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Connell J, Bates HJ, Geoghegan I, Wilson F, Harrison RJ, Price RJ. Mutation of the LRG1 Rho-GAP gene is responsible for the hyper branching C-variant phenotype in the quorn mycoprotein fungus Fusarium venenatum A3/5. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2025; 12:3. [PMID: 40128830 PMCID: PMC11934581 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-025-00195-8] [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: 12/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2025] [Indexed: 03/26/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quorn mycoprotein, a protein-rich meat alternative, is produced through large-scale fermentation of the fungus Fusarium venenatum. However, a major challenge during F. venenatum fermentation is the consistent appearance of mutants called colonial variants (C-variants). These C-variants have a highly branched morphology, which ultimately lead to a less desirable final product and early termination of the fermentation process. This study aimed to identify the genetic mutations responsible for C-variant morphology. RESULTS We first isolated both C-variant and wild-type strains from commercial fermentation samples and characterised radial growth rates on solid media. Whole genome sequencing facilitated the identification of mutations in a gene called jg4843 in 11 out of 12 C-variant isolates, which were not observed in the wild-type isolates. The jg4843 gene was identified as the ortholog of LRG1, a Rho-GTPase activating protein that regulates the Rho1 signalling pathway affecting fungal growth. Notably, the mutations in jg4843 were primarily located in the RhoGAP domain responsible for LRG1 activity. To confirm the role of these mutations, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homology-directed recombination to introduce the C-variant mutations into the wild-type isolate, which successfully recapitulated the characteristic C-variant morphology. CONCLUSIONS This study identified mutations in the LRG1 ortholog jg4843 as the genetic cause of C-variant morphology in commercial fermentation F. venenatum isolates. Understanding this genetic basis paves the way for developing strategies to prevent C-variants arising, potentially leading to more efficient and sustainable production of Quorn mycoprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Richard J Harrison
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, 6708 PB, Netherlands
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK
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Duan Y, Chen X, Wang T, Li M. The serine/threonine protein kinase MpSTE1 directly governs hyphal branching in Monascus spp. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:255. [PMID: 38446219 PMCID: PMC10917826 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Monascus spp. are commercially important fungi due to their ability to produce beneficial secondary metabolites such as the cholesterol-lowering agent lovastatin and natural food colorants azaphilone pigments. Although hyphal branching intensively influenced the production of these secondary metabolites, the pivotal regulators of hyphal development in Monascus spp. remain unclear. To identify these important regulators, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted image analysis tool for quantification of hyphae-branching and constructed a random T-DNA insertion library. High-throughput screening revealed that a STE kinase, MpSTE1, was considered as a key regulator of hyphal branching based on the hyphal phenotype. To further validate the role of MpSTE1, we generated an mpSTE1 gene knockout mutant, a complemented mutant, and an overexpression mutant (OE::mpSTE1). Microscopic observations revealed that overexpression of mpSTE1 led to a 63% increase in branch number while deletion of mpSTE1 reduced the hyphal branching by 68% compared to the wild-type strain. In flask cultures, the strain OE::mpSTE1 showed accelerated growth and glucose consumption. More importantly, the strain OE::mpSTE1 produced 9.2 mg/L lovastatin and 17.0 mg/L azaphilone pigments, respectively, 47.0% and 30.1% higher than those of the wild-type strain. Phosphoproteomic analysis revealed that MpSTE1 directly phosphorylated 7 downstream signal proteins involved in cell division, cytoskeletal organization, and signal transduction. To our best knowledge, MpSTE1 is reported as the first characterized regulator for tightly regulating the hyphal branching in Monascus spp. These findings significantly expanded current understanding of the signaling pathway governing the hyphal branching and development in Monascus spp. Furthermore, MpSTE1 and its analogs were demonstrated as promising targets for improving production of valuable secondary metabolites. KEY POINTS: • MpSTE1 is the first characterized regulator for tightly regulating hyphal branching • Overexpression of mpSTE1 significantly improves secondary metabolite production • A high-throughput image analysis tool was developed for counting hyphal branching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Duan
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented FoodsHuazhong Agricultural UniversityHubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xizhu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented FoodsHuazhong Agricultural UniversityHubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Tingya Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented FoodsHuazhong Agricultural UniversityHubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Mu Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented FoodsHuazhong Agricultural UniversityHubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China.
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Manole A, Wong T, Rhee A, Novak S, Chin SM, Tsimring K, Paucar A, Williams A, Newmeyer TF, Schafer ST, Rosh I, Kaushik S, Hoffman R, Chen S, Wang G, Snyder M, Cuervo AM, Andrade L, Manor U, Lee K, Jones JR, Stern S, Marchetto MC, Gage FH. NGLY1 mutations cause protein aggregation in human neurons. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113466. [PMID: 38039131 PMCID: PMC10826878 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Biallelic mutations in the gene that encodes the enzyme N-glycanase 1 (NGLY1) cause a rare disease with multi-symptomatic features including developmental delay, intellectual disability, neuropathy, and seizures. NGLY1's activity in human neural cells is currently not well understood. To understand how NGLY1 gene loss leads to the specific phenotypes of NGLY1 deficiency, we employed direct conversion of NGLY1 patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to functional cortical neurons. Transcriptomic, proteomic, and functional studies of iPSC-derived neurons lacking NGLY1 function revealed several major cellular processes that were altered, including protein aggregate-clearing functionality, mitochondrial homeostasis, and synaptic dysfunctions. These phenotypes were rescued by introduction of a functional NGLY1 gene and were observed in iPSC-derived mature neurons but not astrocytes. Finally, laser capture microscopy followed by mass spectrometry provided detailed characterization of the composition of protein aggregates specific to NGLY1-deficient neurons. Future studies will harness this knowledge for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Manole
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Thomas Wong
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Amanda Rhee
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sammy Novak
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Shao-Ming Chin
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Katya Tsimring
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Andres Paucar
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - April Williams
- The Razavi Newman Integrative Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Traci Fang Newmeyer
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Simon T Schafer
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Idan Rosh
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Susmita Kaushik
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Rene Hoffman
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Songjie Chen
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Guangwen Wang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael Snyder
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ana Maria Cuervo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Leo Andrade
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Uri Manor
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kevin Lee
- Grace Science Foundation, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Jones
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Shani Stern
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Maria C Marchetto
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Fred H Gage
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Cannon KS, Vargas-Muniz JM, Billington N, Seim I, Ekena J, Sellers JR, Gladfelter AS. A gene duplication of a septin reveals a developmentally regulated filament length control mechanism. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202204063. [PMID: 36786832 PMCID: PMC9960279 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202204063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Septins are a family of conserved filament-forming proteins that function in multiple cellular processes. The number of septin genes within an organism varies, and higher eukaryotes express many septin isoforms due to alternative splicing. It is unclear if different combinations of septin proteins in complex alter the polymers' biophysical properties. We report that a duplication event within the CDC11 locus in Ashbya gossypii gave rise to two similar but distinct Cdc11 proteins: Cdc11a and Cdc1b. CDC11b transcription is developmentally regulated, producing different amounts of Cdc11a- and Cdc11b-complexes in the lifecycle of Ashbya gossypii. Deletion of either gene results in distinct cell polarity defects, suggesting non-overlapping functions. Cdc11a and Cdc11b complexes have differences in filament length and membrane-binding ability. Thus, septin subunit composition has functional consequences on filament properties and cell morphogenesis. Small sequence differences elicit distinct biophysical properties and cell functions of septins, illuminating how gene duplication could be a driving force for septin gene expansions seen throughout the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin S. Cannon
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jose M. Vargas-Muniz
- Microbiology Program, School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Neil Billington
- Cell Biology and Physiology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ian Seim
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joanne Ekena
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - James R. Sellers
- Cell Biology and Physiology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Amy. S. Gladfelter
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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5
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Extracellular targeting of Neurospora crassa cell wall and secreted glycoproteins by DFG-5. Fungal Genet Biol 2022; 160:103686. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2022.103686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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NGLY1 Deficiency, a Congenital Disorder of Deglycosylation: From Disease Gene Function to Pathophysiology. Cells 2022; 11:cells11071155. [PMID: 35406718 PMCID: PMC8997433 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
N-Glycanase 1 (NGLY1) is a cytosolic enzyme involved in removing N-linked glycans of misfolded N-glycoproteins and is considered to be a component of endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). The 2012 identification of recessive NGLY1 mutations in a rare multisystem disorder has led to intense research efforts on the roles of NGLY1 in animal development and physiology, as well as the pathophysiology of NGLY1 deficiency. Here, we present a review of the NGLY1-deficient patient phenotypes, along with insights into the function of this gene from studies in rodent and invertebrate animal models, as well as cell culture and biochemical experiments. We will discuss critical processes affected by the loss of NGLY1, including proteasome bounce-back response, mitochondrial function and homeostasis, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. We will also cover the biologically relevant targets of NGLY1 and the genetic modifiers of NGLY1 deficiency phenotypes in animal models. Together, these discoveries and disease models have provided a number of avenues for preclinical testing of potential therapeutic approaches for this disease.
