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Guzmán-Guzmán P, Kumar A, de los Santos-Villalobos S, Parra-Cota FI, Orozco-Mosqueda MDC, Fadiji AE, Hyder S, Babalola OO, Santoyo G. Trichoderma Species: Our Best Fungal Allies in the Biocontrol of Plant Diseases-A Review. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12030432. [PMID: 36771517 PMCID: PMC9921048 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Biocontrol agents (BCA) have been an important tool in agriculture to prevent crop losses due to plant pathogens infections and to increase plant food production globally, diminishing the necessity for chemical pesticides and fertilizers and offering a more sustainable and environmentally friendly option. Fungi from the genus Trichoderma are among the most used and studied microorganisms as BCA due to the variety of biocontrol traits, such as parasitism, antibiosis, secondary metabolites (SM) production, and plant defense system induction. Several Trichoderma species are well-known mycoparasites. However, some of those species can antagonize other organisms such as nematodes and plant pests, making this fungus a very versatile BCA. Trichoderma has been used in agriculture as part of innovative bioformulations, either just Trichoderma species or in combination with other plant-beneficial microbes, such as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Here, we review the most recent literature regarding the biocontrol studies about six of the most used Trichoderma species, T. atroviride, T. harzianum, T. asperellum, T. virens, T. longibrachiatum, and T. viride, highlighting their biocontrol traits and the use of these fungal genera in Trichoderma-based formulations to control or prevent plant diseases, and their importance as a substitute for chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Guzmán-Guzmán
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Mexico
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Department of Postharvest Science, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | | | - Fannie I. Parra-Cota
- Campo Experimental Norman E. Borlaug, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Ciudad Obregón 85000, Mexico
| | | | - Ayomide Emmanuel Fadiji
- Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
| | - Sajjad Hyder
- Department of Botany, Government College Women University Sialkot, Sialkot 51310, Pakistan
| | - Olubukola Oluranti Babalola
- Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
| | - Gustavo Santoyo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58030, Mexico
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2
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Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Function of a G-Protein α Subunit Gene in the Growth and Development of Pleurotus eryngii. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9010069. [PMID: 36675890 PMCID: PMC9866537 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pleurotus eryngii is a commercially important edible fungus with high nutritional and economic value. However, few functional studies have examined key genes affecting the growth and development of P. eryngii. In this study, transformed strains, including over-expression (PeGNAI-OE) and RNA interference (PeGNAI-RNAi) lines, were constructed to elucidate the role of GNAI in P. eryngii growth. GNAI expression was found to affect the mycelial growth and the number of clamp connections. Moreover, the transformed strains were shown to have higher endogenous cAMP levels, thus affecting amylase and laccase activity. Fruiting experiments showed that GNAI expression revealed the formation of P. eryngii primordia and the number of buttons, while transcription analysis identified GNAI gene involvement in the growth and development of P. eryngii. Seven downstream genes regulated by GNAI were differentially expressed in PeGNAI-OE and PeGNAI-RNAi compared to wild type (WT). These genes may be related to mycelial growth and enzyme activity. They were involved in the MAPK signaling pathway, inositol phosphate metabolism, ascorbate, aldarate metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism. In summary, GNAI performs different physiological functions in regulating the growth and development of P. eryngii. Importantly, the molecular mechanisms of GNAI regulatory function are relatively complex and need further study.
