1
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Keeling PJ. Horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotes: aligning theory with data. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:416-430. [PMID: 38263430 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00688-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), or lateral gene transfer, is the non-sexual movement of genetic information between genomes. It has played a pronounced part in bacterial and archaeal evolution, but its role in eukaryotes is less clear. Behaviours unique to eukaryotic cells - phagocytosis and endosymbiosis - have been proposed to increase the frequency of HGT, but nuclear genomes encode fewer HGTs than bacteria and archaea. Here, I review the existing theory in the context of the growing body of data on HGT in eukaryotes, which suggests that any increased chance of acquiring new genes through phagocytosis and endosymbiosis is offset by a reduced need for these genes in eukaryotes, because selection in most eukaryotes operates on variation not readily generated by HGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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2
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Zhang Z, Li B, Chai Z, Yang Z, Zhang F, Kang F, Ren H, Jin Y, Yue J. Evolution of the ability to evade host innate immune defense by Talaromyces marneffei. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127597. [PMID: 37884245 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei is an intracellular pathogenic fungus. Some strains of this fungus have been misidentified due to the similarity between Talaromyces and Penicillium. T. marneffei has mainly been found to afflict immunocompromised individuals, causing respiratory, skin, and systemic mycosis. Mp1p is a key virulence factor that can help T. marneffei evade clearance by the normally functioning immune system. Understanding how novel functions arise is an intriguing question in many fields of biology. Mp1p has two homologous domains (Mp1p-LBD1 and Mp1p-LBD2). Sequence similarity searches with Mp1p-LBD sequences revealed Mp1p homologs in many other pathogenic fungi. Integrated information on the taxonomic distribution, phylogenetic relationships, and sequence similarity of Mp1p domains revealed that the ancestor of Mp1p-LBDs was acquired through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Additional evidence revealed that Mp1p homologs have undergone extensive gene duplications in T. marneffei. Mp1p might be a result of gene fusion following gene duplication. Furthermore, we propose a new method for identifying Talaromyces and identify 4 strains with misclassification errors. Our results characterize the evolutionary mechanism of T. marneffei evasion of host innate immune defense and clearly demonstrate the role of gene duplication and HGT in the evolution of host immune escape by T. marneffei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Beiping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Zili Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Zilong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Fengwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Fuqiang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Hongguang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China.
| | - Yuan Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China.
| | - Junjie Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, 100071, China.
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3
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Oduro-Mensah D, Lowor ST, Bukari Y, Donkor JK, Minnah B, Nuhu AH, Dontoh D, Amadu AA, Ocloo A. Cocoa-associated filamentous fungi for the biocontrol of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus. J Basic Microbiol 2023; 63:1279-1292. [PMID: 37485741 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202300163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Aflatoxin and other mycotoxin contamination are major threats to global food security and present an urgent need to secure the global food crop against spoilage by mycotoxigenic fungi. Cocoa material is noted for naturally low aflatoxin contamination. This study was designed to assess the potential for harnessing cocoa-associated filamentous fungi for the biocontrol of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus. The candidate fungi were isolated from fermented cocoa beans collected from four cocoa-growing areas in Ghana. Molecular characterization included Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS)-sequencing for identification and polymer chain reaction (PCR) to determine mating type. Effects of the candidate isolates on growth and aflatoxin-production by an aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolate (BANGA1) were assessed. Aflatoxin production was monitored by UV fluorescence and quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-six filamentous fungi were cultured and identified as Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Lichtheimia, or Trichoderma spp. isolates. The isolates generally interacted negatively with BANGA1 growth and aflatoxin production. The Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus aculeatus biocontrol candidates showed the strongest colony antagonism (54%-94%) and reduction in aflatoxin production (12%-50%) on agar. In broth, the A. niger isolates reduced aflatoxin production by up to 97%. Metabolites from the A. niger isolates showed the strongest inhibition of growth by BANGA1 and inhibited aflatoxin production. Four of the candidate isolates belonged to the MAT1-1 mating type and 12 identified as MAT1-2. This may be indicative of the potential for genetic recombination events between fungi in the field, a finding which is particularly relevant to the risk posed by A. flavus biocontrol measures that rely on atoxigenic A. flavus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oduro-Mensah
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- African Centre of Excellence for Mycotoxin and Food Safety, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria
| | - Sammy T Lowor
- Physiology/Biochemistry Division, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, New Tafo-Akim, Ghana
| | - Yahaya Bukari
- Plant Pathology Division, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, New Tafo-Akim, Ghana
| | - Jacob Kwaku Donkor
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Bismark Minnah
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Abdul Hamid Nuhu
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Mycotoxins and Histamines Laboratory, Ghana Standards Authority, Accra, Ghana
| | - Derry Dontoh
- Mycotoxins and Histamines Laboratory, Ghana Standards Authority, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ayesha Algade Amadu
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute, Ghana
- Environmental Biology and Health Division, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Augustine Ocloo
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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4
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Wang Z, Wang YW, Kasuga T, Hassler H, Lopez-Giraldez F, Dong C, Yarden O, Townsend JP. Origins of lineage-specific elements via gene duplication, relocation, and regional rearrangement in Neurospora crassa. Mol Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37843462 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The origin of new genes has long been a central interest of evolutionary biologists. However, their novelty means that they evade reconstruction by the classical tools of evolutionary modelling. This evasion of deep ancestral investigation necessitates intensive study of model species within well-sampled, recently diversified, clades. One such clade is the model genus Neurospora, members of which lack recent gene duplications. Several Neurospora species are comprehensively characterized organisms apt for studying the evolution of lineage-specific genes (LSGs). Using gene synteny, we documented that 78% of Neurospora LSG clusters are located adjacent to the telomeres featuring extensive tracts of non-coding DNA and duplicated genes. Here, we report several instances of LSGs that are likely from regional rearrangements and potentially from gene rebirth. To broadly investigate the functions of LSGs, we assembled transcriptomics data from 68 experimental data points and identified co-regulatory modules using Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis, revealing that LSGs are widely but peripherally involved in known regulatory machinery for diverse functions. The ancestral status of the LSG mas-1, a gene with roles in cell-wall integrity and cellular sensitivity to antifungal toxins, was investigated in detail alongside its genomic neighbours, indicating that it arose from an ancient lysophospholipase precursor that is ubiquitous in lineages of the Sordariomycetes. Our discoveries illuminate a "rummage region" in the N. crassa genome that enables the formation of new genes and functions to arise via gene duplication and relocation, followed by fast mutation and recombination facilitated by sequence repeats and unconstrained non-coding sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yen-Wen Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Takao Kasuga
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Hayley Hassler
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Caihong Dong
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Oded Yarden
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jeffrey P Townsend
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Program in Microbiology, and Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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5
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Dwiyanto J, Huët MAL, Hussain MH, Su TT, Tan JBL, Toh KY, Lee JWJ, Rahman S, Chong CW. Social demographics determinants for resistome and microbiome variation of a multiethnic community in Southern Malaysia. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2023; 9:55. [PMID: 37573460 PMCID: PMC10423249 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00425-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Southeast Asia is a significant concern, yet there is limited research on the gut resistome and its correlation with lifestyle and environmental factors in the region. This study aimed to profile the gut resistome of 200 individuals in Malaysia using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and investigate its association with questionnaire data comprising demographic and lifestyle variables. A total of 1038 antibiotic resistance genes from 26 classes were detected with a mean carriage rate of 1.74 ± 1.18 gene copies per cell per person. Correlation analysis identified 14 environmental factors, including hygiene habits, health parameters, and intestinal colonization, that were significantly associated with the resistome (adjusted multivariate PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). Notably, individuals with positive yeast cultures exhibited a reduced copy number of 15 antibiotic resistance genes. Network analysis highlighted Escherichia coli as a major resistome network hub, with a positive correlation to 36 antibiotic-resistance genes. Our findings suggest that E. coli may play a pivotal role in shaping the resistome dynamics in Segamat, Malaysia, and its abundance is strongly associated with the community's health and lifestyle habits. Furthermore, the presence of yeast appears to be associated with the suppression of antibiotic-resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Dwiyanto
- AMILI, Singapore, 118261, Singapore.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia.
| | - M A L Huët
- Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Reduit, 80837, Mauritius
| | - M H Hussain
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Malaysia
| | - T T Su
- South East Asia Community Observatory, Segamat, 85000, Malaysia
| | - J B L Tan
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Malaysia
| | - K Y Toh
- AMILI, Singapore, 118261, Singapore
| | - J W J Lee
- AMILI, Singapore, 118261, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - S Rahman
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Malaysia
- Tropical Medicine and Biology Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Malaysia
| | - C W Chong
- AMILI, Singapore, 118261, Singapore.
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Malaysia.
