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Gryganskyi AP, Hajek AE, Voloshchuk N, Idnurm A, Eilenberg J, Manfrino RG, Bushley KE, Kava L, Kutovenko VB, Anike F, Nie Y. Potential for Use of Species in the Subfamily Erynioideae for Biological Control and Biotechnology. Microorganisms 2024; 12:168. [PMID: 38257994 PMCID: PMC10820730 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The fungal order Entomophthorales in the Zoopagomycota includes many fungal pathogens of arthropods. This review explores six genera in the subfamily Erynioideae within the family Entomophthoraceae, namely, Erynia, Furia, Orthomyces, Pandora, Strongwellsea, and Zoophthora. This is the largest subfamily in the Entomophthorales, including 126 described species. The species diversity, global distribution, and host range of this subfamily are summarized. Relatively few taxa are geographically widespread, and few have broad host ranges, which contrasts with many species with single reports from one location and one host species. The insect orders infected by the greatest numbers of species are the Diptera and Hemiptera. Across the subfamily, relatively few species have been cultivated in vitro, and those that have require more specialized media than many other fungi. Given their potential to attack arthropods and their position in the fungal evolutionary tree, we discuss which species might be adopted for biological control purposes or biotechnological innovations. Current challenges in the implementation of these species in biotechnology include the limited ability or difficulty in culturing many in vitro, a correlated paucity of genomic resources, and considerations regarding the host ranges of different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrii P. Gryganskyi
- Division of Biological & Nanoscale Technologies, UES, Inc., Dayton, OH 45432, USA
| | - Ann E. Hajek
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA;
| | - Nataliya Voloshchuk
- Faculty of Plant Protection, Biotechnology and Ecology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (N.V.); (L.K.)
- Department of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
| | - Jørgen Eilenberg
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark;
| | - Romina G. Manfrino
- CEPAVE—Center for Parasitological & Vector Studies, CONICET-National Scientific & Technical Research Council, UNLP-National University of La Plata, La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
| | | | - Liudmyla Kava
- Faculty of Plant Protection, Biotechnology and Ecology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (N.V.); (L.K.)
| | - Vira B. Kutovenko
- Agrobiological Faculty of Plant Protection, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Felicia Anike
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Design, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27401, USA;
| | - Yong Nie
- School of Civil Engineering & Architecture, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan 243002, China;
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Scanlan JL, Mitchell AC, Marcroft SJ, Forsyth LM, Idnurm A, Van de Wouw AP. Deep amplicon sequencing reveals extensive allelic diversity in the erg11/CYP51 promoter and allows multi-population DMI fungicide resistance monitoring in the canola pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 168:103814. [PMID: 37343617 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Continued use of fungicides provides a strong selection pressure towards strains with mutations to render these chemicals less effective. Previous research has shown that resistance to the demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides, which target ergosterol synthesis, in the canola pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans has emerged in Australia and Europe. The change in fungicide sensitivity of individual isolates was found to be due to DNA insertions into the promoter of the erg11/CYP51 DMI target gene. Whether or not these were the only types of mutations and how prevalent they were in Australian populations was explored in the current study. New isolates with reduced DMI sensitivity were obtained from screens on DMI-treated plants, revealing eight independent insertions in the erg11 promoter. A novel deep amplicon sequencing approach applied to populations of ascospores fired from stubble identified an additional undetected insertion allele and quantified the frequencies of all known insertions, suggesting that, at least in the samples processed, the combined frequency of resistant alleles is between 0.0376% and 32.6%. Combined insertion allele frequencies positively correlated with population-level measures of in planta resistance to four different DMI treatments. Additionally, there was no evidence for erg11 coding mutations playing a role in conferring resistance in Australian populations. This research provides a key method for assessing fungicide resistance frequency in stubble-borne populations of plant pathogens and a baseline from which additional surveillance can be conducted in L. maculans. Whether or not the observed resistance allele frequencies are associated with loss of effective disease control in the field remains to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack L Scanlan
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Angela C Mitchell
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | | | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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Suwanchaikasem P, Nie S, Selby‐Pham J, Walker R, Boughton BA, Idnurm A. Hormonal and proteomic analyses of southern blight disease caused by Athelia rolfsii and root chitosan priming on Cannabis sativa in an in vitro hydroponic system. Plant Direct 2023; 7:e528. [PMID: 37692128 PMCID: PMC10485662 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Southern blight disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Athelia rolfsii, suppresses plant growth and reduces product yield in Cannabis sativa agriculture. Mechanisms of pathology of this soil-borne disease remain poorly understood, with disease management strategies reliant upon broad-spectrum antifungal use. Exposure to chitosan, a natural elicitor, has been proposed as an alternative method to control diverse fungal diseases in an eco-friendly manner. In this study, C. sativa plants were grown in the Root-TRAPR system, a transparent hydroponic growth device, where plant roots were primed with .2% colloidal chitosan prior to A. rolfsii inoculation. Both chitosan-primed and unprimed inoculated plants displayed classical symptoms of wilting and yellowish leaves, indicating successful infection. Non-primed infected plants showed increased shoot defense responses with doubling of peroxidase and chitinase activities. The levels of growth and defense hormones including auxin, cytokinin, and jasmonic acid were increased 2-5-fold. In chitosan-primed infected plants, shoot peroxidase activity and phytohormone levels were decreased 1.5-4-fold relative to the unprimed infected plants. When compared with shoots, roots were less impacted by A. rolfsii infection, but the pathogen secreted cell wall-degrading enzymes into the root-growth solution. Chitosan priming inhibited root growth, with root lengths of chitosan-primed plants approximately 65% shorter than the control, but activated root defense responses, with root peroxidase activity increased 2.7-fold along with increased secretion of defense proteins. The results suggest that chitosan could be an alternative platform to manage southern blight disease in C. sativa cultivation; however, further optimization is required to maximize effectiveness of chitosan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shuai Nie
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Jamie Selby‐Pham
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Cannabis and Biostimulants Research Group Pty LtdMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Robert Walker
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Berin A. Boughton
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Australian National Phenome CentreMurdoch UniversityPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Gryganskyi AP, Golan J, Muszewska A, Idnurm A, Dolatabadi S, Mondo SJ, Kutovenko VB, Kutovenko VO, Gajdeczka MT, Anishchenko IM, Pawlowska J, Tran NV, Ebersberger I, Voigt K, Wang Y, Chang Y, Pawlowska TE, Heitman J, Vilgalys R, Bonito G, Benny GL, Smith ME, Reynolds N, James TY, Grigoriev IV, Spatafora JW, Stajich JE. Sequencing the Genomes of the First Terrestrial Fungal Lineages: What Have We Learned? Microorganisms 2023; 11:1830. [PMID: 37513002 PMCID: PMC10386755 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The first genome sequenced of a eukaryotic organism was for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as reported in 1996, but it was more than 10 years before any of the zygomycete fungi, which are the early-diverging terrestrial fungi currently placed in the phyla Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota, were sequenced. The genome for Rhizopus delemar was completed in 2008; currently, more than 1000 zygomycete genomes have been sequenced. Genomic data from these early-diverging terrestrial fungi revealed deep phylogenetic separation of the two major clades-primarily plant-associated saprotrophic and mycorrhizal Mucoromycota versus the primarily mycoparasitic or animal-associated parasites and commensals in the Zoopagomycota. Genomic studies provide many valuable insights into how these fungi evolved in response to the challenges of living on land, including adaptations to sensing light and gravity, development of hyphal growth, and co-existence with the first terrestrial plants. Genome sequence data have facilitated studies of genome architecture, including a history of genome duplications and horizontal gene transfer events, distribution and organization of mating type loci, rDNA genes and transposable elements, methylation processes, and genes useful for various industrial applications. Pathogenicity genes and specialized secondary metabolites have also been detected in soil saprobes and pathogenic fungi. Novel endosymbiotic bacteria and viruses have been discovered during several zygomycete genome projects. Overall, genomic information has helped to resolve a plethora of research questions, from the placement of zygomycetes on the evolutionary tree of life and in natural ecosystems, to the applied biotechnological and medical questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrii P. Gryganskyi
- Division of Biological & Nanoscale Technologies, UES, Inc., Dayton, OH 45432, USA
| | - Jacob Golan
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Anna Muszewska
- Institute of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
| | - Somayeh Dolatabadi
- Biology Department, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar 96179-76487, Iran;
| | - Stephen J. Mondo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (S.J.M.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Vira B. Kutovenko
- Department of Agrobiology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (V.B.K.)
| | - Volodymyr O. Kutovenko
- Department of Agrobiology, National University of Life & Environmental Sciences, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine; (V.B.K.)
| | | | - Iryna M. Anishchenko
- MG Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences, 01030 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Julia Pawlowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological & Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Ngoc Vinh Tran
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research & Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (I.E.); (K.V.)
| | - Kerstin Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research & Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (I.E.); (K.V.)
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore;
| | - Teresa E. Pawlowska
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; (T.E.P.); (N.R.)
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
| | - Rytas Vilgalys
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;
| | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Gerald L. Benny
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Matthew E. Smith
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (N.V.T.); (G.L.B.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Nicole Reynolds
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; (T.E.P.); (N.R.)
| | - Timothy Y. James
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (S.J.M.); (I.V.G.)