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Gao J, Song C, Zhang J, Hu Y, Shao Y. Mrada3 is required for sexual reproduction and secondary metabolite production in industrial fungi Monascus strain. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 133:591-606. [PMID: 35451171 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Monascus spp. are valuable industrial fungi for producing beneficial compounds. Since sporulation is often coupled with the production of secondary metabolites, the current study was performed to investigate how Mrada3 regulated asexual and sexual development and the production of edible pigments and mycotoxin. METHODS AND RESULTS The functional characteristics of Mrada3 were identified by gene deletion and overexpression in Monascus ruber M7 (the wild-type, WT). The results revealed that the ΔMrada3 strain aborted sexual development, but it produced many more conidia than WT. RNA-Seq data showed the deletion of Mrada3 altered the expression levels of partial genes involved in sexual and asexual development. In addition, the deletion of Mrada3 also resulted in slower growth, lower pigment production, and increased citrinin yield at the late period. For the Mrada3-overexpressed strain, the number of ascospores and pigment content were significantly higher than those of WT, but citrinin was slightly lower than that of WT. CONCLUSIONS The Mrada3 gene plays a vital role in the sporulation development and secondary metabolism of Monascus species. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Mrada3 is first identified as an essential regulator for sexual development in Monascus species, enriching the regulatory knowledge of sexual development in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Cuina Song
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditionally Fermented Foods, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yifan Hu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yanchun Shao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditionally Fermented Foods, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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4
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Histone deacetylase MrRpd3 plays a major regulational role in the mycotoxin production of Monascus ruber. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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5
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Host-Induced Gene Silencing of a G Protein α Subunit Gene CsGpa1 Involved in Pathogen Appressoria Formation and Virulence Improves Tobacco Resistance to Ciboria shiraiana. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7121053. [PMID: 34947035 PMCID: PMC8709418 DOI: 10.3390/jof7121053] [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] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypertrophy sorosis scleroteniosis caused by Ciboria shiraiana is the most devastating disease of mulberry fruit. However, few mulberry lines show any resistance to C. shiraiana. An increasing amount of research has shown that host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) is an effective strategy for enhancing plant tolerance to pathogens by silencing genes required for their pathogenicity. In this study, two G protein α subunit genes, CsGPA1 and CsGPA2, were identified from C. shiraiana. Silencing CsGPA1 and CsGPA2 had no effect on hyphal growth but reduced the number of sclerotia and increased the single sclerotium weight. Moreover, silencing CsGpa1 resulted in increased fungal resistance to osmotic and oxidative stresses. Compared with wild-type and empty vector strains, the number of appressoria was clearly lower in CsGPA1-silenced strains. Importantly, infection assays revealed that the virulence of CsGPA1-silenced strains was significantly reduced, which was accompanied by formation of fewer appressoria and decreased expression of several cAMP/PKA- or mitogen-activated protein-kinase-related genes. Additionally, transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana expressing double-stranded RNA targeted to CsGpa1 through the HIGS method significantly improved resistance to C. shiraiana. Our results indicate that CsGpa1 is an important regulator in appressoria formation and the pathogenicity of C. shiraiana. CsGpa1 is an efficient target to improve tolerance to C. shiraiana using HIGS technology.
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6
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Huang D, Wang Y, Zhang J, Xu H, Bai J, Zhang H, Jiang X, Yuan J, Lu G, Jiang L, Liao X, Liu B, Liu H. Integrative Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Uncover Metabolic Alterations and Pigment Diversity in Monascus in Response to Different Nitrogen Sources. mSystems 2021; 6:e0080721. [PMID: 34491088 PMCID: PMC8547423 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00807-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen in different chemical forms is critical for metabolic alterations in Monascus strains and associated pigment diversity. In this study, we observed that ammonium-form nitrogen was superior in promoting the biosynthesis of Monascus pigments (MPs) when compared with nitrate and organic forms. Moreover, with any nitrogen source, the production of yellow and orange pigments was highly synchronized but distantly related to red pigments. However, transcriptional analyses of MP gene clusters suggested a low contribution to MP accumulation, suggesting that MP-limiting factors were located outside the gene cluster. Our metabolomic analyses demonstrated that red pigment biosynthesis was closely related to intracellular amino acids, whereas orange and yellow pigments were associated with nucleotides. In addition, weighted gene coexpression network analyses (WGCNA) based on transcriptomic data showed that multiple primary metabolic pathways were closely related to red pigment