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6
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Nickles GR, Oestereicher B, Keller NP, Drott M. Mining for a new class of fungal natural products: the evolution, diversity, and distribution of isocyanide synthase biosynthetic gene clusters. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:7220-7235. [PMID: 37427794 PMCID: PMC10415135 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The products of non-canonical isocyanide synthase (ICS) biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) mediate pathogenesis, microbial competition, and metal-homeostasis through metal-associated chemistry. We sought to enable research into this class of compounds by characterizing the biosynthetic potential and evolutionary history of these BGCs across the Fungal Kingdom. We amalgamated a pipeline of tools to predict BGCs based on shared promoter motifs and located 3800 ICS BGCs in 3300 genomes, making ICS BGCs the fifth largest class of specialized metabolites compared to canonical classes found by antiSMASH. ICS BGCs are not evenly distributed across fungi, with evidence of gene-family expansions in several Ascomycete families. We show that the ICS dit1/2 gene cluster family (GCF), which was prior only studied in yeast, is present in ∼30% of all Ascomycetes. The dit variety ICS exhibits greater similarity to bacterial ICS than other fungal ICS, suggesting a potential convergence of the ICS backbone domain. The evolutionary origins of the dit GCF in Ascomycota are ancient and these genes are diversifying in some lineages. Our results create a roadmap for future research into ICS BGCs. We developed a website (https://isocyanides.fungi.wisc.edu/) that facilitates the exploration and downloading of all identified fungal ICS BGCs and GCFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant R Nickles
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Milton T Drott
- USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Lab (CDL), St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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7
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Li XL, Sun Y, Yin Y, Zhan S, Wang C. A bacterial-like Pictet-Spenglerase drives the evolution of fungi to produce β-carboline glycosides together with separate genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303327120. [PMID: 37467272 PMCID: PMC10372676 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303327120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse β-carboline (βC) alkaloids are produced by microbes, plants, and animals with myriad bioactivities and drug potentials. However, the biosynthetic mechanism of βCs remains largely elusive, especially regarding the hydroxyl and glucosyl modifications of βCs. Here, we report the presence of the bacterial-like Pictet-Spenglerase gene Fcs1 in the entomopathogenic Beauveria fungi that can catalyze the biosynthesis of the βC skeleton. The overexpression of Fcs1 in Beauveria bassiana led to the identification of six βC methyl glycosides, termed bassicarbosides (BCSs) A-F. We verified that the cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes adjacent to Fcs1 cannot oxidize βCs. Alternatively, the separated CYP684B2 family gene Fcs2 was identified to catalyze βC hydroxylation together with its cofactor gene Fcs3. The functional homologue of Fcs2 is only present in the Fcs1-containing fungi and highly similar to the Fcs1-connected yet nonfunctional CYP. Both evolved quicker than those from fungi without Fcs1 homologues. Finally, the paired methyl/glucosyl transferase genes were verified to mediate the production of BCSs from hydroxy-βCs. All these functionally verified genes are located on different chromosomes of Beauveria, which is in contrast to the typical content-clustered feature of fungal biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). We also found that the production of BCSs selectively contributed to fungal infection of different insect species. Our findings shed light on the biosynthetic mechanism of βC glycosides, including the identification of a βC hydroxylase. The results of this study also propose an evolving process of fungal BGC formation following the horizontal transfer of a bacterial gene to fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Lin Li
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Yanlei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Ying Yin
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Shuai Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Chengshu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
- School of Life Science and Technology,Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai201210, China
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8
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Jha P, Kaur T, Chhabra I, Panja A, Paul S, Kumar V, Malik T. Endophytic fungi: hidden treasure chest of antimicrobial metabolites interrelationship of endophytes and metabolites. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1227830. [PMID: 37497538 PMCID: PMC10366620 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1227830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Endophytic fungi comprise host-associated fungal communities which thrive within the tissues of host plants and produce a diverse range of secondary metabolites with various bioactive attributes. The metabolites such as phenols, polyketides, saponins, alkaloids help to mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses, fight against pathogen attacks and enhance the plant immune system. We present an overview of the association of endophytic fungal communities with a plant host and discuss molecular mechanisms induced during their symbiotic interaction. The overview focuses on the secondary metabolites (especially those of terpenoid nature) secreted by endophytic fungi and their respective function. The recent advancement in multi-omics approaches paved the way for identification of these metabolites and their characterization via comparative analysis of extensive omics datasets. This study also elaborates on the role of diverse endophytic fungi associated with key agricultural crops and hence important for sustainability of agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Tamanna Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | | | - Avirup Panja
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sushreeta Paul
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Tabarak Malik
- Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
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9
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Wang Z, Kim W, Wang YW, Yakubovich E, Dong C, Trail F, Townsend JP, Yarden O. The Sordariomycetes: an expanding resource with Big Data for mining in evolutionary genomics and transcriptomics. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2023; 4:1214537. [PMID: 37746130 PMCID: PMC10512317 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1214537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Advances in genomics and transcriptomics accompanying the rapid accumulation of omics data have provided new tools that have transformed and expanded the traditional concepts of model fungi. Evolutionary genomics and transcriptomics have flourished with the use of classical and newer fungal models that facilitate the study of diverse topics encompassing fungal biology and development. Technological advances have also created the opportunity to obtain and mine large datasets. One such continuously growing dataset is that of the Sordariomycetes, which exhibit a richness of species, ecological diversity, economic importance, and a profound research history on amenable models. Currently, 3,574 species of this class have been sequenced, comprising nearly one-third of the available ascomycete genomes. Among these genomes, multiple representatives of the model genera Fusarium, Neurospora, and Trichoderma are present. In this review, we examine recently published studies and data on the Sordariomycetes that have contributed novel insights to the field of fungal evolution via integrative analyses of the genetic, pathogenic, and other biological characteristics of the fungi. Some of these studies applied ancestral state analysis of gene expression among divergent lineages to infer regulatory network models, identify key genetic elements in fungal sexual development, and investigate the regulation of conidial germination and secondary metabolism. Such multispecies investigations address challenges in the study of fungal evolutionary genomics derived from studies that are often based on limited model genomes and that primarily focus on the aspects of biology driven by knowledge drawn from a few model species. Rapidly accumulating information and expanding capabilities for systems biological analysis of Big Data are setting the stage for the expansion of the concept of model systems from unitary taxonomic species/genera to inclusive clusters of well-studied models that can facilitate both the in-depth study of specific lineages and also investigation of trait diversity across lineages. The Sordariomycetes class, in particular, offers abundant omics data and a large and active global research community. As such, the Sordariomycetes can form a core omics clade, providing a blueprint for the expansion of our knowledge of evolution at the genomic scale in the exciting era of Big Data and artificial intelligence, and serving as a reference for the future analysis of different taxonomic levels within the fungal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Wonyong Kim
- Korean Lichen Research Institute, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yen-Wen Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Elizabeta Yakubovich
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Caihong Dong
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Frances Trail
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Jeffrey P. Townsend
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Program in Microbiology, and Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Oded Yarden
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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10
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Nickles GR, Oestereicher B, Keller NP, Drott MT. Mining for a New Class of Fungal Natural Products: The Evolution, Diversity, and Distribution of Isocyanide Synthase Biosynthetic Gene Clusters. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.17.537281. [PMID: 37131656 PMCID: PMC10153163 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.17.537281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The products of non-canonical isocyanide synthase (ICS) biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) have notable bioactivities that mediate pathogenesis, microbial competition, and metal-homeostasis through metal-associated chemistry. We sought to enable research into this class of compounds by characterizing the biosynthetic potential and evolutionary history of these BGCs across the Fungal Kingdom. We developed the first genome-mining pipeline to identify ICS BGCs, locating 3,800 ICS BGCs in 3,300 genomes. Genes in these clusters share promoter motifs and are maintained in contiguous groupings by natural selection. ICS BGCs are not evenly distributed across fungi, with evidence of gene-family expansions in several Ascomycete families. We show that the ICS dit1 / 2 gene cluster family (GCF), which was thought to only exist in yeast, is present in ∼30% of all Ascomycetes, including many filamentous fungi. The evolutionary history of the dit GCF is marked by deep divergences and phylogenetic incompatibilities that raise questions about convergent evolution and suggest selection or horizontal gene transfers have shaped the evolution of this cluster in some yeast and dimorphic fungi. Our results create a roadmap for future research into ICS BGCs. We developed a website ( www.isocyanides.fungi.wisc.edu ) that facilitates the exploration, filtering, and downloading of all identified fungal ICS BGCs and GCFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant R. Nickles
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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11
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Wang Y, Shahid MQ. Genome sequencing and resequencing identified three horizontal gene transfers and uncovered the genetic mechanism on the intraspecies adaptive evolution of Gastrodia elata Blume. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1035157. [PMID: 36684780 PMCID: PMC9848658 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1035157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer is a rare and useful genetic mechanism in higher plants. Gastrodia elata Blume (GE) (Orchidaceae), well known as traditional medicinal material in East Asia, adopts a heterotrophic lifestyle, thus being considered to be more prone to horizontal gene transfer (HGT). GE is a "polytypic species" that currently comprised of five recognized forms according to the plant morphology. G. elata Blume forma elata (GEE) and G. elata Bl.f.glauca (GEG) are two common forms that naturally grow in different habitats with difference in altitude and latitude. G. elata Bl.f.viridis (GEV) often occurs sporadically in cultivated populations of GEE and GEG. However, the genetic relationships and genetic mechanism underpinned the divergent ecological adaptations of GEE and GEG have not been revealed. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level draft genome of GEE with 1.04 Gb. Among predicted 17,895 protein coding genes, we identified three HGTs. Meanwhile, we resequenced 10 GEE accessions, nine GEG accessions, and 10 GEV accessions, and identified two independent genetic lineages: GEG_pedigree (GEG individuals and GEV individuals collected from GEG populations) and GEE_pedigree (GEE individuals and GEV individuals collected from GEE populations), which strongly support the taxonomic status of GEE and GEG as subspecies, not as different forms. In highly differentiated genomic regions of GEE_pedigree and GEG_pedigree, three chalcone synthase-encoding genes and one Phox/Bem1p (PB1) domain of encoding Auxin (AUX)/Indoleacetic acid (IAA) were identified in selection sweeping genome regions, which suggested that differentiation between GEE_pedigree and GEG_pedigree was promoted by the selection of genes related to photoresponse and growth and development. Overall, this new genome would be helpful for breeding and utilization of GE and the new findings would deepen the understanding about ecological adaptation and evolution of GE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunsheng Wang
- School of Health and Life Science, Kaili University, Kaili, Guizhou, China
| | - Muhammad Qasim Shahid
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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12
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Proctor RH, Hao G, Kim HS, Whitaker BK, Laraba I, Vaughan MM, McCormick SP. A Novel Trichothecene Toxin Phenotype Associated with Horizontal Gene Transfer and a Change in Gene Function in Fusarium. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 15:12. [PMID: 36668832 PMCID: PMC9864338 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusarium trichothecenes are among the mycotoxins of most concern to food and feed safety. Production of these mycotoxins and presence of the trichothecene biosynthetic gene (TRI) cluster have been confirmed in only two multispecies lineages of Fusarium: the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti (Incarnatum) and F. sambucinum (Sambucinum) species complexes. Here, we identified and characterized a TRI cluster in a species that has not been formally described and is represented by Fusarium sp. NRRL 66739. This fungus is reported to be a member of a third Fusarium lineage: the F. buharicum species complex. Cultures of NRRL 66739 accumulated only two trichothecenes, 7-hydroxyisotrichodermin and 7-hydroxyisotrichodermol. Although these are not novel trichothecenes, the production profile of NRRL 66739 is novel, because in previous reports 7-hydroxyisotrichodermin and 7-hydroxyisotrichodermol were components of mixtures of 6-8 trichothecenes produced by several Fusarium species in Sambucinum. Heterologous expression analysis indicated that the TRI13 gene in NRRL 66739 confers trichothecene 7-hydroxylation. This contrasts the trichothecene 4-hydroxylation function of TRI13 in other Fusarium species. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that NRRL 66739 acquired the TRI cluster via horizontal gene transfer from a close relative of Incarnatum and Sambucinum. These findings provide insights into evolutionary processes that have shaped the distribution of trichothecene production among Fusarium species and the structural diversity of the toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H. Proctor
