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Ross RL, Santiago-Tirado FH. Advanced genetic techniques in fungal pathogen research. mSphere 2024; 9:e0064323. [PMID: 38470131 PMCID: PMC11036804 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00643-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Although fungi have been important model organisms for solving genetic, molecular, and ecological problems, recently, they are also becoming an important source of infectious disease. Despite their high medical burden, fungal pathogens are understudied, and relative to other pathogenic microbes, less is known about how their gene functions contribute to disease. This is due, in part, to a lack of powerful genetic tools to study these organisms. In turn, this has resulted in inappropriate treatments and diagnostics and poor disease management. There are a variety of reasons genetic studies were challenging in pathogenic fungi, but in recent years, most of them have been overcome or advances have been made to circumvent these barriers. In this minireview, we highlight how recent advances in genetic studies in fungal pathogens have resulted in the discovery of important biology and potential new antifungals and have created the tools to comprehensively study these important pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbi L. Ross
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Felipe H. Santiago-Tirado
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
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Chen C, Wu S, Sun Y, Zhou J, Chen Y, Zhang J, Birchler JA, Han F, Yang N, Su H. Three near-complete genome assemblies reveal substantial centromere dynamics from diploid to tetraploid in Brachypodium genus. Genome Biol 2024; 25:63. [PMID: 38439049 PMCID: PMC10910784 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03206-w] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Centromeres are critical for maintaining genomic stability in eukaryotes, and their turnover shapes genome architectures and drives karyotype evolution. However, the co-evolution of centromeres from different species in allopolyploids over millions of years remains largely unknown. RESULTS Here, we generate three near-complete genome assemblies, a tetraploid Brachypodium hybridum and its two diploid ancestors, Brachypodium distachyon and Brachypodium stacei. We detect high degrees of sequence, structural, and epigenetic variations of centromeres at base-pair resolution between closely related Brachypodium genomes, indicating the appearance and accumulation of species-specific centromere repeats from a common origin during evolution. We also find that centromere homogenization is accompanied by local satellite repeats bursting and retrotransposon purging, and the frequency of retrotransposon invasions drives the degree of interspecies centromere diversification. We further investigate the dynamics of centromeres during alloploidization process, and find that dramatic genetics and epigenetics architecture variations are associated with the turnover of centromeres between homologous chromosomal pairs from diploid to tetraploid. Additionally, our pangenomes analysis reveals the ongoing variations of satellite repeats and stable evolutionary homeostasis within centromeres among individuals of each Brachypodium genome with different polyploidy levels. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide unprecedented information on the genomic, epigenomic, and functional diversity of highly repetitive DNA between closely related species and their allopolyploid genomes at both coarse and fine scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanye Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Siying Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yishuang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jingwei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - James A Birchler
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Fangpu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ning Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Handong Su
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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Chávez-Tinoco M, García-Ortega LF, Mancera E. Genetic modification of Candida maltosa, a non-pathogenic CTG species, reveals EFG1 function. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2024; 170:001447. [PMID: 38456839 PMCID: PMC10999747 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Candida maltosa is closely related to important pathogenic Candida species, especially C. tropicalis and C. albicans, but it has been rarely isolated from humans. For this reason, through comparative studies, it could be a powerful model to understand the genetic underpinnings of the pathogenicity of Candida species. Here, we generated a cohesive assembly of the C. maltosa genome and developed genetic engineering tools that will facilitate studying this species at a molecular level. We used a combination of short and long-read sequencing to build a polished genomic draft composed of 14 Mbp, 45 contigs and close to 5700 genes. This assembly represents a substantial improvement from the currently available sequences that are composed of thousands of contigs. Genomic comparison with C. albicans and C. tropicalis revealed a substantial reduction in the total number of genes in C. maltosa. However, gene loss seems not to be associated to the avirulence of this species given that most genes that have been previously associated with pathogenicity were also present in C. maltosa. To be able to edit the genome of C. maltosa we generated a set of triple auxotrophic strains so that gene deletions can be performed similarly to what has been routinely done in pathogenic Candida species. As a proof of concept, we generated gene knockouts of EFG1, a gene that encodes a transcription factor that is essential for filamentation and biofilm formation in C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Characterization of these mutants showed that Efg1 also plays a role in biofilm formation and filamentous growth in C. maltosa, but it seems to be a repressor of filamentation in this species. The genome assembly and auxotrophic mutants developed here are a key step forward to start using C. maltosa for comparative and evolutionary studies at a molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Chávez-Tinoco
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Mexico
| | - Luis F. García-Ortega
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Mexico
