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Kong Y, Guo P, Xu J, Li J, Wu M, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Liu X, Yang L, Liu M, Zhang H, Wang P, Zhang Z. MoMkk1 and MoAtg1 dichotomously regulating autophagy and pathogenicity through MoAtg9 phosphorylation in Magnaporthe oryzae. mBio 2024; 15:e0334423. [PMID: 38501872 PMCID: PMC11005334 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03344-23] [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] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a central biodegradation pathway critical in eliminating intracellular cargo to maintain cellular homeostasis and improve stress resistance. At the same time, the key component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade regulating cell wall integrity signaling MoMkk1 has an essential role in the autophagy of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Still, the mechanism of how MoMkk1 regulates autophagy is unclear. Interestingly, we found that MoMkk1 regulates the autophagy protein MoAtg9 through phosphorylation. MoAtg9 is a transmembrane protein subjected to phosphorylation by autophagy-related protein kinase MoAtg1. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that MoMkk1-dependent MoAtg9 phosphorylation is required for phospholipid translocation during isolation membrane stages of autophagosome formation, an autophagic process essential for the development and pathogenicity of the fungus. In contrast, MoAtg1-dependent phosphorylation of MoAtg9 negatively regulates this process, also impacting growth and pathogenicity. Our studies are the first to demonstrate that MoAtg9 is subject to MoMkk1 regulation through protein phosphorylation and that MoMkk1 and MoAtg1 dichotomously regulate autophagy to underlie the growth and pathogenicity of M. oryzae.IMPORTANCEMagnaporthe oryzae utilizes multiple signaling pathways to promote colonization of host plants. MoMkk1, a cell wall integrity signaling kinase, plays an essential role in autophagy governed by a highly conserved autophagy kinase MoAtg1-mediated pathway. How MoMkk1 regulates autophagy in coordination with MoAtg1 remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence that MoMkk1 phosphorylates MoAtg9 to positively regulate phospholipid translocation during the isolation membrane or smaller membrane structures stage of autophagosome formation. This is in contrast to the negative regulation of MoAtg9 by MoAtg1 for the same process. Intriguingly, MoMkk1-mediated MoAtg9 phosphorylation enhances the fungal infection of rice, whereas MoAtg1-dependant MoAtg9 phosphorylation significantly attenuates it. Taken together, we revealed a novel mechanism of autophagy and virulence regulation by demonstrating the dichotomous functions of MoMkk1 and MoAtg1 in the regulation of fungal autophagy and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Kong
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pusheng Guo
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiayun Xu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiaxu Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Miao Wu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziqi Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Leiyun Yang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Muxing Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haifeng Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Zhengguang Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Wu Z, Gao H, Liu Z. COMPASS core subunits MpSet1 and MpSwd3 regulate Monascus pigments synthesis in Monascus purpureus. J Basic Microbiol 2024; 64:e2300686. [PMID: 38362934 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202300686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, methylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me) catalyzed by the complex of proteins associated with Set1 (COMPASS) is crucial for the transcriptional regulation of genes and the development of organisms. In Monascus, the functions of COMPASS in establishing H3K4me remain unclear. This study first identified the conserved COMPASS core subunits MpSet1 and MpSwd3 in Monascus purpureus and confirmed their roles in establishing H3K4me2/3. Loss of MpSet1 and MpSwd3 resulted in slower growth and development and inhibited the formation of cleistothecia, ascospores, and conidia. The loss of these core subunits also decreased the production of extracellular and intracellular Monascus pigments (MPs) by 94.2%, 93.5%, 82.7%, and 82.5%, respectively. In addition, RNA high-throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that the loss of MpSet1 and MpSwd3 altered the expression of 2646 and 2659 genes, respectively, and repressed the transcription of MPs synthesis-related genes. In addition, the ΔMpset1 and ΔMpswd3 strains demonstrated increased sensitivity to cell wall stress with the downregulation of chitin synthase-coding genes. These results indicated that the COMPASS core subunits MpSet1 and MpSwd3 help establish H3K4me2/3 for growth and development, spore formation, and pigment synthesis in Monascus. These core subunits also assist in maintaining cell wall integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongling Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Dairy Biotechnology, Dairy Research Institute, Bright Dairy & Food Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Dairy Biotechnology, Dairy Research Institute, Bright Dairy & Food Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenmin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Dairy Biotechnology, Dairy Research Institute, Bright Dairy & Food Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
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Liu L, Li L, Li F, Ma W, Guo W, Fang X. Role of Pmk1, Mpk1, or Hog1 in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway of Aspergillus cristatus. Fungal Genet Biol 2024; 171:103874. [PMID: 38307402 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2024.103874] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Aspergillus cristatus is a probiotic fungus known for its safety and abundant secondary metabolites, making it a promising candidate for various applications. However, limited progress has been made in researching A. cristatus due to challenges in genetic manipulation. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is involved in numerous physiological processes, but its specific role in A. cristatus remains unclear. In this study, we successfully developed an efficient polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated protoplast transformation method for A. cristatus, enabling us to investigate the function of Pmk1, Mpk1, and Hog1 in the MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings revealed that Pmk1, Mpk1, and Hog1 are crucial for sexual reproduction, melanin synthesis, and response to external stress in A. cristatus. Notably, the deletion of Pmk1, Mpk1, or Hog1 resulted in the loss of sexual reproduction capability in A. cristatus. Overall, this research on MAPK will contribute to the continued understanding of the reproductive strategy and melanin synthesis mechanism of A. cristatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Longyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Fengyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Wei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China
| | - Xu Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 6266237, China; Rongcheng Huihai Chuangda Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Weihai, Shandong 264309, China.
