Silveira JF, Henrissat B, Niño-Vega GA, Cisalpino PS, Mora-Montes HM, Almeida SR, Stajich JE, Lopes-Bezerra LM, Vasconcelos ATR, Felipe MSS. Comparative genomics of the major fungal agents of human and animal Sporotrichosis: Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:943. [PMID: 25351875 PMCID: PMC4226871 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fungal genus Sporothrix includes at least four human pathogenic species. One of these species, S. brasiliensis, is the causal agent of a major ongoing zoonotic outbreak of sporotrichosis in Brazil. Elsewhere, sapronoses are caused by S. schenckii and S. globosa. The major aims on this comparative genomic study are: 1) to explore the presence of virulence factors in S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis; 2) to compare S. brasiliensis, which is cat-transmitted and infects both humans and cats with S. schenckii, mainly a human pathogen; 3) to compare these two species to other human pathogens (Onygenales) with similar thermo-dimorphic behavior and to other plant-associated Sordariomycetes. RESULTS The genomes of S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis were pyrosequenced to 17x and 20x coverage comprising a total of 32.3 Mb and 33.2 Mb, respectively. Pair-wise genome alignments revealed that the two species are highly syntenic showing 97.5% average sequence identity. Phylogenomic analysis reveals that both species diverged about 3.8-4.9 MYA suggesting a recent event of speciation. Transposable elements comprise respectively 0.34% and 0.62% of the S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis genomes and expansions of Gypsy-like elements was observed reflecting the accumulation of repetitive elements in the S. brasiliensis genome. Mitochondrial genomic comparisons showed the presence of group-I intron encoding homing endonucleases (HE's) exclusively in S. brasiliensis. Analysis of protein family expansions and contractions in the Sporothrix lineage revealed expansion of LysM domain-containing proteins, small GTPases, PKS type1 and leucin-rich proteins. In contrast, a lack of polysaccharide lyase genes that are associated with decay of plants was observed when compared to other Sordariomycetes and dimorphic fungal pathogens, suggesting evolutionary adaptations from a plant pathogenic or saprobic to an animal pathogenic life style. CONCLUSIONS Comparative genomic data suggest a unique ecological shift in the Sporothrix lineage from plant-association to mammalian parasitism, which contributes to the understanding of how environmental interactions may shape fungal virulence. . Moreover, the striking differences found in comparison with other dimorphic fungi revealed that dimorphism in these close relatives of plant-associated Sordariomycetes is a case of convergent evolution, stressing the importance of this morphogenetic change in fungal pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus M Teixeira
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | | | - Paula Kubitschek-Barreira
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
| | - Fernanda L Alves
- />Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
- />Grupo Informática de Biossistemas, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ, Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Érika S Kioshima
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
- />Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, PR Brazil
| | - Ana KR Abadio
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Larissa Fernandes
- />Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências e Tecnologias em Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Ceilândia, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Lorena S Derengowski
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Karen S Ferreira
- />Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Campus Diadema, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Rangel C Souza
- />Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, RJ Brazil
| | - Jeronimo C Ruiz
- />Grupo Informática de Biossistemas, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ, Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Nathalia C de Andrade
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
| | - Hugo C Paes
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - André M Nicola
- />Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
- />Programa de pós-graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Patrícia Albuquerque
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
- />Programa de pós-graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | | | - Vicente P Martins
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Luisa DF Peconick
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Alan Viggiano Neto
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Claudia B Chaucanez
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Patrícia A Silva
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Oberdan L Cunha
- />Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, RJ Brazil
| | | | - Tayná C dos Santos
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Amanda LN Barros
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - Marco A Soares
- />Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Luciana M de Oliveira
- />Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
- />Programa de pós-graduação em Bioinformática, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marjorie M Marini
- />Departamento de Microbiologia Imunobiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Héctor Villalobos-Duno
- />Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Marcel ML Cunha
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
| | - Sybren de Hoog
- />CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - José F da Silveira
- />Departamento de Microbiologia Imunobiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- />Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille, Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Gustavo A Niño-Vega
- />Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Patrícia S Cisalpino
- />Grupo Informática de Biossistemas, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ, Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | | | - Sandro R Almeida
- />Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Jason E Stajich