| | - Eugenio Mancera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Mexico
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Narayanan A, Reza MH, Sanyal K. Behind the scenes: Centromere-driven genomic innovations in fungal pathogens. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012080. [PMID: 38547101 PMCID: PMC10977804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Md. Hashim Reza
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
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Deng Y, Guo L, Lin L, Li Y, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Yuan B, Ke L, Xie B, Ming R. Meiosis in an asymmetric dikaryotic genome of Tremella fuciformis Tr01 facilitates new chromosome formation. Genome Biol 2023; 24:280. [PMID: 38053144 PMCID: PMC10696834 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03093-7] [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: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dikaryotic stage dominates most of the life cycle in basidiomycetes, and each cell carries two different haploid nuclei. Accurate phasing of these two nuclear genomes and their interactions have long been of interest. RESULTS We combine PacBio HiFi reads, Nanopore ultra-long reads, and Hi-C data to generate a complete, high-quality asymmetric dikaryotic genome of Tremella fuciformis Tr01, including Haplotypes A and B genomes. We assemble a meiotic haploid DBZ04 genome and detect three recombination events in these two haplotypes. We identify several chromosomal rearrangements that lead to differences in chromosome number, length, content, and sequence arrangement between these two haplotypes. Each nucleus contains a two-speed genome, harboring three accessory chromosomes and two accessory compartments that affect horizontal chromatin transfer between nuclei. We find few basidiospores are ejected from fruiting bodies of Tr01. Most monospore isolates sequenced belong to Tr01-Haplotype A genome architecture. More than one-third of monospore isolates carry one or two extra chromosomes including Chr12B and two new chromosomes ChrN1 and ChrN2. We hypothesize that homologous regions of seven sister chromatids pair into a large complex during meiosis, followed by inter-chromosomal recombination at physical contact sites and formation of new chromosomes. CONCLUSION We assemble two haplotype genomes of T. fuciformis Tr01 and provide the first overview of basidiomycetous genomes with discrete genomic architecture. Meiotic activities of asymmetric dikaryotic genomes result in formation of new chromosomes, aneuploidy of some daughter cells, and inviability of most other daughter cells. We propose a new approach for breeding of sporeless mushroom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjin Deng
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Lin Guo
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Longji Lin
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Yuefeng Li
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Jinxiang Zhang
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Bin Yuan
- Zhangzhou Institute of Agricultural Science, Zhangzhou, Fujian, 363005, China
| | - Lina Ke
- Zhangzhou Institute of Agricultural Science, Zhangzhou, Fujian, 363005, China
| | - Baogui Xie
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
| | - Ray Ming
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1201 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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Hu T, Wang S, Bing J, Zheng Q, Du H, Li C, Guan Z, Bai FY, Nobile CJ, Chu H, Huang G. Hotspot mutations and genomic expansion of ERG11 are major mechanisms of azole resistance in environmental and human commensal isolates of Candida tropicalis. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2023; 62:107010. [PMID: 37863341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.107010] [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: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Infections caused by azole-resistant Candida tropicalis strains are increasing in clinical settings. The reason for this epidemical change and the mechanisms of C. tropicalis azole resistance are not fully understood. METHODS In this study, we performed biological and genomic analyses of 239 C. tropicalis strains, including 115 environmental and 124 human commensal isolates. RESULTS Most (99.2%) of the isolates had a baseline diploid genome. The strains from both environmental and human niches exhibit similar abilities to survive under stressful conditions and produce secreted aspartic proteases. However, the human commensal isolates exhibited a stronger ability to filament than the environmental strains. We found that 19 environmental isolates (16.5%) and 24 human commensal isolates (19.4%) were resistant to fluconazole. Of the fluconazole-resistant strains, 37 isolates (86.0%) also exhibited cross-resistance to voriconazole. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that both environmental and commensal isolates were widely distributed in a number of genetic clusters, but the two populations exhibited a close genetic association. The majority of fluconazole-resistant isolates were clustered within a single clade (X). CONCLUSIONS The combination of hotspot mutations (Y132F and S154F) and genomic expansion of ERG11, which encodes the azole target lanosterol 14-α-demethylase and represents a major target of azole drugs, was a major mechanism for the development of azole resistance. The isolates carrying both hotspot mutations and genomic expansion of ERG11 exhibited cross-resistance to fluconazole and voriconazole. Moreover, the azole-resistant isolates from both the environmental and human commensal niches showed similar genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianren Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, Shanghai, China
| | - Sijia Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Bing
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiushi Zheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Du
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhangyue Guan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng-Yan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Clarissa J Nobile
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, California; Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, California
| | - Haiqing Chu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Guanghua Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, Shanghai, China.