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7
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Arakawa S, Kanaseki T, Wagner R, Goodenough U. Ultrastructure of the foliose lichen Myelochroa leucotyliza and its solo fungal and algal (Trebouxia sp.) partners. ALGAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2021.102571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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8
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Phenotype to genotype in Neurospora crassa: Association of the scumbo phenotype with mutations in the gene encoding ceramide C9-methyltransferase. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2022; 3:100117. [PMID: 35909622 PMCID: PMC9325734 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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9
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Hirayama H, Suzuki T. Assay for the peptide:N-glycanase/NGLY1 and disease-specific biomarkers for diagnosing NGLY1 deficiency. J Biochem 2021; 171:169-176. [PMID: 34791337 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvab127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytosolic peptide:N-glycanase (NGLY1 in mammals), a highly conserved enzyme in eukaryotes, catalyzes the deglycosylation of N-glycans that are attached to glycopeptide/glycoproteins. In 2012, an autosomal recessive disorder related to the NGLY1 gene, which was referred to as NGLY1 deficiency, was reported. Since then, more than 100 patients have been identified. Patients with this disease exhibit various symptoms, including various motor deficits and other neurological problems. Effective therapeutic treatments for this disease, however, have not been established. Most recently, it was demonstrated that the intracerebroventricular administration of an adeno-associated virus 9 vector expressing human NGLY1 during the weaning period allowed some motor functions to be recovered in Ngly1-/- rats. This observation led us to hypothesize that a therapeutic intervention for improving these motor deficits or other neurological symptoms found in the patients might be possible. To achieve this, it is critical to establish robust and facile methods for assaying NGLY1 activity in biological samples, for the early diagnosis and evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of NGLY1 deficiency. In this mini-review, we summarize progress made in the development of various assay methods for NGLY1 activity, as well as a recent progress in the identification of NGLY1 deficiency-specific biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Hirayama
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Japan.,Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tadashi Suzuki
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Japan.,Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Kanagawa, Japan
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10
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11
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Asahina M, Fujinawa R, Nakamura S, Yokoyama K, Tozawa R, Suzuki T. Ngly1 -/- rats develop neurodegenerative phenotypes and pathological abnormalities in their peripheral and central nervous systems. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:1635-1647. [PMID: 32259258 PMCID: PMC7322575 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
N-glycanase 1 (NGLY1) deficiency, an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the NGLY1 gene, is characterized by developmental delay, hypolacrima or alacrima, seizure, intellectual disability, movement disorders and other neurological phenotypes. Because of few animal models that recapitulate these clinical signatures, the mechanisms of the onset of the disease and its progression are poorly understood, and the development of therapies is hindered. In this study, we generated the systemic Ngly1-deficient rodent model, Ngly1−/− rats, which showed developmental delay, movement disorder, somatosensory impairment and scoliosis. These phenotypes in Ngly1−/− rats are consistent with symptoms in human patients. In accordance with the pivotal role played by NGLY1 in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation processes, cleaving N-glycans from misfolded glycoproteins in the cytosol before they can be degraded by the proteasome, loss of Ngly1 led to accumulation of cytoplasmic ubiquitinated proteins, a marker of misfolded proteins in the neurons of the central nervous system of Ngly1−/− rats. Histological analysis identified prominent pathological abnormalities, including necrotic lesions, mineralization, intra- and extracellular eosinophilic bodies, astrogliosis, microgliosis and significant loss of mature neurons in the thalamic lateral and the medial parts of the ventral posterior nucleus and ventral lateral nucleus of Ngly1−/− rats. Axonal degradation in the sciatic nerves was also observed, as in human subjects. Ngly1−/− rats, which mimic the symptoms of human patients, will be a useful animal model for preclinical testing of therapeutic options and understanding the detailed mechanisms of NGLY1 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Asahina
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Kanagawa 2518555, Japan.,T-CiRA Discovery, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Kanagawa 2518555, Japan
| | - Reiko Fujinawa
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Kanagawa 2518555, Japan.,Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Saitama 3510198, Japan
| | - Sayuri Nakamura
- Nonclinical Safety Research, Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners Inc., Kanagawa 2510012, Japan
| | - Kotaro Yokoyama
- Nonclinical Safety Research, Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners Inc., Kanagawa 2510012, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Tozawa
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Kanagawa 2518555, Japan.,T-CiRA Discovery, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Kanagawa 2518555, Japan
| | - Tadashi Suzuki
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Kanagawa 2518555, Japan.,Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Saitama 3510198, Japan
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12
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Asahina M, Fujinawa R, Hirayama H, Tozawa R, Kajii Y, Suzuki T. Reversibility of motor dysfunction in the rat model of NGLY1 deficiency. Mol Brain 2021; 14:91. [PMID: 34120625 PMCID: PMC8201687 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00806-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
N-glycanase 1 (NGLY1) deficiency is a rare inherited disorder characterized by developmental delay, hypolacrima or alacrima, seizure, intellectual disability, motor deficits, and other neurological symptoms. The underlying mechanisms of the NGLY1 phenotype are poorly understood, and no effective therapy is currently available. Similar to human patients, the rat model of NGLY1 deficiency, Ngly1-/-, shows developmental delay, movement disorder, somatosensory impairment, scoliosis, and learning disability. Here we show that single intracerebroventricular administration of AAV9 expressing human NGLY1 cDNA (AAV9-hNGLY1) to Ngly1-/- rats during the weaning period restored NGLY1 expression in the brain and spinal cord, concomitant with increased enzymatic activity of NGLY1 in the brain. hNGLY1 protein expressed by AAV9 was found predominantly in mature neurons, but not in glial cells, of Ngly1-/- rats. Strikingly, intracerebroventricular administration of AAV9-hNGLY1 normalized the motor phenotypes of Ngly1-/- rats assessed by the rota-rod test and gait analysis. The reversibility of motor deficits in Ngly1-/- rats by central nervous system (CNS)-restricted gene delivery suggests that the CNS is the primary therapeutic target organs for NGLY1 deficiency, and that the Ngly1-/- rat model may be useful for evaluating therapeutic treatments in pre-clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Asahina
- T-CiRA Discovery, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan
| | - Reiko Fujinawa
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan
| | - Hiroto Hirayama
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Tozawa
- T-CiRA Discovery, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kajii
- T-CiRA Discovery, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan
| | - Tadashi Suzuki
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 2518555, Japan.