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Guixia Hao
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Hye-Seon Kim
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Briana K. Whitaker
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Imane Laraba
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Martha M. Vaughan
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Susan P. McCormick
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
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13
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Bian C, Kusuya Y, Sklenář F, D’hooge E, Yaguchi T, Ban S, Visagie C, Houbraken J, Takahashi H, Hubka V. Reducing the number of accepted species in Aspergillus series Nigri. Stud Mycol 2022; 102:95-132. [PMID: 36760462 PMCID: PMC9903907 DOI: 10.3114/sim.2022.102.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Aspergillus series Nigri contains biotechnologically and medically important species. They can produce hazardous mycotoxins, which is relevant due to the frequent occurrence of these species on foodstuffs and in the indoor environment. The taxonomy of the series has undergone numerous rearrangements, and currently, there are 14 species accepted in the series, most of which are considered cryptic. Species-level identifications are, however, problematic or impossible for many isolates even when using DNA sequencing or MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, indicating a possible problem in the definition of species limits or the presence of undescribed species diversity. To re-examine the species boundaries, we collected DNA sequences from three phylogenetic markers (benA, CaM and RPB2) for 276 strains from series Nigri and generated 18 new whole-genome sequences. With the three-gene dataset, we employed phylogenetic methods based on the multispecies coalescence model, including four single-locus methods (GMYC, bGMYC, PTP and bPTP) and one multilocus method (STACEY). From a total of 15 methods and their various settings, 11 supported the recognition of only three species corresponding to the three main phylogenetic lineages: A. niger, A. tubingensis and A. brasiliensis. Similarly, recognition of these three species was supported by the GCPSR approach (Genealogical Concordance Phylogenetic Species Recognition) and analysis in DELINEATE software. We also showed that the phylogeny based on benA, CaM and RPB2 is suboptimal and displays significant differences from a phylogeny constructed using 5 752 single-copy orthologous proteins; therefore, the results of the delimitation methods may be subject to a higher than usual level of uncertainty. To overcome this, we randomly selected 200 genes from these genomes and performed ten independent STACEY analyses, each with 20 genes. All analyses supported the recognition of only one species in the A. niger and A. brasiliensis lineages, while one to four species were inconsistently delimited in the A. tubingensis lineage. After considering all of these results and their practical implications, we propose that the revised series Nigri includes six species: A. brasiliensis, A. eucalypticola, A. luchuensis (syn. A. piperis), A. niger (syn. A. vinaceus and A. welwitschiae), A. tubingensis (syn. A. chiangmaiensis, A. costaricensis, A. neoniger and A. pseudopiperis) and A. vadensis. We also showed that the intraspecific genetic variability in the redefined A. niger and A. tubingensis does not deviate from that commonly found in other aspergilli. We supplemented the study with a list of accepted species, synonyms and unresolved names, some of which may threaten the stability of the current taxonomy. Citation: Bian C, Kusuya Y, Sklenář F, D'hooge E, Yaguchi T, Ban S, Visagie CM, Houbraken J, Takahashi H, Hubka V (2022). Reducing the number of accepted species in Aspergillus series Nigri. Studies in Mycology 102: 95-132. doi: 10.3114/sim.2022.102.03.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Bian
- Graduate School of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Y. Kusuya
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan;, Biological Resource Center, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation, Kisarazu, Japan
| | - F. Sklenář
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic;, Laboratory of Fungal Genetics and Metabolism, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - E. D’hooge
- BCCM/IHEM collection, Mycology and Aerobiology, Sciensano, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - T. Yaguchi
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - S. Ban
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - C.M. Visagie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - J. Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - H. Takahashi
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan;, Molecular Chirality Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan;, Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan,*Corresponding authors: H. Takahashi, ; V. Hubka,
| | - V. Hubka
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan;, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic;, Laboratory of Fungal Genetics and Metabolism, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic;,*Corresponding authors: H. Takahashi, ; V. Hubka,
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14
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Cardoza RE, McCormick SP, Izquierdo-Bueno I, Martínez-Reyes N, Lindo L, Brown DW, Collado IG, Proctor RH, Gutiérrez S. Identification of polyketide synthase genes required for aspinolide biosynthesis in Trichoderma arundinaceum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:7153-7171. [PMID: 36166052 PMCID: PMC9592644 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12182-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The fungus Trichoderma arundinaceum exhibits biological control activity against crop diseases caused by other fungi. Two mechanisms that likely contribute to this activity are upregulation of plant defenses and production of two types of antifungal secondary metabolites: the sesquiterpenoid harzianum A (HA) and the polyketide-derived aspinolides. The goal of the current study was to identify aspinolide biosynthetic genes as part of an effort to understand how these metabolites contribute to the biological control activity of T. arundinaceum. Comparative genomics identified two polyketide synthase genes (asp1 and asp2) that occur in T. arundinaceum and Aspergillus ochraceus, which also produces aspinolides. Gene deletion and biochemical analyses in T. arundinaceum indicated that both genes are required for aspinolide production: asp2 for formation of a 10-member lactone ring and asp1 for formation of a butenoyl subsituent at position 8 of the lactone ring. Gene expression and comparative genomics analyses indicated that asp1 and asp2 are located within a gene cluster that occurs in both T. arundinaceum and A. ochraceus. A survey of genome sequences representing 35 phylogenetically diverse Trichoderma species revealed that intact homologs of the cluster occurred in only two other species, which also produced aspinolides. An asp2 mutant inhibited fungal growth more than the wild type, but an asp1 mutant did not, and the greater inhibition by the asp2 mutant coincided with increased HA production. These findings indicate that asp1 and asp2 are aspinolide biosynthetic genes and that loss of either aspinolide or HA production in T. arundinaceum can be accompanied by increased production of the other metabolite(s). KEY POINTS: • Two polyketide synthase genes are required for aspinolide biosynthesis. • Blocking aspinolide production increases production of the terpenoid harzianum A. • Aspinolides and harzianum A act redundantly in antibiosis of T. arundinaceum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa E Cardoza
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Microbiology, University of León, 24400, Ponferrada, Spain
| | - Susan P McCormick
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA
| | - Inmaculada Izquierdo-Bueno
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Universitario Río San Pedro s/n, Torre Sur, 4ª planta, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Natalia Martínez-Reyes
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Microbiology, University of León, 24400, Ponferrada, Spain
| | - Laura Lindo
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Microbiology, University of León, 24400, Ponferrada, Spain
| | - Daren W Brown
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA
| | - Isidro G Collado
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Universitario Río San Pedro s/n, Torre Sur, 4ª planta, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Robert H Proctor
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, 1815 N University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA.
| | - Santiago Gutiérrez
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Microbiology, University of León, 24400, Ponferrada, Spain.
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15
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Wu D, Hu Y, Akashi S, Nojiri H, Guo L, Ye C, Zhu Q, Okada K, Fan L. Lateral transfers lead to the birth of momilactone biosynthetic gene clusters in grass. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:1354-1367. [PMID: 35781905 PMCID: PMC9544640 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Momilactone A, an important plant labdane-related diterpenoid, functions as a phytoalexin against pathogens and an allelochemical against neighboring plants. The genes involved in the biosynthesis of momilactone A are found in clusters, i.e., momilactone A biosynthetic gene clusters (MABGCs), in the rice and barnyardgrass genomes. In addition, we know little about the origin and evolution of MABGCs. Here, we integrated results from comprehensive phylogeny and comparative genomic analyses of the core genes of MABGC-like clusters and MABGCs in 40 monocot plant genomes, providing convincing evidence for the birth and evolution of MABGCs in grass species. The MABGCs found in the PACMAD clade of the core grass lineage (including Panicoideae and Chloridoideae) originated from a MABGC-like cluster in Triticeae (BOP clade) via lateral gene transfer (LGT) and followed by recruitment of MAS1/2 and CYP76L1 genes. The MABGCs in Oryzoideae originated from PACMAD through another LGT event and lost CYP76L1 afterwards. The Oryza MABGC and another Oryza diterpenoid cluster c2BGC are two distinct clusters, with the latter originating from gene duplication and relocation within Oryzoideae. Further comparison of the expression patterns of the MABGC genes between rice and barnyardgrass in response to pathogen infection and allelopathy provides novel insights into the functional innovation of MABGCs in plants. Our results demonstrate LGT-mediated origination of MABGCs in grass and shed lights into the evolutionary innovation and optimization of plant biosynthetic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongya Wu
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang UniversityYonyou Industrial ParkSanya572025China
- Institute of Crop Science & Institute of BioinformaticsZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Yiyu Hu
- Institute of Crop Science & Institute of BioinformaticsZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Shota Akashi
- Biotechnology Research CenterUniversity of Tokyo113‐8657TokyoJapan
| | - Hideaki Nojiri
- Biotechnology Research CenterUniversity of Tokyo113‐8657TokyoJapan
| | - Longbiao Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, China National Rice Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesHangzhou310006China
| | - Chu‐Yu Ye
- Institute of Crop Science & Institute of BioinformaticsZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Qian‐Hao Zhu
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Black Mountain LaboratoriesCanberraACT2601Australia
| | - Kazunori Okada
- Biotechnology Research CenterUniversity of Tokyo113‐8657TokyoJapan
| | - Longjiang Fan
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang UniversityYonyou Industrial ParkSanya572025China
- Institute of Crop Science & Institute of BioinformaticsZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
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Schüller A, Studt-Reinhold L, Strauss J. How to Completely Squeeze a Fungus-Advanced Genome Mining Tools for Novel Bioactive Substances. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1837. [PMID: 36145585 PMCID: PMC9505985 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal species have the capability of producing an overwhelming diversity of bioactive substances that can have beneficial but also detrimental effects on human health. These so-called secondary metabolites naturally serve as antimicrobial "weapon systems", signaling molecules or developmental effectors for fungi and hence are produced only under very specific environmental conditions or stages in their life cycle. However, as these complex conditions are difficult or even impossible to mimic in laboratory settings, only a small fraction of the true chemical diversity of fungi is known so far. This also implies that a large space for potentially new pharmaceuticals remains unexplored. We here present an overview on current developments in advanced methods that can be used to explore this chemical space. We focus on genetic and genomic methods, how to detect genes that harbor the blueprints for the production of these compounds (i.e., biosynthetic gene clusters, BGCs), and ways to activate these silent chromosomal regions. We provide an in-depth view of the chromatin-level regulation of BGCs and of the potential to use the CRISPR/Cas technology as an activation tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joseph Strauss
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, A-3430 Tulln/Donau, Austria
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17
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Mahata PK, Dass RS, Gunti L, Thorat PA. First report on the metabolic characterization of Sterigmatocystin production by select Aspergillus species from the Nidulantes section in Foeniculum vulgare. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:958424. [PMID: 36090109 PMCID: PMC9459157 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.958424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spices are typically grown in climates that support the growth of toxigenic fungi and the production of mycotoxins. The Aspergilli described in this study, as well as the sterigmatocystin (STC) detected, are causes for concern due to their potential to induce food poisoning. One of the most well-known producers of the carcinogenic STC is Aspergillus nidulans. This research explores the occurrence of STC-producing fungi in Foeniculum vulgare, a spice that is marketed in India and other parts of the world. This innovative study details the mycotoxigenic potential of five Aspergilli belonging to Section Nidulantes, namely Aspergillus latus (02 isolates), Emericella quadrilineata (02 isolates), and Aspergillus nidulans (01 isolate), with respect to STC contamination. These five isolates of Aspergilli were screened to produce STC on yeast extract sucrose (YES) medium in a controlled environment with regard to light, temperature, pH, and humidity, among other variables. The expression patterns of regulatory genes, namely, aflR, laeA, pacC, fluG, flbA, pksA, and mtfA were studied on the Czapek–Dox agar (CDA) medium. STC biosynthesis by the test isolates was done in potato dextrose broth (PDB) under optimum conditions, followed by the extraction and purification of the broth using ethyl acetate. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an ultraviolet (UV) detector was utilized to detect compounds in eluted samples. F. vulgare contains Aspergilli that have been shown to have mycotoxigenic potential, which can accumulate in the spice during its active growth and thereby cause the elaboration of mycotoxins.
