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Wang D, An B, Luo H, He C, Wang Q. Roles of CgEde1 and CgMca in Development and Virulence of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2943. [PMID: 38474190 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052943] [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: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthracnose, induced by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, poses a substantial economic threat to rubber tree yields and various other tropical crops. Ede1, an endocytic scaffolding protein, plays a crucial role in endocytic site initiation and maturation in yeast. Metacaspases, sharing structural similarities with caspase family proteases, are essential for maintaining cell fitness. To enhance our understanding of the growth and virulence of C. gloeosporioides, we identified a homologue of Ede1 (CgEde1) in C. gloeosporioides. The knockout of CgEde1 led to impairments in vegetative growth, conidiation, and pathogenicity. Furthermore, we characterized a weakly interacted partner of CgEde1 and CgMca (orthologue of metacaspase). Notably, both the single mutant ΔCgMca and the double mutant ΔCgEde1/ΔCgMca exhibited severe defects in conidiation and germination. Polarity establishment and pathogenicity were also disrupted in these mutants. Moreover, a significantly insoluble protein accumulation was observed in ΔCgMca and ΔCgEde1/ΔCgMca strains. These findings elucidate the mechanism by which CgEde1 and CgMca regulates the growth and pathogenicity of C. gloeosporioides. Their regulation involves influencing conidiation, polarity establishment, and maintaining cell fitness, providing valuable insights into the intricate interplay between CgEde1 and CgMca in C. gloeosporioides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Bang An
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Hongli Luo
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Chaozu He
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Qiannan Wang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
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Bienvenu AL, Ballut L, Picot S. Specifically Targeting Metacaspases of Candida: A New Therapeutic Opportunity. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:90. [PMID: 38392762 PMCID: PMC10889698 DOI: 10.3390/jof10020090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a list of fungal priority pathogens, including Candida albicans and C. auris. The increased level of resistance of Candida is raising concern, considering the availability of only four classes of medicine. The WHO is seeking novel agent classes with different targets and mechanisms of action. Targeting Candida metacaspases to control intrinsic cell death could provide new therapeutic opportunities for invasive candidiasis. In this review, we provide the available evidence for Candida cell death, describe Candida metacaspases, and discuss the potential of Candida metacaspases to offer a new specific target. Targeting Candida cell death has good scientific rationale given that the fungicidal activity of many marketed antifungals is mediated, among others, by cell death triggering. But none of the available antifungals are specifically activating Candida metacaspases, making this target a new therapeutic opportunity for non-susceptible isolates. It is expected that antifungals based on the activation of fungi metacaspases will have a broad spectrum of action, as metacaspases have been described in many fungi, including filamentous fungi. Considering this original mechanism of action, it could be of great interest to combine these new antifungal candidates with existing antifungals. This approach would help to avoid the development of antifungal resistance, which is especially increasing in Candida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Lise Bienvenu
- Service Pharmacie, Groupement Hospitalier Nord, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69004 Lyon, France
- Malaria Research Unit, University Lyon, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE-University Lyon1, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Lionel Ballut
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086, CNRS-Université de Lyon, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Stephane Picot
- Malaria Research Unit, University Lyon, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE-University Lyon1, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
- Institute of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69004 Lyon, France
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Cao J, Fang Q, Han C, Zhong C. Cold atmospheric plasma fumigation suppresses postharvest apple Botrytis cinerea by triggering intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial calcium. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 407:110397. [PMID: 37716308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Infection by Botrytis cinerea poses a great threat to the postharvest life of apple fruit. In this study, the effects of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) fumigation on apple B. cinerea under different exposure times and intensities were investigated. The growth of B. cinerea in vitro and in vivo was significantly suppressed by the CAP fumigation at least 700 μL/L for 5 min. To reveal the possible mechanism of antifungal activity of CAP fumigation, the pathogen was exposed to 700 μL/L and 1000 μL/L for 5 min, respectively. The results indicated that the CAP-treated spores of the pathogen underwent shrinkage, cell membrane collapse and cytoplasmic vacuolation. The results obtained from the fluorescent probe assay and flow cytometry indicated that CAP caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the elevation of mitochondrial and intracellular Ca2+ levels, and the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential of the pathogen. Investigation on statues of cell life showed that typical hallmarks of apoptosis in the CAP-treated B. cinerea spores occurred, as indicted by a large degree of increased phosphatidylserine externalization, dysfunction of membrane permeability, DNA fragmentation, distortion of morphology, chromatin condensation, and metacaspase activation observed in B. cinerea spores after CAP fumigation. Overall, CAP fumigation triggered a metacaspase-dependent apoptosis of B. cinerea spores mediated by intracellular ROS burst and Ca2+ elevation via mitochondrial dysfunction and disruption, and therefore reduced the pathogenicity of B. cinerea and suppressed postharvest Botrytis rot of apple fruit. These results would provide an insight into the underlying mechanism of CAP fumigation acting on the pathogen. The CAP fumigation makes much convenient application of CAP in storage environment to deactivate microorganism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiankang Cao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Qiong Fang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chenrui Han