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7
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Kadam S, Kumari K, Manivannan V, Dutta S, Mitra MK, Padinhateeri R. Predicting scale-dependent chromatin polymer properties from systematic coarse-graining. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4108. [PMID: 37433821 PMCID: PMC10336007 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39907-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Simulating chromatin is crucial for predicting genome organization and dynamics. Although coarse-grained bead-spring polymer models are commonly used to describe chromatin, the relevant bead dimensions, elastic properties, and the nature of inter-bead potentials are unknown. Using nucleosome-resolution contact probability (Micro-C) data, we systematically coarse-grain chromatin and predict quantities essential for polymer representation of chromatin. We compute size distributions of chromatin beads for different coarse-graining scales, quantify fluctuations and distributions of bond lengths between neighboring regions, and derive effective spring constant values. Unlike the prevalent notion, our findings argue that coarse-grained chromatin beads must be considered as soft particles that can overlap, and we derive an effective inter-bead soft potential and quantify an overlap parameter. We also compute angle distributions giving insights into intrinsic folding and local bendability of chromatin. While the nucleosome-linker DNA bond angle naturally emerges from our work, we show two populations of local structural states. The bead sizes, bond lengths, and bond angles show different mean behavior at Topologically Associating Domain (TAD) boundaries and TAD interiors. We integrate our findings into a coarse-grained polymer model and provide quantitative estimates of all model parameters, which can serve as a foundational basis for all future coarse-grained chromatin simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangram Kadam
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
| | - Kiran Kumari
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Vinoth Manivannan
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Shuvadip Dutta
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Mithun K Mitra
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Ranjith Padinhateeri
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
- Sunita Sanghi Centre of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
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Zhou S, Wu Y, Zhao Y, Zhang Z, Jiang L, Liu L, Zhang Y, Tang J, Yuan YJ. Dynamics of synthetic yeast chromosome evolution shaped by hierarchical chromatin organization. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad073. [PMID: 37223244 PMCID: PMC10202648 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic genome evolution provides a dynamic approach for systematically and straightforwardly exploring evolutionary processes. Synthetic Chromosome Rearrangement and Modification by LoxP-mediated Evolution (SCRaMbLE) is an evolutionary system intrinsic to the synthetic yeast genome that can rapidly drive structural variations. Here, we detect over 260 000 rearrangement events after the SCRaMbLEing of a yeast strain harboring 5.5 synthetic yeast chromosomes (synII, synIII, synV, circular synVI, synIXR and synX). Remarkably, we find that the rearrangement events exhibit a specific landscape of frequency. We further reveal that the landscape is shaped by the combined effects of chromatin accessibility and spatial contact probability. The rearrangements tend to occur in 3D spatially proximal and chromatin-accessible regions. The enormous numbers of rearrangements mediated by SCRaMbLE provide a driving force to potentiate directed genome evolution, and the investigation of the rearrangement landscape offers mechanistic insights into the dynamics of genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijie Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Limin Jiang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Epigenetic Group, FrasergenBioinformatics Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jijun Tang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Department of Computer Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Roth MG, Westrick NM, Baldwin TT. Fungal biotechnology: From yesterday to tomorrow. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2023; 4:1135263. [PMID: 37746125 PMCID: PMC10512358 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1135263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Fungi have been used to better the lives of everyday people and unravel the mysteries of higher eukaryotic organisms for decades. However, comparing progress and development stemming from fungal research to that of human, plant, and bacterial research, fungi remain largely understudied and underutilized. Recent commercial ventures have begun to gain popularity in society, providing a new surge of interest in fungi, mycelia, and potential new applications of these organisms to various aspects of research. Biotechnological advancements in fungal research cannot occur without intensive amounts of time, investments, and research tool development. In this review, we highlight past breakthroughs in fungal biotechnology, discuss requirements to advance fungal biotechnology even further, and touch on the horizon of new breakthroughs with the highest potential to positively impact both research and society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell G. Roth
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States
| | - Nathaniel M. Westrick
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Thomas T. Baldwin
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States
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Jaitly P, Legrand M, Das A, Patel T, Chauvel M, Maufrais C, d’Enfert C, Sanyal K. A phylogenetically-restricted essential cell cycle progression factor in the human pathogen Candida albicans. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4256. [PMID: 35869076 PMCID: PMC9307598 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31980-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal instability caused by cell division errors is associated with antifungal drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Here, we identify potential mechanisms underlying such instability by conducting an overexpression screen monitoring chromosomal stability in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Analysis of ~1000 genes uncovers six chromosomal stability (CSA) genes, five of which are related to cell division genes of other organisms. The sixth gene, CSA6, appears to be present only in species belonging to the CUG-Ser clade, which includes C. albicans and other human fungal pathogens. The protein encoded by CSA6 localizes to the spindle pole bodies, is required for exit from mitosis, and induces a checkpoint-dependent metaphase arrest upon overexpression. Thus, Csa6 is an essential cell cycle progression factor that is restricted to the CUG-Ser fungal clade, and could therefore be explored as a potential antifungal target. Chromosomal instability caused by cell division errors is associated with antifungal drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Here, Jaitly et al. identify several genes involved in chromosomal stability in Candida albicans, including a phylogenetically restricted gene encoding an essential cell-cycle progression factor.