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Bernauer L, Berzak P, Lehmayer L, Messenlehner J, Oberdorfer G, Zellnig G, Wolinski H, Augustin C, Baeck M, Emmerstorfer-Augustin A. Sterol interactions influence the function of Wsc sensors. J Lipid Res 2023; 64:100466. [PMID: 37918524 PMCID: PMC10722382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2023.100466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Wsc1, Wsc2, and Wsc3 proteins are essential cell surface sensors that respond to cell wall perturbation by activating the cell wall integrity pathway (CWIP). We show here that in situ production of cholesterol (in place of ergosterol) induces hyper-phosphorylation of Slt2, the MAPK of the CWIP, and upregulates cell wall biosynthesis. Deletion of all three Wsc genes in K. phaffii reverts these phenotypes. In the cholesterol-producing strain, both Wsc1 and Wsc3 accumulate in the plasma membrane. Close inspection of the transmembrane domains of all three Wsc proteins predicted by AlphaFold2 revealed the presence of CRAC sterol-binding motifs. Experiments using a photoreactive cholesterol derivative indicate intimate interaction of this sterol with the Wsc transmembrane domain, and this apparent sterol binding was abrogated in Wsc mutants with substitutions in the CRAC motif. We also observed cholesterol interaction with CRAC-like motifs in the transmembrane domains of mammalian integrins, analogs of Wsc proteins. Our results suggest that proper signaling of the Wsc sensors requires highly specific binding of the native endogenous terminal sterol, ergosterol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Bernauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Paula Berzak
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Leonie Lehmayer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Julia Messenlehner
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gustav Oberdorfer
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Günther Zellnig
- Institute of Biology, Plant Sciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Heimo Wolinski
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria; Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christoph Augustin
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Melanie Baeck
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Anita Emmerstorfer-Augustin
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria; Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, acib GmbH, Graz, Austria.
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5
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Lu K, Chen R, Yang Y, Xu H, Jiang J, Li L. Involvement of the Cell Wall-Integrity Pathway in Signal Recognition, Cell-Wall Biosynthesis, and Virulence in Magnaporthe oryzae. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2023; 36:608-622. [PMID: 37140471 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-22-0231-cr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The fungal cell wall is the first layer exposed to the external environment. The cell wall has key roles in regulating cell functions, such as cellular stability, permeability, and protection against stress. Understanding the structure of the cell wall and the mechanism of its biogenesis is important for the study of fungi. Highly conserved in fungi, including Magnaporthe oryzae, the cell wall-integrity (CWI) pathway is the primary signaling cascade regulating cell-wall structure and function. The CWI pathway has been demonstrated to correlate with pathogenicity in many phytopathogenic fungi. In the synthesis of the cell wall, the CWI pathway cooperates with multiple signaling pathways to regulate cell morphogenesis and secondary metabolism. Many questions have arisen regarding the cooperation of different signaling pathways with the CWI pathway in regulating cell-wall synthesis and pathogenicity. In this review, we summarized the latest advances in the M. oryzae CWI pathway and cell-wall structure. We discussed the CWI pathway components and their involvement in different aspects, such as virulence factors, the possibility of the pathway as a target for antifungal therapies, and crosstalk with other signaling pathways. This information will aid in better understanding the universal functions of the CWI pathway in regulating cell-wall synthesis and pathogenicity in M. oryzae. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailun Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Rangrang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Yi Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Hui Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Jihong Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Lianwei Li
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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6
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Fu T, Kang SW, Song YW, Kim KS. The Cell Wall Integrity MAP Kinase Signaling Pathway Is Required for Development, Pathogenicity, and Stress Adaption of the Pepper Anthracnose Fungus Colletotrichum scovillei. MYCOBIOLOGY 2023; 51:178-185. [PMID: 37359959 PMCID: PMC10288896 DOI: 10.1080/12298093.2023.2220171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway plays important roles in the dissemination and infection of several plant pathogenic fungi. However, its roles in the pepper fruit anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum scovillei remain uninvestigated. In this study, the major components of the CWI signaling pathway-CsMCK1 (MAPKKK), CsMKK1 (MAPKK), and CsMPS1 (MAPK)-were functionally characterized in C. scovillei via homology-dependent gene replacement. The ΔCsmck1, ΔCsmkk1, and ΔCsmps1 mutants showed impairments in fungal growth, conidiation, and tolerance to CWI and salt stresses. Moreover, ΔCsmck1, ΔCsmkk1, and ΔCsmps1 failed to develop anthracnose disease on pepper fruits due to defects in appressorium formation and invasive hyphae growth. These results suggest that CsMCK1, CsMKK1, and CsMPS1 play important roles in mycelial growth, conidiation, appressorium formation, plant infection, and stress adaption of C. scovillei. These findings will contribute to a better understanding of the roles of the CWI signaling pathway in the development of pepper fruit anthracnose disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Fu
- Division of Bio-Resource Sciences and Interdisciplinary Program in Smart Agriculture, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Sung Wook Kang
- Division of Bio-Resource Sciences and Interdisciplinary Program in Smart Agriculture, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Yong-Won Song
- Division of Bio-Resource Sciences and Interdisciplinary Program in Smart Agriculture, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Kyoung Su Kim
- Division of Bio-Resource Sciences and Interdisciplinary Program in Smart Agriculture, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea
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Abah F, Kuang Y, Biregeya J, Abubakar YS, Ye Z, Wang Z. Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases SvPmk1 and SvMps1 Are Critical for Abiotic Stress Resistance, Development and Pathogenesis of Sclerotiophoma versabilis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040455. [PMID: 37108909 PMCID: PMC10142639 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways are evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes and modulate responses to both internal and external stimuli. Pmk1 and Mps MAPK pathways regulate stress tolerance, vegetative growth and cell wall integrity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pyricularia oryzae. Here, we deployed genetic and cell biology strategies to investigate the roles of the orthologs of Pmk1 and Mps1 in Sclerotiophoma versabilis (herein referred to as SvPmk1 and SvMps1, respectively). Our results showed that SvPmk1 and SvMps1 are involved in hyphal development, asexual reproduction and pathogenesis in S. versabilis. We found that ∆Svpmk1 and ∆Svmps1 mutants have significantly reduced vegetative growths on PDA supplemented with osmotic stress-inducing agents, compared to the wild type, with ∆Svpmps1 being hypersensitive to hydrogen peroxide. The two mutants failed to produce pycnidia and have reduced pathogenicity on Pseudostellaria heterophylla. Unlike SvPmk1, SvMps1 was found to be indispensable for the fungal cell wall integrity. Confocal microscopic analyses revealed that SvPmk1 and SvMps1 are ubiquitously expressed in the cytosol and nucleus. Taken together, we demonstrate here that SvPmk1 and SvMps1 play critical roles in the stress resistance, development and pathogenesis of S. versabilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Abah