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13
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Moreno-Ruiz D, Salzmann L, Fricker MD, Zeilinger S, Lichius A. Stress-Activated Protein Kinase Signalling Regulates Mycoparasitic Hyphal-Hyphal Interactions in Trichoderma atroviride. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:365. [PMID: 34066643 PMCID: PMC8148604 DOI: 10.3390/jof7050365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichoderma atroviride is a mycoparasitic fungus used as biological control agent against fungal plant pathogens. The recognition and appropriate morphogenetic responses to prey-derived signals are essential for successful mycoparasitism. We established microcolony confrontation assays using T. atroviride strains expressing cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) and Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) interactive binding (CRIB) reporters to analyse morphogenetic changes and the dynamic displacement of localized GTPase activity during polarized tip growth. Microscopic analyses showed that Trichoderma experiences significant polarity stress when approaching its fungal preys. The perception of prey-derived signals is integrated via the guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling network, and deletion of the MAP kinases Trichoderma MAPK 1 (Tmk1) and Tmk3 affected T. atroviride tip polarization, chemotropic growth, and contact-induced morphogenesis so severely that the establishment of mycoparasitism was highly inefficient to impossible. The responses varied depending on the prey species and the interaction stage, reflecting the high selectivity of the signalling process. Our data suggest that Tmk3 affects the polarity-stress adaptation process especially during the pre-contact phase, whereas Tmk1 regulates contact-induced morphogenesis at the early-contact phase. Neither Tmk1 nor Tmk3 loss-of-function could be fully compensated within the GTPase/MAPK signalling network underscoring the crucial importance of a sensitive polarized tip growth apparatus for successful mycoparasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Linda Salzmann
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mark D Fricker
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Susanne Zeilinger
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Lichius
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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14
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Baltussen TJH, Coolen JPM, Verweij PE, Dijksterhuis J, Melchers WJG. Identifying Conserved Generic Aspergillus spp. Co-Expressed Gene Modules Associated with Germination Using Cross-Platform and Cross-Species Transcriptomics. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:270. [PMID: 33916245 PMCID: PMC8067318 DOI: 10.3390/jof7040270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus spp. is an opportunistic human pathogen that may cause a spectrum of pulmonary diseases. In order to establish infection, inhaled conidia must germinate, whereby they break dormancy, start to swell, and initiate a highly polarized growth process. To identify critical biological processes during germination, we performed a cross-platform, cross-species comparative analysis of germinating A. fumigatus and A. niger conidia using transcriptional data from published RNA-Seq and Affymetrix studies. A consensus co-expression network analysis identified four gene modules associated with stages of germination. These modules showed numerous shared biological processes between A. niger and A. fumigatus during conidial germination. Specifically, the turquoise module was enriched with secondary metabolism, the black module was highly enriched with protein synthesis, the darkgreen module was enriched with protein fate, and the blue module was highly enriched with polarized growth. More specifically, enriched functional categories identified in the blue module were vesicle formation, vesicular transport, tubulin dependent transport, actin-dependent transport, exocytosis, and endocytosis. Genes important for these biological processes showed similar expression patterns in A. fumigatus and A. niger, therefore, they could be potential antifungal targets. Through cross-platform, cross-species comparative analysis, we were able to identify biologically meaningful modules shared by A. fumigatus and A. niger, which underscores the potential of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim J. H. Baltussen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.P.M.C.); (P.E.V.); (W.J.G.M.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jordy P. M. Coolen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.P.M.C.); (P.E.V.); (W.J.G.M.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul E. Verweij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.P.M.C.); (P.E.V.); (W.J.G.M.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Dijksterhuis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Willem J. G. Melchers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.P.M.C.); (P.E.V.); (W.J.G.M.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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15
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ASAHINA M, FUJINAWA R, FUJIHIRA H, MASAHARA-NEGISHI Y, ANDOU T, TOZAWA R, SUZUKI T. JF1/B6F1 Ngly1 -/- mouse as an isogenic animal model of NGLY1 deficiency. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2021; 97:89-102. [PMID: 33563880 PMCID: PMC7897899 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.97.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
N-Glycanase 1 (NGLY1) deficiency is a congenital disorder caused by mutations in the NGLY1 gene. Because systemic Ngly1-/- mice with a C57BL/6 (B6) background are embryonically lethal, studies on the mechanism of NGLY1 deficiency using mice have been problematic. In this study, B6-Ngly1-/+ mice were crossed with Japanese wild mice-originated Japanese fancy mouse 1 (JF1) mice to produce viable F2 Ngly1-/- mice from (JF1×B6)F1 Ngly1-/+ mice. Systemic Ngly1-/- mice with a JF1 mouse background were also embryonically lethal. Hybrid F1 Ngly1-/- (JF1/B6F1) mice, however, showed developmental delay and motor dysfunction, similar to that in human patients. JF1/B6F1 Ngly1-/- mice showed increased levels of plasma and urinary aspartylglycosamine, a potential biomarker for NGLY1 deficiency. JF1/B6F1 Ngly1-/- mice are a useful isogenic animal model for the preclinical testing of therapeutic options and understanding the precise pathogenic mechanisms responsible for NGLY1 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto ASAHINA
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
- T-CiRA Discovery, Research, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Reiko FUJINAWA
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Haruhiko FUJIHIRA
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Division of Glycobiologics, Intractable Disease Research Center, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki MASAHARA-NEGISHI
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tomohiro ANDOU
- Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ryuichi TOZAWA
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
- T-CiRA Discovery, Research, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tadashi SUZUKI
- Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
- Glycometabolic Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
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16
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Abstract
Folding of proteins is essential so that they can exert their functions. For proteins that transit the secretory pathway, folding occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and various chaperone systems assist in acquiring their correct folding/subunit formation. N-glycosylation is one of the most conserved posttranslational modification for proteins, and in eukaryotes it occurs in the ER. Consequently, eukaryotic cells have developed various systems that utilize N-glycans to dictate and assist protein folding, or if they consistently fail to fold properly, to destroy proteins for quality control and the maintenance of homeostasis of proteins in the ER.
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17
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Vidal-Diez de Ulzurrun G, Huang TY, Chang CW, Lin HC, Hsueh YP. Fungal feature tracker (FFT): A tool for quantitatively characterizing the morphology and growth of filamentous fungi. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007428. [PMID: 31671091 PMCID: PMC6822706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are ubiquitous in nature and serve as important biological models in various scientific fields including genetics, cell biology, ecology, evolution, and chemistry. A significant obstacle in studying filamentous fungi is the lack of tools for characterizing their growth and morphology in an efficient and quantitative manner. Consequently, assessments of the growth of filamentous fungi are often subjective and imprecise. In order to remedy this problem, we developed Fungal Feature Tracker (FFT), a user-friendly software comprised of different image analysis tools to automatically quantify different fungal characteristics, such as spore number, spore morphology, and measurements of total length, number of hyphal tips and the area covered by the mycelium. In addition, FFT can recognize and quantify specialized structures such as the traps generated by nematode-trapping fungi, which could be tuned to quantify other distinctive fungal structures in different fungi. We present a detailed characterization and comparison of a few fungal species as a case study to demonstrate the capabilities and potential of our software. Using FFT, we were able to quantify various features at strain and species level, such as mycelial growth over time and the length and width of spores, which would be difficult to track using classical approaches. In summary, FFT is a powerful tool that enables quantitative measurements of fungal features and growth, allowing objective and precise characterization of fungal phenotypes. One of the main obstacles to study filamentous fungi is the lack of tools for characterizing fungal phenotypes in an efficient and quantitative manner. Assessment of cell growth and numbers rely on tedious manual techniques that often result in subjective and imprecise measurements. In response to those limitations, we developed Fungal Feature Tracker (FFT), a user-friendly software that allows researchers to characterize different phenotypic features of filamentous fungi such as sporulation, spore morphology and mycelial growth. In addition, FFT can recognize and quantify other fungal structures including the fungal traps developed by nematode-trapping fungi. In order to show the capabilities and potential of our software, we conducted a detailed characterization and comparison of different fungal species. Our comparison relies on a series of experimental set-ups using standard and easily accessible equipment to ensure reproducibility in other laboratories. In summary, FFT is an easy to use and powerful tool that can quantitatively characterize fungal morphology, cell number and quantitatively measures the filamentous growth, which will advance our understanding of the growth and biology of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tsung-Yu Huang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Wen Chang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Che Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ping Hsueh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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18
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Sadhasivam S, Shapiro OH, Ziv C, Barda O, Zakin V, Sionov E. Synergistic Inhibition of Mycotoxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxin Production by Combination of Pomegranate Peel Extract and Azole Fungicide. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1919. [PMID: 31481948 PMCID: PMC6710344 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal plant pathogens cause considerable losses in yield and quality of field crops worldwide. In addition, under specific environmental conditions, many fungi, including such as some Fusarium and Aspergillus spp., are further able to produce mycotoxins while colonizing their host, which accumulate in human and animal tissues, posing a serious threat to consumer health. Extensive use of azole fungicides in crop protection stimulated the emergence of acquired azole resistance in some plant and human fungal pathogens. Combination treatments, which become popular in clinical practice, offer an alternative strategy for managing potentially resistant toxigenic fungi and reducing the required dosage of specific drugs. In the current study we tested the effect of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on the growth and toxin production of the mycotoxigenic fungi Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium proliferatum, both alone and in combination with the azole fungicide prochloraz (PRZ). Using time-lapse microscopy and quantitative image analysis we demonstrate significant delay of conidial germination and hyphal elongation rate in both fungi following PPE treatment in combination with PRZ. Moreover, PPE treatment reduced aflatoxin production by A. flavus up to 97%, while a combined treatment with sub-inhibitory doses of PPE and PRZ resulted in complete inhibition of toxin production over a 72 h treatment. These findings were supported by qRT-PCR analysis, showing down-regulation of key genes involved in the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway under combined PPE/PRZ treatment al low concentrations. Our results provide first evidence for synergistic effects between the commercial drug PRZ and natural compound PPE. Future application of these findings may allow to reduce the required dosage of PRZ, and possibly additional azole drugs, to inhibit mycotoxigenic fungi, ultimately reducing potential concerns over exposure to high doses of these potentially harmful fungicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudharsan Sadhasivam
- Department of Food Quality and Safety, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Orr H. Shapiro
- Department of Food Quality and Safety, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Carmit Ziv
- Department of Postharvest Science, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Omer Barda
- Department of Food Quality and Safety, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Varda Zakin
- Department of Food Quality and Safety, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Edward Sionov
- Department of Food Quality and Safety, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
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19
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Callejas-Negrete OA, Castro-Longoria E. The role of GYP-3 in cellular morphogenesis of Neurospora crassa: Analyzing its relationship with the polarisome. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 128:49-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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20
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Hyphal branching in filamentous fungi. Dev Biol 2019; 451:35-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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21
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Abstract
Many filamentous fungi colonizing animal or plant tissue, waste matter, or soil must find optimal paths through the constraining geometries of their microenvironment. Imaging of live fungal growth in custom-built microfluidics structures revealed the intracellular mechanisms responsible for this remarkable efficiency. In meandering channels, the Spitzenkörper (an assembly of vesicles at the filament tip) acted like a natural gyroscope, conserving the directional memory of growth, while the fungal cytoskeleton organized along the shortest growth path. However, if an obstacle could not be negotiated, the directional memory was lost due to the disappearance of the Spitzenkörper gyroscope. This study can impact diverse environmental, industrial, and medical applications, from fungal pathogenicity in plants and animals to biology-inspired computation. Filamentous fungi that colonize microenvironments, such as animal or plant tissue or soil, must find optimal paths through their habitat, but the biological basis for negotiating growth in constrained environments is unknown. We used time-lapse live-cell imaging of Neurospora crassa in microfluidic environments to show how constraining geometries determine the intracellular processes responsible for fungal growth. We found that, if a hypha made contact with obstacles at acute angles, the Spitzenkörper (an assembly of vesicles) moved from the center of the apical dome closer to the obstacle, thus functioning as an internal gyroscope, which preserved the information regarding the initial growth direction. Additionally, the off-axis trajectory of the Spitzenkörper was tracked by microtubules exhibiting “cutting corner” patterns. By contrast, if a hypha made contact with an obstacle at near-orthogonal incidence, the directional memory was lost, due to the temporary collapse of the Spitzenkörper–microtubule system, followed by the formation of two “daughter” hyphae growing in opposite directions along the contour of the obstacle. Finally, a hypha passing a lateral opening in constraining channels continued to grow unperturbed, but a daughter hypha gradually branched into the opening and formed its own Spitzenkörper–microtubule system. These observations suggest that the Spitzenkörper–microtubule system is responsible for efficient space partitioning in microenvironments, but, in its absence during constraint-induced apical splitting and lateral branching, the directional memory is lost, and growth is driven solely by the isotropic turgor pressure. These results further our understanding of fungal growth in microenvironments relevant to environmental, industrial, and medical applications.