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Keighley C, Gall M, van Hal SJ, Halliday CL, Chai LYA, Chew KL, Biswas C, Slavin MA, Meyer W, Sintchenko V, Chen SCA. Whole Genome Sequencing Shows Genetic Diversity, as Well as Clonal Complex and Gene Polymorphisms Associated with Fluconazole Non-Susceptible Isolates of Candida tropicalis. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8090896. [PMID: 36135621 PMCID: PMC9505729 DOI: 10.3390/jof8090896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to azoles in Candida tropicalis is increasing and may be mediated by genetic characteristics. Using whole genome sequencing (WGS), we examined the genetic diversity of 82 bloodstream C. tropicalis isolates from two countries and one ATCC strain in a global context. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based phylogenies were generated. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for antifungal agents were determined using Sensititre YeastOne YO10. Eleven (13.2%) isolates were fluconazole-resistant and 17 (20.5%) were classified as fluconazole-non susceptible (FNS). Together with four Canadian isolates, the genomes of 12 fluconazole-resistant (18 FNS) and 69 fluconazole-susceptible strains were examined for gene mutations associated with drug resistance. Fluconazole-resistant isolates contained a mean of 56 non-synonymous SNPs per isolate in contrast to 36 SNPs in fluconazole-susceptible isolates (interquartile range [IQR] 46−59 vs. 31−48 respectively; p < 0.001). Ten of 18 FNS isolates contained missense ERG11 mutations (amino acid substitutions S154F, Y132F, Y257H). Two echinocandin-non susceptible isolates had homozygous FKS1 mutations (S30P). MLST identified high genetic diversity with 61 diploid sequence types (DSTs), including 53 new DSTs. All four isolates in DST 773 were fluconazole-resistant within clonal complex 2. WGS showed high genetic variation in invasive C. tropicalis; azole resistance was distributed across different lineages but with DST 773 associated with in vitro fluconazole resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Keighley
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Mailie Gall
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Sebastiaan J. van Hal
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, New South Wales Health Pathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Catriona L. Halliday
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Louis Yi Ann Chai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Kean Lee Chew
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore 119074, Singapore
| | - Chayanika Biswas
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Monica A. Slavin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Wieland Meyer
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Research and Education Network, Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Vitali Sintchenko
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Sharon C. A. Chen
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
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12
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Mating-Type Switching in Budding Yeasts, from Flip/Flop Inversion to Cassette Mechanisms. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2022; 86:e0000721. [PMID: 35195440 PMCID: PMC8941940 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00007-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating-type switching is a natural but unusual genetic control process that regulates cell identity in ascomycete yeasts. It involves physically replacing one small piece of genomic DNA by another, resulting in replacement of the master regulatory genes in the mating pathway and hence a switch of cell type and mating behavior. In this review, we concentrate on recent progress that has been made on understanding the origins and evolution of mating-type switching systems in budding yeasts (subphylum Saccharomycotina). Because of the unusual nature and the complexity of the mechanism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mating-type switching was assumed until recently to have originated only once or twice during yeast evolution. However, comparative genomics analysis now shows that switching mechanisms arose many times independently-at least 11 times in budding yeasts and once in fission yeasts-a dramatic example of convergent evolution. Most of these lineages switch mating types by a flip/flop mechanism that inverts a section of a chromosome and is simpler than the well-characterized 3-locus cassette mechanism (MAT/HML/HMR) used by S. cerevisiae. Mating-type switching (secondary homothallism) is one of the two possible mechanisms by which a yeast species can become self-fertile. The other mechanism (primary homothallism) has also emerged independently in multiple evolutionary lineages of budding yeasts, indicating that homothallism has been favored strongly by natural selection. Recent work shows that HO endonuclease, which makes the double-strand DNA break that initiates switching at the S. cerevisiae MAT locus, evolved from an unusual mobile genetic element that originally targeted a glycolytic gene, FBA1.
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Abstract
AbstractThe order Onygenales is classified in the class Eurotiomycetes of the subphylum Pezizomycotina. Families in this order have classically been isolated from soil and dung, and two lineages contain causative agents of superficial, cutaneous and systemic infections in mammals. The ecology and habitat choices of the species are driven mainly by the keratin and cellulose degradation abilities. The present study aimed to investigate whether the ecological trends of the members of Onygenales can be interpreted in an evolutionary sense, linking phylogenetic parameters with habitat preferences, to achieve polyphasic definitions of the main taxonomic groups. Evolutionary processes were estimated by multiple gene genealogies and divergence time analysis. Previously described families, namely, Arthrodermataceae, Ajellomycetaceae, Ascosphaeraceae, Eremascaceae, Gymnoascaceae, Onygenaceae and Spiromastigoidaceae, were accepted in Onygenales, and two new families, Malbrancheaceae and Neogymnomycetaceae, were introduced. A number of species could not be assigned to any of the defined families. Our study provides a revised overview of the main lines of taxonomy of Onygenales, supported by multilocus analyses of ITS, LSU, TUB, TEF1, TEF3, RPB1, RPB2, and ribosomal protein 60S L10 (L1) (RP60S) sequences, combined with available data on ecology, physiology, morphology, and genomics.