production, while several secondary pathways were related to orange pigments, and others were involved with yellow pigment regulation. These findings demonstrate that pigment diversity in Monascus is under combined regulation at metabolomic and transcriptomic levels. IMPORTANCE Natural MPs containing a mixture of red, orange, and yellow pigments are widely used as food coloring agents. MP diversity provides foods with versatile colors and health benefits but, in turn, complicate efforts to achieve maximum yield or desirable combination of pigments during the manufacturing process. Apart from the MP biosynthetic gene cluster, interactions between the main biosynthetic pathways and other intracellular genes/metabolites are critical to our understanding of MP differentiation. The integrative multiomics analytical strategy provides a technical platform and new perspectives for the identification of metabolic shunting mechanisms in MP biosynthesis. Equally, our research highlights the influence of intracellular metabolic alterations on MP differentiation, which will facilitate the rational engineering and optimization of MP production in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Huang
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuhui Wang
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Huimin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Bai
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Huijing Zhang
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaolong Jiang
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Yuan
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Gege Lu
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Lingyan Jiang
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoping Liao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Liu
- TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Huanhuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
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7
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Li X, Ke Z, Xu S, Tang W, Liu Z. The G-protein alpha subunit CgGa1 mediates growth, sporulation, penetration and pathogenicity in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Microb Pathog 2021; 161:105254. [PMID: 34687840 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the main pathogen causing rubber anthracnose, which brings huge economic loss to the natural rubber industry. Heterotrimeric G proteins play a vital role in signal transduction in filamentous fungi, and G alpha subunits are the major component of G proteins. In this study, we characterize a group I Gα subunit CgGa1 in C. gloeosporioides as a homolog of MagB in Pyricularia oryzae. CgGa1 encodes a 353-amino acid protein and has a G_alpha domain. Deletion of CgGa1 results in reduced vegetative growth and conidia yield, and the mutant cannot produce a fruiting body. The CgGa1 deletion mutant also exhibits decreased conidial germination and appressorium formation significantly. Moreover, the mutant has an obvious deficiency in penetration and loses its virulence completely. Transcriptome analysis showed that CgGa1 could affect the expression of many genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism and signal transduction, etc. In conclusion, CgGa1 regulates growth, asexual and sexual sporulation, appressorium formation, penetration and pathogenicity of C. gloeosporioides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Li
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Zhijian Ke
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Shuang Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Wen Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
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8
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Zhang J, Gao J, Li M, Shao Y, Chen F. MrGcn5 is required for the mycotoxin production, sexual and asexual development in Monascus ruber. FOOD BIOSCI 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2021.101304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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9
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Comparative metabolomics analysis reveals the metabolic regulation mechanism of yellow pigment overproduction by Monascus using ammonium chloride as a nitrogen source. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:6369-6379. [PMID: 34402939 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11395-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Monascus yellow pigments (MYPs), as food colorants, are of great interest to the food industry, because of their beneficial biological activities. In this study, a comparative metabolomics strategy revealed the metabolic regulatory mechanism of MYP overproduction, comparing ammonium chloride with peptone as nitrogen sources. Metabolomics-based multivariate regression modeling showed that metabolic biomarkers/modules, such as glucose, lactate, and the pentose phosphate (PP) pathway, were closely associated with the biosynthesis of MYPs. Exogenous addition of glucose increased production of MYPs, whereas lactate reduced it. Inhibition of the PP pathway with dehydroepiandrosterone decreased MYP production, while increasing the shunting production of orange and red pigments. All these treatments significantly changed the expression profiles of the pigment biosynthetic gene cluster and the mycelial morphology. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of elucidating the mechanism of MYP biosynthesis by comprehensive metabolomics analysis, as well as discovering potential engineering targets of efficiency improvements to commercial MYP production. KEY POINTS: • Comparative metabolomics revealed the biomarkers/modules of MYP production. • A rational exogenously adding strategy was implemented to regulate MYP synthesis. • Expression profiles of gene cluster and mycelial morphology were characterized.