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Secondary Metabolism Gene Clusters Exhibit Increasingly Dynamic and Differential Expression during Asexual Growth, Conidiation, and Sexual Development in Neurospora crassa. mSystems 2022; 7:e0023222. [PMID: 35638725 PMCID: PMC9239088 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00232-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary metabolite clusters (SMCs) encode the machinery for fungal toxin production. However, understanding their function and analyzing their products requires investigation of the developmental and environmental conditions in which they are expressed. Gene expression is often restricted to specific and unexamined stages of the life cycle. Therefore, we applied comparative genomics analyses to identify SMCs in Neurospora crassa and analyzed extensive transcriptomic data spanning nine independent experiments from diverse developmental and environmental conditions to reveal their life cycle-specific gene expression patterns. We reported 20 SMCs comprising 177 genes-a manageable set for investigation of the roles of SMCs across the life cycle of the fungal model N. crassa-as well as gene sets coordinately expressed in 18 predicted SMCs during asexual and sexual growth under three nutritional and two temperature conditions. Divergent activity of SMCs between asexual and sexual development was reported. Of 126 SMC genes that we examined for knockout phenotypes, al-2 and al-3 exhibited phenotypes in asexual growth and conidiation, whereas os-5, poi-2, and pmd-1 exhibited phenotypes in sexual development. SMCs with annotated function in mating and crossing were actively regulated during the switch between asexual and sexual growth. Our discoveries call for attention to roles that SMCs may play in the regulatory switches controlling mode of development, as well as the ecological associations of those developmental stages that may influence expression of SMCs. IMPORTANCE Secondary metabolites (SMs) are low-molecular-weight compounds that often mediate interactions between fungi and their environments. Fungi enriched with SMs are of significant research interest to agriculture and medicine, especially from the aspects of pathogen ecology and environmental epidemiology. However, SM clusters (SMCs) that have been predicted by comparative genomics alone have typically been poorly defined and insufficiently functionally annotated. Therefore, we have investigated coordinate expression in SMCs in the model system N. crassa, and our results suggest that SMCs respond to environmental signals and to stress that are associated with development. This study examined SMC regulation at the level of RNA to integrate observations and knowledge of these genes in various growth and development conditions, supporting combining comparative genomics and inclusive transcriptomics to improve computational annotation of SMCs. Our findings call for detailed study of the function of SMCs during the asexual-sexual switch, a key, often-overlooked developmental stage.
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Revisiting the Tigger Transposon Evolution Revealing Extensive Involvement in the Shaping of Mammal Genomes. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060921. [PMID: 35741442 PMCID: PMC9219625 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Despite the discovery of the Tigger family of pogo transposons in the mammalian genome, the evolution profile of this family is still incomplete. Here, we conducted a systematic evolution analysis for Tigger in nature. The data revealed that Tigger was found in a broad variety of animals, and extensive invasion of Tigger was observed in mammal genomes. Common horizontal transfer events of Tigger elements were observed across different lineages of animals, including mammals, that may have led to their widespread distribution, while parasites and invasive species may have promoted Tigger HT events. Our results also indicate that the activity of Tigger transposons tends to be low in vertebrates; only one mammalian genome and fish genome may harbor active Tigger. Abstract The data of this study revealed that Tigger was found in a wide variety of animal genomes, including 180 species from 36 orders of invertebrates and 145 species from 29 orders of vertebrates. An extensive invasion of Tigger was observed in mammals, with a high copy number. Almost 61% of those species contain more than 50 copies of Tigger; however, 46% harbor intact Tigger elements, although the number of these intact elements is very low. Common HT events of Tigger elements were discovered across different lineages of animals, including mammals, that may have led to their widespread distribution, whereas Helogale parvula and arthropods may have aided Tigger HT incidences. The activity of Tigger seems to be low in the kingdom of animals, most copies were truncated in the mammal genomes and lost their transposition activity, and Tigger transposons only display signs of recent and current activities in a few species of animals. The findings suggest that the Tigger family is important in structuring mammal genomes.
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Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the primary mold pathogen in humans. It can cause a wide range of diseases in humans, with high mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. The first-line treatments for invasive A. fumigatus infections are the triazole antifungals that inhibit Cyp51 lanosterol demethylase activity, blocking ergosterol biosynthesis. However, triazole-resistant strains of A. fumigatus are increasingly encountered, leading to increased mortality. The most common triazole resistance mechanisms in A. fumigatus are alterations in the cyp51A gene or promoter. We tested the hypothesis that A. fumigatus can acquire triazole resistance by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of resistance-conferring gene cyp51A. HGT has not been experimentally analyzed in filamentous fungi. Therefore, we developed an HGT assay containing donor A. fumigatus strains carrying resistance-conferring mutated cyp51A, either in its chromosomal locus or in a self-replicating plasmid, and recipient strains that were hygromycin resistant and triazole sensitive. Donor and recipient A. fumigatus strains were cocultured and transferred to selective conditions, and the recipient strain tested for transferred triazole resistance. We found that chromosomal transfer of triazole resistance required selection under both voriconazole and hygromycin, resulting in diploid formation. Notably, plasmid-mediated transfer was also activated by voriconazole or hypoxic stress alone, suggesting a possible route to HGT of antifungal resistance in A. fumigatus, both in the environment and during host infection. This study provides, for the first time, preliminary experimental evidence for HGT mediating antifungal resistance in a pathogenic fungus. IMPORTANCE It is well known that bacteria can transfer antibiotic resistance from one strain to another by horizontal gene transfer (HGT), leading to the current worldwide crisis of rapidly emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, in fungi, HGT events have only been indirectly documented by whole-genome sequencing. This study directly examined fungal HGT of antibiotic resistance in a laboratory setting. We show that HGT of antifungal triazole resistance occurs in the important human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Importantly, we show a plasmid-mediated transfer of triazole resistance occurs under conditions likely to prevail in the environment and in infected patients. This study provides an experimental foundation for future work identifying the drivers and mechanistic underpinnings of HGT in fungi.
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Wu D, Jiang B, Ye CY, Timko MP, Fan L. Horizontal transfer and evolution of the biosynthetic gene cluster for benzoxazinoids in plants. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100320. [PMID: 35576160 PMCID: PMC9251436 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Benzoxazinoids are a class of protective and allelopathic plant secondary metabolites that have been identified in multiple grass species and are encoded by the Bx biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) in maize. Data mining of 41 high-quality grass genomes identified complete Bx clusters (containing genes Bx1-Bx5 and Bx8) in three genera (Zea, Echinochloa, and Dichanthelium) of Panicoideae and partial clusters in Triticeae. The Bx cluster probably originated from gene duplication and chromosomal translocation of native homologs of Bx genes. An ancient Bx cluster that included additional Bx genes (e.g., Bx6) is presumed to have been present in ancestral Panicoideae. The ancient Bx cluster was putatively gained by the Triticeae ancestor via horizontal transfer (HT) from the ancestral Panicoideae and later separated into multiple segments on different chromosomes. Bx6 appears to have been under less constrained selection compared with the Bx cluster during the evolution of Panicoideae, as evidenced by the fact that it was translocated away from the Bx cluster in Zea mays, moved to other chromosomes in Echinochloa, and even lost in Dichanthelium. Further investigations indicate that purifying selection and polyploidization have shaped the evolutionary trajectory of Bx clusters in the grass family. This study provides the first candidate case of HT of a BGC between plants and sheds new light on the evolution of BGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongya Wu
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Yonyou Industrial Park, Sanya 572025, China; Institute of Crop Science & Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bowen Jiang
- Institute of Crop Science & Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chu-Yu Ye
- Institute of Crop Science & Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Michael P Timko
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Longjiang Fan
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Yonyou Industrial Park, Sanya 572025, China; Institute of Crop Science & Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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22
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Brown DW, Kim HS, McGovern A, Probyn C, Proctor RH. Genus-wide analysis of Fusarium polyketide synthases reveals broad chemical potential. Fungal Genet Biol 2022; 160:103696. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2022.103696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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23
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Rai N, Gupta P, Keshri PK, Verma A, Mishra P, Kumar D, Kumar A, Singh SK, Gautam V. Fungal Endophytes: an Accessible Source of Bioactive Compounds with Potential Anticancer Activity. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2022; 194:3296-3319. [PMID: 35349089 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-022-03872-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Endophytes either be bacteria, fungi, or actinomycetes colonize inside the tissue of host plants without showing any immediate negative effects on them. Among numerous natural alternative sources, fungal endophytes produce a wide range of structurally diverse bioactive metabolites including anticancer compounds. Considering the production of bioactive compounds in low quantity, genetic and physicochemical modification of the fungal endophytes is performed for the enhanced production of bioactive compounds. Presently, for the treatment of cancer, chemotherapy is majorly used, but the side effects of chemotherapy are of prime concern in clinical practices. Also, the drug-resistant properties of carcinoma cells, lack of cancer cells-specific medicine, and the side effects of drugs are the biggest obstacles in cancer treatment. The interminable requirement of potential drugs has encouraged researchers to seek alternatives to find novel bioactive compounds, and fungal endophytes seem to be a probable target for the discovery of anticancer drugs. The present review focuses a comprehensive literature on the major fungal endophyte-derived bioactive compounds which are presently been used for the management of cancer, biotic factors influencing the production of bioactive compounds and about the challenges in the field of fungal endophyte research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilesh Rai
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Priyamvada Gupta
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Priyanka Kumari Keshri
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Ashish Verma
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Pradeep Mishra
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics Kemihuset (K), Umeå Universitet, Umeå Campus, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Santosh Kumar Singh
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Vibhav Gautam
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India.
