acon-3, the Neurospora crassa ortholog of the developmental modifier, medA, complements the conidiation defect of the Aspergillus nidulans mutant

Regulators of the Asexual Life Cycle of Aspergillus nidulans

The genus Aspergillus, one of the most abundant airborne fungi, is classified into hundreds of species that affect humans, animals, and plants. Among these, Aspergillus nidulans, as a key model organism, has been extensively studied to understand the mechanisms governing growth and development, physiology, and gene regulation in fungi. A. nidulans primarily reproduces by forming millions of asexual spores known as conidia. The asexual life cycle of A. nidulans can be simply divided into growth and asexual development (conidiation). After a certain period of vegetative growth, some vegetative cells (hyphae) develop into specialized asexual structures called conidiophores. Each A. nidulans conidiophore is composed of a foot cell, stalk, vesicle, metulae, phialides, and 12,000 conidia. This vegetative-to-developmental transition requires the activity of various regulators including FLB proteins, BrlA, and AbaA. Asymmetric repetitive mitotic cell division of phialides results in the formation of immature conidia. Subsequent conidial maturation requires multiple regulators such as WetA, VosA, and VelB. Matured conidia maintain cellular integrity and long-term viability against various stresses and desiccation. Under appropriate conditions, the resting conidia germinate and form new colonies, and this process is governed by a myriad of regulators, such as CreA and SocA. To date, a plethora of regulators for each asexual developmental stage have been identified and investigated. This review summarizes our current understanding of the regulators of conidial formation, maturation, dormancy, and germination in A. nidulans.

AMPK Is Involved in Regulating the Utilization of Carbon Sources, Conidiation, Pathogenicity, and Stress Response of the Nematode-Trapping Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a heterotrimeric complex, can sense energy and nutritional status in eukaryotic cells, thereby participating in the regulation of multiple cellular processes. In this study, we characterized the function of the catalytic α-subunit (SNF1) and the two regulatory β- and γ-subunits (GAL83 and SNF4) of AMPK in a representative nematode-trapping fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora, by gene knockout, phenotypic analysis, and RNA sequencing. The ability of the AMPK complex mutants (including ΔAosnf1, ΔAogal83, and ΔAosnf4) to utilize a nonfermentable carbon source (glycerol) was reduced, and the spore yields and trap formation were remarkably decreased. Moreover, AMPK plays an important role in regulating stress response and nematode predation efficiency. Transcriptomic profiling between the wild-type strain and ΔAosnf1 showed that differentially expressed genes were enriched for peroxisome, endocytosis, fatty acid degradation, and multilipid metabolism (sphingolipid, ether lipid, glycerolipid, and glycerophospholipid). Meanwhile, a reduced lipid droplet accumulation in ΔAosnf1, ΔAogal83, and ΔAosnf4 mutants was observed, and more vacuoles appeared in the mycelia of the ΔAosnf1 mutant. These results highlight the important regulatory role of AMPK in the utilization of carbon sources and lipid metabolism, as well as providing novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of the mycelia development, conidiation, and trap formation of nematode-trapping (NT) fungi. IMPORTANCE NT fungi are widely distributed in various ecosystems and are important factors in the control of nematode populations in nature; their trophic mycelia can form unique infectious devices (traps) for capturing nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative NT fungi which can develop complex three-dimensional networks (adhesive networks) for nematode predation. Here, we demonstrated that AMPK plays an important role in the glycerol utilization, conidiation, trap formation, and nematode predation of A. oligospora, which was further confirmed by transcriptomic analysis of the wild-type and mutant strains. In particular, our analysis indicated that AMPK is required for lipid metabolism, which is primarily associated with energy regulation and is essential for trap formation. Therefore, this study extends the functional study of AMPK in NT fungi and helps to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the regulation of trap development, as well as laying the foundation for the development of efficient nematode biocontrol agents.