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10
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Zhou K, Wu L, Chen G, Liu Z, Zhao X, Zhang C, Lv X, Zhang W, Rao P, Ni L. Development of a Novel Restrictive Medium for Monascus Enrichment From Hongqu Based on the Synergistic Stress of Lactic Acid and Ethanol. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:702951. [PMID: 34234769 PMCID: PMC8256164 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.702951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Hongqu is a famous fermented food produced by Monascus and has been used as food coloring, wine starters and food additives for thousands of years in China. Excellent Monascus strain is an important prerequisite for producing high-quality Hongqu. However, the isolation of Monascus pure culture from Hongqu samples is time-consuming and laborious because it is easily interfered by other microorganisms (especially filamentous fungi). Therefore, the development of restrictive medium for Monascus enrichment from Hongqu is of great significance for the preparation and screening of excellent Monascus strains. Results of this study showed that Monascus has good tolerance to lactic acid and ethanol. Under the conditions of tolerance limits [7.5% lactic acid (v/v) and 12.0% ethanol (v/v)], Monascus could not grow but it still retained the vitality of spore germination, and the spore activity gradually decreased with the increasing concentrations of lactic acid and ethanol. More interestingly, the addition of lactic acid and ethanol significantly changed the microbial community structure in rice milk inoculated with Hongqu. After response surface optimization, Monascus could be successfully enriched without the interference of other microorganisms when 3.98% (v/v) lactic acid and 6.24% (v/v) ethanol were added to rice milk simultaneously. The optimal enrichment duration of Monascus by the restrictive medium based on the synergistic stress of lactic acid and ethanol is 8∼24 h. The synergistic stress of lactic acid and ethanol had no obvious effects on the accumulation of major metabolites in the progeny of Monascus, and was suitable for the enrichment of Monascus from different types of Hongqu. Finally, the possible mechanisms on the tolerance of Monascus to the synergistic stress of lactic acid and ethanol were preliminarily studied. Under the synergistic stress of lactic acid and ethanol, the cell membrane of Monascus defends against lactic acid and ethanol into cells to some extent, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities of Monascus were higher than those of other fungi, which significantly reduced the degree of lipid peroxidation of cell membrane, while secreting more amylase to make reducing sugars to provide the cells with enough energy to resist environmental stress. This work has great application value for the construction of Monascus strain library and the better development of its germplasm resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangxi Zhou
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China.,Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Li Wu
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guimei Chen
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhibin Liu
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xinze Zhao
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xucong Lv
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Pingfan Rao
- Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Li Ni
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China.,Fujian Center of Excellence for Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
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11
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Jia L, Yu JH, Chen F, Chen W. Characterization of the asexual developmental genes brlA and wetA in Monascus ruber M7. Fungal Genet Biol 2021; 151:103564. [PMID: 33962042 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2021.103564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Monascus spp. are widely used in the production of monacolin K and food- grade pigments in East Asia. In Aspergillus species, the three transcription factors BrlA → AbaA → WetA sequentially function as the central activators of asexual development (conidiation), leading to the formation of conidiophores. Unlike their close relative Aspergillus spp., Monascus spp. produce basipetospora-type asexual spores (conidia), and their genomes contain homologs of brlA and wetA but not abaA. In the present study, to investigate their roles in Monascus conidiation, MrbrlA and MrwetA were functionally characterized by gene knockout and overexpression in Monascus ruber M7. The results revealed that the deletion and overexpression of MrbrlA and/or MrwetA caused no apparent changes in the morphology, size, number, structure, or germination of conidia. However, deletion and overexpression of MrwetA severely repressed sexual development and affected the production of secondary metabolites. Taken together, these results suggest that the well-established central regulatory model of conidiation in Aspergillus is not applicable in their Monascus relatives. The results of the present study could enrich our understanding of the asexual development regulatory networks in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Jia
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430070, China
| | - Jae-Hyuk Yu
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Fusheng Chen
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430070, China
| | - Wanping Chen
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430070, China.