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joseph W. Spatafora
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA 93106, USA;
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Suwanchaikasem P, Nie S, Idnurm A, Selby‐Pham J, Walker R, Boughton BA. Effects of chitin and chitosan on root growth, biochemical defense response and exudate proteome of Cannabis sativa. Plant Environ Interact 2023; 4:115-133. [PMID: 37362423 PMCID: PMC10290428 DOI: 10.1002/pei3.10106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens pose a major threat to Cannabis sativa production, requiring safe and effective management procedures to control disease. Chitin and chitosan are natural molecules that elicit plant defense responses. Investigation of their effects on C. sativa will advance understanding of plant responses towards elicitors and provide a potential pathway to enhance plant resistance against diseases. Plants were grown in the in vitro Root-TRAPR system and treated with colloidal chitin and chitosan. Plant morphology was monitored, then plant tissues and exudates were collected for enzymatic activity assays, phytohormone quantification, qPCR analysis and proteomics profiling. Chitosan treatments showed increased total chitinase activity and expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes by 3-5 times in the root tissues. In the exudates, total peroxidase and chitinase activities and levels of defense proteins such as PR protein 1 and endochitinase 2 were increased. Shoot development was unaffected, but root development was inhibited after chitosan exposure. In contrast, chitin treatments had no significant impact on any defense parameters, including enzymatic activities, hormone quantities, gene expression levels and root secreted proteins. These results indicate that colloidal chitosan, significantly enhancing defense responses in C. sativa root system, could be used as a potential elicitor, particularly in hydroponic scenarios to manage crop diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shuai Nie
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoria3052Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoria3010Australia
| | - Jamie Selby‐Pham
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoria3010Australia
- Cannabis and Biostimulants Research Group Pty LtdMelbourneVictoria3020Australia
| | - Robert Walker
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoria3010Australia
| | - Berin A. Boughton
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoria3010Australia
- Australian National Phenome CentreMurdoch UniversityPerthWestern Australia6150Australia
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Meyer V, Idnurm A. Putting Fungal Biology and Biotechnology to the test. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2023; 10:9. [PMID: 37072857 PMCID: PMC10114434 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-023-00156-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Meyer
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, BioSciences 2, Parkville Campus, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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Urquhart AS, Vogan AA, Gardiner DM, Idnurm A. Starships are active eukaryotic transposable elements mobilized by a new family of tyrosine recombinases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214521120. [PMID: 37023132 PMCID: PMC10104507 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214521120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements in eukaryotic organisms have historically been considered "selfish," at best conferring indirect benefits to their host organisms. The Starships are a recently discovered feature in fungal genomes that are, in some cases, predicted to confer beneficial traits to their hosts and also have hallmarks of being transposable elements. Here, we provide experimental evidence that Starships are indeed autonomous transposons, using the model Paecilomyces variotii, and identify the HhpA "Captain" tyrosine recombinase as essential for their mobilization into genomic sites with a specific target site consensus sequence. Furthermore, we identify multiple recent horizontal gene transfers of Starships, implying that they jump between species. Fungal genomes have mechanisms to defend against mobile elements, which are frequently detrimental to the host. We discover that Starships are also vulnerable to repeat-induced point mutation defense, thereby having implications on the evolutionary stability of such elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S. Urquhart
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD4067, Australia
- Applied Biosciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Aaron A. Vogan
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Donald M. Gardiner
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD4067, Australia
- University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD4067, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC3010, Australia
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Liu Y, Vaghefi N, Ades PK, Idnurm A, Ahmed A, Taylor PWJ. Globisporangium and Pythium Species Associated with Yield Decline of Pyrethrum ( Tanacetum cinerariifolium) in Australia. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:1361. [PMID: 36987047 PMCID: PMC10051369 DOI: 10.3390/plants12061361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium) cultivation in Australia, which accounts for the majority of global production of natural insecticidal pyrethrins, is affected by a persistent yield decline which in part is caused by a complex of pathogens. Globisporangium and Pythium species were isolated from crown and roots of pyrethrum plants showing stunting and brown discoloration of crown tissue, and from soil adjacent to diseased plants from yield-decline-affected sites in Tasmania and Victoria, Australia. Ten known Globisporangium species (Globisporangium attrantheridium, G. erinaceum, G. intermedium, G. irregulare, G. macrosporum, G. recalcitrans, G. rostratifingens, G. sylvaticum, G. terrestris and G. ultimum var. ultimum), two new Globisporangium species (Globisporangium capense sp. nov. and Globisporangium commune sp. nov.) and three Pythium species (Pythium diclinum/lutarium, P. tracheiphilum and P. vanterpoolii) were identified through morphological studies and multigene phylogenetic analyses using ITS and Cox1 sequences. Globisporangium ultimum var. ultimum, G. sylvaticum, G. commune sp. nov. and G. irregulare were most abundant. Globisporangium attrantheridium, G. macrosporum and G. terrestris were reported for the first time in Australia. Seven Globisporangium species were pathogenic on both pyrethrum seeds (in vitro assays) and seedlings (glasshouse bioassays), while two Globisporangium species and three Pythium species only caused significant symptoms on pyrethrum seeds. Globisporangium irregulare and G. ultimum var. ultimum were the most aggressive species, causing pyrethrum seed rot, seedling damping-off and significant plant biomass reduction. This is the first report of Globisporangium and Pythium species causing disease in pyrethrum globally and suggests that oomycete species in the family Pythiaceae may have an important role in the yield decline of pyrethrum in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhu Liu
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Niloofar Vaghefi
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Peter K. Ades
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Aabroo Ahmed
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N2R6, Canada
| | - Paul W. J. Taylor
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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Idnurm A. Isolation of a fungal calcineurin A mutant suggests that amoebae can counter-select virulence attributes of microbes. Med Mycol 2023; 61:7008504. [PMID: 36708172 PMCID: PMC9927882 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myad013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary selection pressures that resulted in microbes found within environmental reservoirs that can cause diseases in animals are unknown. One hypothesis is that predatory organisms select microbes able to counteract animal immune cells. Here, a non-pathogenic yeast, Sporobolomyces primogenomicus, was exposed to predation by Acanthamoeba castellanii. Strains emerged that were resistant to being killed by this amoeba. All these strains had altered morphology, growing as pseudohyphae. The mutation in one strain was identified: CNA1 encodes the calcineurin A subunit that is highly conserved in fungi and where it is essential for their virulence in hosts including mammals, insects, and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Alexander Idnurm, PhD, BioSciences 2, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, VIC 3010, Australia. Tel: +61-038 344-2221; E-mail:
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10
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Xu M, Ashley NA, Vaghefi N, Wilkinson I, Idnurm A. Isolation of strains and their genome sequencing to analyze the mating system of Ophiocordyceps robertsii. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284978. [PMID: 37130139 PMCID: PMC10153710 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The fungal genus Ophiocordyceps contains a number of insect pathogens. One of the best known of these is Ophiocordyceps sinensis, which is used in Chinese medicine and its overharvesting threatens sustainability; hence, alternative species are being sought. Ophiocordyceps robertsii, found in Australia and New Zealand, has been proposed to be a close relative to O. sinensis, but little is known about this species despite being also of historical significance. Here, O. robertsii strains were isolated into culture and high coverage draft genome sequences obtained and analyzed. This species has a large genome expansion, as also occurred in O. sinensis. The mating type locus was characterized, indicating a heterothallic arrangement whereby each strain has an idiomorphic region of two (MAT1-2-1, MAT1-2-2) or three (MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-2, MAT1-1-3) genes flanked by the conserved APN2 and SLA2 genes. These resources provide a new opportunity for understanding the evolution of the expanded genome in the homothallic species O. sinensis, as well as capabilities to explore the pharmaceutical potential in a species endemic to Australia and New Zealand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvin Xu
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Niloofar Vaghefi
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Darling Heights, Queensland, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ian Wilkinson
- GhostMothLabs, 20 Lynch Drive, Echuca, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Lazar N, Mesarich CH, Petit-Houdenot Y, Talbi N, Li de la Sierra-Gallay I, Zélie E, Blondeau K, Gracy J, Ollivier B, Blaise F, Rouxel T, Balesdent MH, Idnurm A, van Tilbeurgh H, Fudal I. A new family of structurally conserved fungal effectors displays epistatic interactions with plant resistance proteins. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010664. [PMID: 35793393 PMCID: PMC9292093 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Recognition of a pathogen avirulence (AVR) effector protein by a cognate plant resistance (R) protein triggers a set of immune responses that render the plant resistant. Pathogens can escape this so-called Effector-Triggered Immunity (ETI) by different mechanisms including the deletion or loss-of-function mutation of the AVR gene, the incorporation of point mutations that allow recognition to be evaded while maintaining virulence function, and the acquisition of new effectors that suppress AVR recognition. The Dothideomycete Leptosphaeria maculans, causal agent of oilseed rape stem canker, is one of the few fungal pathogens where suppression of ETI by an AVR effector has been demonstrated. Indeed, AvrLm4-7 suppresses Rlm3- and Rlm9-mediated resistance triggered by AvrLm3 and AvrLm5-9, respectively. The presence of AvrLm4-7 does not impede AvrLm3 and AvrLm5-9 expression, and the three AVR proteins do not appear to physically interact. To decipher the epistatic interaction between these L. maculans AVR effectors, we determined the crystal structure of AvrLm5-9 and obtained a 3D model of AvrLm3, based on the crystal structure of Ecp11-1, a homologous AVR effector candidate from Fulvia fulva. Despite a lack of sequence similarity, AvrLm5-9 and AvrLm3 are structural analogues of AvrLm4-7 (structure previously characterized). Structure-informed sequence database searches identified a larger number of putative structural analogues among L. maculans effector candidates, including the AVR effector AvrLmS-Lep2, all produced during the early stages of oilseed rape infection, as well as among effector candidates from other phytopathogenic fungi. These structural analogues are named LARS (for Leptosphaeria AviRulence and Suppressing) effectors. Remarkably, transformants of L. maculans expressing one of these structural analogues, Ecp11-1, triggered oilseed rape immunity in several genotypes carrying Rlm3. Furthermore, this resistance could be suppressed by AvrLm4-7. These results suggest that Ecp11-1 shares a common activity with AvrLm3 within the host plant which is detected by Rlm3, or that the Ecp11-1 structure is sufficiently close to that of AvrLm3 to be recognized by Rlm3. An efficient strategy to control fungal diseases in the field is genetic control using resistant crop cultivars. Crop resistance mainly relies on gene-for-gene relationships between plant resistance (R) genes and pathogen avirulence (AVR) genes, as defined by Flor in the 1940s. However, such gene-for-gene relationships can increase in complexity over the course of plant-pathogen co-evolution. Resistance against the plant-pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans by Brassica napus and other Brassica species relies on the recognition of effector (AVR) proteins by R proteins; however, L. maculans produces an effector that suppresses a subset of these specific resistances. Using a protein structure approach, we revealed structural analogy between several of the resistance-triggering effectors, the resistance-suppressing effector, and effectors from other plant-pathogenic species in the Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes classes, defining a new family of effectors called LARS. Notably, cross-species expression of one LARS effector from Fulvia fulva, a pathogen of tomato, in L. maculans resulted in recognition by resistant cultivars of oilseed rape. These results highlight the need to integrate knowledge on effector structures to improve resistance management and to develop broad-spectrum resistances for multi-pathogen control of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noureddine Lazar