A novel effector, CsSp1, from Bipolaris sorokiniana, is essential for colonization in wheat and is also involved in triggering host immunity

The hemibiotrophic pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana causes root rot, leaf blotching, and black embryos in wheat and barley worldwide, resulting in significant yield and quality reductions. However, the mechanism underlying the host-pathogen interactions between B. sorokiniana and wheat or barley remains unknown. The B. sorokiniana genome encodes a large number of uncharacterized putative effector proteins. In this study, we identified a putative secreted protein, CsSp1, with a classic N-terminal signal peptide, that is induced during early infection. A split-marker approach was used to knock out CsSP1 in the Lankao 9-3 strain. Compared with the wild type, the deletion mutant ∆Cssp1 displayed less radial growth on potato dextrose agar plates and produced fewer spores, and complementary transformation completely restored the phenotype of the deletion mutant to that of the wild type. The pathogenicity of the deletion mutant in wheat was attenuated even though appressoria still penetrated the host. Additionally, the infectious hyphae in the deletion mutant became swollen and exhibited reduced growth in plant cells. The signal peptide of CsSp1 was functionally verified through a yeast YTK12 secretion system. Transient expression of CsSp1 in Nicotiana benthamiana inhibited lesion formation caused by Phytophthora capsici. Moreover, CsSp1 localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of plant cells. In B. sorokiniana-infected wheat leaves, the salicylic acid-regulated genes TaPAL, TaPR1, and TaPR2 were down-regulated in the ∆Cssp1 strain compared with the wild-type strain under the same conditions. Therefore, CsSp1 is a virulence effector and is involved in triggering host immunity.

Genetics of Adaptation of the Ascomycetous Fungus Podospora anserina to Submerged Cultivation

Podospora anserina is a model ascomycetous fungus which shows pronounced phenotypic senescence when grown on solid medium but possesses unlimited lifespan under submerged cultivation. In order to study the genetic aspects of adaptation of P. anserina to submerged cultivation, we initiated a long-term evolution experiment. In the course of the first 4 years of the experiment, 125 single-nucleotide substitutions and 23 short indels were fixed in eight independently evolving populations. Six proteins that affect fungal growth and development evolved in more than one population; in particular, in the G-protein alpha subunit FadA, new alleles fixed in seven out of eight experimental populations, and these fixations affected just four amino acid sites, which is an unprecedented level of parallelism in experimental evolution. Parallel evolution at the level of genes and pathways, an excess of nonsense and missense substitutions, and an elevated conservation of proteins and their sites where the changes occurred suggest that many of the observed fixations were adaptive and driven by positive selection.

The transcription factor FgMed1 is involved in early conidiogenesis and DON biosynthesis in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum

Fusarium graminearum is a prominent fungal pathogen that causes economically important losses by infesting a wide variety of cereal crops. F. graminearum produces both asexual and sexual spores which disseminate and inoculate hosts. Therefore, to better understand the disease cycle and to develop strategies to improve disease management, it is important to further clarify molecular mechanisms of F. graminearum conidiogenesis. In this study, we functionally characterized the FgMed1, a gene encoding an ortholog of a conserved MedA transcription factor known to be a key conidiogenesis regulator in Aspergillus nidulans. The gene deletion mutants ΔFgMed1 produced significantly less conidia, and these were generated from abnormal conidiophores devoid of phialides. Additionally, we observed defective sexual development along with reduced virulence and deoxynivalenol (DON) production in ΔFgMed1. The GFP-tagged FgMed1 protein localized to the nuclei of conidiophores and phialides during early conidiogenesis. Significantly, RNA-Seq analyses showed that a number of the conidiation- and toxin-related genes are differentially expressed in the ΔFgMed1 mutant in early conidiogenesis. These data strongly suggest that FgMed1 involved in regulation of genes associated with early conidiogenesis, DON production, and virulence in F. graminearum.