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12
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Wang J, Huang Y, Shao Y. From Traditional Application to Genetic Mechanism: Opinions on Monascus Research in the New Milestone. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:659907. [PMID: 33868216 PMCID: PMC8044512 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.659907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yueyan Huang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanchun Shao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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13
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Ding J, Mei J, Huang P, Tian Y, Liang Y, Jiang X, Li M. Gα3 subunit Thga3 positively regulates conidiation, mycoparasitism, chitinase activity, and hydrophobicity of Trichoderma harzianum. AMB Express 2020; 10:221. [PMID: 33336282 PMCID: PMC7746536 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-020-01162-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterotrimeric G-proteins are key elements of signal transduction pathways, which participate in regulating multiple biological processes in fungi including growth, conidiation, antagonism, and mycoparasitism. Among G protein subunits, Gα3 showed diverse regulatory functions in different fungi. In this study, we cloned a Gα3 subunit coding gene thga3 from T. harzianum Th33 that can antagonize Rhizoctonia solani and some other plant pathogenic fungi. A thga3 deletion strain Δthga3 was generated using the double-crossover homologous recombination strategy, and Rthga3 was generated by transforming thga3-expressing vector into the protoplasts of Δthga3 by the PEG/CaCl2-mediated method. The biological characteristics of wild-type Th33, Δthga3 and Rthga3 were evaluated. Compared with wild-type Th33, Δthga3 showed 15%, 94%, and 23% decrease in hyphal growth, conidia yield, and chitinase activity, respectively, and Δthga3 showed lower antagonistic and mycoparasitism abilities, while there were no significant differences between wild-type Th33 and Rthga3. The hyphal surface hydrophobicity of Δthga3 significantly decreased compared with those of the wild-type Th33 and Rthga3. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that transcript abundance of the hydrophobin gene (tha_09745) of Δthga3 decreased by 80% compared with that of wild-type Th33 and Rthga3. The results showed that thga3 positively regulates the growth, conidiation, hydrophobicity, chitinase activities, and mycoparasitism of Th33 towards R. solani. We hence deduced that the expression level of Tha_09745 is correlated to the hyphal hydrophobicity of Th33 and therefore affects the other biological characteristics of Th33. The findings of this report provide a foundation for elucidating the G-protein signal regulatory mechanisms of fungi.
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14
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Li L, Chen F. Effects of mrpigG on Development and Secondary Metabolism of Monascus ruber M7. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6030156. [PMID: 32872515 PMCID: PMC7558996 DOI: 10.3390/jof6030156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Monascus pigments (MPs) have been used as food colorants for several centuries in Asian countries and are now used throughout the world via Asian catering. The MP biosynthetic pathway has been well-illustrated, but the functions of a few genes, including mrpigG, in the MP gene cluster are still unclear. In the current study, in order to investigate the function of mrpigG in M. ruber M7, gene deletion (ΔmrpigG), complementation (ΔmrpigG::mrpigG) and overexpression (M7::PtrpC-mrpigG) mutants were successfully obtained. The morphologies and biomasses, as well as the MP and citrinin production, of these mutants were analyzed. The results revealed that the disruption, complementation and overexpression of mrpigG showed no apparent defects in morphology, biomass or citrinin production (except MP production) in ΔmrpigG compared with M. ruber M7. Although the MP profiles of ΔmrpigG and M. ruber M7 were almost the same-with both having four yellow pigments, two orange pigments (OPs) and two red pigments (RPs)-their yields were decreased in ΔmrpigG to a certain extent. Particularly, the content of rubropunctatin (an OP) and its derivative rubropunctamine (an RP) in ΔmrpigG, both of which have a five-carbon side chain, accounted for 57.7%, and 22.3% of those in M. ruber M7. On the other hand, monascorubrin (an OP) and its derivative monascorubramine (an RP), both of which have a seven-carbon side chain, were increased by 1.15 and 2.55 times, respectively, in ΔmrpigG compared with M. ruber M7. These results suggest that the MrPigG protein may preferentially catalyze the biosynthesis of MPs with a five-carbon side chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Fusheng Chen
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence:
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