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14
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Interactions of Both Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic CUG Clade Candida Species with Macrophages Share a Conserved Transcriptional Landscape. mBio 2021; 12:e0331721. [PMID: 34903044 PMCID: PMC8669484 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03317-21] [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] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida species are a leading cause of opportunistic, hospital-associated bloodstream infections with high mortality rates, typically in immunocompromised patients. Several species, including Candida albicans, the most prevalent cause of infection, belong to the monophyletic CUG clade of yeasts. Innate immune cells such as macrophages are crucial for controlling infection, and C. albicans responds to phagocytosis by a coordinated induction of pathways involved in catabolism of nonglucose carbon sources, termed alternative carbon metabolism, which together are essential for virulence. However, the interactions of other CUG clade species with macrophages have not been characterized. Here, we analyzed transcriptional responses to macrophage phagocytosis by six Candida species across a range of virulence and clinical importance. We define a core induced response common to pathogenic and nonpathogenic species alike, heavily weighted to alternative carbon metabolism. One prominent pathogen, Candida parapsilosis, showed species-specific expansion of phagocytosis-responsive genes, particularly metabolite transporters. C. albicans and Candida tropicalis, the other prominent pathogens, also had species-specific responses, but these were largely comprised of functionally uncharacterized genes. Transcriptional analysis of macrophages also demonstrated highly correlated proinflammatory transcriptional responses to different Candida species that were largely independent of fungal viability, suggesting that this response is driven by recognition of conserved cell wall components. This study significantly broadens our understanding of host interactions in CUG clade species, demonstrating that although metabolic plasticity is crucial for virulence in Candida, it alone is not sufficient to confer pathogenicity. Instead, we identify sets of mostly uncharacterized genes that may explain the evolution of pathogenicity.
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15
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Oh SH, Schliep K, Isenhower A, Rodriguez-Bobadilla R, Vuong VM, Fields CJ, Hernandez AG, Hoyer LL. Using Genomics to Shape the Definition of the Agglutinin-Like Sequence ( ALS) Family in the Saccharomycetales. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:794529. [PMID: 34970511 PMCID: PMC8712946 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.794529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Candida albicans agglutinin-like sequence (ALS) family is studied because of its contribution to cell adhesion, fungal colonization, and polymicrobial biofilm formation. The goal of this work was to derive an accurate census and sequence for ALS genes in pathogenic yeasts and other closely related species, while probing the boundaries of the ALS family within the Order Saccharomycetales. Bioinformatic methods were combined with laboratory experimentation to characterize 47 novel ALS loci from 8 fungal species. AlphaFold predictions suggested the presence of a conserved N-terminal adhesive domain (NT-Als) structure in all Als proteins reported to date, as well as in S. cerevisiae alpha-agglutinin (Sag1). Lodderomyces elongisporus, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, and Scheffersomyces stipitis were notable because each species had genes with C. albicans ALS features, as well as at least one that encoded a Sag1-like protein. Detection of recombination events between the ALS family and gene families encoding other cell-surface proteins such as Iff/Hyr and Flo suggest widespread domain swapping with the potential to create cell-surface diversity among yeast species. Results from the analysis also revealed subtelomeric ALS genes, ALS pseudogenes, and the potential for yeast species to secrete their own soluble adhesion inhibitors. Information presented here supports the inclusion of SAG1 in the ALS family and yields many experimental hypotheses to pursue to further reveal the nature of the ALS family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soon-Hwan Oh
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Klaus Schliep
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Allyson Isenhower
- Department of Biology, Millikin University, Decatur, IL, United States
| | | | - Vien M. Vuong
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Christopher J. Fields
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alvaro G. Hernandez
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Lois L. Hoyer
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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16
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Zhou S, Wu Y, Xie ZX, Jia B, Yuan YJ. Directed genome evolution driven by structural rearrangement techniques. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:12788-12807. [PMID: 34651628 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00722j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Directed genome evolution simulates the process of natural evolution at the genomic level in the laboratory to generate desired phenotypes. Here we review the applications of recent technological advances in genome writing and editing to directed genome evolution, with a focus on structural rearrangement techniques. We highlight how these techniques can be used to generate diverse genotypes, and to accelerate the evolution of phenotypic traits. We also discuss the perspectives of directed genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijie Zhou
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ze-Xiong Xie
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Bin Jia
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
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17