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22
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Verdín J, Sánchez-León E, Rico-Ramírez AM, Martínez-Núñez L, Fajardo-Somera RA, Riquelme M. Off the wall: The rhyme and reason of Neurospora crassa hyphal morphogenesis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 5:100020. [PMID: 32743136 PMCID: PMC7389182 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2019.100020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Chitin and β-1,3-glucan synthases are transported separately in chitosomes and macrovesicles. Chitin synthases occupy the core of the SPK; β-1,3-glucan synthases the outer layer. CHS-4 arrival to the SPK and septa is CSE-7 dependent. Rabs YPT-1 and YPT-31 localization at the SPK mimics that of chitosomes and macrovesicles. The exocyst acts as a tether between the SPK outer layer vesicles and the apical PM.
The fungal cell wall building processes are the ultimate determinants of hyphal shape. In Neurospora crassa the main cell wall components, β-1,3-glucan and chitin, are synthesized by enzymes conveyed by specialized vesicles to the hyphal tip. These vesicles follow different secretory routes, which are delicately coordinated by cargo-specific Rab GTPases until their accumulation at the Spitzenkörper. From there, the exocyst mediates the docking of secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane, where they ultimately get fused. Although significant progress has been done on the cellular mechanisms that carry cell wall synthesizing enzymes from the endoplasmic reticulum to hyphal tips, a lot of information is still missing. Here, the current knowledge on N. crassa cell wall composition and biosynthesis is presented with an emphasis on the underlying molecular and cellular secretory processes.
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Key Words
- BGT, β-1,3-glucan transferases
- CHS, chitin synthase
- CLSM, confocal laser scanning microscopy
- CWI, cell wall integrity
- CWP, cell wall proteins
- Cell wall
- ER, endoplasmic reticulum
- FRAP, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching
- GEF, guanine nucleotide exchange factor
- GFP, green fluorescent protein
- GH, glycosyl hydrolases
- GPI, glycosylphosphatidylinositol
- GSC, β-1,3-glucan synthase complex
- MMD, myosin-like motor domain
- MS, mass spectrometry
- MT, microtubule
- NEC, network of elongated cisternae
- PM, plasma membrane
- SPK, Spitzenkörper
- Spitzenkörper
- TIRFM, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy
- TM, transmembrane
- Tip growth
- Vesicles
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Verdín
- Industrial Biotechnology, CIATEJ-Jalisco State Scientific Research and Technology Assistance Center, Mexico National Council for Science and Technology, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Eddy Sánchez-León
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Adriana M Rico-Ramírez
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, CICESE Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Leonora Martínez-Núñez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Rosa A Fajardo-Somera
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Meritxell Riquelme
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, CICESE Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
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23
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Herold I, Kowbel D, Delgado-Álvarez DL, Garduño-Rosales M, Mouriño-Pérez RR, Yarden O. Transcriptional profiling and localization of GUL-1, a COT-1 pathway component, in Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 126:1-11. [PMID: 30731203 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Impairment of theNeurospora crassaCOT-1 kinase results in defects in hyphal polarity. Some of these effects are partially suppressed by inactivation of gul-1 (encoding an mRNA-binding protein involved in translational regulation). Here, we report on the transcriptional profiling of cot-1 inactivation and demonstrate that gul-1 affects transcript abundance of multiple genes in the COT-1 pathway, including processes such as cell wall remodeling, nitrogen and amino acid metabolism. The GUL-1 protein itself was found to be distributed within the entire hyphal cell, along with a clear presence of aggregates that traffic within the cytoplasm. Live imaging of GUL-1-GFP demonstrated that GUL-1 transport is microtubule-dependent. Cellular stress, as imposed by the presence of the cell wall biosynthesis inhibitor Nikkomycin Z or by nitrogen limitation, resulted in a 2-3-fold increase of GUL-1 aggregate association with nuclei. Taken together, this study demonstrates that GUL-1 affects multiple processes, its function is stress-related and linked with cellular traffic and nuclear association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inbal Herold
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 761001, Israel
| | - David Kowbel
- Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
| | - Diego L Delgado-Álvarez
- Departamento de Microbiología, CICESE (Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada), Mexico
| | - Marisela Garduño-Rosales
- Departamento de Microbiología, CICESE (Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada), Mexico
| | - Rosa R Mouriño-Pérez
- Departamento de Microbiología, CICESE (Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada), Mexico
| | - Oded Yarden
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 761001, Israel
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24
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Martin-Yken H, Bedekovic T, Brand AC, Richard ML, Znaidi S, d'Enfert C, Dague E. A conserved fungal hub protein involved in adhesion and drug resistance in the human pathogen Candida albicans. Cell Surf 2018; 4:10-19. [PMID: 32743132 PMCID: PMC7389261 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance and cellular adhesion are two key elements of both dissemination and prevalence of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Smi1 belongs to a family of hub proteins conserved among the fungal kingdom whose functions in cellular signaling affect morphogenesis, cell wall synthesis and stress resistance. The data presented here indicate that C. albicans SMI1 is a functional homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae KNR4 and is involved in the regulation of cell wall synthesis. Expression of SMI1 in S. cerevisiae knr4Δ null mutants rescued their sensitivity to caspofungin and to heat stress. Deletion of SMI1 in C. albicans resulted in sensitivity to the cell-wall-perturbing compounds Calcofluor White and Caspofungin. Analysis of wild-type and mutant cells by Atomic Force Microscopy showed that the Young's Modulus (stiffness) of the cell wall was reduced by 85% upon deletion of SMI1, while cell surface adhesion measured by Force Spectroscopy showed that the surface expression of adhesive molecules was also reduced in the mutant. Over-expression of SMI1, on the contrary, increased cell surface adhesion by 6-fold vs the control strain. Finally, Smi1-GFP localized as cytoplasmic patches and concentrated spots at the sites of new cell wall synthesis including the tips of growing hyphae, consistent with a role in cell wall regulation. Thus, Smi1 function appears to be conserved across fungi, including the yeast S. cerevisiae, the yeast and hyphal forms of C. albicans and the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Martin-Yken
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France
- LAAS CNRS UPR 8001, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Tina Bedekovic
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra C. Brand
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sadri Znaidi
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Vaccinologie et Développement Biotechnologique, 13 Place Pasteur, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
- Institut Pasteur, INRA USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris, France
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, INRA USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris, France
| | - Etienne Dague
- LAAS CNRS UPR 8001, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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25
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Ding X, Pervere LM, Bascom C, Bibeau JP, Khurana S, Butt AM, Orr RG, Flaherty PJ, Bezanilla M, Vidali L. Conditional genetic screen in Physcomitrella patens reveals a novel microtubule depolymerizing-end-tracking protein. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007221. [PMID: 29746462 PMCID: PMC5944918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to identify genes that participate in cell growth and division is limited because their loss often leads to lethality. A solution to this is to isolate conditional mutants where the phenotype is visible under restrictive conditions. Here, we capitalize on the haploid growth-phase of the moss Physcomitrella patens to identify conditional loss-of-growth (CLoG) mutants with impaired growth at high temperature. We used whole-genome sequencing of pooled segregants to pinpoint the lesion of one of these mutants (clog1) and validated the identified mutation by rescuing the conditional phenotype by homologous recombination. We found that CLoG1 is a novel and ancient gene conserved in plants. At the restrictive temperature, clog1 plants have smaller cells but can complete cell division, indicating an important role of CLoG1 in cell growth, but not an essential role in cell division. Fluorescent protein fusions of CLoG1 indicate it is localized to microtubules with a bias towards depolymerizing microtubule ends. Silencing CLoG1 decreases microtubule dynamics, suggesting that CLoG1 plays a critical role in regulating microtubule dynamics. By discovering a novel gene critical for plant growth, our work demonstrates that P. patens is an excellent genetic system to study genes with a fundamental role in plant cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Ding
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Leah M. Pervere
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Carl Bascom
- Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - Jeffrey P. Bibeau
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Sakshi Khurana
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Allison M. Butt
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Robert G. Orr
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Patrick J. Flaherty
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
| | | | - Luis Vidali
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
- * E-mail:
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Cold Shock as a Screen for Genes Involved in Cold Acclimatization in Neurospora crassa. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:1439-1454. [PMID: 29563189 PMCID: PMC5940138 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
When subjected to rapid drops of temperature (cold shock), Neurospora responds with a temporary shift in its morphology. This report is the first to examine this response genetically. We report here the results of a screen of selected mutants from the Neurospora knockout library for alterations in their morphological response to cold shock. Three groups of knockouts were selected to be subject to this screen: genes previously suspected to be involved in hyphal development as well as knockouts resulting in morphological changes; transcription factors; and genes homologous to E. coli genes known to alter their expression in response to cold shock. A total of 344 knockout strains were subjected to cold shock. Of those, 118 strains were identified with altered responses. We report here the cold shock morphologies and GO categorizations of strains subjected to this screen. Of strains with knockouts in genes associated with hyphal growth or morphology, 33 of 131 tested (25%) showed an altered response to cold shock. Of strains with knockouts in transcription factor genes, 30 of 145 (20%) showed an altered response to cold shock. Of strains with knockouts in genes homologous to E. coli genes which display altered levels of transcription in response to cold shock, a total of 55 of 68 tested (81%) showed an altered cold shock response. This suggests that the response to cold shock in these two organisms is largely shared in common.