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Carl H. Mesarich
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Pathology, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Nacera Talbi
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Ines Li de la Sierra-Gallay
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Emilie Zélie
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Karine Blondeau
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jérôme Gracy
- CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U1054, Centre de Biochimie Structurale, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Françoise Blaise
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Thierry Rouxel
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | | | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Herman van Tilbeurgh
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- * E-mail: (HVT); (IF)
| | - Isabelle Fudal
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
- * E-mail: (HVT); (IF)
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12
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Van de Wouw AP, Sheedy EM, Ware AH, Marcroft S, Idnurm A. Independent breakdown events of the Brassica napus Rlm7 resistance gene including via the off-target impact of a dual-specificity avirulence interaction. Mol Plant Pathol 2022; 23:997-1010. [PMID: 35249259 PMCID: PMC9190981 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Protection of many crops is achieved through the use of genetic resistance. Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of blackleg disease of Brassica napus, has emerged as a model for understanding gene-for-gene interactions that occur between plants and pathogens. Whilst many of the characterized avirulence effector genes interact with a single resistance gene in the host, the AvrLm4-7 avirulence gene is recognized by two resistance genes, Rlm4 and Rlm7. Here, we report the "breakdown" of the Rlm7 resistance gene in Australia, under two different field conditions. The first, and more typical, breakdown probably resulted from widescale use of Rlm7-containing cultivars whereby selection has led to an increase of individuals in the L. maculans population that have undergone repeat-induced point (RIP) mutations at the AvrLm4-7 locus. This has rendered the AvrLm4-7 gene ineffective and therefore these isolates have become virulent towards both Rlm4 and Rlm7. The second, more atypical, situation was the widescale use of Rlm4 cultivars. Whilst a single-nucleotide polymorphism is the more common mechanism of virulence towards Rlm4, in this field situation, RIP mutations have been selected leading to the breakdown of resistance for both Rlm4 and Rlm7. This is an example of a resistance gene being rendered ineffective without having grown cultivars with the corresponding resistance gene due to the dual specificity of the avirulence gene. These findings highlight the value of pathogen surveillance in the context of expanded knowledge about potential complexities for Avr-R interactions for the deployment of appropriate resistance gene strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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13
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Lazar N, Mesarich CH, Petit-Houdenot Y, Talbi N, Li de la Sierra-Gallay I, Zélie E, Blondeau K, Gracy J, Ollivier B, Blaise F, Rouxel T, Balesdent MH, Idnurm A, van Tilbeurgh H, Fudal I. A new family of structurally conserved fungal effectors displays epistatic interactions with plant resistance proteins. PLoS Pathog 2022. [PMID: 35793393 DOI: 10.1101/2020.12.17.423041v1.full] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recognition of a pathogen avirulence (AVR) effector protein by a cognate plant resistance (R) protein triggers a set of immune responses that render the plant resistant. Pathogens can escape this so-called Effector-Triggered Immunity (ETI) by different mechanisms including the deletion or loss-of-function mutation of the AVR gene, the incorporation of point mutations that allow recognition to be evaded while maintaining virulence function, and the acquisition of new effectors that suppress AVR recognition. The Dothideomycete Leptosphaeria maculans, causal agent of oilseed rape stem canker, is one of the few fungal pathogens where suppression of ETI by an AVR effector has been demonstrated. Indeed, AvrLm4-7 suppresses Rlm3- and Rlm9-mediated resistance triggered by AvrLm3 and AvrLm5-9, respectively. The presence of AvrLm4-7 does not impede AvrLm3 and AvrLm5-9 expression, and the three AVR proteins do not appear to physically interact. To decipher the epistatic interaction between these L. maculans AVR effectors, we determined the crystal structure of AvrLm5-9 and obtained a 3D model of AvrLm3, based on the crystal structure of Ecp11-1, a homologous AVR effector candidate from Fulvia fulva. Despite a lack of sequence similarity, AvrLm5-9 and AvrLm3 are structural analogues of AvrLm4-7 (structure previously characterized). Structure-informed sequence database searches identified a larger number of putative structural analogues among L. maculans effector candidates, including the AVR effector AvrLmS-Lep2, all produced during the early stages of oilseed rape infection, as well as among effector candidates from other phytopathogenic fungi. These structural analogues are named LARS (for Leptosphaeria AviRulence and Suppressing) effectors. Remarkably, transformants of L. maculans expressing one of these structural analogues, Ecp11-1, triggered oilseed rape immunity in several genotypes carrying Rlm3. Furthermore, this resistance could be suppressed by AvrLm4-7. These results suggest that Ecp11-1 shares a common activity with AvrLm3 within the host plant which is detected by Rlm3, or that the Ecp11-1 structure is sufficiently close to that of AvrLm3 to be recognized by Rlm3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noureddine Lazar
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Carl H Mesarich
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Pathology, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Nacera Talbi
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Ines Li de la Sierra-Gallay
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Emilie Zélie
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Karine Blondeau
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jérôme Gracy
- CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U1054, Centre de Biochimie Structurale, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Françoise Blaise
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Thierry Rouxel
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | | | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Herman van Tilbeurgh
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Isabelle Fudal
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Thiverval-Grignon, France
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14
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Abstract
Sexual reproduction, mutation, and reassortment of nuclei increase genotypic diversity in rust fungi. Sexual reproduction is inherent to rust fungi, coupled with their coevolved plant hosts in native pathosystems. Rust fungi are hypothesised to exchange nuclei by somatic hybridisation with an outcome of increased genotypic diversity, independent of sexual reproduction. We provide criteria to demonstrate whether somatic exchange has occurred, including knowledge of parental haplotypes and rejection of fertilisation in normal rust life cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair R. McTaggart
- Centre for Horticultural Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
| | - Timothy Y. James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robert F. Park
- Plant Breeding Institute, The University of Sydney, Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Louise S. Shuey
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michelle N. K. Demers
- Plant Breeding Institute, The University of Sydney, Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M. Catherine Aime
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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15
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Suwanchaikasem P, Idnurm A, Selby-Pham J, Walker R, Boughton BA. Root-TRAPR: a modular plant growth device to visualize root development and monitor growth parameters, as applied to an elicitor response of Cannabis sativa. Plant Methods 2022; 18:46. [PMID: 35397608 PMCID: PMC8994333 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-022-00875-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant growth devices, for example, rhizoponics, rhizoboxes, and ecosystem fabrication (EcoFAB), have been developed to facilitate studies of plant root morphology and plant-microbe interactions in controlled laboratory settings. However, several of these designs are suitable only for studying small model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Brachypodium distachyon and therefore require modification to be extended to larger plant species like crop plants. In addition, specific tools and technical skills needed for fabricating these devices may not be available to researchers. Hence, this study aimed to establish an alternative protocol to generate a larger, modular and reusable plant growth device based on different available resources. RESULTS Root-TRAPR (Root-Transparent, Reusable, Affordable three-dimensional Printed Rhizo-hydroponic) system was successfully developed. It consists of two main parts, an internal root growth chamber and an external structural frame. The internal root growth chamber comprises a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gasket, microscope slide and acrylic sheet, while the external frame is printed from a three-dimensional (3D) printer and secured with nylon screws. To test the efficiency and applicability of the system, industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) was grown with or without exposure to chitosan, a well-known plant elicitor used for stimulating plant defense. Plant root morphology was detected in the system, and plant tissues were easily collected and processed to examine plant biological responses. Upon chitosan treatment, chitinase and peroxidase activities increased in root tissues (1.7- and 2.3-fold, respectively) and exudates (7.2- and 21.6-fold, respectively). In addition, root to shoot ratio of phytohormone contents were increased in response to chitosan. Within 2 weeks of observation, hemp plants exhibited dwarf growth in the Root-TRAPR system, easing plant handling and allowing increased replication under limited growing space. CONCLUSION The Root-TRAPR system facilitates the exploration of root morphology and root exudate of C. sativa under controlled conditions and at a smaller scale. The device is easy to fabricate and applicable for investigating plant responses toward elicitor challenge. In addition, this fabrication protocol is adaptable to study other plants and can be applied to investigate plant physiology in different biological contexts, such as plant responses against biotic and abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jamie Selby-Pham
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Nutrifield Pty Ltd, Melbourne, VIC, 3020, Australia
| | - Robert Walker
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Berin A Boughton
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Australian National Phenome Centre, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia
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16
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Idnurm A, Xu M. Identification of the ergC gene involved in polyene drug sensitivity in the Mucorales species Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:981-987. [PMID: 34741705 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06917-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A strain of Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Mucorales, Mucoromycota) that was previously isolated after ultraviolet mutagenesis has altered responses to polyene antifungal drugs, sterol profiles, and phototropism of its sporangia. In this study, the genetic basis for these changes was sought. METHODS AND RESULTS Two base pair substitutions were identified in the mutant within a P. blakelesleeanus gene that is homologous to others characterized from fungi, such as the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERG3 gene, encoding sterol Δ5,6-desaturase. The polyene resistance and growth reduction phenotypes co-segregated with mutations in the gene in genetic crosses. The P. blakelesleeanus wild type ergC gene complemented a S. cerevisiae deletion strain of ERG3. CONCLUSIONS This gene discovery may contribute towards better antifungal use in treating mucormycoses diseases caused by related species in the order Mucorales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Melvin Xu
- School of BioSciences, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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17
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S. Urquhart A, Idnurm A. Absidia healeyae: a new species of Absidia ( Mucorales) isolated from Victoria, Australia. MYCOSCIENCE 2021; 62:331-335. [PMID: 37089463 PMCID: PMC9721507 DOI: 10.47371/mycosci.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Absidia healeyae is a new species described in the Mucorales genus Absidia after screening 16 strains of Absidia isolated from seven locations in the state of Victoria in Australia. After initial analysis of the large ribosomal subunit sequence, the genomes of representative strains from two clades were sequenced using short paired-reads. Additional taxonomic markers extracted from the genome sequencing data support the novelty of A. healeyae. The identification of a new species in the genus Absidia, from a relatively small collection of isolates, hints at an unexplored diversity in the early diverging lineages of fungi in Australia.