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Xu J. Is Natural Population of Candida tropicalis Sexual, Parasexual, and/or Asexual? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:751676. [PMID: 34760719 PMCID: PMC8573272 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.751676] [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: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida tropicalis is one of the most common opportunistic yeast pathogens of humans, especially prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. This yeast has broad ecological distributions, can be found in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including being associated with a diversity of trees, animals, and humans. Evolutionary theory predicts that organisms thriving in diverse ecological niches likely have efficient mechanisms to generate genetic diversity in nature. Indeed, abundant genetic variations have been reported in natural populations (both environmental and clinical) of C. tropicalis. However, at present, our understanding on how genetic diversity is generated in natural C. tropicalis population remains controversial. In this paper, I review the current understanding on the potential modes of reproduction in C. tropicalis. I describe expectations of the three modes of reproduction (sexual, parasexual, and asexual) and compare them with the observed genotypic variations in natural populations. Though sexual and parasexual reproduction cannot be excluded, the analyses suggest asexual reproduction alone could explain all the observations reported so far. The results here have implications for understanding the evolution and epidemiology of C. tropicalis and other related human fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Xu
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops and Center of Southern Economic Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China.,Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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18
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Lim SJ, Ali MSM, Sabri S, Noor NDM, Salleh AB, Oslan SN. Opportunistic yeast pathogen Candida spp.: Secreted and membrane-bound virulence factors. Med Mycol 2021; 59:1127-1144. [PMID: 34506621 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myab053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by Candida spp. especially Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis. Although the medicinal therapeutic strategies have rapidly improved, the mortality rate due to candidiasis has continuously increased. The secreted and membrane-bound virulence factors (VFs) are responsible for fungal invasion, damage and translocation through the host enterocytes besides the evasion from host immune system. VFs such as agglutinin-like sequences (Als), heat shock protein 70, phospholipases, secreted aspartyl proteinases (Sap), lipases, enolases and phytases are mostly hydrolases which degrade the enterocyte membrane components except for candidalysin, the VF acts as a peptide toxin to induce necrotic cell lysis. To date, structural studies of the VFs remain underexplored, hindering their functional analyses. Among the VFs, only secreted aspartyl proteinases and agglutinin-like sequences have their structures deposited in Protein Data Bank (PDB). Therefore, this review scrutinizes the mechanisms of these VFs by discussing the VF-deficient studies of several Candida spp. and their abilities to produce these VFs. Nonetheless, their latest reported sequential and structural analyses are discussed to impart a wider perception of the host-pathogen interactions and potential vaccine or antifungal drug targets. This review signifies that more VFs structural investigations and mining in the emerging Candida spp. are required to decipher their pathogenicity and virulence mechanisms compared to the prominent C. albicans. LAY ABSTRACT Candida virulence factors (VFs) including mainly enzymes and proteins play vital roles in breaching the human intestinal barrier and causing deadly candidiasis. Limited VFs' structural studies hinder deeper comprehension of their mechanisms and thus the design of vaccines and antifungal drugs against fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Jie Lim
- Enzyme Technology and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, VacBio 5, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali
- Enzyme Technology and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, VacBio 5, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Suriana Sabri
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Noor Dina Muhd Noor
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Abu Bakar Salleh
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Nurbaya Oslan
- Enzyme Technology and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, VacBio 5, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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19
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Stable Positions of Epigenetically Inherited Centromeres in the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Candida auris and Its Relatives. mBio 2021; 12:e0103621. [PMID: 34225489 PMCID: PMC8406142 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01036-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen that is thermotolerant and often resistant to standard antifungal treatments. To trace its evolutionary history, the Sanyal lab conducted a comparative genomic study focusing on the positions of centromeres in C. auris and eight other species from the Clavispora/Candida clade of yeasts (A. Narayanan et al., mBio 12:e00905-12, 2021). These researchers discovered that these species possess small regional centromeres that are highly stable, having remained in the same syntenic positions for over 100 million years. This stability is remarkable, given the lack of a conserved sequence underlying the centromeres and the relative ease with which other yeasts form neocentromeres. Thus, this work provides an opportunity to investigate the molecular mechanism of centromere inheritance in a genetically tractable and medically important yeast.