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24
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Ulrich S, Lang K, Niessen L, Baschien C, Kosicki R, Twarużek M, Straubinger RK, Ebel F. The Evolution of the Satratoxin and Atranone Gene Clusters of Stachybotrys chartarum. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8040340. [PMID: 35448571 PMCID: PMC9027890 DOI: 10.3390/jof8040340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Stachybotrys chartarum is frequently isolated from damp building materials or improperly stored animal forage. Human and animal exposure to the secondary metabolites of this mold is linked to severe health effects. The mutually exclusive production of either satratoxins or atranones defines the chemotypes A and S. Based upon the genes (satratoxin cluster, SC1-3, sat or atranone cluster, AC1, atr) that are supposed to be essential for satratoxin and atranone production, S. chartarum can furthermore be divided into three genotypes: the S-type possessing all sat- but no atr-genes, the A-type lacking the sat- but harboring all atr-genes, and the H-type having only certain sat- and all atr-genes. We analyzed the above-mentioned gene clusters and their flanking regions to shed light on the evolutionary relationship. Furthermore, we performed a deep re-sequencing and LC-MS/MS (Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) analysis. We propose a first model for the evolution of the S. chartarum genotypes. We assume that genotype H represents the most ancient form. A loss of the AC1 and the concomitant acquisition of the SC2 led to the emergence of the genotype S. According to our model, the genotype H also developed towards genotype A, a process that was accompanied by a loss of SC1 and SC3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Ulrich
- Chair of Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, LMU-Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinaerstr. 13, 80539 Munich, Germany; (K.L.); (R.K.S.); (F.E.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)89-2180-5899
| | - Katharina Lang
- Chair of Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, LMU-Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinaerstr. 13, 80539 Munich, Germany; (K.L.); (R.K.S.); (F.E.)
| | - Ludwig Niessen
- Chair of Microbiology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 4, 85354 Freising, Germany;
| | - Christiane Baschien
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany;
| | - Robert Kosicki
- Department of Physiology and Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (R.K.); (M.T.)
| | - Magdalena Twarużek
- Department of Physiology and Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (R.K.); (M.T.)
| | - Reinhard K. Straubinger
- Chair of Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, LMU-Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinaerstr. 13, 80539 Munich, Germany; (K.L.); (R.K.S.); (F.E.)
| | - Frank Ebel
- Chair of Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, LMU-Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinaerstr. 13, 80539 Munich, Germany; (K.L.); (R.K.S.); (F.E.)
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25
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Shen L, Chapeland-Leclerc F, Ruprich-Robert G, Chen Q, Chen S, Adnan M, Wang J, Liu G, Xie N. Involvement of VIVID in white light-responsive pigmentation, sexual development and sterigmatocystin biosynthesis in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:2907-2923. [PMID: 35315561 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Light serves as a source of information and regulates diverse physiological processes in living organisms. Fungi perceive and respond to light through a complex photosensory system. Fungi have evolved the desensitization mechanism to adapt to the changing light signal in a natural environment. White light exerts multiple essential impacts on the model filamentous fungus P. anserina. However, the light sensing and response in this species has not been investigated. In this study, we demonstrated that the loss of function of the light desensitization protein VIVID (VVD) in P. anserina triggered exacerbated light responses, and therefore led to drastic morphological and physiological changes. The white light-sensitive mutant Δvvd showed growth reduction, spermatia overproduction, enhanced hyphae pigmentation and reduced oxidative stress tolerance. We observed the decreased expression level of sterigmatocystin gene cluster by transcriptome analysis, and finally detected the reduced production of sterigmatocystin in Δvvd in response to white light. Our data indicate that VVD acts as a repressor of white collar complex. This study exhibits a vital role of VVD in governing white light-responsive gene expression and secondary metabolite production, and contributes to a better understanding of the photoreceptor VVD in P. anserina. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Shen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China.,College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Florence Chapeland-Leclerc
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Energies de Demain (LIED), Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 8236, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Gwenaël Ruprich-Robert
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Energies de Demain (LIED), Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 8236, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Qiyi Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Muhammad Adnan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiangxin Wang
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ning Xie
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
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26
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Cao R, Wu X, Wang Q, Qi P, Zhang Y, Wang L, Sun C. Characterization of γ-Cadinene Enzymes in Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma sinensis from Basidiomycetes Provides Insight into the Identification of Terpenoid Synthases. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:7229-7239. [PMID: 35252713 PMCID: PMC8892675 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes boost protein engineering, directed evolution, and the biochemical industry and are also the cornerstone of metabolic engineering. Basidiomycetes are known to produce a large variety of terpenoids with unique structures. However, basidiomycetous terpene synthases remain largely untapped. Therefore, we provide a modeling method to obtain specific terpene synthases. Aided by bioinformatics analysis, three γ-cadinene enzymes from Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma sinensis were accurately predicted and identified experimentally. Based on the highly conserved amino motifs of the characterized γ-cadinene enzymes, the enzyme was reassembled as model 1. Using this model as a template, 67 homologous sequences of the γ-cadinene enzyme were screened from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). According to the 67 sequences, the same gene structure, and similar conserved motifs to model 1, the γ-cadinene enzyme model was further improved by the same construction method and renamed as model 2. The results of bioinformatics analysis show that the conservative regions of models 1 and 2 are highly similar. In addition, five of these sequences were verified, 100% of which were γ-cadinene enzymes. The accuracy of the prediction ability of the γ-cadinene enzyme model was proven. In the same way, we also reanalyzed the identified Δ6-protoilludene enzymes in fungi and (-)-α-bisabolol enzymes in plants, all of which have their own unique conserved motifs. Our research method is expected to be used to study other terpenoid synthases with a similar or the same function in basidiomycetes, ascomycetes, bacteria, and plants and to provide rich enzyme resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Cao
- School
of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University
of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, P. R. China
| | - Xinlong Wu
- College
of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, P. R. China
| | - Qi Wang
- School
of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University
of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, P. R. China
| | - Pengyan Qi
- School
of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University
of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, P. R. China
| | - Yuna Zhang
- School
of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University
of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, P. R. China
| | - Lizhi Wang
- School
of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University
of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, P. R. China
| | - Chao Sun
- Institute
of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese
Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
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27
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Gao X, Wang Q, Feng Q, Zhang B, He C, Luo H, An B. Heat Shock Transcription Factor CgHSF1 Is Required for Melanin Biosynthesis, Appressorium Formation, and Pathogenicity in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020175. [PMID: 35205929 PMCID: PMC8876323 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are a family of transcription regulators. Although HSFs’ functions in controlling the transcription of the molecular chaperone heat shock proteins and resistance to stresses are well established, their effects on the pathogenicity of plant pathogenic fungi remain unknown. In this study, we analyze the role of CgHSF1 in the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and investigate the underlying mechanism. Failure to generate the Cghsf1 knock-out mutant suggested that the gene is essential for the viability of the fungus. Then, genetic depletion of the Cghsf1 was achieved by inserting the repressive promoter of nitrite reductase gene (PniiA) before its coding sequence. The mutant showed significantly decrease in the pathogenicity repression of appressorium formation, and severe defects in melanin biosynthesis. Moreover, four melanin synthetic genes were identified as direct targets of CgHSF1. Taken together, this work highlights the role of CgHSF1 in fungal pathogenicity via the transcriptional activation of melanin biosynthesis. Our study extends the understanding of fungal HSF1 proteins, especially their involvement in pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuesheng Gao
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Qiannan Wang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Qingdeng Feng
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
| | - Bei Zhang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Chaozu He
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Hongli Luo
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (B.A.)
| | - Bang An
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.G.); (Q.W.); (Q.F.); (B.Z.); (C.H.)
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (B.A.)