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, College of Life Sciences & College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yunbo Kuang
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, College of Life Sciences & College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- The Engineering Technology Research Center of Characteristic Medicinal Plants of Fujian, College of Life Sciences, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
| | - Jules Biregeya
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, College of Life Sciences & College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yakubu Saddeeq Abubakar
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, College of Life Sciences & College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zuyun Ye
- The Engineering Technology Research Center of Characteristic Medicinal Plants of Fujian, College of Life Sciences, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
| | - Zonghua Wang
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, College of Life Sciences & College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
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Schalamun M, Beier S, Hinterdobler W, Wanko N, Schinnerl J, Brecker L, Engl DE, Schmoll M. MAPkinases regulate secondary metabolism, sexual development and light dependent cellulase regulation in Trichoderma reesei. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1912. [PMID: 36732590 PMCID: PMC9894936 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28938-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei is a prolific producer of plant cell wall degrading enzymes, which are regulated in response to diverse environmental signals for optimal adaptation, but also produces a wide array of secondary metabolites. Available carbon source and light are the strongest cues currently known to impact secreted enzyme levels and an interplay with regulation of secondary metabolism became increasingly obvious in recent years. While cellulase regulation is already known to be modulated by different mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, the relevance of the light signal, which is transmitted by this pathway in other fungi as well, is still unknown in T. reesei as are interconnections to secondary metabolism and chemical communication under mating conditions. Here we show that MAPkinases differentially influence cellulase regulation in light and darkness and that the Hog1 homologue TMK3, but not TMK1 or TMK2 are required for the chemotropic response to glucose in T. reesei. Additionally, MAPkinases regulate production of specific secondary metabolites including trichodimerol and bisorbibutenolid, a bioactive compound with cytostatic effect on cancer cells and deterrent effect on larvae, under conditions facilitating mating, which reflects a defect in chemical communication. Strains lacking either of the MAPkinases become female sterile, indicating the conservation of the role of MAPkinases in sexual fertility also in T. reesei. In summary, our findings substantiate the previously detected interconnection of cellulase regulation with regulation of secondary metabolism as well as the involvement of MAPkinases in light dependent gene regulation of cellulase and secondary metabolite genes in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Schalamun
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Sabrina Beier
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Hinterdobler
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- MyPilz GmbH, Wienerbergstrasse 55/13-15, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicole Wanko
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Johann Schinnerl
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lothar Brecker
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dorothea Elisa Engl
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Schmoll
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
- Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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Disruption of the Chitin Biosynthetic Pathway Results in Significant Changes in the Cell Growth Phenotypes and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites of Monascus purpureus. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8090910. [PMID: 36135635 PMCID: PMC9503372 DOI: 10.3390/jof8090910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, the gene monascus-5162 from Monascus purpureus LQ-6, identified as chitin synthase gene VI (chs6), was knocked out to disrupt the chitin biosynthetic pathway and regulate the biosynthesis of Monascus pigments (MPs) and citrinin. The results showed that the aerial hyphae on a solid medium were short and sparse after the deletion of chs6 in M. purpureus LQ-6, significantly reducing the germination percentage of active spores to approximately 22%, but the colony diameter was almost unaffected. Additionally, the deletion of chs6 changed the mycelial morphology of M. purpureus LQ-6 during submerged fermentation and increased its sensitivity to environmental factors. MP and citrinin biosynthesis was dramatically inhibited in the recombinant strain. Furthermore, comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the pathways related to spore development and growth, including the MAPK signaling pathway, chitin biosynthetic pathway, and regulatory factors LaeA and WetA genes, were significantly downregulated in the early phase of fermentation. The mRNA expression levels of genes in the cluster of secondary metabolites were significantly downregulated, especially those related to citrinin biosynthesis. This is the first detailed study to reveal that chs6 plays a vital role in regulating the cell growth and secondary metabolism of the Monascus genus.
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Li C, Gu R, Lin F, Xiao H. Sorbicillinoids hyperproduction without affecting the cellulosic enzyme production in Trichoderma reesei JNTR5. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2022; 15:85. [PMID: 35996177 PMCID: PMC9394075 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02183-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Microbial production of bioactive secondary metabolites is challenging as most of the encoding genes are silent; and even if they are activated, the biosynthetic pathways are usually complex. Sorbicillinoids with multifunctional bioactivities are examples of these problems, which if solved can result in a more sustainable, simple supply of these important compounds to the pharmaceutical industry. As an excellent producer of cellulosic enzymes, Trichoderma reesei can secrete various sorbicillinoids. Results Here, we obtained a T. reesei mutant strain JNTR5 from the random mutation during overexpression of gene Tr69957 in T. reesei RUT-C30. JNTR5 exhibited a significant constitutive increase in sorbicillinoids production without affecting the cellulosic enzyme production. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) results indicated that sorbicillinoids were distributed in both mycelium and spores of JNTR5 with blue and green fluorescence. Compared with RUT-C30, JNTR5 displayed different cell morphology, reduced growth rate, and increased sporulation, but a similar biomass accumulation. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed that all genes belonging to the sorbicillinoid gene cluster were upregulated, while most cellulase-encoding genes were downregulated. The cell wall integrity of JNTR5 was damaged, which might benefit the cellulase secretion and contribute to the almost unchanged cellulase and hemicellulase activity given that the damaged cell wall can enhance the secretion of the enzymes. Conclusions For the first time, we constructed a sorbicillinoids hyperproduction T. reesei platform with comparable cellulosic enzymes production. This outperformance of JNTR5, which is strain-specific, is proposed to be attributed to the overexpression of gene Tr69957, causing the chromosome remodeling and subsequently changing the cell morphology, structure, and the global gene expression as shown by phenotype and the transcriptome analysis of JNTR5. Overall, JNTR5 shows great potential for industrial microbial production of sorbicillinoids from cellulose and serves as an excellent model for investigating the distribution and secretion of yellow pigments in T. reesei. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13068-022-02183-1.