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chongshan Zhong
- College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
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Sarikaya Bayram Ö, Bayram Ö, Karahoda B, Meister C, Köhler AM, Thieme S, Elramli N, Frawley D, McGowan J, Fitzpatrick DA, Schmitt K, de Assis LJ, Valerius O, Goldman GH, Braus GH. F-box receptor mediated control of substrate stability and subcellular location organizes cellular development of Aspergillus nidulans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010502. [PMID: 36508464 PMCID: PMC9744329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal growth and development are coordinated with specific secondary metabolism. This coordination requires 8 of 74 F-box proteins of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. F-box proteins recognize primed substrates for ubiquitination by Skp1-Cul1-Fbx (SCF) E3 ubiquitin RING ligases and degradation by the 26S proteasome. 24 F-box proteins are found in the nuclear fraction as part of SCFs during vegetative growth. 43 F-box proteins interact with SCF proteins during growth, development or stress. 45 F-box proteins are associated with more than 700 proteins that have mainly regulatory roles. This corroborates that accurate surveillance of protein stability is prerequisite for organizing multicellular fungal development. Fbx23 combines subcellular location and protein stability control, illustrating the complexity of F-box mediated regulation during fungal development. Fbx23 interacts with epigenetic methyltransferase VipC which interacts with fungal NF-κB-like velvet domain regulator VeA that coordinates fungal development with secondary metabolism. Fbx23 prevents nuclear accumulation of methyltransferase VipC during early development. These results suggest that in addition to their role in protein degradation, F-box proteins also control subcellular accumulations of key regulatory proteins for fungal development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Özgür Bayram
- Biology Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
- * E-mail: (ÖB); (GHB)
| | - Betim Karahoda
- Biology Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Cindy Meister
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anna M. Köhler
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sabine Thieme
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nadia Elramli
- Biology Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Dean Frawley
- Biology Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Jamie McGowan
- Biology Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | | | - Kerstin Schmitt
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Leandro Jose de Assis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Oliver Valerius
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gerhard H. Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (ÖB); (GHB)
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Lv Y, Yang H, Wang J, Wei S, Zhai H, Zhang S, Hu Y. Afper1 contributes to cell development and aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus. Int J Food Microbiol 2022; 377:109828. [PMID: 35843028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus contaminates crops and produces carcinogenic aflatoxins that pose severe threat to food safety and human health. To identify potential targets to control aflatoxin contamination, we characterized a novel Afper1 protein, which regulates cell development and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in A. flavus. Afper1 is localized in the nucleus and is required for hyphal growth, conidial and sclerotial production, and responses to osmotic stress and essential oils such as cinnamaldehyde and thymol. More importantly, aflatoxin production was impaired in the Afper1 deletion mutant. Proteomics analysis revealed that extracellular hydrolases and proteins involved in conidial development, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis, and aflatoxin biosynthesis were differentially regulated in ΔAfper1. Unexpectedly, enzymes participated in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, including catalase (catA, catB) and superoxide dismutase (sodM) were significantly downregulated, and the ROS accumulation and sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide were confirmed experimentally. Additionally, Afper1 deletion significantly upregulated heterochromatin protein HepA and downregulated acetyltransferases involved in heterochromatin formation. Accompanying ROS accumulation and chromatin remodeling, proteins related to aflatoxins, ustiloxin B and gliotoxin were downregulated. These results implied that Afper1 deletion affected chromatin remodeling and disturbed ER homeostasis, leading to ROS accumulation, and ultimately resulting in defective growth and impaired secondary metabolite biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyong Lv
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, People's Republic of China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biological Processing and Nutritional Function of Wheat, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haojie Yang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, People's Republic of China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biological Processing and Nutritional Function of Wheat, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, People's Republic of China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biological Processing and Nutritional Function of Wheat, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Wei
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, People's Republic of China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biological Processing and Nutritional Function of Wheat, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
| | - Huanchen Zhai
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, People's Republic of China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biological Processing and Nutritional Function of Wheat, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuaibing Zhang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, People's Republic of China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biological Processing and Nutritional Function of Wheat, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuansen Hu
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, People's Republic of China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biological Processing and Nutritional Function of Wheat, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China.