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28
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Gutiérrez S, McCormick SP, Cardoza RE, Kim HS, Yugueros LL, Vaughan MM, Carro-Huerga G, Busman M, Sáenz de Miera LE, Jaklitsch WM, Zhuang WY, Wang C, Casquero PA, Proctor RH. Distribution, Function, and Evolution of a Gene Essential for Trichothecene Toxin Biosynthesis in Trichoderma. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:791641. [PMID: 34925301 PMCID: PMC8675399 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.791641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichothecenes are terpenoid toxins produced by species in 10 fungal genera, including species of Trichoderma. The trichothecene biosynthetic gene (tri) cluster typically includes the tri5 gene, which encodes a terpene synthase that catalyzes formation of trichodiene, the parent compound of all trichothecenes. The two Trichoderma species, Trichoderma arundinaceum and T. brevicompactum, that have been examined are unique in that tri5 is located outside the tri cluster in a genomic region that does not include other known tri genes. In the current study, analysis of 35 species representing a wide range of the phylogenetic diversity of Trichoderma revealed that 22 species had tri5, but only 13 species had both tri5 and the tri cluster. tri5 was not located in the cluster in any species. Using complementation analysis of a T. arundinaceum tri5 deletion mutant, we demonstrated that some tri5 homologs from species that lack a tri cluster are functional, but others are not. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that Trichoderma tri5 was under positive selection following its divergence from homologs in other fungi but before Trichoderma species began diverging from one another. We propose two models to explain these diverse observations. One model proposes that the location of tri5 outside the tri cluster resulted from loss of tri5 from the cluster in an ancestral species followed by reacquisition via horizontal transfer. The other model proposes that in species that have a functional tri5 but lack the tri cluster, trichodiene production provides a competitive advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Gutiérrez
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Microbiology, University of León, Ponferrada, Spain
| | - Susan P McCormick
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Rosa E Cardoza
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Microbiology, University of León, Ponferrada, Spain
| | - Hye-Seon Kim
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Laura Lindo Yugueros
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Microbiology, University of León, Ponferrada, Spain
| | - Martha Marie Vaughan
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Guzmán Carro-Huerga
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Plant Production, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Mark Busman
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, IL, United States
| | | | - Walter M Jaklitsch
- Division of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wen-Ying Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pedro A Casquero
- University Group for Research in Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture (GUIIAS), Area of Plant Production, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Robert Henry Proctor
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, IL, United States
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29
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Keswani C, Singh SP, García-Estrada C, Mezaache-Aichour S, Glare TR, Borriss R, Rajput VD, Minkina TM, Ortiz A, Sansinenea E. Biosynthesis and beneficial effects of microbial gibberellins on crops for sustainable agriculture. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:1597-1615. [PMID: 34724298 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Soil microbes promote plant growth through several mechanisms such as secretion of chemical compounds including plant growth hormones. Among the phytohormones, auxins, ethylene, cytokinins, abscisic acid and gibberellins are the best understood compounds. Gibberellins were first isolated in 1935 from the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi and are synthesized by several soil microbes. The effect of gibberellins on plant growth and development has been studied, as has the biosynthesis pathways, enzymes, genes and their regulation. This review revisits the history of gibberellin research highlighting microbial gibberellins and their effects on plant health with an emphasis on the early discoveries and current advances that can find vital applications in agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chetan Keswani
- Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - Satyendra P Singh
- Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- Instituto de Biotecnología de León (INBIOTEC), Parque Científico de León, León, Spain.,Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | | | - Travis R Glare
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Rainer Borriss
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vishnu D Rajput
- Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - Tatiana M Minkina
- Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - Aurelio Ortiz
- Facultad De Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma De Puebla, Puebla, México
| | - Estibaliz Sansinenea
- Facultad De Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma De Puebla, Puebla, México
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30
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Rush TA, Shrestha HK, Gopalakrishnan Meena M, Spangler MK, Ellis JC, Labbé JL, Abraham PE. Bioprospecting Trichoderma: A Systematic Roadmap to Screen Genomes and Natural Products for Biocontrol Applications. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2021; 2:716511. [PMID: 37744103 PMCID: PMC10512312 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.716511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Natural products derived from microbes are crucial innovations that would help in reaching sustainability development goals worldwide while achieving bioeconomic growth. Trichoderma species are well-studied model fungal organisms used for their biocontrol properties with great potential to alleviate the use of agrochemicals in agriculture. However, identifying and characterizing effective natural products in novel species or strains as biological control products remains a meticulous process with many known challenges to be navigated. Integration of recent advancements in various "omics" technologies, next generation biodesign, machine learning, and artificial intelligence approaches could greatly advance bioprospecting goals. Herein, we propose a roadmap for assessing the potential impact of already known or newly discovered Trichoderma species for biocontrol applications. By screening publicly available Trichoderma genome sequences, we first highlight the prevalence of putative biosynthetic gene clusters and antimicrobial peptides among genomes as an initial step toward predicting which organisms could increase the diversity of natural products. Next, we discuss high-throughput methods for screening organisms to discover and characterize natural products and how these findings impact both fundamental and applied research fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás A. Rush
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Him K. Shrestha
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | | | - Margaret K. Spangler
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - J. Christopher Ellis
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Jesse L. Labbé
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Paul E. Abraham
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
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31
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Genetic Relationships in the Toxin-Producing Fungal Endophyte, Alternaria oxytropis Using Polyketide Synthase and Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthase Genes. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070538. [PMID: 34356917 PMCID: PMC8306250 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The legume Oxytropis sericea hosts a fungal endophyte, Alternaria oxytropis, which produces secondary metabolites (SM), including the toxin swainsonine. Polyketide synthase (PKS) and non-ribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) enzymes are associated with biosynthesis of fungal SM. To better understand the origins of the SM, an unannotated genome of A. oxytropis was assessed for protein sequences similar to known PKS and NRPS enzymes of fungi. Contigs exhibiting identity with known genes were analyzed at nucleotide and protein levels using available databases. Software were used to identify PKS and NRPS domains and predict identity and function. Confirmation of sequence for selected gene sequences was accomplished using PCR. Thirteen PKS, 5 NRPS, and 4 PKS-NRPS hybrids were identified and characterized with functions including swainsonine and melanin biosynthesis. Phylogenetic relationships among closest amino acid matches with Alternaria spp. were identified for seven highly conserved PKS and NRPS, including melanin synthesis. Three PKS and NRPS were most closely related to other fungi within the Pleosporaceae family, while five PKS and PKS-NRPS were closely related to fungi in the Pleosporales order. However, seven PKS and PKS-NRPS showed no identity with fungi in the Pleosporales or the class Dothideomycetes, suggesting a different evolutionary origin for those genes.
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Bhattarai K, Bhattarai K, Kabir ME, Bastola R, Baral B. Fungal natural products galaxy: Biochemistry and molecular genetics toward blockbuster drugs discovery. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2021; 107:193-284. [PMID: 33641747 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2020.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Secondary metabolites synthesized by fungi have become a precious source of inspiration for the design of novel drugs. Indeed, fungi are prolific producers of fascinating, diverse, structurally complex, and low-molecular-mass natural products with high therapeutic leads, such as novel antimicrobial compounds, anticancer compounds, immunosuppressive agents, among others. Given that these microorganisms possess the extraordinary capacity to secrete diverse chemical scaffolds, they have been highly exploited by the giant pharma companies to generate small molecules. This has been made possible because the isolation of metabolites from fungal natural sources is feasible and surpasses the organic synthesis of compounds, which otherwise remains a significant bottleneck in the drug discovery process. Here in this comprehensive review, we have discussed recent studies on different fungi (pathogenic, non-pathogenic, commensal, and endophytic/symbiotic) from different habitats (terrestrial and marines), the specialized metabolites they biosynthesize, and the drugs derived from these specialized metabolites. Moreover, we have unveiled the logic behind the biosynthesis of vital chemical scaffolds, such as NRPS, PKS, PKS-NRPS hybrid, RiPPS, terpenoids, indole alkaloids, and their genetic mechanisms. Besides, we have provided a glimpse of the concept behind mycotoxins, virulence factor, and host immune response based on fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshab Bhattarai
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Keshab Bhattarai
- Central Department of Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Md Ehsanul Kabir
- Animal Health Research Division, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rina Bastola
- Spinal Cord Injury Association-Nepal (SCIAN), Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Bikash Baral
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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33
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An Unconventional Melanin Biosynthesis Pathway in Ustilago maydis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.01510-20. [PMID: 33218994 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01510-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a phytopathogenic fungus responsible for corn smut disease. Although it is a very well-established model organism for the study of plant-microbe interactions, its potential to produce specialized metabolites, which might contribute to this interaction, has not been studied in detail. By analyzing the U. maydis genome, we identified a biosynthetic gene cluster whose activation led to the production of a black melanin pigment. Single deletion mutants of the cluster genes revealed that five encoded enzymes are required for the accumulation of the black pigment, including three polyketide synthases (pks3, pks4, and pks5), a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (cyp4), and a protein with similarity to versicolorin B synthase (vbs1). Metabolic profiles of deletion mutants in this gene cluster suggested that Pks3 and Pks4 act in concert as heterodimers to generate orsellinic acid (OA), which is reduced to the corresponding aldehyde by Pks5. The OA-aldehyde can then react with triacetic acid lactone (TAL), also derived from Pks3/Pks4 heterodimers to form larger molecules, including novel coumarin derivatives. Our findings suggest that U. maydis synthesizes a novel type of melanin based on coumarin and pyran-2-one intermediates, while most fungal melanins are derived from 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) or l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA). Along with these observations, this work also provides insight into the mechanisms of polyketide synthases in this filamentous fungus.IMPORTANCE The fungus Ustilago maydis represents one of the major threats to maize plants since it is responsible for corn smut disease, which generates considerable economical losses around the world. Therefore, contributing to a better understanding of the biochemistry of defense mechanisms used by U. maydis to protect itself against harsh environments, such as the synthesis of melanin, could provide improved biological tools for tackling the problem and protect the crops. In addition, the fact that this fungus synthesizes melanin in an unconventional way, requiring more than one polyketide synthase for producing melanin precursors, gives a different perspective on the complexity of these multidomain enzymes and their evolution in the fungal kingdom.
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Alam B, Lǐ J, Gě Q, Khan MA, Gōng J, Mehmood S, Yuán Y, Gǒng W. Endophytic Fungi: From Symbiosis to Secondary Metabolite Communications or Vice Versa? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:791033. [PMID: 34975976 PMCID: PMC8718612 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.791033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Endophytic fungi (EF) are a group of fascinating host-associated fungal communities that colonize the intercellular or intracellular spaces of host tissues, providing beneficial effects to their hosts while gaining advantages. In recent decades, accumulated research on endophytic fungi has revealed their biodiversity, wide-ranging ecological distribution, and multidimensional interactions with host plants and other microbiomes in the symbiotic continuum. In this review, we highlight the role of secondary metabolites (SMs) as effectors in these multidimensional interactions, and the biosynthesis of SMs in symbiosis via complex gene expression regulation mechanisms in the symbiotic continuum and via the mimicry or alteration of phytochemical production in host plants. Alternative biological applications of SMs in modern medicine, agriculture, and industry and their major classes are also discussed. This review recapitulates an introduction to the research background, progress, and prospects of endophytic biology, and discusses problems and substantive challenges that need further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beena Alam
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Jùnwén Lǐ
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Qún Gě
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Mueen Alam Khan
- Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Jǔwǔ Gōng
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Shahid Mehmood
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yǒulù Yuán
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- *Correspondence: Wànkuí Gǒng,