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Álvarez M, Delgado J, Núñez F, Roncero E, Andrade MJ. Proteomic approach to unveil the ochratoxin A repression by Debaryomyces hansenii and rosemary on Penicillium nordicum during dry-cured fermented sausages ripening. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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12
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Lu HY, Huang YL, Wu PC, Wei XY, Yago JI, Chung KR. A zinc finger suppressor involved in stress resistance, cell wall integrity, conidiogenesis, and autophagy in the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata. Microbiol Res 2022; 263:127106. [PMID: 35839700 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata can withstand high-level reactive oxygen species (ROS). By analyzing loss- and gain-of-function mutants, this study demonstrated that a Cys2His2 zinc finger-containing transcription regulator, A. alternata Stress Response Regulator 1 (AaSRR1), plays a negative role in resistance to peroxides and singlet-oxygen-generating compounds. AaSRR1 plays no role in cellular susceptibility or resistance to superoxide-producing compounds. AaSRR1 also negatively regulates conidiogenesis, maintenance of cell wall and membrane integrities, and chitin biosynthesis. Some wild-type hyphae displayed necrosis after exposure to 30 mM H2O2, whereas AaSRR1 deficient mutant (ΔAaSRR1) hyphae had visible granules and vacuoles. sGFP-AaATG8 proteolysis assays revealed that H2O2 and starvation could trigger autophagy formation in both wild type and ΔAaSRR1. Autophagy occurred at higher rates in ΔAaSRR1 than wild type under both conditions, particularly after H2O2 treatments, indicating that autophagy might contribute to ROS resistance. Upon exposure to H2O2 or under starvation, AaSRR1 was translocated into the nucleus, even though the expression of AaSRR1 was decreased. AaSRR1 is required for vegetative growth but is dispensable for fungal virulence as assayed on detached calamondin leaves. AaSRR1 suppressed the expression of the gene encoding a HOG1 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase implicated in ROS resistance. Mutation of AaSRR1 increased catalase activity but decreased superoxide dismutase activity, leading to fewer ROS accumulation in the cytosol. Nevertheless, our results indicated that AaSRR1 is a transcription suppressor for ROS resistance. This study also revealed tradeoffs between stress responses and hyphal growth in A. alternata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Yu Lu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ling Huang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ching Wu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan.
| | - Xian-Yong Wei
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Jonar I Yago
- Plant Science Department, College of Agriculture, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya 3700, Philippines
| | - Kuang-Ren Chung
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan.
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13
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Dora S, Terrett OM, Sánchez-Rodríguez C. Plant-microbe interactions in the apoplast: Communication at the plant cell wall. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:1532-1550. [PMID: 35157079 PMCID: PMC9048882 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The apoplast is a continuous plant compartment that connects cells between tissues and organs and is one of the first sites of interaction between plants and microbes. The plant cell wall occupies most of the apoplast and is composed of polysaccharides and associated proteins and ions. This dynamic part of the cell constitutes an essential physical barrier and a source of nutrients for the microbe. At the same time, the plant cell wall serves important functions in the interkingdom detection, recognition, and response to other organisms. Thus, both plant and microbe modify the plant cell wall and its environment in versatile ways to benefit from the interaction. We discuss here crucial processes occurring at the plant cell wall during the contact and communication between microbe and plant. Finally, we argue that these local and dynamic changes need to be considered to fully understand plant-microbe interactions.
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14
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Tamez-Castrellón AK, van der Beek SL, López-Ramírez LA, Martínez-Duncker I, Lozoya-Pérez NE, van Sorge NM, Mora-Montes HM. Disruption of protein rhamnosylation affects the Sporothrix schenckii-host interaction. Cell Surf 2021; 7:100058. [PMID: 34308006 PMCID: PMC8258688 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2021.100058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sporotrichosis is a fungal disease caused by the members of the Sporothrix pathogenic clade, and one of the etiological agents is Sporothrix schenckii. The cell wall of this organism has been previously analyzed and thus far is known to contain an inner layer composed of chitin and β -glucans, and an outer layer of glycoproteins, which are decorated with mannose and rhamnose-containing oligosaccharides. The L-rhamnose biosynthesis pathway is common in bacteria but rare in members of the Fungi kingdom. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to disrupt this metabolic route to assess the contribution of rhamnose during the S. schenckii-host interaction. We identified and silenced in S. schenckii a functional ortholog of the bacterial rmlD gene, which encodes for an essential reductase for the synthesis of nucleotide-activated L-rhamnose. RmlD silencing did not affect fungal growth or morphology but decreased cell wall rhamnose content. Compensatory, the β-1,3-glucan levels increased and were more exposed at the cell surface. Moreover, when incubated with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the RmlD silenced mutants differentially stimulated cytokine production when compared with the wild-type strain, reducing TNFα and IL-6 levels and increasing IL-1 β and IL-10 production. Upon incubation with human monocyte-derived macrophages, the silenced strains were more efficiently phagocytosed than the wild-type strain. In both cases, our data suggest that rhamnose-based oligosaccharides are ligands that interact with TLR4. Finally, our findings showed that cell wall rhamnose is required for the S. schenckii virulence in the G. mellonella model of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alma K. Tamez-Castrellón
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, col. Noria Alta, C.P. 36050 Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico
| | - Samantha L. van der Beek
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Medical Microbiology, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Luz A. López-Ramírez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, col. Noria Alta, C.P. 36050 Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico
| | - Iván Martínez-Duncker
- Laboratorio de Glicobiología Humana y Diagnóstico Molecular, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca Mor. 62209, Mexico
| | - Nancy E. Lozoya-Pérez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, col. Noria Alta, C.P. 36050 Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico
| | - Nina M. van Sorge
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Medical Microbiology, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Héctor M. Mora-Montes
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, col. Noria Alta, C.P. 36050 Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico
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15
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Le THT, Le TN, Yoshimi A, Abe K, Imanishi-Shimizu Y, Shimizu K. Hyperosmotic medium partially restores the growth defect and the impaired production of sterigmatocystin of an Aspergillus nidulans ΔpmtC mutant in a HogA-independent manner. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2021; 368:6373441. [PMID: 34549285 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnab127] [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: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein O-mannosyltransferase catalyzes O-mannosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum by transferring mannose to the seryl or threonyl residues of substrate proteins. We previously reported a deletion mutant of O-mannosyltransferase C (ΔpmtC) in Aspergillus nidulans with impaired vegetative growth and sterigmatocystin (ST) production. In this study, we investigated whether osmotic conditions contribute to the developmental processes and ST biosynthesis of the ΔpmtC deletion mutant. We found that hyphal growth and ST production partially improved in the presence of NaCl, KCl or sorbitol as osmotic stabilizers. Conidiation of the ΔpmtC deletion mutant was not restored under osmotic stress conditions when the hogA gene was deleted. The hogA gene encodes a protein required for the cellular response to osmotic pressure. However, the yield of ST and the vegetative growth of the ΔhogA ΔpmtC double deletant was restored by high osmolarity in a HogA-independent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Huynh Tram Le