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6
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Gebreegziabher Amare M, Westrick NM, Keller NP, Kabbage M. The conservation of IAP-like proteins in fungi, and their potential role in fungal programmed cell death. Fungal Genet Biol 2022; 162:103730. [PMID: 35998750 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2022.103730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Programmed cell death (PCD) is a tightly regulated process which is required for survival and proper development of all cellular life. Despite this ubiquity, the precise molecular underpinnings of PCD have been primarily characterized in animals. Attempts to expand our understanding of this process in fungi have proven difficult as core regulators of animal PCD are apparently absent in fungal genomes, with the notable exception of a class of proteins referred to as inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). These proteins are characterized by the conservation of a distinct Baculovirus IAP Repeat (BIR) domain and animal IAPs are known to regulate a number of processes, including cellular death, development, organogenesis, immune system maturation, host-pathogen interactions and more. IAP homologs are broadly conserved throughout the fungal kingdom, but our understanding of both their mechanism and role in fungal development/virulence is still unclear. In this review, we provide a broad and comparative overview of IAP function across taxa, with a particular focus on fungal processes regulated by IAPs. Furthermore, their putative modes of action in the absence of canonical interactors will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathaniel M Westrick
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Mehdi Kabbage
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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Ma W, Zhao L, Johnson ET, Xie Y, Zhang M. Natural food flavour (E)-2-hexenal, a potential antifungal agent, induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in Aspergillus flavus conidia via a ROS-dependent pathway. Int J Food Microbiol 2022; 370:109633. [PMID: 35313251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Natural food flavour (E)-2-hexenal, a green leaf volatile, exhibits potent antifungal activity on Aspergillus flavus, but its antifungal mechanism has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated (E)-2-hexenal-induced apoptosis in A. flavus conidia and explored the underlying mechanisms of action. Evidence of apoptosis in A. flavus conidia were investigated by methods including fluorescent staining, flow cytometry, confocal laser scanning microscope, and spectral analysis. Results indicated that 4.0 μL/mL (minimum fungicidal concentration, MFC) of (E)-2-hexenal application induced early markers of apoptotic cell death in A. flavus conidia with a rate of 38.4% after 6 h exposure. Meanwhile, typical hallmarks of apoptosis, such as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), activated metacaspase activity, fragmented DNA, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening and cytochrome c (Cyt C) release from mitochondria to the cytosol were also confirmed. Furthermore, intracellular ATP levels were reduced by 63.3 ± 3.6% and reactive oxygen species (ROS) positive cells increased by 31.1 ± 3.1% during A. flavus apoptosis induced by (E)-2-hexenal. l-Cysteine (Cys), an antioxidant, could strongly block the excess ROS generation caused by (E)-2-hexenal, which correspondingly resulted in a significant inhibition of MPTP opening and decrease of apoptosis in A. flavus, indicating that ROS palys a pivotal role in (E)-2-hexenal-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that (E)-2-hexenal exerts its antifungal effect on A. flavus conidia via a ROS-dependent mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibin Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Cereal and Oil Food Safety Inspection and Control, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Luling Zhao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cereal and Oil Food Safety Inspection and Control, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Eric T Johnson
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Crop BioProtection Research Unit, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Yanli Xie
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cereal and Oil Food Safety Inspection and Control, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cereal and Oil Food Safety Inspection and Control, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
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8
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Guirao-Abad JP, Weichert M, Askew DS. Cell death induction in Aspergillus fumigatus: accentuating drug toxicity through inhibition of the unfolded protein response (UPR). CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2022; 3:100119. [PMID: 35909601 PMCID: PMC9325865 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The UPR is an adaptive stress response network that is tightly linked to the ability of Aspergillus fumigatus, and other pathogenic fungi, to sustain viability in the presence of adverse environmental conditions, including the stress of infection. In this review, we summarize the evidence that supports the concept of targeting the A. fumigatus UPR as a strategy to reduce the ability of the fungus to withstand stress.
One of the most potent opportunistic fungal pathogens of humans is Aspergillus fumigatus, an environmental mold that causes a life-threatening pneumonia with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in therapy, issues of drug toxicity and antifungal resistance remain an obstacle to effective therapy. This underscores the need for more information on fungal pathways that could be pharmacologically manipulated to either reduce the viability of the fungus during infection, or to unleash the fungicidal potential of current antifungal drugs. In this review, we summarize the emerging evidence that the ability of A. fumigatus to sustain viability during stress relies heavily on an adaptive signaling pathway known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), thereby exposing a vulnerability in this fungus that has strong potential for future therapeutic intervention.