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20
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Narayanan A, Vadnala RN, Ganguly P, Selvakumar P, Rudramurthy SM, Prasad R, Chakrabarti A, Siddharthan R, Sanyal K. Functional and Comparative Analysis of Centromeres Reveals Clade-Specific Genome Rearrangements in Candida auris and a Chromosome Number Change in Related Species. mBio 2021; 12:e00905-21. [PMID: 33975937 PMCID: PMC8262905 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00905-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The thermotolerant multidrug-resistant ascomycete Candida auris rapidly emerged since 2009 causing systemic infections worldwide and simultaneously evolved in different geographical zones. The molecular events that orchestrated this sudden emergence of the killer fungus remain mostly elusive. Here, we identify centromeres in C. auris and related species, using a combined approach of chromatin immunoprecipitation and comparative genomic analyses. We find that C. auris and multiple other species in the Clavispora/Candida clade shared a conserved small regional GC-poor centromere landscape lacking pericentromeres or repeats. Further, a centromere inactivation event led to karyotypic alterations in this species complex. Interspecies genome analysis identified several structural chromosomal changes around centromeres. In addition, centromeres are found to be rapidly evolving loci among the different geographical clades of the same species of C. auris Finally, we reveal an evolutionary trajectory of the unique karyotype associated with clade 2 that consists of the drug-susceptible isolates of C. aurisIMPORTANCECandida auris, the killer fungus, emerged as different geographical clades, exhibiting multidrug resistance and high karyotype plasticity. Chromosomal rearrangements are known to play key roles in the emergence of new species, virulence, and drug resistance in pathogenic fungi. Centromeres, the genomic loci where microtubules attach to separate the sister chromatids during cell division, are known to be hot spots of breaks and downstream rearrangements. We identified the centromeres in C. auris and related species to study their involvement in the evolution and karyotype diversity reported in C. auris We report conserved centromere features in 10 related species and trace the events that occurred at the centromeres during evolution. We reveal a centromere inactivation-mediated chromosome number change in these closely related species. We also observe that one of the geographical clades, the East Asian clade, evolved along a unique trajectory, compared to the other clades and related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Rakesh Netha Vadnala
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Promit Ganguly
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Pavitra Selvakumar
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Haryana, India
| | - Arunaloke Chakrabarti
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rahul Siddharthan
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
- Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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21
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O’Brien CE, Oliveira-Pacheco J, Ó Cinnéide E, Haase MAB, Hittinger CT, Rogers TR, Zaragoza O, Bond U, Butler G. Population genomics of the pathogenic yeast Candida tropicalis identifies hybrid isolates in environmental samples. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009138. [PMID: 33788904 PMCID: PMC8041210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida tropicalis is a human pathogen that primarily infects the immunocompromised. Whereas the genome of one isolate, C. tropicalis MYA-3404, was originally sequenced in 2009, there have been no large-scale, multi-isolate studies of the genetic and phenotypic diversity of this species. Here, we used whole genome sequencing and phenotyping to characterize 77 isolates of C. tropicalis from clinical and environmental sources from a variety of locations. We show that most C. tropicalis isolates are diploids with approximately 2-6 heterozygous variants per kilobase. The genomes are relatively stable, with few aneuploidies. However, we identified one highly homozygous isolate and six isolates of C. tropicalis with much higher heterozygosity levels ranging from 36-49 heterozygous variants per kilobase. Our analyses show that the heterozygous isolates represent two different hybrid lineages, where the hybrids share one parent (A) with most other C. tropicalis isolates, but the second parent (B or C) differs by at least 4% at the genome level. Four of the sequenced isolates descend from an AB hybridization, and two from an AC hybridization. The hybrids are MTLa/α heterozygotes. Hybridization, or mating, between different parents is therefore common in the evolutionary history of C. tropicalis. The new hybrids were predominantly found in environmental niches, including from soil. Hybridization is therefore unlikely to be associated with virulence. In addition, we used genotype-phenotype correlation and CRISPR-Cas9 editing to identify a genome variant that results in the inability of one isolate to utilize certain branched-chain amino acids as a sole nitrogen source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caoimhe E. O’Brien
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - João Oliveira-Pacheco
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eoin Ó Cinnéide
- School of Medicine, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Max A. B. Haase
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Thomas R. Rogers
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Microbiology, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Oscar Zaragoza
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo, Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ursula Bond
- Department of Microbiology, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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22
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Oh SH, Isenhower A, Rodriguez-Bobadilla R, Smith B, Jones J, Hubka V, Fields C, Hernandez A, Hoyer LL. Pursuing Advances in DNA Sequencing Technology to Solve a Complex Genomic Jigsaw Puzzle: The Agglutinin-Like Sequence ( ALS) Genes of Candida tropicalis. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:594531. [PMID: 33552012 PMCID: PMC7856822 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.594531] [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: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The agglutinin-like sequence (ALS) gene family encodes cell-surface adhesins that interact with host and abiotic surfaces, promoting colonization by opportunistic fungal pathogens such as Candida tropicalis. Studies of Als protein contribution to C. tropicalis adhesion would benefit from an accurate catalog of ALS gene sequences as well as insight into relative gene expression levels. Even in the genomics era, this information has been elusive: genome assemblies are often broken within ALS genes because of their extensive regions of highly conserved, repeated DNA sequences and because there are many similar ALS genes at different chromosomal locations. Here, we describe the benefit of long-read DNA sequencing technology to facilitate characterization of C. tropicalis ALS loci. Thirteen ALS loci in C. tropicalis strain MYA-3404 were deduced from a genome assembly constructed from Illumina MiSeq and Oxford Nanopore MinION data. Although the MinION data were