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18
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Huth L, Ash GJ, Idnurm A, Kiss L, Vaghefi N. The "Bipartite" Structure of the First Genome of Ampelomyces quisqualis, a Common Hyperparasite and Biocontrol Agent of Powdery Mildews, May Point to Its Evolutionary Origin from Plant Pathogenic Fungi. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab182. [PMID: 34363471 PMCID: PMC8382677 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Powdery mildews are among the most important plant pathogens worldwide, which are often attacked in the field by mycoparasitic fungi belonging to the genus Ampelomyces. The taxonomy of the genus Ampelomyces is unresolved, but well-supported molecular operational taxonomic units were repeatedly defined suggesting that the genus may include at least four to seven species. Some Ampelomyces strains were commercialized as biocontrol agents of crop pathogenic powdery mildews. However, the genomic mechanisms underlying their mycoparasitism are still poorly understood. To date, the draft genome of a single Ampelomyces strain, designated as HMLAC 05119, has been released. We report a high-quality, annotated hybrid draft genome assembly of A. quisqualis strain BRIP 72107, which, based on phylogenetic analyses, is not conspecific with HMLAC 05119. The constructed genome is 40.38 Mb in size, consisting of 24 scaffolds with an N50 of 2.99 Mb and 96.2% completeness. Our analyses revealed "bipartite" structure of Ampelomyces genomes, where GC-balanced genomic regions are interspersed by longer or shorter stretches of AT-rich regions. This is also a hallmark of many plant pathogenic fungi and provides further evidence for evolutionary affinity of Ampelomyces species to plant pathogenic fungi. The high-quality genome and annotation produced here provide an important resource for future genomic studies of mycoparasitisim to decipher molecular mechanisms underlying biocontrol processes and natural tritrophic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Huth
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Darling Heights, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gavin J Ash
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Darling Heights, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Levente Kiss
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Darling Heights, Queensland, Australia
| | - Niloofar Vaghefi
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Darling Heights, Queensland, Australia
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19
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Urquhart AS, Elliott CE, Zeng W, Idnurm A. Constitutive expression of transcription factor SirZ blocks pathogenicity in Leptosphaeria maculans independently of sirodesmin production. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252333. [PMID: 34111151 PMCID: PMC8191991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Sirodesmin, the major secondary metabolite produced by the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans in vitro, has been linked to disease on Brassica species since the 1970s, and yet its role has remained ambiguous. Re-examination of gene expression data revealed that all previously described genes and two newly identified genes within the sir gene cluster in the genome are down-regulated during the crucial early establishment stages of blackleg disease on Brassica napus. To test if this is a strategy employed by the fungus to avoid damage to and then detection by the host plant during the L. maculans asymptomatic biotrophic phase, sirodesmin was produced constitutively by overexpressing the sirZ gene encoding the transcription factor that coordinates the regulation of the other genes in the sir cluster. The sirZ over-expression strains had a major reduction in pathogenicity. Mutation of the over-expression construct restored pathogenicity. However, mutation of two genes, sirP and sirG, required for specific steps in the sirodesmin biosynthesis pathway, in the sirZ over-expression background resulted in strains that were unable to synthesize sirodesmin, yet were still non-pathogenic. Elucidating the basis for this pathogenicity defect or finding ways to overexpress sirZ during disease may provide new strategies for the control of blackleg disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S. Urquhart
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Candace E. Elliott
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Biosecurity Operations Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Post Entry Quarantine, Mickleham, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wei Zeng
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sino-Australia Plant Cell Wall Research Centre, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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20
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Chambers KR, Van de Wouw AP, Gardiner DM, Elliott CE, Idnurm A. A conserved Zn 2Cys 6 transcription factor, identified in a spontaneous mutant from in vitro passaging, is involved in pathogenicity of the blackleg fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Fungal Biol 2021; 125:541-550. [PMID: 34140150 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Continuous passaging in vitro can lead to the accumulation of changes in DNA sequence that potentially affect the properties of microbes, making them different from the original isolates. The identification of such genetic alterations is rare in fungi. A set of insertional mutants in the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, all derived from the same transformation experiment, had independent Agrobacterium T-DNA insertions and reduced pathogenicity on canola (Brassica napus). None of the insertions co-segregated in progeny from crosses with the reduction in pathogenicity. Genome sequences of three strains were analysed, and a mutation identified in a gene (ptf1, for pathogenicity-associated transcription factor 1) encoding a putative Zn2(II)Cys6 transcription factor. Homologs are found in other ascomycetes, and are required for pathogenicity by Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum and Magnaporthe oryzae. The mutation in the L. maculans ptf1 gene co-segregates in progeny from crosses with the reduction in pathogenicity, a strain with an independent mutant allele isolated using CRISPR-Cas9 editing has reduced pathogenicity, and addition of wild type copies of the gene restores pathogenicity. Thus, this work defines a base pair substitution that occurred during in vitro passaging of a fungus that contributed to an attenuation of pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie R Chambers
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Northam, WA, 6401, Australia
| | | | - Donald M Gardiner
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Candace E Elliott
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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21
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Urquhart AS, Idnurm A. Limitations of transcriptome-based prediction of pathogenicity genes in the plant pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 366:5475121. [PMID: 30998236 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of pathogenicity determinants in Leptosphaeria maculans, a major cause of disease of oilseed crops, has been a focus of research for many years. A wealth of gene expression information from RNA sequencing promises to illuminate the mechanisms by which the fungus is able to cause blackleg disease. However, to date, no studies have tested the hypothesis that high gene transcript levels during infection correlate with importance to disease progression. In this study, we use CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt 11 genes that are highly expressed during the early stages of disease and show that none of these genes are crucial for fungal pathogenicity on Brassica napus. This finding suggests that in order to understand the pathogenicity of this fungus more sophisticated techniques than simple expression analysis will need to be employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Urquhart
- School of BioSciences, 1929 Botany Building, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, 1929 Botany Building, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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Yang Y, Marcoft SJ, Forsyth LM, Zhao J, Li Z, Van de Wouw AP, Idnurm A. Sterol Demethylation Inhibitor Fungicide Resistance in Leptosphaeria maculans is Caused by Modifications in the Regulatory Region of ERG11. Plant Dis 2020; 104:1280-1290. [PMID: 32202465 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-10-19-2088-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Blackleg is a worldwide disease of canola (Brassica napus), caused by a complex of fungal species in the genus Leptosphaeria, that impacts canola production and seed quality. Demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides that target sterol 14α-demethylase are an integral part of disease control. Here, we report six DMI-resistant isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans and two different types of genetic modification related to the resistance. Analysis of the regulatory region of the DMI target gene ERG11 (also known as CYP51) revealed a 275-bp insertion in two of the isolates and three long terminal repeat retrotransposons (5,263, 5,267, and 5,248 bp) inserted in the promoter region of three resistant isolates. Genetic approaches confirmed that these elements are responsible for DMI resistance in L. maculans and crosses show segregation consistent with a single locus. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR assays demonstrated that the 275-bp insertion increases ERG11 gene expression, conferring DMI fungicide resistance both in vitro and in planta. Moreover, transformation of a susceptible isolate of L. maculans with ERG11 driven by a promoter containing the 275-bp insertion increased resistance to tebuconazole. A minimal shift of the values of concentration whereby 50% of the mycelial growth is inhibited in vitro was observed in resistant isolates containing long terminal repeat retrotransposons; nevertheless, these isolates were able to develop significant lesions on cotyledons from fungicide-treated seedlings. This is the first report of genetic modifications in L. maculans relating to DMI fungicide resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqing Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010020, China
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
| | - Stephen J Marcoft
- Marcroft Grains Pathology, Grains Innovation Park, Horsham, Victoria 3400, Australia
| | | | - Ji Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010020, China
| | - Ziqin Li
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
| | - Angela P Van de Wouw
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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23
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Roberto TN, Lima RF, Pascon RC, Idnurm A, Vallim MA. Biological functions of the autophagy-related proteins Atg4 and Atg8 in Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230981. [PMID: 32251488 PMCID: PMC7135279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a mechanism responsible for intracellular degradation and recycling of macromolecules and organelles, essential for cell survival in adverse conditions. More than 40 autophagy-related (ATG) genes have been identified and characterized in fungi, among them ATG4 and ATG8. ATG4 encodes a cysteine protease (Atg4) that plays an important role in autophagy by initially processing Atg8 at its C-terminus region. Atg8 is a ubiquitin-like protein essential for the synthesis of the double-layer membrane that constitutes the autophagosome vesicle, responsible for delivering the cargo from the cytoplasm to the vacuole lumen. The contributions of Atg-related proteins in the pathogenic yeast in the genus Cryptococcus remain to be explored, to elucidate the molecular basis of the autophagy pathway. In this context, we aimed to investigate the role of autophagy-related proteins 4 and 8 (Atg4 and Atg8) during autophagy induction and their contribution with non-autophagic events in C. neoformans. We found that Atg4 and Atg8 are conserved proteins and that they interact physically with each other. ATG gene deletions resulted in cells sensitive to nitrogen starvation. ATG4 gene disruption affects Atg8 degradation and its translocation to the vacuole lumen, after autophagy induction. Both atg4 and atg8 mutants are more resistant to oxidative stress, have an impaired growth in the presence of the cell wall-perturbing agent Congo Red, and are sensitive to the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (BTZ). By that, we conclude that in C. neoformans the autophagy-related proteins Atg4 and Atg8 play an important role in the autophagy pathway; which are required for autophagy regulation, maintenance of amino acid levels and cell adaptation to stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Nunes Roberto
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Ferreira Lima
- Departamento de Infectologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marcelo Afonso Vallim
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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24