- />Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Leila M Lopes-Bezerra
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
| | | | - Maria SS Felipe
- />Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
- />Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF Brazil
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Michielse CB, Studt L, Janevska S, Sieber CMK, Arndt B, Espino JJ, Humpf HU, Güldener U, Tudzynski B. The global regulator FfSge1 is required for expression of secondary metabolite gene clusters but not for pathogenicity in Fusarium fujikuroi. Environ Microbiol 2014; 17:2690-708. [PMID: 25115968 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi is the causal agent of bakanae disease on rice due to its ability to produce gibberellins. Besides these phytohormones, F. fujikuroi is able to produce several other secondary metabolites (SMs). Although much progress has been made in the field of secondary metabolism, the transcriptional regulation of SM biosynthesis is complex and still incompletely understood. Environmental conditions, global as well as pathway-specific regulators and chromatin remodelling have been shown to play major roles. Here, the role of FfSge1, a homologue of the morphological switch regulators Wor1 and Ryp1 in Candida albicans and Histoplasma capsulatum, respectively, is explored with emphasis on secondary metabolism. FfSge1 is not required for formation of conidia and pathogenicity but is involved in vegetative growth. Transcriptome analysis of the mutant Δffsge1 compared with the wild type, as well as comparative chemical analysis between the wild type, Δffsge1 and OE:FfSGE1, revealed that FfSge1 functions as a global activator of secondary metabolism in F. fujikuroi. Double mutants of FfSGE1 and other SM regulatory genes brought insights into the hierarchical regulation of secondary metabolism. In addition, FfSge1 is also required for expression of a yet uncharacterized SM gene cluster containing a non-canonical non-ribosomal peptide synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline B Michielse
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Lena Studt
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Slavica Janevska
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Christian M K Sieber
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Birgit Arndt
- NRW Graduate School of Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, Münster, 48149, Germany.,Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Corrensstr. 45, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Jose Juan Espino
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Humpf
- NRW Graduate School of Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, Münster, 48149, Germany.,Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Corrensstr. 45, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Bettina Tudzynski
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Schlossplatz 8, Münster, 48143, Germany
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Zhang S, Zhang T, Yan M, Ding J, Chen J. Crystal structure of the WOPR-DNA complex and implications for Wor1 function in white-opaque switching of Candida albicans. Cell Res 2014; 24:1108-20. [PMID: 25091450 PMCID: PMC4152732 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2014.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wor1 (white-opaque switching regulator 1) is a master regulator of the white-opaque switching in Candida albicans, an opportunistic human fungal pathogen, and is associated with its pathogenicity and commensality. Wor1 contains a conserved DNA-binding region at the N-terminus, consisting of two conserved segments (WOPRa and WOPRb) connected by a non-conserved linker that can bind to specific DNA sequences of the promoter regions and then regulates the transcription. Here, we report the crystal structure of the C. albicans Wor1 WOPR segments in complex with a double-stranded DNA corresponding to one promoter region of WOR1. The sequentially separated WOPRa and WOPRb are structurally interwound together to form a compact globular domain that we term the WOPR domain. The WOPR domain represents a new conserved fungal-specific DNA-binding domain which uses primarily a conserved loop to recognize and interact specifically with a conserved 6-bp motif of the DNA in both minor and major grooves. The protein-DNA interactions are essential for WOR1 transcriptional regulation and white-to-opaque switching. The structural and biological data together reveal the molecular basis for the recognition and binding specificity of the WOPR domain with its specific DNA sequences and the function of Wor1 in the activation of transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shicheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Tianlong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Minghui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jianping Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jiangye Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
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47
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Scherz K, Andersen, Bojsen R, Gro L, Rejkjær, Sørensen, Weiss M, Nielsen, Lisby M, Folkesson A, Regenberg B. Genetic basis for Saccharomyces cerevisiae biofilm in liquid medium. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2014; 4:1671-80. [PMID: 25009170 PMCID: PMC4169159 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.010892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Biofilm-forming microorganisms switch between two forms: free-living planktonic and sessile multicellular. Sessile communities of yeast biofilms in liquid medium provide a primitive example of multicellularity and are clinically important because biofilms tend to have other growth characteristics than free-living cells. We investigated the genetic basis for yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, biofilm on solid surfaces in liquid medium by screening a comprehensive deletion mutant collection in the Σ1278b background and found 71 genes that were essential for biofilm development. Quantitative northern blots further revealed that AIM1, ASG1, AVT1, DRN1, ELP4, FLO8, FMP10, HMT1, KAR5, MIT1, MRPL32, MSS11, NCP1, NPR1, PEP5, PEX25, RIM8, RIM101, RGT1, SNF8, SPC2, STB6, STP22, TEC1, VID24, VPS20, VTC3, YBL029W, YBL029C-A, YFL054C, YGR161W-C, YIL014C-A, YIR024C, YKL151C, YNL200C, YOR034C-A, and YOR223W controlled biofilm through FLO11 induction. Almost all deletion mutants that were unable to form biofilms in liquid medium also lost the ability to form surface-spreading biofilm colonies (mats) on agar and 69% also lost the ability to grow invasively. The protein kinase A isoform Tpk3p functioned specifically in biofilm and mat formation. In a tpk3 mutant, transcription of FLO11 was induced three-fold compared with wild-type, but biofilm development and cell-cell adhesion was absent, suggesting that Tpk3p regulates FLO11 positive posttranscriptionally and negative transcriptionally.The study provides a resource of biofilm-influencing genes for additional research on biofilm development and suggests that the regulation of FLO11 is more complex than previously anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaj Scherz