valuable, PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing of ALS loci were still required to complete and verify the gene sequences. Each predicted Als protein featured an N-terminal binding domain, a central domain of tandemly repeated sequences, and a C-terminal domain rich in Ser and Thr. The presence of a secretory signal peptide and consensus sequence for addition of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor was consistent with predicted protein localization to the cell surface. TaqMan assays were designed to recognize each ALS gene, as well as both alleles at the divergent CtrALS3882 locus. C. tropicalis cells grown in five different in vitro conditions showed differential expression of various ALS genes. To place the C. tropicalis data into a larger context, TaqMan assays were also designed and validated for analysis of ALS gene expression in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis. These comparisons identified the subset of highly expressed C. tropicalis ALS genes that were predicted to encode proteins with the most abundant cell-surface presence, prioritizing them for subsequent functional analysis. Data presented here provide a solid foundation for future experimentation to deduce ALS family contributions to C. tropicalis adhesion and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soon-Hwan Oh
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Allyson Isenhower
- Department of Biology, Millikin University, Decatur, IL, United States
| | | | - Brooke Smith
- Department of Biology, Millikin University, Decatur, IL, United States
| | - Jillian Jones
- Department of Biology, Millikin University, Decatur, IL, United States
| | - Vit Hubka
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Laboratory of Fungal Genetics and Metabolism, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Christopher Fields
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alvaro Hernandez
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Lois L Hoyer
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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23
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Balzano E, Giunta S. Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E912. [PMID: 32784998 PMCID: PMC7463522 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are essential genetic elements that enable spindle microtubule attachment for chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. While this function is preserved across species, centromeres display an array of dynamic features, including: (1) rapidly evolving DNA; (2) wide evolutionary diversity in size, shape and organization; (3) evidence of mutational processes to generate homogenized repetitive arrays that characterize centromeres in several species; (4) tolerance to changes in position, as in the case of neocentromeres; and (5) intrinsic fragility derived by sequence composition and secondary DNA structures. Centromere drive underlies rapid centromere DNA evolution due to the "selfish" pursuit to bias meiotic transmission and promote the propagation of stronger centromeres. Yet, the origins of other dynamic features of centromeres remain unclear. Here, we review our current understanding of centromere evolution and plasticity. We also detail the mutagenic processes proposed to shape the divergent genetic nature of centromeres. Changes to centromeres are not simply evolutionary relics, but ongoing shifts that on one side promote centromere flexibility, but on the other can undermine centromere integrity and function with potential pathological implications such as genome instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Balzano
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy;
| | - Simona Giunta
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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24
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Abstract
Diversity within the fungal kingdom is evident from the wide range of morphologies fungi display as well as the various ecological roles and industrial purposes they serve. Technological advances, particularly in long-read sequencing, coupled with the increasing efficiency and decreasing costs across sequencing platforms have enabled robust characterization of fungal genomes. These sequencing efforts continue to reveal the rampant diversity in fungi at the genome level. Here, we discuss studies that have furthered our understanding of fungal genetic diversity and genomic evolution. These studies revealed the presence of both small-scale and large-scale genomic changes. In fungi, research has recently focused on many small-scale changes, such as how hypermutation and allelic transmission impact genome evolution as well as how and why a few specific genomic regions are more susceptible to rapid evolution than others. High-throughput sequencing of a diverse set of fungal genomes has also illuminated the frequency, mechanisms, and impacts of large-scale changes, which include chromosome structural variation and changes in chromosome number, such as aneuploidy, polyploidy, and the presence of supernumerary chromosomes. The studies discussed herein have provided great insight into how the architecture of the fungal genome varies within species and across the kingdom and how modern fungi may have evolved from the last common fungal ancestor and might also pave the way for understanding how genomic diversity has evolved in all domains of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby J. Priest
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Vikas Yadav
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
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25
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Guin K, Sreekumar L, Sanyal K. Implications of the Evolutionary Trajectory of Centromeres in the Fungal Kingdom. Annu Rev Microbiol 2020; 74:835-853. [PMID: 32706633 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-011720-122512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome segregation during the cell cycle is an evolutionarily conserved, fundamental biological process. Dynamic interaction between spindle microtubules and the kinetochore complex that assembles on centromere DNA is required for faithful chromosome segregation. The first artificial minichromosome was constructed by cloning the centromere DNA of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Since then, centromeres have been identified in >60 fungal species. The DNA sequence and organization of the sequence elements are highly diverse across these fungal centromeres. In this article, we provide a comprehensive view of the evolution of fungal centromeres. Studies of this process facilitated the identification of factors influencing centromere specification, maintenance, and propagation through many generations. Additionally, we discuss the unique features and plasticity of centromeric chromatin and the involvement of centromeres in karyotype evolution. Finally, we discuss the implications of recurrent loss of RNA interference (RNAi) and/or heterochromatin components on the trajectory of the evolution of fungal centromeres and propose the centromere structure of the last common ancestor of three major fungal phyla-Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnendu Guin
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India; , ,
| | - Lakshmi Sreekumar
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India; , ,
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India; , ,
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