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La SR, Ndhlovu A, Durand PM. The Ancient Origins of Death Domains Support the 'Original Sin' Hypothesis for the Evolution of Programmed Cell Death. J Mol Evol 2022; 90:95-113. [PMID: 35084524 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-10044-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of caspase homologs in bacteria highlighted the relationship between programmed cell death (PCD) evolution and eukaryogenesis. However, the origin of PCD genes in prokaryotes themselves (bacteria and archaea) is poorly understood and a source of controversy. Whether archaea also contain C14 peptidase enzymes and other death domains is largely unknown because of a historical dearth of genomic data. Archaeal genomic databases have grown significantly in the last decade, which allowed us to perform a detailed comparative study of the evolutionary histories of PCD-related death domains in major archaeal phyla, including the deepest branching phyla of Candidatus Aenigmarchaeota, Candidatus Woesearchaeota, and Euryarchaeota. We identified death domains associated with executioners of PCD, like the caspase homologs of the C14 peptidase family, in 321 archaea sequences. Of these, 15.58% were metacaspase type I orthologues and 84.42% were orthocaspases. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses revealed a scattered distribution of orthocaspases and metacaspases in deep-branching bacteria and archaea. The tree topology was incongruent with the prokaryote 16S phylogeny suggesting a common ancestry of PCD genes in prokaryotes and subsequent massive horizontal gene transfer coinciding with the divergence of archaea and bacteria. Previous arguments for the origin of PCD were philosophical in nature with two popular propositions being the "addiction" and 'original sin' hypotheses. Our data support the 'original sin' hypothesis, which argues for a pleiotropic origin of the PCD toolkit with pro-life and pro-death functions tracing back to the emergence of cellular life-the Last Universal Common Ancestor State.
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Affiliation(s)
- So Ri La
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Andrew Ndhlovu
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Pierre M Durand
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Liu H, Xu W, Bruno VM, Phan QT, Solis NV, Woolford CA, Ehrlich RL, Shetty AC, McCraken C, Lin J, Bromley MJ, Mitchell AP, Filler SG. Determining Aspergillus fumigatus transcription factor expression and function during invasion of the mammalian lung. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009235. [PMID: 33780518 PMCID: PMC8031882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To gain a better understanding of the transcriptional response of Aspergillus fumigatus during invasive pulmonary infection, we used a NanoString nCounter to assess the transcript levels of 467 A. fumigatus genes during growth in the lungs of immunosuppressed mice. These genes included ones known to respond to diverse environmental conditions and those encoding most transcription factors in the A. fumigatus genome. We found that invasive growth in vivo induces a unique transcriptional profile as the organism responds to nutrient limitation and attack by host phagocytes. This in vivo transcriptional response is largely mimicked by in vitro growth in Aspergillus minimal medium that is deficient in nitrogen, iron, and/or zinc. From the transcriptional profiling data, we selected 9 transcription factor genes that were either highly expressed or strongly up-regulated during in vivo growth. Deletion mutants were constructed for each of these genes and assessed for virulence in mice. Two transcription factor genes were found to be required for maximal virulence. One was rlmA, which is required for the organism to achieve maximal fungal burden in the lung. The other was sltA, which regulates of the expression of multiple secondary metabolite gene clusters and mycotoxin genes independently of laeA. Using deletion and overexpression mutants, we determined that the attenuated virulence of the ΔsltA mutant is due in part to decreased expression aspf1, which specifies a ribotoxin, but is not mediated by reduced expression of the fumigaclavine gene cluster or the fumagillin-pseruotin supercluster. Thus, in vivo transcriptional profiling focused on transcription factors genes provides a facile approach to identifying novel virulence regulators. Although A. fumigatus causes the majority of cases of invasive aspergillosis, the function of most genes in its genome remains unknown. To identify genes encoding transcription factors that may be important for virulence, we used a NanoString nCounter to measure the mRNA levels of A. fumigatus transcription factor genes in the lungs of mice with invasive aspergillosis. The transcriptional profiling data indicate that the organism is exposed to nutrient limitation and stress during growth in the lungs, and that it responds by up-regulating genes that encode mycotoxins and secondary metabolites. In vitro, this response was most closely mimicked by growth in medium that was deficient in nitrogen, iron and/or zinc. Using the transcriptional profiling data, we identified two transcription factors that govern A. fumigatus virulence. These were RlmA, which is governs factors that enables the organism to proliferate maximally in the lung and SltA, which controls the production of mycotoxins and secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