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Microbial Biotechnology, Biotechnology Center of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thy Nhan Le
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Nong Lam University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Akira Yoshimi
- New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan.,Laboratory of Environmental Interface Technology of Filamentous Fungi, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keietsu Abe
- New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan.,Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yumi Imanishi-Shimizu
- Department of Bioscience, College of Science and Engineering, Kanto Gakuin University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kiminori Shimizu
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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Chanda K, Mozumder AB, Chorei R, Gogoi RK, Prasad HK. A Lignocellulolytic Colletotrichum sp. OH with Broad-Spectrum Tolerance to Lignocellulosic Pretreatment Compounds and Derivatives and the Efficiency to Produce Hydrogen Peroxide and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Tolerant Cellulases. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:785. [PMID: 34682207 PMCID: PMC8540663 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal endophytes are an emerging source of novel traits and biomolecules suitable for lignocellulosic biomass treatment. This work documents the toxicity tolerance of Colletotrichum sp. OH toward various lignocellulosic pretreatment-derived inhibitors. The effects of aldehydes (vanillin, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural; HMF), acids (gallic, formic, levulinic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid), phenolics (hydroquinone, p-coumaric acid), and two pretreatment chemicals (hydrogen peroxide and ionic liquid), on the mycelium growth, biomass accumulation, and lignocellulolytic enzyme activities, were tested. The reported Colletotrichum sp. OH was naturally tolerant to high concentrations of single inhibitors like HMF (IC50; 17.5 mM), levulinic acid (IC50; 29.7 mM), hydroquinone (IC50; 10.76 mM), and H2O2 (IC50; 50 mM). The lignocellulolytic enzymes displayed a wide range of single and mixed inhibitor tolerance profiles. The enzymes β-glucosidase and endoglucanase showed H2O2- and HMF-dependent activity enhancements. The enzyme β-glucosidase activity was 34% higher in 75 mM and retained 20% activity in 125 mM H2O2. Further, β-glucosidase activity increased to 24 and 32% in the presence of 17.76 and 8.8 mM HMF. This research suggests that the Colletotrichum sp. OH, or its enzymes, can be used to pretreat plant biomass, hydrolyze it, and remove inhibitory by-products.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Himanshu Kishore Prasad
- Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar 788011, India; (K.C.); (A.B.M.); (R.C.); (R.K.G.)
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17
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Micafungin-Induced Cell Wall Damage Stimulates Morphological Changes Consistent with Microcycle Conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070525. [PMID: 34210108 PMCID: PMC8306900 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal cell wall receptors relay messages about the state of the cell wall to the nucleus through the Cell Wall Integrity Signaling (CWIS) pathway. The ultimate role of the CWIS pathway is to coordinate repair of cell wall damage and to restore normal hyphal growth. Echinocandins such as micafungin represent a class of antifungals that trigger cell wall damage by affecting synthesis of β-glucans. To obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of the CWIS response and its multiple effects, we have coupled dynamic transcriptome analysis with morphological studies of Aspergillus nidulans hyphae in responds to micafungin. Our results reveal that expression of the master regulator of asexual development, BrlA, is induced by micafungin exposure. Further study showed that micafungin elicits morphological changes consistent with microcycle conidiation and that this effect is abolished in the absence of MpkA. Our results suggest that microcycle conidiation may be a general response to cell wall perturbation which in some cases would enable fungi to tolerate or survive otherwise lethal damage.
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18
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Rocha MC, Fabri JHTM, Silva LP, Angolini CFF, Bertolini MC, da Cunha AF, Valiante V, Goldman GH, Fill TP, Malavazi I. Transcriptional Control of the Production of Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia-Borne Secondary Metabolite Fumiquinazoline C Important for Phagocytosis Protection. Genetics 2021; 218:6168429. [PMID: 33705521 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus produces diverse secondary metabolites whose biological functions and regulation remain to be understood. Despite the importance of the conidia for this fungus, the role of the conidia-born metabolite fumiquinazoline C (FqC) is unclear. Here, we describe a dual function of the cell-wall integrity pathway in regulating FqC biosynthesis dictated by the MAPK kinase MpkA, which phosphorylates one of the nonribosomal peptide synthetases enzymes of the cluster (FmqC), and the transcription factor RlmA, which directly regulates the expression of fmq genes. Another level of crosstalk between the FqC regulation and the cell physiology is described since the deletion of the stress-responsive transcription factor sebA provokes derepression of the fmq cluster and overproduction of FqC. Thus, we describe a mechanism by which A. fumigatus controls FqC biosynthesis orchestrated by MpkA-RlmA and SebA and hence enabling survival and adaptation to the environmental niche, given that FqC is a deterrent of ameba predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Campos Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Henrique Tadini Marilhano Fabri
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lilian Pereira Silva
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia, Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson Ferreira da Cunha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz Research Group Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Taicia Pacheco Fill
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Yang Q, Wu M, Zhu YL, Yang YQ, Mei YZ, Dai CC. The disruption of the MAPKK gene triggering the synthesis of flavonoids in endophytic fungus Phomopsis liquidambaris. Biotechnol Lett 2020; 43:119-132. [PMID: 33128663 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-03042-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Flavonoids, which are mainly extracted from plants, are important antioxidants and play an important role in human diseases. However, the growing market demand is limited by low productivity and complex production processes. Herein, the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway of the endophytic fungus Phomopsis liquidambaris was revealed. The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) of the strain was disrupted using a newly constructed CRISPR-Cas9 system mediated by two gRNAs which was conducive to cause plasmid loss. The disruption of the MAPKK gene triggered the biosynthesis of flavonoids against stress and resulted in the precipitation of flavonoids from fermentation broth. Naringenin, kaempferol and quercetin were detected in fed-batch fermentation with yields of 5.65 mg/L, 1.96 mg/L and 2.37 mg/L from P. liquidambaris for dry cell weigh using the mixture of glucose and xylose and corn steep powder as carbon source and nitrogen source for 72 h, respectively. The biosynthesis of flavonoids was triggered by disruption of MAPKK gene in P. liquidambaris and the mutant could utilize xylose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mei Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ya-Li Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ya-Qiong Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan-Zhen Mei
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chuan-Chao Dai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China.