The Zn(II)2Cys6-Type Transcription Factor ADA-6 Regulates Conidiation, Sexual Development, and Oxidative Stress Response in Neurospora crassa

Conidiation and sexual development are critical for reproduction, dispersal and better-adapted survival in many filamentous fungi. The Neurospora crassa gene ada-6 encodes a Zn(II)2Cys6-type transcription factor, whose deletion resulted in reduced conidial production and female sterility. In this study, we confirmed the positive contribution of ada-6 to conidiation and sexual development by detailed phenotypic characterization of its deletion mutant and the complemented mutant. To understand the regulatory mechanisms of ADA-6 in conidiation and sexual development, transcriptomic profiles generated by RNA-seq from the Δada-6 mutant and wild type during conidiation and sexual development were compared. During conidial development, differential expressed genes (DEGs) between the Δada-6 mutant and wild type are mainly involved in oxidation-reduction process and single-organism metabolic process. Several conidiation related genes are positively regulated by ADA-6, including genes that positively regulate conidiation (fluffy and acon-3), and genes preferentially expressed during conidial development (eas, con-6, con-8, con-10, con-13, pcp-1, and NCU9357), as the expression of these genes were lower in the Δada-6 mutant compared to wild type during conidial development. Phenotypic observation of deletion mutants for other genes with unknown function down-regulated by ada-6 deletion revealed that deletion mutants for four genes (NCU00929, NCU05260, NCU00116, and NCU04813) produced less conidia than wild type. Deletion of ada-6 resulted in female sterility, which might be due to that ADA-6 affects oxidation-reduction process and transmembrane transport process, and positively regulates the transcription of pre-2, poi-2, and NCU05832, three key genes participating in sexual development. In both conidiation and the sexual development process, ADA-6 regulates the transcription of cat-3 and other genes participating in reactive oxygen species production according to RNA-seq data, indicating a role of ADA-6 in oxidative stress response. This was further confirmed by the results that deletion of ada-6 led to hypersensitivity to oxidants H₂O₂ and menadione. Together, these results proved that ADA-6, as a global regulator, plays a crucial role in conidiation, sexual development, and oxidative stress response of N. crassa.

Interactions between Melanin Enzymes and Their Atypical Recruitment to the Secretory Pathway by Palmitoylation

Melanins are biopolymers that confer coloration and protection to the host organism against biotic or abiotic insults. The level of protection offered by melanin depends on its biosynthesis and its subcellular localization. Previously, we discovered that Aspergillus fumigatus compartmentalizes melanization in endosomes by recruiting all melanin enzymes to the secretory pathway. Surprisingly, although two laccases involved in the late steps of melanization are conventional secretory proteins, the four enzymes involved in the early steps of melanization lack a signal peptide or a transmembrane domain and are thus considered “atypical” secretory proteins. In this work, we found interactions among melanin enzymes and all melanin enzymes formed protein complexes. Surprisingly, the formation of protein complexes by melanin enzymes was not critical for their trafficking to the endosomal system. By palmitoylation profiling and biochemical analyses, we discovered that all four early melanin enzymes were strongly palmitoylated during conidiation. However, only the polyketide synthase (PKS) Alb1 was strongly palmitoylated during both vegetative hyphal growth and conidiation when constitutively expressed alone. This posttranslational lipid modification correlates the endosomal localization of all early melanin enzymes. Intriguingly, bioinformatic analyses predict that palmitoylation is a common mechanism for potential membrane association of polyketide synthases (PKSs) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) in A. fumigatus. Our findings indicate that protein-protein interactions facilitate melanization by metabolic channeling, while posttranslational lipid modifications help recruit the atypical enzymes to the secretory pathway, which is critical for compartmentalization of secondary metabolism.