| | - Wenjie Xu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Vincent M. Bruno
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Quynh T. Phan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
| | - Norma V. Solis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
| | - Carol A. Woolford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Rachel L. Ehrlich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Amol C. Shetty
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Carrie McCraken
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Jianfeng Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Core Technology Facility, and Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Biology, Medicine and Health. The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, MA, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron P. Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (APM); (SGF)
| | - Scott G. Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (APM); (SGF)
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Role of Two Metacaspases in Development and Pathogenicity of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.03471-20. [PMID: 33563831 PMCID: PMC7885106 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03471-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnaporthe oryzae causes rice blast disease that threatens global food security by resulting in the severe loss of rice production every year. A tightly regulated life cycle allows M. oryzae to disarm the host plant immune system during its biotrophic stage before triggering plant cell death in its necrotrophic stage. Rice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a devastating disease of cultivated rice worldwide. Infections by this fungus lead to a significant reduction in rice yields and threats to food security. To gain better insight into growth and cell death in M. oryzae during infection, we characterized two predicted M. oryzae metacaspase proteins, MoMca1 and MoMca2. These proteins appear to be functionally redundant and can complement the yeast Yca1 homologue. Biochemical analysis revealed that M. oryzae metacaspases exhibited Ca2+-dependent caspase activity in vitro. Deletion of both MoMca1 and MoMca2 in M. oryzae resulted in reduced sporulation, delay in conidial germination, and attenuation of disease severity. In addition, the double ΔMomca1mca2 mutant strain showed increased radial growth in the presence of oxidative stress. Interestingly, the ΔMomca1mca2 strain showed an increased accumulation of insoluble aggregates compared to the wild-type strain during vegetative growth. Our findings suggest that MoMca1 and MoMca2 promote the clearance of insoluble aggregates in M. oryzae, demonstrating the important role these metacaspases have in fungal protein homeostasis. Furthermore, these metacaspase proteins may play additional roles, like in regulating stress responses, that would help maintain the fitness of fungal cells required for host infection.
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Veerana M, Kim HC, Mitra S, Adhikari BC, Park G, Huh S, Kim SJ, Kim Y. Analysis of the effects of Cu-MOFs on fungal cell inactivation. RSC Adv 2020; 11:1057-1065. [PMID: 35423710 PMCID: PMC8693517 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra08743b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Three dimensional (3D) copper metal organic frameworks (Cu-MOFs) containing glutarates and bipyridyl ligands (bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene, or bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane) were synthesized by using previously reported hydrothermal reactions or a layering method. All three Cu-MOFs contained well-defined one dimensional (1D) channels with very similar pore shapes and different pore dimensions. The bulk purities of the Cu-MOFs were confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) spectra. When the three types of Cu-MOFs were applied to Candida albicans cells and Aspergillus niger spores, an average of about 50-80% inactivation was observed at the highest concentration of Cu-MOFs (2 mg mL-1). The efficiency of the fungal inactivation was not significantly different among the three different types (bpa, bpe, bpp). Treatment of the fungi using Cu-MOFs induced an apoptosis-like death and this was more severe in A. niger than C. albicans. This may be due to elevation of the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in A. niger. Generation of the reactive species in solution by Cu-MOFs was observed. However, there was a dramatic variation in the levels observed among the three types. Our results suggest that Cu-MOFs can produce antifungal effects and induce apoptosis-like death of the fungi, which was probably caused by the elevated level of intracellular reactive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayura Veerana
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University Seoul 01897 Republic of Korea +82-2-940-5664 +82-2-940-8324