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20
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Gutierrez-Armijos R, Sussmann RAC, Silber AM, Cortez M, Hernandez A. Abnormal sterol-induced cell wall glucan deficiency in yeast is due to impaired glucan synthase transport to the plasma membrane. Biochem J 2020; 477:BCJ20200663. [PMID: 33094814 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal sterols disrupt cellular functions through yet unclear mechanisms. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, accumulation of Δ8-sterols, the same type of sterols observed in patients of Conradi-Hünermann-Happle syndrome or in fungi after amine fungicide treatment, leads to cell wall weakness. We have studied the influence of Δ8-sterols on the activity of glucan synthase I, the protein synthetizing the main polymer in fungal cell walls, its regulation by the Cell Wall Integrity (CWI) pathway, and its transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane. We ascertained that the catalytic characteristics were mostly unaffected by the presence of abnormal sterols but the enzyme was partially retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, leading to glucan deficit at the cell wall. Furthermore, we observed that glucan synthase I traveled through an unconventional exocytic route to the plasma membrane that is associated with low density intracellular membranes. Also, we found out that the CWI pathway remained inactive despite low glucan levels at the cell wall. Taken together, these data suggest that Δ8-sterols affect cell walls by inhibiting unconventional secretion of proteins leading to retention and degradation of glucan synthase I, while the compensatory CWI pathway is unable to activate. These results could be instrumental to understand defects of bone development in cholesterol biosynthesis disorders and fungicide mechanisms of action.
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21
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Acur A, Arias RS, Odongo S, Tuhaise S, Ssekandi J, Adriko J, Muhanguzi D, Buah S, Kiggundu A. Genetic diversity of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus isolated from selected groundnut growing agro-ecological zones of Uganda. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:252. [PMID: 32795262 PMCID: PMC7427931 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01924-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Groundnut pre- and post-harvest contamination is commonly caused by fungi from the Genus Aspergillus. Aspergillus flavus is the most important of these fungi. It belongs to section Flavi; a group consisting of aflatoxigenic (A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius) and non-aflatoxigenic (A. oryzae, A. sojae and A. tamarii) fungi. Aflatoxins are food-borne toxic secondary metabolites of Aspergillus species associated with severe hepatic carcinoma and children stuntedness. Despite the well-known public health significance of aflatoxicosis, there is a paucity of information about the prevalence, genetic diversity and population structure of A. flavus in different groundnut growing agro-ecological zones of Uganda. This cross-sectional study was therefore conducted to fill this knowledge gap. Results The overall pre- and post-harvest groundnut contamination rates with A. flavus were 30.0 and 39.2% respectively. Pre- and post-harvest groundnut contamination rates with A. flavus across AEZs were; 2.5 and 50.0%; (West Nile), 55.0 and 35.0% (Lake Kyoga Basin) and 32.5 and 32.5% (Lake Victoria Basin) respectively. There was no significant difference (χ2 = 2, p = 0.157) in overall pre- and post-harvest groundnut contamination rates with A. flavus and similarly no significant difference (χ2 = 6, p = 0.199) was observed in the pre- and post-harvest contamination of groundnut with A. flavus across the three AEZs. The LKB had the highest incidence of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus isolates while WN had no single Aspergillus isolate with aflatoxin-producing potential. Aspergillus isolates from the pre-harvest groundnut samples had insignificantly higher incidence of aflatoxin production (χ2 = 2.667, p = 0.264) than those from the post-harvest groundnut samples. Overall, A. flavus isolates exhibited moderate level (92%, p = 0.02) of genetic diversity across the three AEZs and low level (8%, p = 0.05) of genetic diversity within the individual AEZs. There was a weak positive correlation (r = 0.1241, p = 0.045) between genetic distance and geographic distance among A. flavus populations in the LKB, suggesting that genetic differentiation in the LKB population might be associated to geographic distance. A very weak positive correlation existed between genetic variation and geographic location in the entire study area (r = 0.01, p = 0.471), LVB farming system (r = 0.0141, p = 0.412) and WN farming system (r = 0.02, p = 0.478). Hierarchical clustering using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA) revealed two main clusters of genetically similar A. flavus isolates. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that genetic differentiation in A. flavus populations is independent of geographic distance. This information can be valuable in the development of a suitable biocontrol management strategy of aflatoxin-producing A. flavus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos Acur
- National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 7065, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Renée S Arias
- National Peanut Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 509, 1011 Forrester Drive, S.E, Dawson, GA, 39842, USA
| | - Steven Odongo
- College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Samuel Tuhaise
- National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 7065, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joseph Ssekandi
- National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 7065, Kampala, Uganda
| | - John Adriko
- National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 7065, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dennis Muhanguzi
- College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Stephen Buah
- National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 7065, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Andrew Kiggundu
- National Agricultural Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 7065, Kampala, Uganda
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Francisco CS, Zwyssig MM, Palma-Guerrero J. The role of vegetative cell fusions in the development and asexual reproduction of the wheat fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. BMC Biol 2020; 18:99. [PMID: 32782023 PMCID: PMC7477884 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00838-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability of fungal cells to undergo cell-to-cell communication and anastomosis, the process of vegetative hyphal fusion, allows them to maximize their overall fitness. Previous studies in a number of fungal species have identified the requirement of several signaling pathways for anastomosis, including the so far best characterized soft (So) gene, and the MAPK pathway components MAK-1 and MAK-2 of Neurospora crassa. Despite the observations of hyphal fusions' involvement in pathogenicity and host adhesion, the connection between cell fusion and fungal lifestyles is still unclear. Here, we address the role of anastomosis in fungal development and asexual reproduction in Zymoseptoria tritici, the most important fungal pathogen of wheat in Europe. RESULTS We show that Z. tritici undergoes self-fusion between distinct cellular structures, and its mechanism is dependent on the initial cell density. Contrary to other fungi, cell fusion in Z. tritici only resulted in cytoplasmic mixing but not in multinucleated cell formation. The deletion of the So orthologous ZtSof1 disrupted cell-to-cell communication affecting both hyphal and germling fusion. We show that Z. tritici mutants for MAPK-encoding ZtSlt2 (orthologous to MAK-1) and ZtFus3 (orthologous to MAK-2) genes also failed to undergo anastomosis, demonstrating the functional conservation of this signaling mechanism across species. Additionally, the ΔZtSof1 mutant was severely impaired in melanization, suggesting that the So gene function is related to melanization. Finally, we demonstrated that anastomosis is dispensable for pathogenicity, but essential for the pycnidium development, and its absence abolishes the asexual reproduction of Z. tritici. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate the role for ZtSof1, ZtSlt2, and ZtFus3 in cell fusions of Z. tritici. Cell fusions are essential for different aspects of the Z. tritici biology, and the ZtSof1 gene is a potential target to control septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Manuela Zwyssig
- Plant Pathology Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Javier Palma-Guerrero
- Plant Pathology Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- New Address: Department of Biointeractions and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK.