Subcellular compartmentalization is increasingly recognized as an important aspect of fungal secondary metabolism. It facilitates sequential enzymatic reactions, provides mobility for enzymes and metabolites, and offers protection against self-toxification. However, how compartmentalization is achieved remains unclear given that the majority of enzymes encoded by secondary metabolism gene clusters are predicted to be cytosolic proteins. Through studying melanization in Aspergillus, we previously found that all enzymes involved in the early steps of melanization are atypical secretory proteins. Here, we discovered physical interactions among melanin enzymes. However, it was the posttranslational palmitoylation rather than the physical interaction that was responsible for their recruitment to the secretory pathway. Intriguingly, palmitoylation is likely a common mechanism for potential membrane association of polyketide synthases (PKSs) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) in A. fumigatus. Collectively, our findings suggest that posttranslational lipid modification helps direct secondary metabolism to defined organelles for biosynthesis and trafficking.

Autophagy-associated alpha-arrestin signaling is required for conidiogenous cell development in Magnaporthe oryzae

Conidiation patterning is evolutionarily complex and mechanism concerning conidiogenous cell differentiation remains largely unknown. Magnaporthe oryzae conidiates in a sympodial way and uses its conidia to infect host and disseminate blast disease. Arrestins are multifunctional proteins that modulate receptor down-regulation and scaffold components of intracellular trafficking routes. We here report an alpha-arrestin that regulates patterns of conidiation and contributes to pathogenicity in M. oryzae. We show that disruption of ARRDC1 generates mutants which produce conidia in an acropetal array and ARRDC1 significantly affects expression profile of CCA1, a virulence-related transcription factor required for conidiogenous cell differentiation. Although germ tubes normally develop appressoria, penetration peg formation is dramatically impaired and Δarrdc1 mutants are mostly nonpathogenic. Fluorescent analysis indicates that EGFP-ARRDC1 puncta are well colocalized with DsRed2-Atg8, and this distribution profile could not be altered in Δatg9 mutants, suggesting ARRDC1 enters into autophagic flux before autophagosome maturation. We propose that M. oryzae employs ARRDC1 to regulate specific receptors in response to conidiation-related signals for conidiogenous cell differentiation and utilize autophagosomes for desensitization of conidiogenous receptor, which transmits extracellular signal to the downstream elements of transcription factors. Our investigation extends novel significance of autophagy-associated alpha-arrestin signaling to fungal parasites.

Light governs asexual differentiation in the grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea via the putative transcription factor BcLTF2

Botrytis cinerea is a plant pathogenic fungus known for its utilization of light as environmental cue to regulate asexual differentiation: conidia are formed in the light, while sclerotia are formed in the dark. As no orthologues of known regulators of conidiation (e.g., Aspergillus nidulans BrlA, Neurospora crassa FL) exist in the Leotiomycetes, we initiated a de novo approach to identify the functional counterpart in B. cinerea. The search revealed the light-responsive C2H2 transcription factor BcLTF2 whose expression - usually restricted to light conditions - is necessary and sufficient to induce conidiation and simultaneously to suppress sclerotial development. Light-induced expression of bcltf2 is mediated via a so far unknown pathway, and is attenuated in a (blue) light-dependent fashion by the White Collar complex, BcLTF1 and the VELVET complex. Mutation of either component leads to increased bcltf2 expression and causes light-independent conidiation (always conidia phenotype). Hence, the tight regulation of bcltf2 governs the balance between vegetative growth that allows for the colonization of the substrate and subsequent reproduction via conidia in the light. The orthologue ssltf2 in the closely related species Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is not significantly expressed suggesting that its deregulation may cause the lack of the conidiation program in this fungus.