| | - Hyun-Chul Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Protein Research Centre for Bio-Industry, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Yongin 17035 Republic of Korea
| | - Sarmistha Mitra
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University Seoul 01897 Republic of Korea +82-2-940-5664 +82-2-940-8324
| | - Bishwa Chandra Adhikari
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University Seoul 01897 Republic of Korea +82-2-940-5664 +82-2-940-8324
| | - Gyungsoon Park
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University Seoul 01897 Republic of Korea +82-2-940-5664 +82-2-940-8324
| | - Seong Huh
- Department of Chemistry, Protein Research Centre for Bio-Industry, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Yongin 17035 Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Jin Kim
- Institute of Nano-Bio Technology, Department of Chemistry and Nano Science, Ewha Womans University Seoul 03760 Republic of Korea +82-2-3277-2385 +82-2-3277-4164
| | - Youngmee Kim
- Institute of Nano-Bio Technology, Department of Chemistry and Nano Science, Ewha Womans University Seoul 03760 Republic of Korea +82-2-3277-2385 +82-2-3277-4164
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The Antifungal Protein AfpB Induces Regulated Cell Death in Its Parental Fungus Penicillium digitatum. mSphere 2020; 5:5/4/e00595-20. [PMID: 32848004 PMCID: PMC7449623 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00595-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease-causing fungi pose a serious threat to human health and food safety and security. The limited number of licensed antifungals, together with the emergence of pathogenic fungi with multiple resistance to available antifungals, represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new compounds with high fungal specificity and novel antifungal mechanisms. Antifungal proteins in general, and AfpB from Penicillium digitatum in particular, are promising molecules for the development of novel antifungals. This study on AfpB’s mode of action demonstrates its potent, specific fungicidal activity through the interaction with multiple targets, presumably reducing the risk of evolving fungal resistance, and through a regulated cell death process, uncovering this protein as an excellent candidate for a novel biofungicide. The in-depth knowledge on AfpB mechanistic function presented in this work is important to guide its possible future clinical and agricultural applications. Filamentous fungi produce small cysteine-rich proteins with potent, specific antifungal activity, offering the potential to fight fungal infections that severely threaten human health and food safety and security. The genome of the citrus postharvest fungal pathogen Penicillium digitatum encodes one of these antifungal proteins, namely AfpB. Biotechnologically produced AfpB inhibited the growth of major pathogenic fungi at minimal concentrations, surprisingly including its parental fungus, and conferred protection to crop plants against fungal infections. This study reports an in-depth characterization of the AfpB mechanism of action, showing that it is a cell-penetrating protein that triggers a regulated cell death program in the target fungus. We prove the importance of AfpB interaction with the fungal cell wall to exert its killing activity, for which protein mannosylation is required. We also show that the potent activity of AfpB correlates with its rapid and efficient uptake by fungal cells through an energy-dependent process. Once internalized, AfpB induces a transcriptional reprogramming signaled by reactive oxygen species that ends in cell death. Our data show that AfpB activates a self-injury program, suggesting that this protein has a biological function in the parental fungus beyond defense against competitors, presumably more related to regulation of the fungal population. Our results demonstrate that this protein is a potent antifungal that acts through various targets to kill fungal cells through a regulated process, making AfpB a promising compound for the development of novel biofungicides with multiple fields of application in crop and postharvest protection, food preservation, and medical therapies. IMPORTANCE Disease-causing fungi pose a serious threat to human health and food safety and security. The limited number of licensed antifungals, together with the emergence of pathogenic fungi with multiple resistance to available antifungals, represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new compounds with high fungal specificity and novel antifungal mechanisms. Antifungal proteins in general, and AfpB from Penicillium digitatum in particular, are promising molecules for the development of novel antifungals. This study on AfpB’s mode of action demonstrates its potent, specific fungicidal activity through the interaction with multiple targets, presumably reducing the risk of evolving fungal resistance, and through a regulated cell death process, uncovering this protein as an excellent candidate for a novel biofungicide. The in-depth knowledge on AfpB mechanistic function presented in this work is important to guide its possible future clinical and agricultural applications.