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Miyazawa K, Yoshimi A, Abe K. The mechanisms of hyphal pellet formation mediated by polysaccharides, α-1,3-glucan and galactosaminogalactan, in Aspergillus species. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2020; 7:10. [PMID: 32626592 PMCID: PMC7329490 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-020-00101-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are widely used for production of enzymes and chemicals, and are industrially cultivated both in liquid and solid cultures. Submerged culture is often used as liquid culture for filamentous fungi. In submerged culture, filamentous fungi show diverse macromorphology such as hyphal pellets and dispersed hyphae depending on culture conditions and genetic backgrounds of fungal strains. Although the macromorphology greatly affects the productivity of submerged cultures, the specific cellular components needed for hyphal aggregation after conidial germination have not been characterized. Recently we reported that the primary cell wall polysaccharide α-1,3-glucan and the extracellular polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG) contribute to hyphal aggregation in Aspergillus oryzae, and that a strain deficient in both α-1,3-glucan and GAG shows dispersed hyphae in liquid culture. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the contribution of chemical properties of α-1,3-glucan and GAG to hyphal aggregation. Various ascomycetes and basidiomycetes have α-1,3-glucan synthase gene(s). In addition, some Pezizomycotina fungi, including species used in the fermentation industry, also have GAG biosynthetic genes. We also review here the known mechanisms of biosynthesis of α-1,3-glucan and GAG. Regulation of the biosynthesis of the two polysaccharides could be a potential way of controlling formation of hyphal pellets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Miyazawa
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8572 Japan
| | - Akira Yoshimi
- Laboratory of Environmental Interface Technology of Filamentous Fungi, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502 Japan.,ABE-project, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579 Japan
| | - Keietsu Abe
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8572 Japan.,ABE-project, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579 Japan.,Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8572 Japan
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24
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Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprotrophic fungus; its primary habitat is the soil. In its ecological niche, the fungus has learned how to adapt and proliferate in hostile environments. This capacity has helped the fungus to resist and survive against human host defenses and, further, to be responsible for one of the most devastating lung infections in terms of morbidity and mortality. In this review, we will provide (i) a description of the biological cycle of A. fumigatus; (ii) a historical perspective of the spectrum of aspergillus disease and the current epidemiological status of these infections; (iii) an analysis of the modes of immune response against Aspergillus in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients; (iv) an understanding of the pathways responsible for fungal virulence and their host molecular targets, with a specific focus on the cell wall; (v) the current status of the diagnosis of different clinical syndromes; and (vi) an overview of the available antifungal armamentarium and the therapeutic strategies in the clinical context. In addition, the emergence of new concepts, such as nutritional immunity and the integration and rewiring of multiple fungal metabolic activities occurring during lung invasion, has helped us to redefine the opportunistic pathogenesis of A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Latgé
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Georgios Chamilos
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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25
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Qin J, Wu M, Zhou S. FgEaf6 regulates virulence, asexual/sexual development and conidial septation in Fusarium graminearum. Curr Genet 2019; 66:517-529. [PMID: 31728616 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-01043-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is a destructive fungal pathogen and a major cause of Fusarium head blight (FHB) which results in severe grain yield losses and quality reduction. Additionally, the pathogen produces mycotoxins during plant infection, which are harmful to the health of humans and livestock. As it is well known that lysine acetyltransferase complexes play important roles in pathogenesis, the roles of the Eaf6 homolog-containing complex have not been reported in fungal pathogen. In this study, a Eaf6 homolog FgEaf6 was identified in F. graminearum. To investigate the functions of FgEaf6, the gene was deleted using the split-marker method. ΔFgEaf6 mutant exhibited manifold defects in hyphal growth, conidial septation, asexual and sexual reproduction. Moreover, the virulence of the ΔFgEaf6 mutant was drastically reduced in both wheat heads and wheat coleoptiles. However, the FgEaf6 gene deletion did not impact DON production. An FgEaf6-gfp fusion localized to the nucleus and a conserved coiled-coil (C-C) domain was predicted in the sequence. Mutants with deletions in the C-C domain displayed similar defects during development and virulence as observed in the ΔFgEaf6 mutant. Moreover, the truncated gene was cytoplasm localized. In conclusion, the FgEaf6 encodes a nuclear protein, which plays key regulatory roles in hyphal growth, conidial septation, asexual/sexual reproduction, and the virulence of F. graminearum. The C-C is an indispensable domain in the gene. This is the first report on Eaf6 homolog functioning in virulence of fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Qin
- College of Plant Health and Medicine, The Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pests Management of Shandong Province, Qingdao Agricultural University, No. 700 Changcheng Road, Chengyang, Qingdao, 266109, Shandong, China
| | - Mengchun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Aeras, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shanyue Zhou
- College of Plant Health and Medicine, The Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pests Management of Shandong Province, Qingdao Agricultural University, No. 700 Changcheng Road, Chengyang, Qingdao, 266109, Shandong, China.