Neurospora crassa ASM-1 complements the conidiation defect in a stuA mutant of Aspergillus nidulans

Aspergillus nidulans StuA and Neurospora crassa ASM-1 are orthologous APSES (ASM-1, PHD1, SOK2, Efg1, StuA) transcription factors conserved across a diverse group of fungi. StuA and ASM-1 have roles in asexual (conidiation) and sexual (ascospore formation) development in both organisms. To address the hypothesis that the last common ancestor of these diverse fungi regulated conidiation with similar genes, asm-1 was introduced into the stuA1 mutant of A. nidulans. Expression of asm-1 complemented defective conidiophore morphology and restored conidia production to wild type levels in stuA1. Expression of asm-1 in the stuA1 strain did not rescue the defect in sexual development. When the conidiation regulator AbaA was tagged at its C-terminus with GFP in A. nidulans, it localized to nuclei in phialides. When expressed in the stuA1 mutant, AbaA::GFP localized to nuclei in conidiophores but no longer was confined to phialides, suggesting that expression of AbaA in specific cell types of the conidiophore was conditioned by StuA. Our data suggest that the function in conidiation of StuA and ASM-1 is conserved and support the view that, despite the great morphological and ontogenic diversity of their condiphores, the last common ancestor of A. nidulans and N. crassa produced an ortholog of StuA that was involved in conidiophore development.

Assessing the effects of light on differentiation and virulence of the plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea: characterization of the White Collar Complex

Organisms are exposed to a tough environment, where acute daily challenges, like light, can strongly affect several aspects of an individual's physiology, including pathogenesis. While several fungal models have been widely employed to understand the physiological and molecular events associated with light perception, various other agricultural-relevant fungi still remain, in terms of their responsiveness to light, in the dark. The fungus Botrytis cinerea is an aggressive pathogen able to cause disease on a wide range of plant species. Natural B. cinerea isolates exhibit a high degree of diversity in their predominant mode of reproduction. Thus, the majority of naturally occurring strains are known to reproduce asexually via conidia and sclerotia, and sexually via apothecia. Studies from the 1970's reported on specific developmental responses to treatments with near-UV, blue, red and far-red light. To unravel the signaling machinery triggering development--and possibly also connected with virulence--we initiated the functional characterization of the transcription factor/photoreceptor BcWCL1 and its partner BcWCL2, that form the White Collar Complex (WCC) in B. cinerea. Using mutants either abolished in or exhibiting enhanced WCC signaling (overexpression of both bcwcl1 and bcwcl2), we demonstrate that the WCC is an integral part of the mentioned machinery by mediating transcriptional responses to white light and the inhibition of conidiation in response to this stimulus. Furthermore, the WCC is required for coping with excessive light, oxidative stress and also to achieve full virulence. Although several transcriptional responses are abolished in the absence of bcwcl1, the expression of some genes is still light induced and a distinct conidiation pattern in response to daily light oscillations is enhanced, revealing a complex underlying photobiology. Though overlaps with well-studied fungal systems exist, the light-associated machinery of B. cinerea appears more complex than those of Neurospora crassa and Aspergillus nidulans.

Fungal genes in context: genome architecture reflects regulatory complexity and function

Gene context determines gene expression, with local chromosomal environment most influential. Comparative genomic analysis is often limited in scope to conserved or divergent gene and protein families, and fungi are well suited to this approach with low functional redundancy and relatively streamlined genomes. We show here that one aspect of gene context, the amount of potential upstream regulatory sequence maintained through evolution, is highly predictive of both molecular function and biological process in diverse fungi. Orthologs with large upstream intergenic regions (UIRs) are strongly enriched in information processing functions, such as signal transduction and sequence-specific DNA binding, and, in the genus Aspergillus, include the majority of experimentally studied, high-level developmental and metabolic transcriptional regulators. Many uncharacterized genes are also present in this class and, by implication, may be of similar importance. Large intergenic regions also share two novel sequence characteristics, currently of unknown significance: they are enriched for plus-strand polypyrimidine tracts and an information-rich, putative regulatory motif that was present in the last common ancestor of the Pezizomycotina. Systematic consideration of gene UIR in comparative genomics, particularly for poorly characterized species, could help reveal organisms’ regulatory priorities.