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Song X, Lin M, Li M, Yang X, Liu J, Liu Q. Toxoplasma gondii metacaspase 2 is an important factor that influences bradyzoite formation in the Pru strain. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:2287-2298. [PMID: 32468190 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06722-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic protozoan of the phylum Apicomplexa that can infect nearly all warm-blooded animals. The parasite can exist as the interconvertible tachyzoite or bradyzoite forms, leading to acute or latent infection, respectively. No drug has been reported to penetrate the cyst wall and reduce bradyzoite survival and proliferation till now. The transcriptional level of metacaspases 2 (TgMCA2) in T. gondii is significantly upregulated during the formation of bradyzoites in the Pru strain, indicating that it may play an important role in the formation of bradyzoites. To further explore the function of TgMCA2, we constructed a TgMCA2 gene-knockout variant of the Pru strain (Δmca2). Comparative analysis revealed that the proliferative capacity of Pru Δmca2 increased, while the invasion and egressing properties were not affected by the knockout. Further data shows that the tachyzoites of Δmca2 failed to induce differentiation and form bradyzoites in vitro, and the transcriptional levels of some of the bradyzoite-specific genes (such as BAG1, LDH2, and SAG4A) in Δmca2 were significantly lower compared with that in the Pru strain at the bradyzoite stage. In vivo, no cysts were detected in Δmca2-infected mice. Further determination of parasite burden in Δmca2- and Pru-infected mice brain tissue at the genetic level showed that the gene load was significantly lower than that in Pru. In summary, we confirmed that TgMCA2 contributes to the formation of bradyzoites, and could provide an important foundation for the development of attenuated vaccines for the prevention of T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingju Song
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengyang Lin
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Muzi Li
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Yang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - Qun Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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Choi YH, Lee MW, Igbalajobi OA, Yu JH, Shin KS. Transcriptomic and Functional Studies of the RGS Protein Rax1 in Aspergillus fumigatus. Pathogens 2019; 9:pathogens9010036. [PMID: 31906167 PMCID: PMC7168642 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the comparative transcriptomic studies of wild type (WT) and rax1 null mutant strains, we obtained an average of 22,222,727 reads of 101 bp per sample and found that 183 genes showed greater than 2.0-fold differential expression, where 92 and 91 genes were up-and down-regulated in Δrax1 compared to WT, respectively. In accordance with the significantly reduced levels of gliM and casB transcripts in the absence of rax1, the Δrax1 mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to exogenous gliotoxin (GT) without affecting levels of GT production. Moreover, Δrax1 resulted in significantly restricted colony growth and reduced viability under endoplasmic reticulum stress condition. In summary, Rax1 positively affects expression of gliM and metacaspase genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Ho Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School, Daejeon University, Daejeon 34520, Korea;
| | - Min-Woo Lee
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Chungcheongnam-do 31151, Korea;
| | - Olumuyiwa Ayokunle Igbalajobi
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber Weg 4, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany;
| | - Jae-Hyuk Yu
- Departments of Bacteriology and Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
- Correspondence: (J.-H.Y.); (K.-S.S.)
| | - Kwang-Soo Shin
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School, Daejeon University, Daejeon 34520, Korea;
- Correspondence: (J.-H.Y.); (K.-S.S.)
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Zhu J, Wu F, Yue S, Chen C, Song S, Wang H, Zhao M. Functions of reactive oxygen species in apoptosis and ganoderic acid biosynthesis in Ganoderma lucidum. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 366:5714084. [PMID: 31967638 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal fungus that is widely used in traditional medicine. Fungal PacC is recognized as an important transcription factor that functions during adaptation to environmental pH, fungal development and secondary metabolism. Previous studies have revealed that GlPacC plays important roles in mycelial growth, fruiting body development and ganoderic acid (GA) biosynthesis. In this study, using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, we found that the apoptosis level was increased when PacC was silenced. The transcript and activity levels of caspase-like proteins were significantly increased in the PacC-silenced (PacCi) strains compared with the control strains. Silencing PacC also resulted in an increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels (∼2-fold) and decreased activity levels of enzymes involved in the antioxidant system. Further, we found that the intracellular ROS levels contributed to apoptosis and GA biosynthesis. Adding N-acetyl-cysteine and vitamin C decreased intracellular ROS and resulted in the inhibition of apoptosis in the PacCi strains. Additionally, the GA biosynthesis was different between the control strains and the PacCi strains after intracellular ROS was eliminated. Taken together, the findings showed that silencing PacC can result in an intracellular ROS burst, which increases cell apoptosis and GA biosynthesis levels. Our study provides novel insight into the functions of PacC in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing, Ministry of Agriculture; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Fengli Wu
- Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing, Ministry of Agriculture; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Sining Yue
- Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing, Ministry of Agriculture; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Chen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing, Ministry of Agriculture; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Shuqi Song
- Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing, Ministry of Agriculture; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Hui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing, Ministry of Agriculture; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Mingwen Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing, Ministry of Agriculture; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, P.R. China
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Kulkarni M, Stolp ZD, Hardwick JM. Targeting intrinsic cell death pathways to control fungal pathogens. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 162:71-78. [PMID: 30660496 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens pose an increasing threat to public health. Limited clinical drug regimens and emerging drug-resistant isolates challenge infection control. The global burden of human fungal pathogens is estimated at 1 billion infections and 1.5 million deaths annually. In addition, plant fungal pathogens increasingly threaten global food resources. Novel strategies are needed to combat emerging fungal diseases and pan-resistant fungi. An untapped mechanistically novel approach is to pharmacologically activate the intrinsic cell death pathways encoded by pathogenic fungi. This strategy is analogous to new anti-cancer therapeutics now entering the clinic. Here we summarize the best understood examples of cell death mechanisms encoded by pathogenic fungi, contrast these to mammalian cell death pathways, and highlight the gaps in knowledge towards identifying potential death effectors as druggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhura Kulkarni
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
| | - Zachary D Stolp
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
| | - J Marie Hardwick
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA.