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cross-Talk Interaction Modulates the Production of Melanins in Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00215-19. [PMID: 30914505 PMCID: PMC6437049 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00215-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne human pathogenic fungus, causing thousands of deaths per year. Its lethality is due to late and often inaccurate diagnosis and the lack of efficient therapeutics. The failure of efficient prophylaxis and therapy is based on the ability of this pathogen to activate numerous salvage pathways that are capable of overcoming the different drug-derived stresses. A major role in the protection of A. fumigatus is played by melanins. Melanins are cell wall-associated macromolecules classified as virulence determinants. The understanding of the various signaling pathways acting in this organism can be used to elucidate the mechanism beyond melanin production and help to identify ideal drug targets. The pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is able to adapt to extremely variable environmental conditions. The A. fumigatus genome contains four genes coding for mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which are important regulatory knots involved in diverse cellular responses. From a clinical perspective, MAPK activity has been connected to salvage pathways, which can determine the failure of effective treatment of invasive mycoses using antifungal drugs. Here, we report the characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fus3 ortholog in A. fumigatus, designated MpkB. We demonstrate that MpkB is important for conidiation and that its deletion induces a copious increase of dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin production. Simultaneous deletion of mpkB and mpkA, the latter related to maintenance of the cell wall integrity, normalized DHN-melanin production. Localization studies revealed that MpkB translocates into the nuclei when A. fumigatus germlings are exposed to caspofungin stress, and this is dependent on the cross-talk interaction with MpkA. Additionally, DHN-melanin formation was also increased after deletion of genes coding for the Gα protein GpaA and for the G protein-coupled receptor GprM. Yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation assays confirmed that GpaA and GprM interact, suggesting their role in the MpkB signaling cascade.
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27
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Chelius CL, Ribeiro LFC, Huso W, Kumar J, Lincoln S, Tran B, Goo YA, Srivastava R, Harris SD, Marten MR. Phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal multiple functions for Aspergillus nidulans MpkA independent of cell wall stress. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 125:1-12. [PMID: 30639305 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The protein kinase MpkA plays a prominent role in the cell wall integrity signaling (CWIS) pathway, acting as the terminal MAPK activating expression of genes which encode cell wall biosynthetic enzymes and other repair functions. Numerous studies focus on MpkA function during cell wall perturbation. Here, we focus on the role MpkA plays outside of cell wall stress, during steady state growth. In an effort to seek other, as yet unknown, connections to this pathway, an mpkA deletion mutant (ΔmpkA) was subjected to phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic analysis. When compared to the control (isogenic parent of ΔmpkA), there is strong evidence suggesting MpkA is involved with maintaining cell wall strength, branching regulation, and the iron starvation pathway, among others. Particle-size analysis during shake flask growth revealed ΔmpkA mycelia were about 4 times smaller than the control strain and more than 90 cell wall related genes show significantly altered expression levels. The deletion mutant had a significantly higher branching rate than the control and phosphoproteomic results show putative branching-regulation proteins, such as CotA, LagA, and Cdc24, have a significantly different level of phosphorylation. When grown in iron limited conditions, ΔmpkA had no difference in growth rate or production of siderophores, whereas the control strain showed decreased growth rate and increased siderophore production. Transcriptomic data revealed over 25 iron related genes with altered transcript levels. Results suggest MpkA is involved with regulation of broad cellular functions in the absence of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Chelius
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Liliane F C Ribeiro
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Walker Huso
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Jyothi Kumar
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Stephen Lincoln
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States
| | - Bao Tran
- Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Young Ah Goo
- Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Ranjan Srivastava
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States
| | - Steven D Harris
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Mark R Marten
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States.
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Vélez-Segarra V, Carrasquillo-Carrión K, Santini-González JJ, Ramos-Valerio YA, Vázquez-Quiñones LE, Roche-Lima A, Rodríguez-Medina JR, Parés-Matos EI. Modelling and molecular docking studies of the cytoplasmic domain of Wsc-family, full-length Ras2p, and therapeutic antifungal compounds. Comput Biol Chem 2019; 78:338-352. [PMID: 30654316 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the budding yeast, must remodel initial cell shape and cell wall integrity during vegetative growth and pheromone-induced morphogenesis. The cell wall remodeling is monitored and regulated by the cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway. Wsc1p, together with Wsc2p and Wsc3p, belongs to a family of highly O-glycosylated cell surface proteins that function as stress sensors of the cell wall in S. cerevisiae. These cell surface proteins have the main role of activating the CWI signaling pathway by stimulating the small G-protein Rho1p, which subsequently activates protein kinase C (Pkc1p) and a mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade that activates downstream transcription factors of stress-response genes. Wsc1p, Wsc2p, and Wsc3p possess a cytoplasmic domain where two conserved regions of the sequence have been assessed to be important for Rom2p interaction. Meanwhile, other research groups have also proposed that these transmembrane proteins could support protein-protein interactions with Ras2p. Molecular structures of the cytoplasmic domain of Wsc1p, Wsc2p and Wsc3p were generated using the standard and fully-automated ORCHESTAR procedures provided by the Sybyl-X 2.1.1 program. The tridimensional structure of full length Ras2p was also generated with Phyre2. These protein models were validated with Procheck-PDBsum and ProSA-web tools and subsequently used in docking-based modeling of protein-protein and protein-compound interfaces for extensive structural and functional characterization of their interaction. The results retrieved from STRING 10.5 suggest that the Wsc-family is involved in protein-protein interactions with each other and with Ras2p. Docking-based studies also validated the existence of protein-protein interactions mainly between Motif I (Wsc3p > Wsc1p > Wsc2p) and Ras2p, in agreement with the data provided by STRING 10.5. Additionally, it has shown that Calcofluor White preferably binds to Wsc1p (-9.5 kcal/mol), meanwhile Caspofungin binds to Wsc3p (-9.1 kcal/mol), Wsc1p (-9.1 kcal/mol) and more weakly Wsc2p (-6.9 kcal/mol). Thus, these data suggests Caspofungin as a common inhibitor for the Wsc-family. MTiOpenScreen database has provided a list of new compounds with energy scores higher than those compounds used in our docking studies, thus suggesting these new compounds have a better affinity towards the cytoplasmic domains and Ras2p. Based on these data, there are new and possibly more effective compounds that should be considered as therapeutic agents against yeast infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Vélez-Segarra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, 00936, Puerto Rico
| | - Kelvin Carrasquillo-Carrión
- Center for Collaborative Research in Health Disparities, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, 00936, Puerto Rico
| | - Jorge J Santini-González
- Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, 00680, Puerto Rico
| | - Yabdiel A Ramos-Valerio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, 00680, Puerto Rico
| | - Luis E Vázquez-Quiñones
- School of Sciences and Technology, Universidad Metropolitana, 1399 Ana G. Méndez Avenue, San Juan, 00926-2602, Puerto Rico
| | - Abiel Roche-Lima
- Center for Collaborative Research in Health Disparities, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, 00936, Puerto Rico
| | - José R Rodríguez-Medina
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, 00936, Puerto Rico
| | - Elsie I Parés-Matos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, 00680, Puerto Rico.
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