The N-terminus region of the putative C2H2 transcription factor Ada1 harbors a species-specific activation motif that regulates asexual reproduction in Fusarium verticillioides

Fusarium verticillioides is an important plant pathogenic fungus causing maize ear and stalk rots. In addition, the fungus is directly associated with fumonisin contamination of food and feeds. Here, we report the functional characterization of Ada1, a putative Cys2-His2 zinc finger transcription factor with a high level of similarity to Aspergillus nidulans FlbC, which is required for the activation of the key regulator of conidiation brlA. ADA1 is predicted to encode a protein with two DNA binding motifs at the C terminus and a putative activator domain at the N terminus region. Deletion of the flbC gene in A. nidulans results in "fluffy" cotton-like colonies, with a defect in transition from vegetative growth to asexual development. In this study we show that Ada1 plays a key role in asexual development in F. verticillioides. Conidia production was significantly reduced in the knockout mutant (Δada1), in which aberrant conidia and conidiophores were also observed. We identified genes that are predicted to be downstream of ADA1, based on A. nidulans conidiation signaling pathway. Among them, the deletion of stuA homologue, FvSTUA, resulted in near absence of conidia production. To further investigate the functional conservation of this transcription factor, we complemented the Δada1 strain with A. nidulans flbC, F. verticillioides ADA1, and chimeric constructs. A. nidulans flbC failed to restore conidia production similar to the wild-type level. However, the Ada1N-terminal domain, which contains a putative activator, fused to A. nidulans FlbC C-terminal motif successfully complemented the Δada1 mutant. Taken together, Ada1 is an important transcriptional regulator of asexual development in F. verticillioides and that the N-terminus domain is critical for proper function of this transcription factor.

Laccases involved in 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene melanin biosynthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus are regulated by developmental factors and copper homeostasis

Aspergillus fumigatus produces heavily melanized infectious conidia. The conidial melanin is associated with fungal virulence and resistance to various environmental stresses. This 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin is synthesized by enzymes encoded in a gene cluster in A. fumigatus, including two laccases, Abr1 and Abr2. Although this gene cluster is not conserved in all aspergilli, laccases are critical for melanization in all species examined. Here we show that the expression of A. fumigatus laccases Abr1/2 is upregulated upon hyphal competency and drastically increased during conidiation. The Abr1 protein is localized at the surface of stalks and conidiophores, but not in young hyphae, consistent with the gene expression pattern and its predicted role. The induction of Abr1/2 upon hyphal competency is controlled by BrlA, the master regulator of conidiophore development, and is responsive to the copper level in the medium. We identified a developmentally regulated putative copper transporter, CtpA, and found that CtpA is critical for conidial melanization under copper-limiting conditions. Accordingly, disruption of CtpA enhanced the induction of abr1 and abr2, a response similar to that induced by copper starvation. Furthermore, nonpigmented ctpAΔ conidia elicited much stronger immune responses from the infected invertebrate host Galleria mellonella than the pigmented ctpAΔ or wild-type conidia. Such enhancement in eliciting Galleria immune responses was independent of the ctpAΔ conidial viability, as previously observed for the DHN melanin mutants. Taken together, our findings indicate that both copper homeostasis and developmental regulators control melanin biosynthesis, which affects conidial surface properties that shape the interaction between this pathogen and its host.

A conserved C-terminal domain of the Aspergillus fumigatus developmental regulator MedA is required for nuclear localization, adhesion and virulence

MedA is a developmental regulator that is conserved in the genome of most filamentous fungi. In the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus MedA regulates conidiogenesis, adherence to host cells, and pathogenicity. The mechanism by which MedA governs these phenotypes remains unknown. Although the nuclear import of MedA orthologues has been reported in other fungi, no nuclear localization signal, DNA-binding domain or other conserved motifs have been identified within MedA. In this work, we performed a deletion analysis of MedA and identified a novel domain within the C-terminal region of the protein, designated MedA^346–557, that is necessary and sufficient for nuclear localization of MedA. We further demonstrate that MedA nuclear localization is required for the function of MedA. Surprisingly, expression of the minimal nuclear localization fragment MedA^346–557 alone was sufficient to restore conidogenesis, biofilm formation and virulence to the medA mutant strain. Collectively these results suggest that MedA functions in the regulation of transcription, and that the MedA^346–557 domain is both necessary and sufficient to mediate MedA function.