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Rico-Ramírez AM, Roberson RW, Riquelme M. Imaging the secretory compartments involved in the intracellular traffic of CHS-4, a class IV chitin synthase, in Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genet Biol 2018; 117:30-42. [PMID: 29601947 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In Neurospora crassa hyphae the localization of all seven chitin synthases (CHSs) at the Spitzenkörper (SPK) and at developing septa has been well analyzed. Hitherto, the mechanisms of CHSs traffic and sorting from synthesis to delivery sites remain largely unexplored. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae exit of Chs3p from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) requires chaperone Chs7p. Here, we analyzed the role of CSE-7, N. crassa Chs7p orthologue, in the biogenesis of CHS-4 (orthologue of Chs3p). In a N. crassa Δcse-7 mutant, CHS-4-GFP no longer accumulated at the SPK and septa. Instead, fluorescence was retained in hyphal subapical regions in an extensive network of elongated cisternae (NEC) referred to previously as tubular vacuoles. In a complemented strain expressing a copy of cse-7 the localization of CHS-4-GFP at the SPK and septa was restored, providing evidence that CSE-7 is necessary for the localization of CHS-4 at hyphal tips and septa. CSE-7 was revealed at delimited regions of the ER at the immediacies of nuclei, at the NEC, and remarkably also at septa and the SPK. The organization of the NEC was dependent on the cytoskeleton. SEC-63, an extensively used ER marker, and NCA-1, a SERCA-type ATPase previously localized at the nuclear envelope, were used as markers to discern the nature of the membranes containing CSE-7. Both SEC-63 and NCA-1 were found at the nuclear envelope, but also at regions of the NEC. However, at the NEC only NCA-1 co-localized extensively with CSE-7. Observations by transmission electron microscopy revealed abundant rough ER sheets and distinct electron translucent smooth flattened cisternae, which could correspond collectively to the NEC, thorough the subapical cytoplasm. This study identifies CSE-7 as the putative ER receptor for its cognate cargo, the polytopic membrane protein CHS-4, and elucidates the complexity of the ER system in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana M Rico-Ramírez
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
| | | | - Meritxell Riquelme
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico.
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Deglycosylating enzymes acting on N- glycans in fungi: Insights from a genome survey. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:2551-2558. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Shomin-Levi H, Yarden O. The Neurospora crassa PP2A Regulatory Subunits RGB1 and B56 Are Required for Proper Growth and Development and Interact with the NDR Kinase COT1. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1694. [PMID: 28928725 PMCID: PMC5591878 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
COT1 is the founding member of the highly conserved nuclear Dbf2-related (NDR) Ser/Thr kinase family and plays a role in the regulation of polar growth and development in Neurospora crassa and other fungi. Changes in COT1 phosphorylation state have been shown to affect hyphal elongation, branching, and conidiation. The function of NDR protein kinases has been shown to be regulated by type 2A protein phosphatases (PP2As). PP2As are heterotrimers comprised of a catalytic and scaffolding protein along with an interchangeable regulatory subunit involved in determining substrate specificity. Inactivation of the N. crassa PP2A regulatory subunits rgb-1 and b56 conferred severe hyphal growth defects. Partial suppression of defects observed in the rgb-1RIP strain (but not in the Δb56 mutant) was observed in cot-1 phosphomimetic mutants, demonstrating that altering COT1 phosphorylation state can bypass, at least in part, the requirement of a functional RGB1 subunit. The functional fusion proteins RGB1::GFP and B56::GFP predominantly localized to hyphal tips and septa, respectively, indicating that their primary activity is in different cellular locations. COT1 protein forms exhibited a hyperphosphorylated gel migration pattern in an rgb-1RIP mutant background, similar to that observed when the fungus was cultured in the presence of the PP2A inhibitor cantharidin. COT1 was hypophosphorylated in a Δb56 mutant background, suggesting that this regulatory subunit may be involved in determining COT1 phosphorylation state, yet in an indirect manner. Reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation analyses, using tagged COT1, PPH1, RGB1, and B56 subunits established that these proteins physically interact. Taken together, our data determine the presence of a functional and physical link between PP2A and COT1 and show that two of the PP2A regulatory subunits interact with the kinase and determine COT1 phosphorylation state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hila Shomin-Levi
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot, Israel
| | - Oded Yarden
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot, Israel
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Evolutionary dynamics in the fungal polarization network, a mechanistic perspective. Biophys Rev 2017; 9:375-387. [PMID: 28812259 PMCID: PMC5578929 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0286-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Polarity establishment underlies proper cell cycle completion across virtually all organisms. Much progress has been made in generating an understanding of the structural and functional components of this process, especially in model species. Here we focus on the evolutionary dynamics of the fungal polarization protein network in order to determine general components and mechanistic principles, species- or lineage-specific adaptations and the evolvability of the network. The currently available genomic and proteomic screens in a variety of fungal species have shown three main characteristics: (1) certain proteins, processes and functions are conserved throughout the fungal clade; (2) orthologous functions can never be assumed, as various cases have been observed of homologous loci with dissimilar functions; (3) species have, typically, various species- or lineage-specific proteins incorporated in their polarization network. Further large-scale comparative and experimental studies, including those on non-model species representing the great fungal diversity, are needed to gain a better understanding of the evolutionary dynamics and generalities of the polarization network in fungi.