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andersen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Bojsen
- Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laura Gro
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rejkjær
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sørensen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Weiss
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nielsen
- Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Lisby
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Folkesson
- Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
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48
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Mayhew D, Mitra RD. Transcription factor regulation and chromosome dynamics during pseudohyphal growth. Mol Biol Cell 2014; 25:2669-76. [PMID: 25009286 PMCID: PMC4148256 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e14-04-0871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A multiplexed analysis of the transcriptional regulation of yeast pseudohyphal growth recorded the binding of 28 different transcription factors with barcoded transposons. A core set of target genes is identified, and a process of DNA looping at the FLO11 locus that provides transcriptional memory for expression of the gene is described. Pseudohyphal growth is a developmental pathway seen in some strains of yeast in which cells form multicellular filaments in response to environmental stresses. We used multiplexed transposon “Calling Cards” to record the genome-wide binding patterns of 28 transcription factors (TFs) in nitrogen-starved yeast. We identified TF targets relevant for pseudohyphal growth, producing a detailed map of its regulatory network. Using tools from graph theory, we identified 14 TFs that lie at the center of this network, including Flo8, Mss11, and Mfg1, which bind as a complex. Surprisingly, the DNA-binding preferences for these key TFs were unknown. Using Calling Card data, we predicted the in vivo DNA-binding motif for the Flo8-Mss11-Mfg1 complex and validated it using a reporter assay. We found that this complex binds several important targets, including FLO11, at both their promoter and termination sequences. We demonstrated that this binding pattern is the result of DNA looping, which regulates the transcription of these targets and is stabilized by an interaction with the nuclear pore complex. This looping provides yeast cells with a transcriptional memory, enabling them more rapidly to execute the filamentous growth program when nitrogen starved if they had been previously exposed to this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mayhew
- Department of Genetics and Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108
| | - Robi D Mitra
- Department of Genetics and Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108
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49
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Structure of a new DNA-binding domain which regulates pathogenesis in a wide variety of fungi. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:10404-10. [PMID: 24994900 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1410110111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
WOPR-domain proteins are found throughout the fungal kingdom where they function as master regulators of cell morphology and pathogenesis. Genetic and biochemical experiments previously demonstrated that these proteins bind to specific DNA sequences and thereby regulate transcription. However, their primary sequence showed no relationship to any known DNA-binding domain, and the basis for their ability to recognize DNA sequences remained unknown. Here, we describe the 2.6-Å crystal structure of a WOPR domain in complex with its preferred DNA sequence. The structure reveals that two highly conserved regions, separated by an unconserved linker, form an interdigitated β-sheet that is tilted into the major groove of DNA. Although the main interaction surface is in the major groove, the highest-affinity interactions occur in the minor groove, primarily through a deeply penetrating arginine residue. The structure reveals a new, unanticipated mechanism by which proteins can recognize specific sequences of DNA.
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50
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How duplicated transcription regulators can diversify to govern the expression of nonoverlapping sets of genes. Genes Dev 2014; 28:1272-7. [PMID: 24874988 PMCID: PMC4066398 DOI: 10.1101/gad.242271.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The duplication of transcription regulators can elicit major regulatory network rearrangements over evolutionary timescales. However, few examples of duplications resulting in gene network expansions are understood in molecular detail. Here we show that four Candida albicans transcription regulators that arose by successive duplications have differentiated from one another by acquiring different intrinsic DNA-binding specificities, different preferences for half-site spacing, and different associations with cofactors. The combination of these three mechanisms resulted in each of the four regulators controlling a distinct set of target genes, which likely contributed to the adaption of this fungus to its human host. Our results illustrate how successive duplications and diversification of an ancestral transcription regulator can underlie major changes in an organism's regulatory circuitry.
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