A conserved homeobox transcription factor Htf1 is required for phialide development and conidiogenesis in Fusarium species

Conidia are primary means of asexual reproduction and dispersal in a variety of pathogenic fungi, and it is widely recognized that they play a critical role in animal and plant disease epidemics. However, genetic mechanisms associated with conidiogenesis are complex and remain largely undefined in numerous pathogenic fungi. We previously showed that Htf1, a homeobox transcription factor, is required for conidiogenesis in the rice pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. In this study, our aim was to characterize how Htf1 homolog regulates common and also distinctive conidiogenesis in three key Fusarium pathogens: F. graminearm, F. verticillioides, and F. oxysporum. When compared to wild-type progenitors, the gene-deletion mutants in Fusarium species failed to form conventional phialides. Rather, they formed clusters of aberrant phialides that resembled elongated hyphae segments, and it is conceivable that this led to the obstruction of conidiation in phialides. We also observed that mutants, as well as wild-type Fusaria, can initiate alternative macroconidia production directly from hyphae through budding-like mechanism albeit at low frequencies. Microscopic observations led us to conclude that proper basal cell division and subsequent foot cell development of macroconidia were negatively impacted in the mutants. In F. verticillioides and F. oxysporum, mutants exhibited a 2- to 5- microconidia complex at the apex of monophialides resulting in a floral petal-like shape. Also, prototypical microconidia chains were absent in F. verticillioides mutants. F. graminearum and F. verticillioides mutants were complemented by introducing its native HTF1 gene or homologs from other Fusarium species. These results suggest that Fusarium Htf1 is functionally conserved homeobox transcription factor that regulates phialide development and conidiogenesis via distinct signaling pathways yet to be characterized in fungi.

Analysis of the role of transcription factor VAD-5 in conidiation of Neurospora crassa

Conidiation is the major mode of reproduction in many filamentous fungi. The Neurospora crassa gene vad-5, which encodes a GAL4-like Zn2Cys6 transcription factor, was suggested to contribute to conidiation in a previous study using a knockout mutant. In this study, we confirmed the positive contribution of vad-5 to conidiation by gene complementation. To understand the role of vad-5 in conidiation, transcriptomic profiles generated by digital gene expression profiling from the vad-5 deletion mutant and the wild-type strain were compared. Among 7559 detected genes, 176 genes were found to be transcriptionally down-regulated and 277 genes transcriptionally upregulated in the vad-5 deletion mutant, using ≥1-fold change as a cutoff threshold. Among the down-regulated genes, four which were already known to be involved in conidiation -fluffy, ada-6, rca-1, and eas - were examined further in a time course experiment. Transcription of each of the four genes in the vad-5 deletion mutant was lower than in the wild-type strain during conidial development. Phenotypic observation of deletion mutants for 132 genes down-regulated by vad-5 deletion revealed that deletion mutants for 17 genes, including fluffy, ada-6, and eas, produced fewer conidia than the wild type. By phenotypic observation of deletion mutants for 211 genes upregulated in the vad-5 deletion mutant, two types of deletion mutants were found. One type, which produced more conidia than the wild-type strain, includes deletion mutants for previously characterized genes cat-2, cat-3, and sah-1 and for a non-characterized gene NCU07221. Deletion mutants of NCU06302 and NCU11090, representing the second type, produced conidia earlier than the wild-type strain. Based on these conidiation phenotypes, we designated NCU07221 as high conidial production-1 (hcp-1) and named NCU06302 and NCU11090 as early conidial development-1 (ecd-1) and ecd-2, respectively. Given the collective results from this study, we propose that vad-5 exerts an effect on conidiation by activating genes that positively contribute to conidiation as well as by repressing genes that negatively influence conidial development.