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Alder-Rangel A, Idnurm A, Brand AC, Brown AJP, Gorbushina A, Kelliher CM, Campos CB, Levin DE, Bell-Pedersen D, Dadachova E, Bauer FF, Gadd GM, Braus GH, Braga GUL, Brancini GTP, Walker GM, Druzhinina I, Pócsi I, Dijksterhuis J, Aguirre J, Hallsworth JE, Schumacher J, Wong KH, Selbmann L, Corrochano LM, Kupiec M, Momany M, Molin M, Requena N, Yarden O, Cordero RJB, Fischer R, Pascon RC, Mancinelli RL, Emri T, Basso TO, Rangel DEN. The Third International Symposium on Fungal Stress - ISFUS. Fungal Biol 2020; 124:235-252. [PMID: 32389286 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a normal part of life for fungi, which can survive in environments considered inhospitable or hostile for other organisms. Due to the ability of fungi to respond to, survive in, and transform the environment, even under severe stresses, many researchers are exploring the mechanisms that enable fungi to adapt to stress. The International Symposium on Fungal Stress (ISFUS) brings together leading scientists from around the world who research fungal stress. This article discusses presentations given at the third ISFUS, held in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil in 2019, thereby summarizing the state-of-the-art knowledge on fungal stress, a field that includes microbiology, agriculture, ecology, biotechnology, medicine, and astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alexandra C Brand
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, England, UK
| | - Alistair J P Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, England, UK
| | - Anna Gorbushina
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, Materials and the Environment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christina M Kelliher
- Department of Molecular & Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Claudia B Campos
- Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - David E Levin
- Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah Bell-Pedersen
- Center for Biological Clocks Research, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Ekaterina Dadachova
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Florian F Bauer
- Institute for Wine Biotechnology, Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Geoffrey M Gadd
- Geomicrobiology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Gerhard H Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gilberto U L Braga
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Guilherme T P Brancini
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Graeme M Walker
- School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | | | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Jan Dijksterhuis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jesús Aguirre
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Julia Schumacher
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, Materials and the Environment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Koon Ho Wong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA), Mycological Section, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Martin Kupiec
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michelle Momany
- Fungal Biology Group & Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Mikael Molin
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Natalia Requena
- Molecular Phytopathology Department, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Oded Yarden
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jeruslaem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Radamés J B Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Renata C Pascon
- Biological Sciences Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Tamas Emri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Thiago O Basso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Escola Politécnica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Boyce KJ, Cao C, Xue C, Idnurm A. A spontaneous mutation in DNA polymerase POL3 during in vitro passaging causes a hypermutator phenotype in Cryptococcus species. DNA Repair (Amst) 2019; 86:102751. [PMID: 31838381 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2019.102751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Passaging of microbes in vitro can lead to the selection of microevolved derivatives with differing properties to their original parent strains. One well characterised instance is the phenotypic differences observed between the series of strains derived from the type strain of the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. A second case was reported in the close relative Cryptococcus deneoformans, in which a well-studied isolate ATCC 24067 (52D) altered its phenotypic characteristics after in vitro passaging in different laboratories. One of these derivatives, ATCC 24067A, has decreased virulence and also exhibits a hypermutator phenotype, in which the mutation rate is increased compared to wild type. In this study, the molecular basis behind the changes in the lineage of ATCC 24067 was determined by next-generation sequencing of the parent and passaged strain genomes. This analysis resulted in the identification of a point mutation that causes a D270G amino acid substitution within the exonuclease proofreading domain of the DNA polymerase delta subunit encoded by POL3. Complementation with POL3 confirmed that this mutation is responsible for the hypermutator phenotype of this strain. Regeneration of the mutation in C. neoformans, to eliminate the additional mutations present in the ATCC 24067A genetic background, demonstrated that the hypermutator phenotype of the pol3D270G mutant causes rapid microevolution in vitro but does not result in decreased virulence. These findings indicate that mutator strains can emerge in these pathogenic fungi without conferring a fitness cost, but the subsequent rapid accumulation of mutations can be deleterious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie J Boyce
- School of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Chengjun Cao
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Darma R, Lutz A, Elliott CE, Idnurm A. Identification of a gene cluster for the synthesis of the plant hormone abscisic acid in the plant pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 130:62-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Verma S, Shakya VPS, Idnurm A. The dual function gene RAD23 contributes to Cryptococcus neoformans virulence independently of its role in nucleotide excision DNA repair. Gene 2019; 717:144043. [PMID: 31400407 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.144043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Genes involved in the repair of DNA damage are emerging as playing important roles during the disease processes caused by pathogenic fungi. However, there are potentially hundreds of genes involved in DNA repair in a fungus and some of those genes can play additional roles within the cell. One such gene is RAD23, required for virulence of the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, that encodes a protein involved in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. However, Rad23 is a dual function protein, with a role in either repair of damaged DNA or protein turn over by directing proteins to the proteasome. Here, these two functions of Rad23 were tested by the creation of a series of domain deletion alleles of RAD23 and the assessment of the strains for DNA repair, proteasome functions, and virulence properties. Deletion of the different domains was able to uncouple the two functions of Rad23, and the phenotypes of strains carrying such forms indicated that the role of RAD23 in virulence is due to its function in proteasomal-mediated protein degradation rather than NER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Verma
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Viplendra P S Shakya
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA; School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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So YS, Lee DG, Idnurm A, Ianiri G, Bahn YS. The TOR Pathway Plays Pleiotropic Roles in Growth and Stress Responses of the Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Genetics 2019; 212:1241-1258. [PMID: 31175227 PMCID: PMC6707454 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signal transduction system that governs a plethora of eukaryotic biological processes, but its role in Cryptococcus neoformans remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the TOR pathway by functionally characterizing two Tor-like kinases, Tor1 and Tlk1, in C. neoformans We successfully deleted TLK1, but not TOR1TLK1 deletion did not result in any evident in vitro phenotypes, suggesting that Tlk1 is dispensable for the growth of C. neoformans We demonstrated that Tor1, but not Tlk1, is essential and the target of rapamycin by constructing and analyzing conditionally regulated strains and sporulation analysis of heterozygous mutants in the diploid strain background. To further analyze the Tor1 function, we constructed constitutive TOR1 overexpression strains. Tor1 negatively regulated thermotolerance and the DNA damage response, which are two important virulence factors of C. neoformansTOR1 overexpression reduced Mpk1 phosphorylation, which is required for cell wall integrity and thermoresistance, and Rad53 phosphorylation, which governs the DNA damage response pathway. Tor1 is localized to the cytoplasm, but enriched in the vacuole membrane. Phosphoproteomics and transcriptomics revealed that Tor1 regulates a variety of biological processes, including metabolic processes, cytoskeleton organization, ribosome biogenesis, and stress response. TOR inhibition by rapamycin caused actin depolarization in a Tor1-dependent manner. Finally, screening rapamycin-sensitive and -resistant kinase and transcription factor mutants revealed that the TOR pathway may crosstalk with a number of stress signaling pathways. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that a single Tor1 kinase plays pleiotropic roles in C. neoformans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Seul So
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Gi Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Yong-Sun Bahn
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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Urquhart AS, Hu J, Chooi YH, Idnurm A. The fungal gene cluster for biosynthesis of the antibacterial agent viriditoxin. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2019; 6:2. [PMID: 31304040 PMCID: PMC6600887 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-019-0072-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Viriditoxin is one of the ‘classical’ secondary metabolites produced by fungi and that has antibacterial and other activities; however, the mechanism of its biosynthesis has remained unknown. Results Here, a gene cluster (vdt) responsible for viriditoxin synthesis was identified, via a bioinformatics analysis of the genomes of Paecilomyces variotii and Aspergillus viridinutans that both are viriditoxin producers. The function of the eight-membered gene cluster of P. variotii was characterized by targeted gene disruptions, revealing the roles of each gene in the synthesis of this molecule and establishing its biosynthetic pathway, which includes a Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenase catalyzed reaction. Additionally, a predicted catalytically-inactive hydrolase was identified as being required for the stereoselective biosynthesis of (M)-viriditoxin. The subcellular localizations of two proteins (VdtA and VdtG) were determined by fusing these proteins to green fluorescent protein, to establish that at least two intracellular structures are involved in the compartmentalization of the synthesis steps of this metabolite. Conclusions The predicted pathway for the synthesis of viriditoxin was established by a combination of genomics, bioinformatics, gene disruption and chemical analysis processes. Hence, this work reveals the basis for the synthesis of an understudied class of fungal secondary metabolites and provides a new model species for understanding the synthesis of biaryl compounds with a chiral axis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40694-019-0072-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Urquhart
- 1School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jinyu Hu
- 2School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Yit-Heng Chooi
- 2School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- 1School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Gibbons AT, Idnurm A, Seiter M, Dyer PS, Kokolski M, Goodacre SL, Gorb SN, Wolff JO. Amblypygid-fungal interactions: The whip spider exoskeleton as a substrate for fungal growth. Fungal Biol 2019; 123:497-506. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Abstract
The global prevalence of fungal diseases has escalated in the last several decades. Currently, it is estimated that fungi infect 1.7 billion people annually and result in 1.5 million deaths every year1. Deaths due to fungal infections are increasing, with mortality often exceeding 50%, further increasing to 100% if treatment is delayed1. Despite these staggering figures, the contribution of fungal infections to the global burden of disease remains under-recognised. In Australia, over a 5-year period fungal infections cost Australia an estimated $583 million2. The median cost for one invasive fungal disease (IFD) is AU$30957, increasing to AU$80291 if the patient is admitted to an intensive care unit3. Treatment of fungal infections poses significant challenges due to the small number of safe and effective antifungal drugs available and emerging antifungal drug resistance. Resistance to every class of antifungal drugs has been described and for some drug classes is extremely common4,5.