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Havlik D, Brandt U, Bohle K, Fleißner A. Establishment of Neurospora crassa as a host for heterologous protein production using a human antibody fragment as a model product. Microb Cell Fact 2017; 16:128. [PMID: 28743272 PMCID: PMC5526295 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-017-0734-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Filamentous fungi are commonly used as production hosts for bulk enzymes in biotechnological applications. Their robust and quick growth combined with their ability to secrete large amounts of protein directly into the culture medium makes fungi appealing organisms for the generation of novel production systems. The red bread mold Neurospora crassa has long been established as a model system in basic research. It can be very easily genetically manipulated and a wealth of molecular tools and mutants are available. In addition, N. crassa is very fast growing and non-toxic. All of these features point to a high but so far untapped potential of this fungus for biotechnological applications. In this study, we used genetic engineering and bioprocess development in a design-build-test-cycle process to establish N. crassa as a production host for heterologous proteins. Results The human antibody fragment HT186-D11 was fused to a truncated version of the endogenous enzyme glucoamylase (GLA-1), which served as a carrier protein to achieve secretion into the culture medium. A modular expression cassette was constructed and tested under the control of different promoters. Protease activity was identified as a major limitation of the production strain, and the effects of different mutations causing protease deficiencies were compared. Furthermore, a parallel bioreactor system (1 L) was employed to develop and optimize a production process, including the comparison of different culture media and cultivation parameters. After successful optimization of the production strain and the cultivation conditions an exemplary scale up to a 10 L stirred tank reactor was performed. Conclusions The data of this study indicate that N. crassa is suited for the production and secretion of heterologous proteins. Controlling expression by the optimized promoter Pccg1nr in a fourfold protease deletion strain resulted in the successful secretion of the heterologous product with estimated yields of 3 mg/L of the fusion protein. The fungus could easily be cultivated in bioreactors and a first scale-up was successful. The system holds therefore much potential, warranting further efforts in optimization. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-017-0734-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Havlik
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Inhoffenstr. 7, Braunschweig, 38124, Germany.,Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.,Navigo Proteins GmbH, Heinrich-Damerow-Str. 1, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Ulrike Brandt
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kathrin Bohle
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Inhoffenstr. 7, Braunschweig, 38124, Germany
| | - André Fleißner
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
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Galhano R, Illana A, Ryder LS, Rodríguez-Romero J, Demuez M, Badaruddin M, Martinez-Rocha AL, Soanes DM, Studholme DJ, Talbot NJ, Sesma A. Tpc1 is an important Zn(II)2Cys6 transcriptional regulator required for polarized growth and virulence in the rice blast fungus. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006516. [PMID: 28742127 PMCID: PMC5542705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The establishment of polarity is a critical process in pathogenic fungi, mediating infection-related morphogenesis and host tissue invasion. Here, we report the identification of TPC1 (Transcription factor for Polarity Control 1), which regulates invasive polarized growth in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. TPC1 encodes a putative transcription factor of the fungal Zn(II)2Cys6 family, exclusive to filamentous fungi. Tpc1-deficient mutants show severe defects in conidiogenesis, infection-associated autophagy, glycogen and lipid metabolism, and plant tissue colonisation. By tracking actin-binding proteins, septin-5 and autophagosome components, we show that Tpc1 regulates cytoskeletal dynamics and infection-associated autophagy during appressorium-mediated plant penetration. We found that Tpc1 interacts with Mst12 and modulates its DNA-binding activity, while Tpc1 nuclear localisation also depends on the MAP kinase Pmk1, consistent with the involvement of Tpc1 in this signalling pathway, which is critical for appressorium development. Importantly, Tpc1 directly regulates NOXD expression, the p22phox subunit of the fungal NADPH oxidase complex via an interaction with Mst12. Tpc1 therefore controls spatial and temporal regulation of cortical F-actin through regulation of the NADPH oxidase complex during appressorium re-polarisation. Consequently, Tpc1 is a core developmental regulator in filamentous fungi, linking the regulated synthesis of reactive oxygen species and the Pmk1 pathway, with polarity control during host invasion. Cellular polarity is an intrinsic feature of filamentous fungal growth and pathogenesis. In this study, we identified a gene required for fungal polar growth and virulence in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. This gene has been named TPC1 (Transcription factor for Polarity Control 1). The Tpc1 protein belongs to the fungal Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear cluster family. This DNA-binding motif is present exclusively in the fungal kingdom. We have characterised defects associated with lack of Tpc1 in M. oryzae. We show that Tpc1 is involved in polarised growth and virulence. The M. oryzae Δtpc1 mutant shows a delay in glycogen and lipid metabolism, and infection-associated autophagy–processes that regulate appressorium-mediated M. oryzae plant infection. The saprophytic fungus Neurospora crassa contains a Tpc1 homolog (NcTpc1) involved in vegetative growth and sustained tip elongation, suggesting that Tpc1-like proteins act as core regulators of polarised growth and development in filamentous fungi. A comparative transcriptome analysis has allowed us to identify genes regulated by Tpc1 in M. oryzae including NoxD, an important component of the fungal NADPH complex. Significantly, Tpc1 interacts with Mst12, a component of the Pmk1 signalling pathway essential for appressorium development, and modulates Mst12 binding affinity to NOXD promoter region. We conclude that Tpc1 is a key regulator of polarity in M. oryzae that regulates growth, autophagy and septin-mediated reorientation of the F-actin cytoskeleton to facilitate plant cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Galhano
- Disease & Stress Biology Dept. John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Adriana Illana
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, (UPM) – Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Dept. Biotecnología y Biología Vegetal, UPM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lauren S. Ryder
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Julio Rodríguez-Romero
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, (UPM) – Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Dept. Biotecnología y Biología Vegetal, UPM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marie Demuez
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, (UPM) – Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Dept. Biotecnología y Biología Vegetal, UPM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Muhammad Badaruddin
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Darren M. Soanes
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Studholme
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. Talbot
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Ane Sesma
- Disease & Stress Biology Dept. John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, (UPM) – Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Dept. Biotecnología y Biología Vegetal, UPM, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Genetics, Molecular, and Proteomics Advances in Filamentous Fungi. Curr Microbiol 2017; 74:1226-1236. [PMID: 28733909 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-017-1308-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi play a dynamic role in health and the environment. In addition, their unique and complex hyphal structures are involved in their morphogenesis, integrity, synthesis, and degradation, according to environmental and physiological conditions and resource availability. However, in biotechnology, it has a great value in the production of enzymes, pharmaceuticals, and food ingredients. The beginning of nomenclature of overall fungi started in early 1990 after which the categorization, interior and exterior mechanism, function, molecular and genetics study took pace. This mini-review has emphasized some of the important aspects of filamentous fungi, their pattern of life cycle, history, and development of different strategic methods applied to exploit this unique organism. New trends and concepts that have been applied to overcome obstacle because of their basic structure related to genomics and systems biology has been presented. Furthermore, the future aspects and challenges that need to be deciphered to get a bigger and better picture of filamentous fungi have been discussed.
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Trail F, Wang Z, Stefanko K, Cubba C, Townsend JP. The ancestral levels of transcription and the evolution of sexual phenotypes in filamentous fungi. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006867. [PMID: 28704372 PMCID: PMC5509106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in gene expression have been hypothesized to play an important role in the evolution of divergent morphologies. To test this hypothesis in a model system, we examined differences in fruiting body morphology of five filamentous fungi in the Sordariomycetes, culturing them in a common garden environment and profiling genome-wide gene expression at five developmental stages. We reconstructed ancestral gene expression phenotypes, identifying genes with the largest evolved increases in gene expression across development. Conducting knockouts and performing phenotypic analysis in two divergent species typically demonstrated altered fruiting body development in the species that had evolved increased expression. Our evolutionary approach to finding relevant genes proved far more efficient than other gene deletion studies targeting whole genomes or gene families. Combining gene expression measurements with knockout phenotypes facilitated the refinement of Bayesian networks of the genes underlying fruiting body development, regulation of which is one of the least understood processes of multicellular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Trail
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Kayla Stefanko
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Caitlyn Cubba
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey P. Townsend
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Fujihira H, Masahara-Negishi Y, Tamura M, Huang C, Harada Y, Wakana S, Takakura D, Kawasaki N, Taniguchi N, Kondoh G, Yamashita T, Funakoshi Y, Suzuki T. Lethality of mice bearing a knockout of the Ngly1-gene is partially rescued by the additional deletion of the Engase gene. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006696. [PMID: 28426790 PMCID: PMC5398483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The cytoplasmic peptide:N-glycanase (Ngly1 in mammals) is a de-N-glycosylating enzyme that is highly conserved among eukaryotes. It was recently reported that subjects harboring mutations in the NGLY1 gene exhibited severe systemic symptoms (NGLY1-deficiency). While the enzyme obviously has a critical role in mammals, its precise function remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed Ngly1-deficient mice and found that they are embryonic lethal in C57BL/6 background. Surprisingly, the additional deletion of the gene encoding endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (Engase), which is another de-N-glycosylating enzyme but leaves a single GlcNAc at glycosylated Asn residues, resulted in the partial rescue of the lethality of the Ngly1-deficient mice. Additionally, we also found that a change in the genetic background of C57BL/6 mice, produced by crossing the mice with an outbred mouse strain (ICR) could partially rescue the embryonic lethality of Ngly1-deficient mice. Viable Ngly1-deficient mice in a C57BL/6 and ICR mixed background, however, showed a very severe phenotype reminiscent of the symptoms of NGLY1-deficiency subjects. Again, many of those defects were strongly suppressed by the additional deletion of Engase in the C57BL/6 and ICR mixed background. The defects observed in Ngly1/Engase-deficient mice (C57BL/6 background) and Ngly1-deficient mice (C57BL/6 and ICR mixed background) closely resembled some of the symptoms of patients with an NGLY1-deficiency. These observations strongly suggest that the Ngly1- or Ngly1/Engase-deficient mice could serve as a valuable animal model for studies related to the pathogenesis of the NGLY1-deficiency, and that cytoplasmic ENGase represents one of the potential therapeutic targets for this genetic disorder. Ngly1 is a cytoplasmic de-N-glycosylating enzyme that is ubiquitously found in eukaryotes. This enzyme is involved in a process referred to as endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), one of the quality control mechanisms for newly synthesized proteins. A genetic disorder, NGLY1-deficiency, caused by mutations in the NGLY1 gene has recently been discovered. However, the precise mechanism for the pathogenesis of this devastating disease continues to remain unclear. We report herein that Ngly1-deficient mice are embryonically lethal in a C57BL/6 background. Surprisingly, the lethality was suppressed by crossing the mice with an outbred mouse strain (ICR), suggesting that the phenotypic consequence of Ngly1 is greatly influenced by their genetic background. In both cases, the additional deletion of Engase in Ngly1-deficient mice could strongly mitigate the phenotypes. Interestingly, the remaining defects in Ngly1-deficient or Ngly1/Engase-deficient mice were reminiscent of the symptoms of subjects with an NGLY1-deficiency. Our results clearly point to the importance of Ngly1 in mammals and show that the inhibition of ENGase represents an effective therapy for treating an NGLY1-deficiency. Most importantly, the mice described herein could serve as valuable viable model mice for studies related to the pathophysiology of an NGLY1-deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruhiko Fujihira