| | - Wànkuí Gǒng
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Yǒulù Yuán,
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35
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Shen XX, Li Y, Hittinger CT, Chen XX, Rokas A. An investigation of irreproducibility in maximum likelihood phylogenetic inference. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6096. [PMID: 33257660 PMCID: PMC7705714 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20005-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic trees are essential for studying biology, but their reproducibility under identical parameter settings remains unexplored. Here, we find that 3515 (18.11%) IQ-TREE-inferred and 1813 (9.34%) RAxML-NG-inferred maximum likelihood (ML) gene trees are topologically irreproducible when executing two replicates (Run1 and Run2) for each of 19,414 gene alignments in 15 animal, plant, and fungal phylogenomic datasets. Notably, coalescent-based ASTRAL species phylogenies inferred from Run1 and Run2 sets of individual gene trees are topologically irreproducible for 9/15 phylogenomic datasets, whereas concatenation-based phylogenies inferred twice from the same supermatrix are reproducible. Our simulations further show that irreproducible phylogenies are more likely to be incorrect than reproducible phylogenies. These results suggest that a considerable fraction of single-gene ML trees may be irreproducible. Increasing reproducibility in ML inference will benefit from providing analyses’ log files, which contain typically reported parameters (e.g., program, substitution model, number of tree searches) but also typically unreported ones (e.g., random starting seed number, number of threads, processor type). Replicate runs of maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses can generate different tree topologies due to differences in parameters, such as random seeds. Here, Shen et al. demonstrate that replicate runs can generate substantially different tree topologies even with identical data and parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Xing Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China. .,Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Yuanning Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Xue-Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
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36
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Hagee D, Abu Hardan A, Botero J, Arnone JT. Genomic clustering within functionally related gene families in Ascomycota fungi. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3267-3277. [PMID: 33209211 PMCID: PMC7653285 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple mechanisms collaborate for proper regulation of gene expression. One layer of this regulation is through the clustering of functionally related genes at discrete loci throughout the genome. This phenomenon occurs extensively throughout Ascomycota fungi and is an organizing principle for many gene families whose proteins participate in diverse molecular functions throughout the cell. Members of this phylum include organisms that serve as model systems and those of interest medically, pharmaceutically, and for industrial and biotechnological applications. In this review, we discuss the prevalence of functional clustering through a broad range of organisms within the phylum. Position effects on transcription, genomic locations of clusters, transcriptional regulation of clusters, and selective pressures contributing to the formation and maintenance of clusters are addressed, as are common methods to identify and characterize clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Hagee
- Department of Biology, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA
| | - Ahmad Abu Hardan
- Department of Biology, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA
| | - Juan Botero
- Department of Biology, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA
| | - James T. Arnone
- Department of Biology, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA
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37
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Uka V, Cary JW, Lebar MD, Puel O, De Saeger S, Diana Di Mavungu J. Chemical repertoire and biosynthetic machinery of the Aspergillus flavus secondary metabolome: A review. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2020; 19:2797-2842. [PMID: 33337039 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi represent a rich source of extrolites, including secondary metabolites (SMs) comprising a great variety of astonishing structures and interesting bioactivities. State-of-the-art techniques in genome mining, genetic manipulation, and secondary metabolomics have enabled the scientific community to better elucidate and more deeply appreciate the genetic and biosynthetic chemical arsenal of these microorganisms. Aspergillus flavus is best known as a contaminant of food and feed commodities and a producer of the carcinogenic family of SMs, aflatoxins. This fungus produces many SMs including polyketides, ribosomal and nonribosomal peptides, terpenoids, and other hybrid molecules. This review will discuss the chemical diversity, biosynthetic pathways, and biological/ecological role of A. flavus SMs, as well as their significance concerning food safety and security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valdet Uka
- Center of Excellence in Mycotoxicology and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Division of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pristina, Pristina, Kosovo
| | - Jeffrey W Cary
- Southern Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Matthew D Lebar
- Southern Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Olivier Puel
- Toxalim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Sarah De Saeger
- Center of Excellence in Mycotoxicology and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - José Diana Di Mavungu
- Center of Excellence in Mycotoxicology and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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38
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Li X, Cheng J, Liu X, Guo X, Liu Y, Fan W, Lu L, Ma Y, Liu T, Tao S, Jiang H. Origin and Evolution of Fusidane-Type Antibiotics Biosynthetic Pathway through Multiple Horizontal Gene Transfers. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:1830-1840. [PMID: 32915993 PMCID: PMC7750971 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusidane-type antibiotics represented by fusidic acid, helvolic acid, and cephalosporin P1 have very similar core structures, but they are produced by fungi belonging to different taxonomic groups. The origin and evolution of fusidane-type antibiotics biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in different antibiotics producing strains remained an enigma. In this study, we investigated the distribution and evolution of the fusidane BGCs in 1,284 fungal genomes. We identified 12 helvolic acid BGCs, 4 fusidic acid BGCs, and 1 cephalosporin P1 BGC in Pezizomycotina fungi. Phylogenetic analyses indicated six horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events in the evolutionary trajectory of the BGCs, including 1) three transfers across Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes classes; 2) one transfer between genera under Sordariomycetes class; and 3) two transfers within Aspergillus genus under Eurotiomycetes classes. Finally, we proposed that the ancestor of fusidane BGCs would be originated from the Zoopagomycota by ancient HGT events according to the phylogenetic trees of key enzymes in fusidane BGCs (OSC and P450 genes). Our results extensively clarify the evolutionary trajectory of fusidane BGCs by HGT among distantly related fungi and provide new insights into the evolutionary mechanisms of metabolic pathways in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangchen Li
- College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoxian Guo
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuqian Liu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Fan
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Lina Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanhe Ma
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiheng Tao
- College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
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39
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Naranjo‐Ortiz MA, Gabaldón T. Fungal evolution: cellular, genomic and metabolic complexity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1198-1232. [PMID: 32301582 PMCID: PMC7539958 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The question of how phenotypic and genomic complexity are inter-related and how they are shaped through evolution is a central question in biology that historically has been approached from the perspective of animals and plants. In recent years, however, fungi have emerged as a promising alternative system to address such questions. Key to their ecological success, fungi present a broad and diverse range of phenotypic traits. Fungal cells can adopt many different shapes, often within a single species, providing them with great adaptive potential. Fungal cellular organizations span from unicellular forms to complex, macroscopic multicellularity, with multiple transitions to higher or lower levels of cellular complexity occurring throughout the evolutionary history of fungi. Similarly, fungal genomes are very diverse in their architecture. Deep changes in genome organization can occur very quickly, and these phenomena are known to mediate rapid adaptations to environmental changes. Finally, the biochemical complexity of fungi is huge, particularly with regard to their secondary metabolites, chemical products that mediate many aspects of fungal biology, including ecological interactions. Herein, we explore how the interplay of these cellular, genomic and metabolic traits mediates the emergence of complex phenotypes, and how this complexity is shaped throughout the evolutionary history of Fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Naranjo‐Ortiz
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona08003Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona08003Spain
- Department of Experimental Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003BarcelonaSpain
- ICREAPg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010BarcelonaSpain
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40
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Rokas A, Mead ME, Steenwyk JL, Raja HA, Oberlies NH. Biosynthetic gene clusters and the evolution of fungal chemodiversity. Nat Prod Rep 2020; 37:868-878. [PMID: 31898704 PMCID: PMC7332410 DOI: 10.1039/c9np00045c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2019Fungi produce a remarkable diversity of secondary metabolites: small, bioactive molecules not required for growth but which are essential to their ecological interactions with other organisms. Genes that participate in the same secondary metabolic pathway typically reside next to each other in fungal genomes and form biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). By synthesizing state-of-the-art knowledge on the evolution of BGCs in fungi, we propose that fungal chemodiversity stems from three molecular evolutionary processes involving BGCs: functional divergence, horizontal transfer, and de novo assembly. We provide examples of how these processes have contributed to the generation of fungal chemodiversity, discuss their relative importance, and outline major, outstanding questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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41
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Deng Y, Zhang X, Xie B, Lin L, Hsiang T, Lin X, Lin Y, Zhang X, Ma Y, Miao W, Ming R. Intra-specific comparison of mitochondrial genomes reveals host gene fragment exchange via intron mobility in Tremella fuciformis. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:426. [PMID: 32580700 PMCID: PMC7315562 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06846-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mitochondrial genomic sequences are known to be variable. Comparative analyses of mitochondrial genomes can reveal the nature and extent of their variation. Results Draft mitochondrial genomes of 16 Tremella fuciformis isolates (TF01-TF16) were assembled from Illumina and PacBio sequencing data. Mitochondrial DNA contigs were extracted and assembled into complete circular molecules, ranging from 35,104 bp to 49,044 bp in size. All mtDNAs contained the same set of 41 conserved genes with identical gene order. Comparative analyses revealed that introns and intergenic regions were variable, whereas genic regions (including coding sequences, tRNA, and rRNA genes) were conserved. Among 24 introns detected, 11 were in protein-coding genes, 3 in tRNA genes, and the other 10 in rRNA genes. In addition, two mobile fragments were found in intergenic regions. Interestingly, six introns containing N-terminal duplication of the host genes were found in five conserved protein-coding gene sequences. Comparison of genes with and without these introns gave rise to the following proposed model: gene fragment exchange with other species can occur via gain or loss of introns with N-terminal duplication of the host genes. Conclusions Our findings suggest a novel mechanism of fungal mitochondrial gene evolution: partial foreign gene replacement though intron mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjin Deng
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.,Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1201 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Xunxiao Zhang
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Baogui Xie
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Longji Lin
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Tom Hsiang
- Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Xiangzhi Lin
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yiying Lin
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Xingtan Zhang
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yanhong Ma
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Wenjing Miao
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Ray Ming
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China. .,Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1201 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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42
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Li Y, Yan P, Lu X, Qiu Y, Liang S, Liu G, Li S, Mou L, Xie N. Involvement of PaSNF1 in Fungal Development, Sterigmatocystin Biosynthesis, and Lignocellulosic Degradation in the Filamentous Fungus Podospora anserina. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1038. [PMID: 32587577 PMCID: PMC7299030 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The sucrose non-fermenting 1/AMP-activated protein kinase (SNF1/AMPK) is a central regulator of carbon metabolism and energy production in the eukaryotes. In this study, the functions of the Podospora anserina SNF1 (PaSNF1) ortholog were investigated. The ΔPaSNF1 mutant displays a delayed development of mycelium and fruiting bodies and fails to form ascospores. The expression of the PaSNF1 gene in the strain providing female organs in a cross is sufficient to ensure fertility, indicating a maternal effect. Results of environmental stress showed that ΔPaSNF1 was hypersensitive to stress, such as osmotic pressure and heat shock, and resistant to fluconazole. Interestingly, the knockout of PaSNF1 significantly promoted sterigmatocystin (ST) synthesis but suppressed cellulase [filter paperase (FPA), endoglucanase (EG), and β-glucosidase (BG)] activity. Further, transcriptome analysis indicated that PaSNF1 made positive regulatory effects on the expression of genes encoding cellulolytic enzymes. These results suggested that PaSNF1 may function in balancing the operation of primary and secondary metabolism. This study suggested that SNF1 was a key regulator concerting vegetative growth, sexual development, and stress tolerance. Our study provided the first genetic evidence that SNF1 was involved in the ST biosynthesis and that it may also be a major actor of lignocellulose degradation in P. anserina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjing Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Yan