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Van de Wouw AP, Elliott CE, Popa KM, Idnurm A. Analysis of Repeat Induced Point (RIP) Mutations in Leptosphaeria maculans Indicates Variability in the RIP Process Between Fungal Species. Genetics 2019; 211:89-104. [PMID: 30389803 PMCID: PMC6325690 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene duplication contributes to evolutionary potential, yet many duplications in a genome arise from the activity of "selfish" genetic elements such as transposable elements. Fungi have a number of mechanisms by which they limit the expansion of transposons, including Repeat Induced Point mutation (RIP). RIP has been best characterized in the Sordariomycete Neurospora crassa, wherein duplicated DNA regions are recognized after cell fusion, but before nuclear fusion during the sexual cycle, and then mutated. While "signatures" of RIP appear in the genome sequences of many fungi, the species most distant from N. crassa in which the process has been experimentally demonstrated to occur is the Dothideomycete Leptosphaeria maculans In the current study, we show that similar to N. crassa, nonlinked duplications can trigger RIP; however, the frequency of the generated RIP mutations is extremely low in L maculans (< 0.1%) and requires a large duplication to initiate RIP, and that multiple premeiotic mitoses are involved in the RIP process. However, a single sexual cycle leads to the generation of progeny with unique haplotypes, despite progeny pairs being generated from mitosis. We hypothesize that these different haplotypes may be the result of the deamination process occurring post karyogamy, leading to unique mutations within each of the progeny pairs. These findings indicate that the RIP process, while common to many fungi, differs between fungi and that this impacts on the fate of duplicated DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela P Van de Wouw
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Candace E Elliott
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Kerryn M Popa
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Victoria, 3010 Australia
| | - Vera Meyer
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
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Urquhart AS, Mondo SJ, Mäkelä MR, Hane JK, Wiebenga A, He G, Mihaltcheva S, Pangilinan J, Lipzen A, Barry K, de Vries RP, Grigoriev IV, Idnurm A. Genomic and Genetic Insights Into a Cosmopolitan Fungus, Paecilomyces variotii (Eurotiales). Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3058. [PMID: 30619145 PMCID: PMC6300479 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Species in the genus Paecilomyces, a member of the fungal order Eurotiales, are ubiquitous in nature and impact a variety of human endeavors. Here, the biology of one common species, Paecilomyces variotii, was explored using genomics and functional genetics. Sequencing the genome of two isolates revealed key genome and gene features in this species. A striking feature of the genome was the two-part nature, featuring large stretches of DNA with normal GC content separated by AT-rich regions, a hallmark of many plant-pathogenic fungal genomes. These AT-rich regions appeared to have been mutated by repeat-induced point (RIP) mutations. We developed methods for genetic transformation of P. variotii, including forward and reverse genetics as well as crossing techniques. Using transformation and crossing, RIP activity was identified, demonstrating for the first time that RIP is an active process within the order Eurotiales. A consequence of RIP is likely reflected by a reduction in numbers of genes within gene families, such as in cell wall degradation, and reflected by growth limitations on P. variotii on diverse carbon sources. Furthermore, using these transformation tools we characterized a conserved protein containing a domain of unknown function (DUF1212) and discovered it is involved in pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Urquhart
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Miia R Mäkelä
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Viikki Biocenter 1, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - James K Hane
- CCDM Bioinformatics, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.,Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Ad Wiebenga
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Guifen He
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Sirma Mihaltcheva
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Jasmyn Pangilinan
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Anna Lipzen
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Kerrie Barry
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Ronald P de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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35
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Idnurm A. Mystique of Phycomyces blakesleeanus is a peculiar mitochondrial genetic element that is highly variable in DNA sequence while subjected to strong negative selection. J Genet 2018; 97:1195-1204. [PMID: 30555069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A DNA region in the mitochondrial genome of the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Mucorales, Mucoromycota) was characterized in a population of wild-type strains. The region encodes a predicted protein similar to the reverse transcriptases encoded by mitochondrial retroplasmids of Neurospora species and other Sordariomycetes (Ascomycota), but is uncommon in other fungi. DNA sequences of this element, named mystique, are highly variable between the strains, having greater than 2.5% divergence, yet most of the nucleotide differences fall in codon positions that do not change the amino acid sequence. The high proportion of polymorphisms coupled to the rarity of nonsynonymous changes suggests that mystique is subject to counteracting forces of hypermutation and purifying selection. However, while evidence for negative selection may infer that the element provides a fitness benefit, some strains of P. blakesleeanus do not have the element and grow equivalently well as those strains with it. A mechanism to explain the variability between the mystique alleles is proposed, of error-prone replication through an RNA intermediate, reverse transcription and reintegration of the element into the mitochondrial genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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36
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Verma S, Shakya VPS, Idnurm A. Exploring and exploiting the connection between mitochondria and the virulence of human pathogenic fungi. Virulence 2018; 9:426-446. [PMID: 29261004 PMCID: PMC5955198 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1414133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are best known for their role in the production of ATP; however, recent research implicates other mitochondrial functions in the virulence of human pathogenic fungi. Inhibitors of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase or the electron transport chain are successfully used to combat plant pathogenic fungi, but similar inhibition of mitochondrial functions has not been pursued for applications in medical mycology. Advances in understanding mitochondrial function relevant to human pathogenic fungi are in four major directions: 1) the role of mitochondrial morphology in virulence, 2) mitochondrial genetics, with a focus on mitochondrial DNA recombination and mitochondrial inheritance 3) the role of mitochondria in drug resistance, and 4) the interaction of mitochondria with other organelles. Collectively, despite the similarities in mitochondrial functions between fungi and animals, this organelle is currently an under-explored potential target to treat medical mycoses. Future research could define and then exploit those mitochondrial components best suited as drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Verma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Viplendra P. S. Shakya
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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37
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Idnurm A, Urquhart AS, Vummadi DR, Chang S, Van de Wouw AP, López-Ruiz FJ. Spontaneous and CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutation of the osmosensor histidine kinase of the canola pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2017; 4:12. [PMID: 29270298 PMCID: PMC5732519 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-017-0043-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The dicarboximide fungicide iprodione has been used to combat blackleg disease of canola (Brassica napus), caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. For example, in Australia the fungicide was used in the late 1990s but is no longer registered for use against blackleg disease, and therefore the impact of iprodione on L. maculans has not been investigated. Results Resistance to iprodione emerged spontaneously under in vitro conditions at high frequency. A basis for this resistance was mutations in the hos1 gene that encodes a predicted osmosensing histidine kinase. While loss of the homologous histidine kinase in some fungi has deleterious effects on growth and pathogenicity, the L. maculans strains with the hos1 gene mutated had reduced growth under high salt conditions, but were still capable of causing lesions on B. napus. The relative ease to isolate mutants with resistance to iprodione provided a method to develop and then optimize a CRISPR/Cas9 system for gene disruptions in L. maculans, a species that until now has been particularly difficult to manipulate by targeted gene disruptions. Conclusions While iprodione is initially effective against L. maculans in vitro, resistance emerges easily and these strains are able to cause lesions on canola. This may explain the limited efficacy of iprodione in field conditions. Iprodione resistance, such as through mutations of genes like hos1, provides an effective direction for the optimization of gene disruption techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Andrew S Urquhart
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Dinesh R Vummadi
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Steven Chang
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102 Australia
| | - Angela P Van de Wouw
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Francisco J López-Ruiz
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102 Australia
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38
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Van de Wouw AP, Elliott VL, Chang S, López-Ruiz FJ, Marcroft SJ, Idnurm A. Identification of isolates of the plant pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans with resistance to the triazole fungicide fluquinconazole using a novel In Planta assay. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188106. [PMID: 29141039 PMCID: PMC5687775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptosphaeria maculans is the major pathogen of canola (oilseed rape, Brassica napus) worldwide. In Australia, the use of azole fungicides has contributed to the 50-fold increase in canola production in the last 25 years. However, extensive application of fungicides sets the stage for the selection of fungal populations with resistance. A high-throughput in planta assay was developed to allow screening of thousands of isolates from multiple populations. Using this screen, isolates were identified with decreased sensitivity to the fungicide fluquinconazole when applied at field rates as a protective seed dressing: these isolates cause significantly larger lesions on cotyledons and true leaves and increased disease severity at plant maturity. This increased in planta resistance was specific to fluquinconazole, with no cross resistance to flutriafol or tebuconazole/prothioconazole. In a limited set of 22 progeny from a cross between resistant and susceptible parents, resistance segregated in a 1:1 ratio, suggesting a single gene is responsible. A survey of 200 populations from across canola growing regions of Australia revealed fungicide resistance was present in 15% of the populations. Although in vitro analysis of the fungicide resistant isolates showed a significant shift in the average EC50 compared to the sensitive isolates, this was not as evident as the in planta assays. The development of this novel, high-throughput in planta assay has led to the identification of the first fungicide resistant L. maculans isolates, which may pose a threat to the productivity of the Australian canola industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vicki L. Elliott
- Marcroft Grains Pathology, Grains Innovation Park, Horsham, Victoria, Australia
| | - Steven Chang
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Francisco J. López-Ruiz
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Steven J. Marcroft
- Marcroft Grains Pathology, Grains Innovation Park, Horsham, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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39
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Meyer V, Nai C, Idnurm A. Openness and visibility of fungal bio(techno)logy. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2017; 4:9. [PMID: 29085658 PMCID: PMC5651607 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-017-0038-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Meyer
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Corrado Nai
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany.,Federation of the European Microbiological Societies (FEMS), Delftechpark 37a, 2628 XJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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40
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Meyer
- Institute of Biotechnology, Berlin University of Technology, Berlin, 13355 Germany
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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41
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Idnurm A, Bailey AM, Cairns TC, Elliott CE, Foster GD, Ianiri G, Jeon J. A silver bullet in a golden age of functional genomics: the impact of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of fungi. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2017; 4:6. [PMID: 28955474 PMCID: PMC5615635 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-017-0035-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The implementation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a transformation tool revolutionized approaches to discover and understand gene functions in a large number of fungal species. A. tumefaciens mediated transformation (AtMT) is one of the most transformative technologies for research on fungi developed in the last 20 years, a development arguably only surpassed by the impact of genomics. AtMT has been widely applied in forward genetics, whereby generation of strain libraries using random T-DNA insertional mutagenesis, combined with phenotypic screening, has enabled the genetic basis of many processes to be elucidated. Alternatively, AtMT has been fundamental for reverse genetics, where mutant isolates are generated with targeted gene deletions or disruptions, enabling gene functional roles to be determined. When combined with concomitant advances in genomics, both forward and reverse approaches using AtMT have enabled complex fungal phenotypes to be dissected at the molecular and genetic level. Additionally, in several cases AtMT has paved the way for the development of new species to act as models for specific areas of fungal biology, particularly in plant pathogenic ascomycetes and in a number of basidiomycete species. Despite its impact, the implementation of AtMT has been uneven in the fungi. This review provides insight into the dynamics of expansion of new research tools into a large research community and across multiple organisms. As such, AtMT in the fungi, beyond the demonstrated and continuing power for gene discovery and as a facile transformation tool, provides a model to understand how other technologies that are just being pioneered, e.g. CRISPR/Cas, may play roles in fungi and other eukaryotic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Andy M. Bailey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Timothy C. Cairns
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Candace E. Elliott
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Gary D. Foster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA
| | - Junhyun Jeon
- College of Life and Applied Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
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42
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Urquhart AS, Idnurm A. Sit4-Associated Protein is Required for Pathogenicity of Leptosphaeria maculans on Brassica napus. Curr Microbiol 2017; 74:1438-1446. [PMID: 28840344 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-017-1338-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