- Glycometabolome Team, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center, Global Research Cluster, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yuki Masahara-Negishi
- Glycometabolome Team, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center, Global Research Cluster, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masaru Tamura
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, BioResourse Center, RIKEN, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Chengcheng Huang
- Glycometabolome Team, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center, Global Research Cluster, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Harada
- Glycometabolome Team, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center, Global Research Cluster, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shigeharu Wakana
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, BioResourse Center, RIKEN, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takakura
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nana Kawasaki
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Taniguchi
- Disease Glycomics Team, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center, Global Research Cluster, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Gen Kondoh
- Laboratory of Integrative Biological Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tadashi Yamashita
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoko Funakoshi
- Glycometabolome Team, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center, Global Research Cluster, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tadashi Suzuki
- Glycometabolome Team, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center, Global Research Cluster, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Harris SD. Branching of fungal hyphae: regulation, mechanisms and comparison with other branching systems. Mycologia 2017; 100:823-32. [DOI: 10.3852/08-177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven D. Harris
- Department of Plant Pathology and Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
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Abstract
Filamentous fungi have proven to be a better-suited model system than unicellular yeasts in analyses of cellular processes such as polarized growth, exocytosis, endocytosis, and cytoskeleton-based organelle traffic. For example, the filamentous fungus
Neurospora crassa develops a variety of cellular forms. Studying the molecular basis of these forms has led to a better, yet incipient, understanding of polarized growth. Polarity factors as well as Rho GTPases, septins, and a localized delivery of vesicles are the central elements described so far that participate in the shift from isotropic to polarized growth. The growth of the cell wall by apical biosynthesis and remodeling of polysaccharide components is a key process in hyphal morphogenesis. The coordinated action of motor proteins and Rab GTPases mediates the vesicular journey along the hyphae toward the apex, where the exocyst mediates vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane. Cytoplasmic microtubules and actin microfilaments serve as tracks for the transport of vesicular carriers as well as organelles in the tubular cell, contributing to polarization. In addition to exocytosis, endocytosis is required to set and maintain the apical polarity of the cell. Here, we summarize some of the most recent breakthroughs in hyphal morphogenesis and apical growth in
N. crassa and the emerging questions that we believe should be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Riquelme
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, 22860, Mexico
| | - Leonora Martínez-Núñez
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, 22860, Mexico
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Catabolism of N-glycoproteins in mammalian cells: Molecular mechanisms and genetic disorders related to the processes. Mol Aspects Med 2016; 51:89-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Martin-Yken H, François JM, Zerbib D. Knr4: a disordered hub protein at the heart of fungal cell wall signalling. Cell Microbiol 2016; 18:1217-27. [PMID: 27199081 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The most highly connected proteins in protein-protein interactions networks are called hubs; they generally connect signalling pathways. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Knr4 constitutes a connecting node between the two main signal transmission pathways involved in cell wall maintenance upon stress: the cell wall integrity and the calcium-calcineurin pathway. Knr4 is required to enable the cells to resist many cell wall-affecting stresses, and KNR4 gene deletion is synthetic lethal with the simultaneous deletion of numerous other genes involved in morphogenesis and cell wall biogenesis. Knr4 has been shown to engage in multiple physical interactions, an ability conferred by the intrinsic structural adaptability of major disordered regions present in the N-terminal and C-terminal parts of the protein. Taking all together, Knr4 is an intrinsically disordered hub protein. Available data from other fungi indicate the conservation of Knr4 homologs cellular function and localization at sites of polarized growth among fungal species, including pathogenic species. Because of their particular role in morphogenesis control and of their fungal specificity, these proteins could constitute interesting new pharmaceutical drug targets for antifungal combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Martin-Yken
- LISBP, Université Fédérale de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, F-31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean Marie François
- LISBP, Université Fédérale de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, F-31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Didier Zerbib
- LISBP, Université Fédérale de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, F-31077, Toulouse, France.,Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31077, Toulouse, France
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40
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Heilmann I, Ischebeck T. Male functions and malfunctions: the impact of phosphoinositides on pollen development and pollen tube growth. PLANT REPRODUCTION 2016; 29:3-20. [PMID: 26676144 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-015-0270-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Phosphoinositides in pollen. In angiosperms, sexual reproduction is a series of complex biological events that facilitate the distribution of male generative cells for double fertilization. Angiosperms have no motile gametes, and the distribution units of generative cells are pollen grains, passively mobile desiccated structures, capable of delivering genetic material to compatible flowers over long distances and in an adverse environment. The development of pollen (male gametogenesis) and the formation of a pollen tube after a pollen grain has reached a compatible flower (pollen tube growth) are important aspects of plant developmental biology. In recent years, a wealth of information has been gathered about the molecular control of cell polarity, membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal dynamics underlying these developmental processes. In particular, it has been found that regulatory membrane phospholipids, such as phosphoinositides (PIs), are critical regulatory players, controlling key steps of trafficking and polarization. Characteristic features of PIs are the inositol phosphate headgroups of the lipids, which protrude from the cytosolic surfaces of membranes, enabling specific binding and recruitment of numerous protein partners containing specific PI-binding domains. Such recruitment is globally an early event in polarization processes of eukaryotic cells and also of key importance to pollen development and tube growth. Additionally, PIs serve as precursors of other signaling factors with importance to male gametogenesis. This review highlights the recent advances about the roles of PIs in pollen development and pollen function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Heilmann
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Institute for Biochemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Till Ischebeck
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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Mouriño-Pérez RR, Riquelme M, Callejas-Negrete OA, Galván-Mendoza JI. Microtubules and associated molecular motors in Neurospora crassa. Mycologia 2016; 108:515-27. [PMID: 26951369 DOI: 10.3852/15-323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The cytoskeleton provides structure, shape and movement to various cells. Microtubules (MTs) are tubular structures made of α and β-tubulin heterodimers organized in 13 protofilaments, forming a hollow cylinder. A vast group of MT-associated proteins determines the function, behavior and interaction of the MTs with other cellular components. Among these proteins, molecular motors such as the dynein-dynactin complex and kinesin superfamily play roles in MT organization and organelle transport. This article focuses on the MT cytoskeleton and associated molecular motors in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa In addition to reviewing current available information for this fungus and contrasting it with knowledge of other fungal species, we present new experimental results that support the role of dynein, dynactin and conventional kinesin in MT organization, dynamics and transport of subcellular structures (nuclei and secretory vesicles). In wild type hyphae of N. crassa, cytoplasmic MTs are arranged longitudinally along hyphae and display a helical curvature. They interlace with one another to form a network throughout the cytoplasm. N. crassa dynein and dynactin mutants have a scant and disorganized MT cytoskeleton, an erratic and reduced Spitzenkörper (Spk) and distorted hyphal morphology. In contrast, hyphae of mutants with defective conventional kinesin exhibit only minor disruptions in MT and Spk organization. Although nuclear positioning is affected in all mutants, the MT-associated motor proteins are not major contributors to nuclear movement during hyphal growth. Cytoplasmic bulk flow is the vehicle for nuclear displacement in growing hyphal regions of N. crassa Motors are involved in nuclei saltatory movements in both retrograde or anterograde direction. In the dynein and kinesin mutants, micro and macrovesicles can reach the Spk, although growth is slightly impaired and the Spk displays an erratic path. Hyphal growth requires MTs, and their associated motors are required for their organization and dynamics and Spk integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Reyna Mouriño-Pérez
- Departamento de Microbiología. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, CICESE, Ensenada B.C. 22860 Mexico
| | - Meritxell Riquelme
- Departamento de Microbiología. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, CICESE, Ensenada B.C. 22860 Mexico
| | - Olga Alicia Callejas-Negrete
- Departamento de Microbiología. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, CICESE, Ensenada B.C. 22860 Mexico
| | - José Iván Galván-Mendoza
- Unidad de Microscopia Confocal y Multifotónica, CINVESTAV-Zacatenco. San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360 Ciudad de México DF, Mexico
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Si H, Rittenour WR, Harris SD. Roles of Aspergillus nidulans Cdc42/Rho GTPase regulators in hyphal morphogenesis and development. Mycologia 2016; 108:543-55. [PMID: 26932184 DOI: 10.3852/15-232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The Rho-related family of GTPases are pivotal regulators of morphogenetic processes in diverse eukaryotic organisms. In the filamentous fungi two related members of this family, Cdc42 and Rac1, perform particularly important roles in the establishment and maintenance of hyphal polarity. The activity of these GTPases is tightly controlled by two sets of regulators: guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Despite the importance of Cdc42 and Rac1 in polarized hyphal growth, the morphogenetic functions of their cognate GEFs and GAPs have not been widely characterized in filamentous fungi outside the Saccharomycotina. Here we present a functional analysis of the Aspergillus nidulans homologs of the yeast GEF Cdc24 and the yeast GAP Rga1. We show that Cdc24 is required for the establishment of hyphal polarity and localizes to hyphal tips. We also show that Rga1 is necessary for the suppression of branching in developing conidiophores. During asexual development Rga1 appears to act primarily via Cdc42 and in doing so serves as a critical determinant of conidiophore architecture. Our results provide new insight into the roles of Cdc42 during development in A nidulans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Si
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660
| | - William R Rittenour
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660
| | - Steven D Harris
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660
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The cytoplasmic peptide:N-glycanase (NGLY1) - Structure, expression and cellular functions. Gene 2015; 577:1-7. [PMID: 26611529 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
NGLY1/Ngly1 is a cytosolic peptide:N-glycanase, i.e. de-N-glycosylating enzyme acting on N-glycoproteins in mammals, generating free, unconjugated N-glycans and deglycosylated peptides in which the N-glycosylated asparagine residues are converted to aspartates. This enzyme is known to be involved in the quality control system for the newly synthesized glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In this system, misfolded (glyco)proteins are retrotranslocated to the cytosol, where the 26S proteasomes play a central role in degrading the proteins: a process referred to as ER-associated degradation or ERAD in short. PNGase-mediated deglycosylation is believed to facilitate the efficient degradation of some misfolded glycoproteins. Human patients harboring mutations of NGLY1 gene (NGLY1-deficiency) have recently been discovered, clearly indicating the functional importance of this enzyme. This review summarizes the current state of our knowledge on NGLY1 and its gene product in mammalian cells.