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry (MOE), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaojie Lu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanling Qiu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shang Liang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuangfei Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Mou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ning Xie
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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43
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Toghueo RMK, Sahal D, Boyom FF. Recent advances in inducing endophytic fungal specialized metabolites using small molecule elicitors including epigenetic modifiers. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2020; 174:112338. [PMID: 32179305 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Today when the quest of new lead molecules to supply the development pipeline is driving the course of drug discovery, endophytic fungi with their outstanding biosynthetic potential seem to be highly promising avenues for natural product scientists. However, challenges such as the production of inadequate quantities of compounds, the attenuation or loss of ability of endophytes to produce the compound of interest when grown in culture and the inability of fungal endophytes to express their full biosynthetic potential in laboratory conditions have been the major constraints. These have led to the application of small chemical elicitors that induce epigenetic changes in fungi to activate their silent gene clusters optimizing the amount of metabolites of interest or inducing the synthesis of hitherto undescribed compounds. In this respect small molecular weight compounds which are known to function as inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC), DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and proteasome have proven their efficacy in enhancing or inducing the production of specialized metabolites by fungi. Moreover, organic solvents, metals and plants extracts are also acknowledged for their ability to cause shifts in fungal metabolism. We highlight the successful studies from the past two decades reporting the ability of structurally diverse small molecular weight compounds to elicit the production of previously undescribed metabolites from endophytic fungi grown in culture. This mini review argues in favor of chemical elicitation as an effective strategy to optimize the production of fungal metabolites and invigorate the pipeline of drug discovery with new chemical entities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rufin Marie Kouipou Toghueo
- Antimicrobial and Biocontrol Agents Unit (AmBcAU), Laboratory for Phytobiochemistry and Medicinal Plants Studies, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Dinkar Sahal
- Malaria Drug Discovery Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Fabrice Fekam Boyom
- Antimicrobial and Biocontrol Agents Unit (AmBcAU), Laboratory for Phytobiochemistry and Medicinal Plants Studies, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
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Wang M, Fu H, Ruan R. A Small Horizontally Transferred Gene Cluster Contributes to the Sporulation of Alternaria alternata. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:3436-3444. [PMID: 31764979 PMCID: PMC6916707 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been identified as an important source of genomic innovation in fungi. However, how HGT drove the evolution of Alternaria alternata, a necrotrophic fungus which can be ubiquitously isolated from soil and various plants and decaying plant materials is largely known. In this study, we identified 12 protein-encoding genes that are likely acquired from lineages outside Pezizomycotina. Phylogenetic trees and approximately unbiased comparative topology tests strongly supported the evolutionary origin of these genes. According to their predicted functions, these HGT candidates are involved in nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism. Especially, five genes of them were likely transferred as a physically linked cluster from Tremellales (Basidiomycota). Functionally knocking out the five-gene cluster in an A. alternata isolate causing citrus brown spot resulted in an 80% decrease in asexual spore production in the deletion mutant. We further knocked out each of these five genes in this cluster and the resultant single-gene deletion mutants exhibited a various degree of reduction in spore production. Except for conidiation, functions of these genes associated with vegetative growth, stress tolerance, and virulence are very limited. Our results provide new evidence that HGT has played important roles over the course of the evolution of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingshuang Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huilan Fu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ruoxin Ruan
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of a Bacterial Endophyte, Methylobacterium radiotolerans MAMP 4754, Isolated from Combretum erythrophyllum Seeds. Int J Microbiol 2020; 2020:9483670. [PMID: 32184829 PMCID: PMC7060864 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9483670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study reports on the isolation and identification of Methylobacterium radiotolerans MAMP 4754 from the seeds of the medicinal plant, Combretum erythrophyllum, for the purposes of investigating antimicrobial and antioxidant activities from this endophyte. The strain identity was confirmed by 16S rRNA-based phylogeny and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Ethyl acetate and chloroform (1 : 1 v/v) extracts from the endophyte were tested for antimicrobial and antioxidant activity on a total of 7 bacterial species (3 Gram-positive and 4 Gram-negative) using the standard Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) protocol and Quantitative Radical Scavenging activity using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, respectively. The MICs were recorded at 250 μg/mL for B. subtilis ATCC 19659, B. cereus ATCC 1076, E. coli ATCC1053, and 62.5 μg/mL for K. oxytoca ATCC 13182 and M. smegmatis ATCC 21293, while an IC50 of 5.65 μg/mL was recorded with the DPPH assay. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was positive for alkaloids, flavonoids, and steroids. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed the presence of 9-octadecene, 2,4-dinitrophenyl acetate, and 2(5H)-furanone, which have been previously reported for the targeted activities. M. radiotolerans MAMP 4754 tested positive for antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and this is linked to the production of plant-derived secondary metabolites by this strain.
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Fusarium Secondary Metabolism Biosynthetic Pathways: So Close but So Far Away. REFERENCE SERIES IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-96397-6_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Tralamazza SM, Rocha LO, Oggenfuss U, Corrêa B, Croll D. Complex Evolutionary Origins of Specialized Metabolite Gene Cluster Diversity among the Plant Pathogenic Fungi of the Fusarium graminearum Species Complex. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:3106-3122. [PMID: 31609418 PMCID: PMC6836718 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal genomes encode highly organized gene clusters that underlie the production of specialized (or secondary) metabolites. Gene clusters encode key functions to exploit plant hosts or environmental niches. Promiscuous exchange among species and frequent reconfigurations make gene clusters some of the most dynamic elements of fungal genomes. Despite evidence for high diversity in gene cluster content among closely related strains, the microevolutionary processes driving gene cluster gain, loss, and neofunctionalization are largely unknown. We analyzed the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) composed of plant pathogens producing potent mycotoxins and causing Fusarium head blight on cereals. We de novo assembled genomes of previously uncharacterized FGSC members (two strains of F. austroamericanum, F. cortaderiae, and F. meridionale). Our analyses of 8 species of the FGSC in addition to 15 other Fusarium species identified a pangenome of 54 gene clusters within FGSC. We found that multiple independent losses were a key factor generating extant cluster diversity within the FGSC and the Fusarium genus. We identified a modular gene cluster conserved among distantly related fungi, which was likely reconfigured to encode different functions. We also found strong evidence that a rare cluster in FGSC was gained through an ancient horizontal transfer between bacteria and fungi. Chromosomal rearrangements underlying cluster loss were often complex and were likely facilitated by an enrichment in specific transposable elements. Our findings identify important transitory stages in the birth and death process of specialized metabolism gene clusters among very closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Moser Tralamazza
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Liliana Oliveira Rocha
- Food Engineering Faculty, Department of Food Science, University of Campinas, Av. Monteiro Lobato, Brazil
| | - Ursula Oggenfuss
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Benedito Corrêa
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Croll
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland
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48
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Nappi J, Soldi E, Egan S. Diversity and Distribution of Bacteria Producing Known Secondary Metabolites. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 78:885-894. [PMID: 31016338 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01380-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in the utilisation of marine bioactive compounds as novel biopharmaceuticals and agrichemicals; however, little is known about the environmental distribution for many of these molecules. Here, we aimed to elucidate the environmental distribution and to detect the biosynthetic gene clusters in environmental samples of four bioactive compounds, namely violacein, tropodithietic acid (TDA), tambjamine and the antibacterial protein AlpP. Our database analyses revealed high bacterial diversity for AlpP and violacein producers, while TDA-producing bacteria were mostly associated with marine surfaces and all belonged to the roseobacter group. In contrast, the tambjamine cluster was only found in the genomes of two Pseudoalteromonas species and in one terrestrial species belonging to the Cupriavidus genus. Using a PCR-based screen of different marine samples, we detected TDA and violacein genes associated with the microbiome of Ulva and Protohyale niger and tambjamine genes associated with Nodilittorina unifasciata; however, alpP was not detected. These results highlight the variable distribution of the genes encoding these four bioactive compounds, including their detection from the surface of multiple marine eukaryotic hosts. Determining the natural distribution of these gene clusters will help to understand the ecological importance of these metabolites and the bacteria that produce them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jadranka Nappi
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Erika Soldi
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Suhelen Egan
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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49
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Bublitz DC, Chadwick GL, Magyar JS, Sandoz KM, Brooks DM, Mesnage S, Ladinsky MS, Garber AI, Bjorkman PJ, Orphan VJ, McCutcheon JP. Peptidoglycan Production by an Insect-Bacterial Mosaic. Cell 2019; 179:703-712.e7. [PMID: 31587897 PMCID: PMC6838666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PG) is a defining feature of bacteria, involved in cell division, shape, and integrity. We previously reported that several genes related to PG biosynthesis were horizontally transferred from bacteria to the nuclear genome of mealybugs. Mealybugs are notable for containing a nested bacteria-within-bacterium endosymbiotic structure in specialized insect cells, where one bacterium, Moranella, lives in the cytoplasm of another bacterium, Tremblaya. Here we show that horizontally transferred genes on the mealybug genome work together with genes retained on the Moranella genome to produce a PG layer exclusively at the Moranella cell periphery. Furthermore, we show that an insect protein encoded by a horizontally transferred gene of bacterial origin is transported into the Moranella cytoplasm. These results provide a striking parallel to the genetic and biochemical mosaicism found in organelles, and prove that multiple horizontally transferred genes can become integrated into a functional pathway distributed between animal and bacterial endosymbiont genomes. Mealybugs have two bacterial endosymbionts; one symbiont lives inside the other The mealybug genome has acquired some bacterial peptidoglycan (PG)-related genes This insect-symbiont mosaic pathway produces a PG layer at the innermost symbiont Endosymbionts and organelles have evolved similar levels of biochemical integration
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Affiliation(s)
- DeAnna C Bublitz
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Grayson L Chadwick
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - John S Magyar
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kelsi M Sandoz
- Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Diane M Brooks
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Stéphane Mesnage
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Mark S Ladinsky
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Arkadiy I Garber
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Pamela J Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Victoria J Orphan
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - John P McCutcheon
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
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Wang M, Fu H, Shen X, Ruan R, Rokas A, Li H. Genomic features and evolution of the conditionally dispensable chromosome in the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2019; 20:1425-1438. [PMID: 31297970 PMCID: PMC6792136 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The tangerine pathotype of the ascomycete fungus Alternaria alternata is the causal agent of citrus brown spot, which can result in significant losses of both yield and marketability for tangerines worldwide. A conditionally dispensable chromosome (CDC), which harbours the host-selective ACT toxin gene cluster, is required for tangerine pathogenicity of A. alternata. To understand the genetic makeup and evolution of the tangerine pathotype CDC, we isolated and sequenced the CDCs of the A. alternata Z7 strain and analysed the function and evolution of their genes. The A. alternata Z7 strain has two CDCs (~1.1 and ~0.8 Mb, respectively), and the longer Z7 CDC contains all but one contig of the shorter one. Z7 CDCs contain 254 predicted protein-coding genes, which are enriched in functional categories associated with 'metabolic process' (55 genes, P = 0.037). Relatively few of the CDC genes can be classified as carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) (4) and transporters (19) and none as kinases. Evolutionary analysis of the 254 CDC proteins showed that their evolutionary conservation tends to be restricted within the genus Alternaria and that the CDC genes evolve faster than genes in the essential chromosomes, likely due to fewer selective constraints. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis suggested that four of the 25 genes responsible for the ACT toxin production were likely transferred from Colletotrichum (Sordariomycetes). Functional experiments showed that two of them are essential for the virulence of the tangerine pathotype of A. alternata. These results provide new insights into the function and evolution of CDC genes in Alternaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingshuang Wang
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTN37235USA
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou310036China
| | - Huilan Fu
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Xing‐Xing Shen
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTN37235USA
| | - Ruoxin Ruan
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural SciencesHangzhou310024China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTN37235USA
| | - Hongye Li
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
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