An insertional mutant with reduced pathogenicity on Brassica napus was identified in the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. The transfer-DNA molecule from Agrobacterium tumefaciens inserted into a gene encoding a protein with similarity to Sit4-associated proteins (SAPs). In contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae which has four members of the SAP family, there is a single copy of the gene in L. maculans. The mutant had normal spore production and spore germination, but altered hyphal branching, suggesting that nutrient signaling is impaired in the strain. This is the first time that a SAP gene has been mutated in a filamentous fungus and links the function of SAP proteins to plant pathogenesis and hyphal branching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Urquhart
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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43
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Hagen F, Lumbsch HT, Arsic Arsenijevic V, Badali H, Bertout S, Billmyre RB, Bragulat MR, Cabañes FJ, Carbia M, Chakrabarti A, Chaturvedi S, Chaturvedi V, Chen M, Chowdhary A, Colom MF, Cornely OA, Crous PW, Cuétara MS, Diaz MR, Espinel-Ingroff A, Fakhim H, Falk R, Fang W, Herkert PF, Ferrer Rodríguez C, Fraser JA, Gené J, Guarro J, Idnurm A, Illnait-Zaragozi MT, Khan Z, Khayhan K, Kolecka A, Kurtzman CP, Lagrou K, Liao W, Linares C, Meis JF, Nielsen K, Nyazika TK, Pan W, Pekmezovic M, Polacheck I, Posteraro B, de Queiroz Telles F, Romeo O, Sánchez M, Sampaio A, Sanguinetti M, Sriburee P, Sugita T, Taj-Aldeen SJ, Takashima M, Taylor JW, Theelen B, Tomazin R, Verweij PE, Wahyuningsih R, Wang P, Boekhout T. Importance of Resolving Fungal Nomenclature: the Case of Multiple Pathogenic Species in the Cryptococcus Genus. mSphere 2017; 2:e00238-17. [PMID: 28875175 PMCID: PMC5577652 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00238-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a major fungal disease caused by members of the Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans species complexes. After more than 15 years of molecular genetic and phenotypic studies and much debate, a proposal for a taxonomic revision was made. The two varieties within C. neoformans were raised to species level, and the same was done for five genotypes within C. gattii. In a recent perspective (K. J. Kwon-Chung et al., mSphere 2:e00357-16, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00357-16), it was argued that this taxonomic proposal was premature and without consensus in the community. Although the authors of the perspective recognized the existence of genetic diversity, they preferred the use of the informal nomenclature "C. neoformans species complex" and "C. gattii species complex." Here we highlight the advantage of recognizing these seven species, as ignoring these species will impede deciphering further biologically and clinically relevant differences between them, which may in turn delay future clinical advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferry Hagen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Hamid Badali
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology/Invasive Fungi Research Center (IFRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Sebastien Bertout
- Unité Mixte Internationale Recherches Translationnelles sur l’Infection à VIH et les Maladies Infectieuses, Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, UFR Pharmacie, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - R. Blake Billmyre
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - M. Rosa Bragulat
- Veterinary Mycology Group, Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F. Javier Cabañes
- Veterinary Mycology Group, Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mauricio Carbia
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Instituto de Higiene, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Arunaloke Chakrabarti
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sudha Chaturvedi
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Vishnu Chaturvedi
- Mycology Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Min Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Shanghai Institute of Medical Mycology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Dermatology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Anuradha Chowdhary
- Department of Medical Mycology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | | | - Oliver A. Cornely
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Clinical Trials, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Pedro W. Crous
- Phytopathology Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Maria S. Cuétara
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Severo Ochoa, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mara R. Diaz
- University of Miami, NSF NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Center, Miami, Florida, USA
- Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | | | - Hamed Fakhim
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology/Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Rama Falk
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nir-David, Israel
| | - Wenjie Fang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Shanghai Institute of Medical Mycology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Dermatology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Patricia F. Herkert
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Postgraduate Program in Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology, Biological Sciences, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - James A. Fraser
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Josepa Gené
- Unitat de Micologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
| | - Josep Guarro
- Unitat de Micologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, BioSciences 2, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Ziauddin Khan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait
| | - Kantarawee Khayhan
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
- Yeast Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Kolecka
- Yeast Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cletus P. Kurtzman
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA-ARS, Peoria, Illinois, USA
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wanqing Liao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Shanghai Institute of Medical Mycology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Dermatology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Carlos Linares
- Medical School, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jacques F. Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Nielsen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tinashe K. Nyazika
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
- School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Weihua Pan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Shanghai Institute of Medical Mycology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Dermatology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Itzhack Polacheck
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Brunella Posteraro
- Institute of Public Health (Section of Hygiene), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio de Queiroz Telles
- Department of Communitarian Health, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Orazio Romeo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Messina, Italy
| | - Manuel Sánchez
- Medical School, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ana Sampaio
- Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas (CITAB), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta dos Prados, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Institute of Microbiology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Pojana Sriburee
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Takashi Sugita
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Saad J. Taj-Aldeen
- Mycology Unit, Microbiology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Masako Takashima
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Center, Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - John W. Taylor
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Bart Theelen
- Yeast Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rok Tomazin
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Paul E. Verweij
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Retno Wahyuningsih
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Universitas Kristen Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Teun Boekhout
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Yeast Research, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Polaino S, Villalobos-Escobedo JM, Shakya VPS, Miralles-Durán A, Chaudhary S, Sanz C, Shahriari M, Luque EM, Eslava AP, Corrochano LM, Herrera-Estrella A, Idnurm A. A Ras GTPase associated protein is involved in the phototropic and circadian photobiology responses in fungi. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44790. [PMID: 28322269 PMCID: PMC5359613 DOI: 10.1038/srep44790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Light is an environmental signal perceived by most eukaryotic organisms and that can have major impacts on their growth and development. The MadC protein in the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Mucoromycotina) has been postulated to form part of the photosensory input for phototropism of the fruiting body sporangiophores, but the madC gene has remained unidentified since the 1960s when madC mutants were first isolated. In this study the madC gene was identified by positional cloning. All madC mutant strains contain loss-of-function point mutations within a gene predicted to encode a GTPase activating protein (GAP) for Ras. The madC gene complements the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ras-GAP ira1 mutant and the encoded MadC protein interacts with P. blakesleeanus Ras homologs in yeast two-hybrid assays, indicating that MadC is a regulator of Ras signaling. Deletion of the homolog in the filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa affects the circadian clock output, yielding a pattern of asexual conidiation similar to a ras-1 mutant that is used in circadian studies in N. crassa. Thus, MadC is unlikely to be a photosensor, yet is a fundamental link in the photoresponses from blue light perceived by the conserved White Collar complex with Ras signaling in two distantly-related filamentous fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Polaino
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, USA
| | - José M Villalobos-Escobedo
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Sede Irapuato, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Viplendra P S Shakya
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, USA
| | | | - Suman Chaudhary
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, USA
| | - Catalina Sanz
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Mahdi Shahriari
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Eva M Luque
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Arturo P Eslava
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Alfredo Herrera-Estrella
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Sede Irapuato, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, USA.,School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
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Ianiri G, Boyce KJ, Idnurm A. Isolation of conditional mutations in genes essential for viability of Cryptococcus neoformans. Curr Genet 2016; 63:519-530. [PMID: 27783209 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-016-0659-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 10/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Discovering the genes underlying fundamental processes that enable cells to live and reproduce is a technical challenge, because loss of gene function in mutants results in organisms that cannot survive. This study describes a forward genetics method to identify essential genes in fungi, based on the propensity for Agrobacterium tumefaciens to insert T-DNA molecules into the promoters or 5' untranslated regions of genes and by placing a conditional promoter within the T-DNA. Insertions of the promoter of the GAL7 gene were made in the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Nine strains of 960 T-DNA insertional mutants screened grew on media containing galactose, but had impaired growth on media containing glucose, which suppresses expression from GAL7. T-DNA insertions were found in the homologs of IDI1, MRPL37, NOC3, NOP56, PRE3 and RPL17, all of which are essential in ascomycete yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Altering the carbon source in the medium provided a system to identify phenotypes in response to stress agents. The pre3 proteasome subunit mutant was further characterized. The T-DNA insertion and phenotype co-segregate in progeny from a cross, and the growth defect is complemented by the reintroduction of the wild type gene into the insertional mutant. A deletion allele was generated in a diploid strain, this heterozygous strain was sporulated, and analysis of the progeny provided additional genetic evidence that PRE3 is essential. The experimental design is applicable to other fungi and has other forward genetic applications such as to isolate over-expression suppressors or enhance the production of traits of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Via F. De Sanctis Snc, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Kylie J Boyce
- School of BioSciences, BioSciences 2, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, BioSciences 2, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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Corrochano LM, Kuo A, Marcet-Houben M, Polaino S, Salamov A, Villalobos-Escobedo JM, Grimwood J, Álvarez MI, Avalos J, Bauer D, Benito EP, Benoit I, Burger G, Camino LP, Cánovas D, Cerdá-Olmedo E, Cheng JF, Domínguez A, Eliáš M, Eslava AP, Glaser F, Gutiérrez G, Heitman J, Henrissat B, Iturriaga EA, Lang BF, Lavín JL, Lee SC, Li W, Lindquist E, López-García S, Luque EM, Marcos AT, Martin J, McCluskey K, Medina HR, Miralles-Durán A, Miyazaki A, Muñoz-Torres E, Oguiza JA, Ohm RA, Olmedo M, Orejas M, Ortiz-Castellanos L, Pisabarro AG, Rodríguez-Romero J, Ruiz-Herrera J, Ruiz-Vázquez R, Sanz C, Schackwitz W, Shahriari M, Shelest E, Silva-Franco F, Soanes D, Syed K, Tagua VG, Talbot NJ, Thon MR, Tice H, de Vries RP, Wiebenga A, Yadav JS, Braun EL, Baker SE, Garre V, Schmutz J, Horwitz BA, Torres-Martínez S, Idnurm A, Herrera-Estrella A, Gabaldón T, Grigoriev IV. Expansion of Signal Transduction Pathways in Fungi by Extensive Genome Duplication. Curr Biol 2016; 26:1577-1584. [PMID: 27238284 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Plants and fungi use light and other signals to regulate development, growth, and metabolism. The fruiting bodies of the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus are single cells that react to environmental cues, including light, but the mechanisms are largely unknown [1]. The related fungus Mucor circinelloides is an opportunistic human pathogen that changes its mode of growth upon receipt of signals from the environment to facilitate pathogenesis [2]. Understanding how these organisms respond to environmental cues should provide insights into the mechanisms of sensory perception and signal transduction by a single eukaryotic cell, and their role in pathogenesis. We sequenced the genomes of P. blakesleeanus and M. circinelloides and show that they have been shaped by an extensive genome duplication or, most likely, a whole-genome duplication (WGD), which is rarely observed in fungi [3-6]. We show that the genome duplication has expanded gene families, including those involved in signal transduction, and that duplicated genes have specialized, as evidenced by differences in their regulation by light. The transcriptional response to light varies with the developmental stage and is still observed in a photoreceptor mutant of P. blakesleeanus. A phototropic mutant of P. blakesleeanus with a heterozygous mutation in the photoreceptor gene madA demonstrates that photosensor dosage is important for the magnitude of signal transduction. We conclude that the genome duplication provided the means to improve signal transduction for enhanced perception of environmental signals. Our results will help to understand the role of genome dynamics in the evolution of sensory perception in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Corrochano
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain.