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Wang F, Liu K, Han L, Jiang B, Wang M, Fang X. Function of a p24 Heterodimer in Morphogenesis and Protein Transport in Penicillium oxalicum. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11875. [PMID: 26149342 PMCID: PMC4493713 DOI: 10.1038/srep11875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The lignocellulose degradation capacity of filamentous fungi has been widely studied because of their cellulase hypersecretion. The p24 proteins in eukaryotes serve important functions in this secretory pathway. However, little is known about the functions of the p24 proteins in filamentous fungi. In this study, four p24 proteins were identified in Penicillium oxalicum. Six p24 double-deletion strains were constructed, and further studies were carried out with the ΔerpΔpδ strain. The experimental results suggested that Erp and Pδ form a p24 heterodimer in vivo. This p24 heterodimer participates in important morphogenetic events, including sporulation, hyphal growth, and lateral branching. The results suggested that the p24 heterodimer mediates protein transport, particularly that of cellobiohydrolase. Analysis of the intracellular proteome revealed that the ΔerpΔpδ double mutant is under secretion stress due to attempts to remove proteins that are jammed in the endomembrane system. These results suggest that the p24 heterodimer participates in morphogenesis and protein transport. Compared with P. oxalicum Δerp, a greater number of cellular physiological pathways were impaired in ΔerpΔpδ. This finding may provide new insights into the secretory pathways of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangzhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Kuimei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Lijuan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Baojie Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Mingyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xu Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Arkowitz RA, Bassilana M. Regulation of hyphal morphogenesis by Ras and Rho small GTPases. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase forms N-GlcNAc protein aggregates during ER-associated degradation in Ngly1-defective cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:1398-403. [PMID: 25605922 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1414593112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cytoplasmic peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase; Ngly1 in mice) is a deglycosylating enzyme involved in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) process. The precise role of Ngly1 in the ERAD process, however, remains unclear in mammals. The findings reported herein, using mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells, that the ablation of Ngly1 causes dysregulation of the ERAD process. Interestingly, not only delayed degradation but also the deglycosylation of a misfolded glycoprotein was observed in Ngly1(-/-) MEF cells. The unconventional deglycosylation reaction was found to be catalyzed by the cytosolic endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGase), generating aggregation-prone N-GlcNAc proteins. The ERAD dysregulation in cells lacking Ngly1 was restored by the additional knockout of ENGase gene. Thus, our study underscores the functional importance of Ngly1 in the ERAD process and provides a potential mechanism underlying the phenotypic consequences of a newly emerging genetic disorder caused by mutation of the human NGLY1 gene.
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Dettmann A, Heilig Y, Valerius O, Ludwig S, Seiler S. Fungal communication requires the MAK-2 pathway elements STE-20 and RAS-2, the NRC-1 adapter STE-50 and the MAP kinase scaffold HAM-5. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004762. [PMID: 25411845 PMCID: PMC4239118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Intercellular communication is critical for the survival of unicellular organisms as well as for the development and function of multicellular tissues. Cell-to-cell signaling is also required to develop the interconnected mycelial network characteristic of filamentous fungi and is a prerequisite for symbiotic and pathogenic host colonization achieved by molds. Somatic cell–cell communication and subsequent cell fusion is governed by the MAK-2 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in the filamentous ascomycete model Neurospora crassa, yet the composition and mode of regulation of the MAK-2 pathway are currently unclear. In order to identify additional components involved in MAK-2 signaling we performed affinity purification experiments coupled to mass spectrometry with strains expressing functional GFP-fusion proteins of the MAPK cascade. This approach identified STE-50 as a regulatory subunit of the Ste11p homolog NRC-1 and HAM-5 as cell-communication-specific scaffold protein of the MAPK cascade. Moreover, we defined a network of proteins consisting of two Ste20-related kinases, the small GTPase RAS-2 and the adenylate cyclase capping protein CAP-1 that function upstream of the MAK-2 pathway and whose signals converge on the NRC-1/STE-50 MAP3K complex and the HAM-5 scaffold. Finally, our data suggest an involvement of the striatin interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex, the casein kinase 2 heterodimer, the phospholipid flippase modulators YPK-1 and NRC-2 and motor protein-dependent vesicle trafficking in the regulation of MAK-2 pathway activity and function. Taken together, these data will have significant implications for our mechanistic understanding of MAPK signaling and for homotypic cell–cell communication in fungi and higher eukaryotes. Appropriate cellular responses to external stimuli depend on the highly orchestrated activity of interconnected signaling cascades. One crucial level of control arises from the formation of discrete complexes through scaffold proteins that bind multiple components of a given pathway. Central for our understanding of these signaling platforms is the archetypical MAP kinase scaffold Ste5p, a protein that is restricted to budding yeast and close relatives. We identified HAM-5, a protein highly conserved in filamentous ascomycete fungi, as cell–cell communication-specific scaffold protein of the Neurospora crassa MAK-2 cascade (homologous to the budding yeast pheromone pathway). We also describe a network of upstream acting proteins, consisting of two Ste20-related kinases, the small G-protein RAS-2 and the adenylate cyclase capping protein CAP-1, whose signals converge on HAM-5. Our work has implications for the mechanistic understanding of MAP kinase scaffold proteins and their function during intercellular communication in eukaryotic microbes as well as higher eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Dettmann
- Institute for Biology II – Molecular Plant Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yvonne Heilig
- Institute for Biology II – Molecular Plant Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Valerius
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Ludwig
- Institute for Biology II – Molecular Plant Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Seiler
- Institute for Biology II – Molecular Plant Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Suzuki T. The cytoplasmic peptide:N-glycanase (Ngly1)--basic science encounters a human genetic disorder. J Biochem 2014; 157:23-34. [DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvu068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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50
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Delgado-Ramos L, Marcos AT, Ramos-Guelfo MS, Sánchez-Barrionuevo L, Smet F, Chávez S, Cánovas D. Flow cytometry of microencapsulated colonies for genetics analysis of filamentous fungi. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2014; 4:2271-8. [PMID: 25239104 PMCID: PMC4232552 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.014357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of filamentous fungi by flow cytometry has been impossible to date due to their filamentous nature and size. In this work, we have developed a method that combines single-spore microencapsulation and large-particle flow cytometry as a powerful alternative for the genetic analysis of filamentous fungi. Individual spores were embedded in monodisperse alginate microparticles and incubated in the appropriate conditions. Growth could be monitored by light or fluorescent microscopy and Complex Object Parametric Analyzer and Sorter large-particle flow cytometry. Microencapsulated Trichoderma and Aspergillus spores could germinate and grow inside the alginate capsules. Growth tests revealed that auxotrophic mutants required the appropriate nutrients and that pyrithiamine and glufosinate halted fungal growth of sensitive but not resistant strains. We used an Aspergillus nidulans, thermosensitive mutant in the cell-cycle regulator gene nimX(CDK1) as proof-of-concept to the detection and identification of genetic phenotypes. Sorting of the microparticles containing the clonal fungal mycelia proved the power of this method to perform positive and/or negative selection during genetic screenings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Delgado-Ramos
- Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Ana T Marcos
- Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - María S Ramos-Guelfo
- Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Leyre Sánchez-Barrionuevo
- Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Sebastián Chávez
- Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - David Cánovas
- Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
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