| | - Alan Kuo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - Marina Marcet-Houben
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Polaino
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 5007 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Asaf Salamov
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - José M Villalobos-Escobedo
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (LANGEBIO), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Kilómetro 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Jane Grimwood
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA; HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way Northwest, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | - M Isabel Álvarez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Javier Avalos
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Diane Bauer
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - Ernesto P Benito
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Instituto Hispano-Luso de Investigaciones Agrarias (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, Río Duero 12, 37185 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Isabelle Benoit
- CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gertraud Burger
- Universite de Montreal, Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, Biochimie, CP 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Lola P Camino
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - David Cánovas
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Enrique Cerdá-Olmedo
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Jan-Fang Cheng
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - Angel Domínguez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Arturo P Eslava
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Fabian Glaser
- Lokey Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Gabriel Gutiérrez
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR7257, Université Aix-Marseille, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France; Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Enrique A Iturriaga
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - B Franz Lang
- Universite de Montreal, Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, Biochimie, CP 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - José L Lavín
- Genome Analysis Platform, CIC bioGUNE, Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Soo Chan Lee
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Wenjun Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Erika Lindquist
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - Sergio López-García
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Murcia, 30071 Murcia, Spain
| | - Eva M Luque
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Ana T Marcos
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Joel Martin
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - Kevin McCluskey
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, 4024 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Humberto R Medina
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Atsushi Miyazaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Ishinomaki Senshu University, Ishinomaki 986-8580, Japan
| | - Elisa Muñoz-Torres
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Patología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Avenida Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - José A Oguiza
- Department of Agrarian Production, Public University of Navarre, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Robin A Ohm
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - María Olmedo
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Margarita Orejas
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Avenida Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lucila Ortiz-Castellanos
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Kilómetro 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Antonio G Pisabarro
- Department of Agrarian Production, Public University of Navarre, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Julio Rodríguez-Romero
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - José Ruiz-Herrera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Kilómetro 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Rosa Ruiz-Vázquez
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Murcia, 30071 Murcia, Spain
| | - Catalina Sanz
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Wendy Schackwitz
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - Mahdi Shahriari
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ekaterina Shelest
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Hans Knoell Institute), Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Fátima Silva-Franco
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Murcia, 30071 Murcia, Spain
| | - Darren Soanes
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Khajamohiddin Syed
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 160 Panzeca Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, USA
| | - Víctor G Tagua
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Nicholas J Talbot
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Michael R Thon
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de los doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Instituto Hispano-Luso de Investigaciones Agrarias (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, Río Duero 12, 37185 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Hope Tice
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
| | - Ronald P de Vries
- CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ad Wiebenga
- CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jagjit S Yadav
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 160 Panzeca Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, USA
| | - Edward L Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Scott E Baker
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, WA 99352, USA
| | - Victoriano Garre
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Murcia, 30071 Murcia, Spain
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA; HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way Northwest, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | - Benjamin A Horwitz
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | | | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 5007 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Alfredo Herrera-Estrella
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (LANGEBIO), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Kilómetro 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA
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Ianiri G, Idnurm A, Castoria R. Transcriptomic responses of the basidiomycete yeast Sporobolomyces sp. to the mycotoxin patulin. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:210. [PMID: 26956724 PMCID: PMC4784387 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2550-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium expansum, the causal agent of blue mold of stored pome fruits, and several other species of filamentous fungi. This mycotoxin has genotoxic, teratogenic and immunotoxic effects in mammals, and its presence in pome fruits and derived products represents a serious health hazard. Biocontrol agents in the Pucciniomycotina, such as the yeasts Sporobolomyces sp. strain IAM 13481 and Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae strain LS11, are able to resist patulin and degrade it into the less toxic compounds desoxypatulinic acid and ascladiol. RESULTS In this investigation we applied a transcriptomic approach based on RNAseq to annotate the genome of Sporobolomyces sp. IAM 13481 and then study the changes of gene expression in Sporobolomyces sp. exposed to patulin. Patulin treatment leads to ROS production and oxidative stress that result in the activation of stress response mechanisms controlled by transcription factors. Upregulated Sporobolomyces genes were those involved in oxidation-reduction and transport processes, suggesting the activation of defense mechanisms to resist patulin toxicity and expel the mycotoxin out of the cells. Other upregulated genes encoded proteins involved in metabolic processes such as those of the glutathione and thioredoxin systems, which are essential to restore the cellular redox homeostasis. Conversely, patulin treatment decreased the expression of genes involved in the processes of protein synthesis and modification, such as transcription, RNA processing, translation, protein phosphorylation and biosynthesis of amino acids. Also, genes encoding proteins involved in transport of ions, cell division and cell cycle were downregulated. This indicates a reduction of metabolic activity, probably due to the high energy requirement by the cells or metabolic arrest while recovering from the insult caused by patulin toxicity. CONCLUSIONS Complex mechanisms are activated in a biocontrol yeast in response to patulin. The genes identified in this study can pave the way to develop i) a biodetoxification process of patulin in juices and ii) a biosensor for the rapid and cost-effective detection of this mycotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Ianiri
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Via F. De Sanctis snc, 86100, Campobasso, Italy.
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
- Present address: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Raffaello Castoria
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Via F. De Sanctis snc, 86100, Campobasso, Italy.
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Abstract
It is striking that, while central to sexual reproduction, the genomic regions determining sex or mating-types are often characterized by suppressed recombination that leads to a decrease in the efficiency of selection, shelters genetic load, and inevitably contributes to their genic degeneration. Research on model and lesser-explored fungi has revealed similarities in recombination suppression of the genomic regions involved in mating compatibility across eukaryotes, but fungi also provide opposite examples of enhanced recombination in the genomic regions that determine their mating types. These contrasted patterns of genetic recombination (sensu lato, including gene conversion and ectopic recombination) in regions of the genome involved in mating compatibility point to important yet complex processes occurring in their evolution. A number of pieces in this puzzle remain to be solved, in particular on the unclear selective forces that may cause the patterns of recombination, prompting theoretical developments and experimental studies. This review thus points to fungi as a fascinating group for studying the various evolutionary forces at play in the genomic regions involved in mating compatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Michael E. Hood
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002 USA
| | - Hanna Johannesson
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tatiana Giraud
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, UMR 8079 CNRS-UPS-AgroParisTech, Bâtiment 360, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay cedex, France
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Idnurm A, Lin X. Rising to the challenge of multiple Cryptococcus species and the diseases they cause. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 78:1-6. [PMID: 25983191 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are well-studied basidiomyceteous yeasts that are capable of causing disease in healthy and immunocompromised people. The Conference on Cryptococcus and Cryptococcosis (ICCC) is held every three years: the accompanying Special Issue stems from the 9th ICCC and covers a subset of the topics related to these fungi in detail. This conference started with a revised and reduced estimate of disease burden globally, in part due to improved treatment for HIV(+) people. However, mortality from cryptococcosis remains consistently high for those unfortunate to have limited access to therapies or without underlying immunodeficiencies. As such, there are yet still great distances to be covered to address antifungal drug availability, the need for new antifungal agents and the timing and doses of these agents in conjunction with antiviral therapy, underscoring the importance of continued research. A notable point from the 9th ICCC was the research addressing the variation in the pathogen and host populations. Analysis of cryptococcal strain variability, particularly at the molecular level, has resolved distinct lineages with the consequence of a taxonomic revision that divides C. neoformans and C. gattii into seven Cryptococcus species. Similarly, analysis of host factors in so called "immune-competent" individuals revealed previously unrecognized risk factors. Research on these species has established them as important model organisms to understand gene evolution and function in other fungi and eukaryotes. The stage is set for the refinement of research directions, leading ultimately to better treatment of this monophyletic clade of pathogens in the genus Cryptococcus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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Lin J, Idnurm A, Lin X. Morphology and its underlying genetic regulation impact the interaction between Cryptococcus neoformans and its hosts. Med Mycol 2015; 53:493-504. [PMID: 25841056 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myv012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that causes the majority of fatal cryptococcal meningitis cases worldwide. This pathogen is capable of assuming different morphotypes: yeast, pseudohypha, and hypha. The yeast form is the most common cell type observed clinically. The hyphal and pseudohyphal forms are rarely observed in the clinical setting and are considered attenuated in virulence. However, as a ubiquitous environmental pathogen, Cryptococcus interacts with various organisms, and it is known to be parasitic to different hosts. Capitalizing on recent discoveries, morphogenesis regulators were manipulated to examine the impact of cell shape on the cryptococcal interaction with three different host systems: the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii (a protist), the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella (an insect), and the murine macrophage cell line J774A.1 (mammalian cells). The regulation of Ace2 and morphogenesis (RAM) pathway is a highly conserved pathway among eukaryotes that regulates cytokinesis. Disruption of any of five RAM components in Cryptococcus renders cells constitutively in the pseudohyphal form. The transcription factor Znf2 is the master activator of the yeast to hyphal transition. Deletion of ZNF2 locks cells in the yeast form, while overexpression of this regulator drives hyphal growth. Genetic epistasis analyses indicate that the RAM and the Znf2 pathways regulate distinct aspects of cryptococcal morphogenesis and independently of each other. These investigations using the Cryptococcus RAM and ZNF2 mutants indicate that cell shape, cell size, and likely cell surface properties weigh differently on the outcome of cryptococcal interactions with different hosts. Thus, certain traits evolved in Cryptococcus that are beneficial within one host might be detrimental when a different host is encountered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Lin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri, USA School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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