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Leiter É, Csernoch L, Pócsi I. Programmed cell death in human pathogenic fungi - a possible therapeutic target. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2018; 22:1039-1048. [PMID: 30360667 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2018.1541087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diseases caused by pathogenic fungi are increasing because of antibiotic overuse, the rise of immunosuppressive therapies, and climate change. The limited variety of antimycotics and the rapid adaptation of pathogenic fungi to antifungal agents serve to exacerbate this issue. Unfortunately, about 1.6 million people are killed by fungal infections annually. Areas covered: The discovery of the small antimicrobial proteins produced by microorganisms, animals, humans, and plants will hopefully overcome challenges in the treatment of fungal infections. These small proteins are highly stable and any resistance to them rarely evolves; therefore, they are potentially good candidates for the treatment and prevention of infections caused by pathogenic fungi. Some of these proteins target the programmed cell death machinery of pathogenic fungi; this is potentially a novel approach in antimycotic therapies. In this review, we highlight the elements of apoptosis in human pathogenic fungi and related model organisms and discuss the possible therapeutic potential of the apoptosis-inducing, small, antifungal proteins. Expert opinion: Small antimicrobial proteins may establish a new class of antimycotics in the future. The rarity of resistance and their synergistic effects with other frequently used antifungal agents may help pave the way for their use in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Leiter
- a Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology , University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
| | - László Csernoch
- b Department of Physiology , University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- a Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology , University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
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Aouacheria A, Cunningham KW, Hardwick JM, Palková Z, Powers T, Severin FF, Váchová L. Comment on "Sterilizing immunity in the lung relies on targeting fungal apoptosis-like programmed cell death". Science 2018; 360:360/6395/eaar6910. [PMID: 29930109 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar6910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Shlezinger et al (Reports, 8 September 2017, p. 1037) report that the common fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, a cause of aspergillosis, undergoes caspase-dependent apoptosis-like cell death triggered by lung neutrophils. However, the technologies they used do not provide reliable evidence that fungal cells die via a protease signaling cascade thwarted by a fungal caspase inhibitor homologous to human survivin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdel Aouacheria
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Kyle W Cunningham
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - J Marie Hardwick
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Zdena Palková
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ted Powers
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Fedor F Severin
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Libuše Váchová
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
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Shlezinger N, Irmer H, Dhingra S, Beattie SR, Cramer RA, Braus GH, Sharon A, Hohl TM. Response to Comment on "Sterilizing immunity in the lung relies on targeting fungal apoptosis-like programmed cell death". Science 2018; 360:360/6395/eaas9457. [PMID: 29930111 DOI: 10.1126/science.aas9457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Aouacheria et al question the interpretation of contemporary assays to monitor programmed cell death with apoptosis-like features (A-PCD) in Aspergillus fumigatus Although our study focuses on fungal A-PCD for host immune surveillance and infectious outcomes, the experimental approach incorporates multiple independent A-PCD markers and genetic manipulations based on fungal rather than mammalian orthologs to circumvent the limitations associated with any single approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neta Shlezinger
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10075, USA
| | - Henriette Irmer
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sourabh Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Sarah R Beattie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Gerhard H Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amir Sharon
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Tobias M Hohl
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10075, USA. .,Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10075, USA
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Ozgur R, Uzilday B, Iwata Y, Koizumi N, Turkan I. Interplay between the unfolded protein response and reactive oxygen species: a dynamic duo. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:3333-3345. [PMID: 29415271 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Secretory proteins undergo modifications such as glycosylation and disulphide bond formation before proper folding, and move to their final destination via the endomembrane system. Accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) due to suboptimal environmental conditions triggers a response called the unfolded protein response (UPR), which induces a set of genes that elevate protein folding capacity in the ER. This review aims to establish a connection among ER stress, UPR, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which remains an unexplored topic in plants. For this, we focused on mechanisms of ROS production originating from ER stress, the interaction between ER stress and overall ROS signalling process in the cell, and the interaction of ER stress with other organellar ROS signalling pathways such as of the mitochondria and chloroplasts. The roles of the UPR during plant hormone signalling and abiotic and biotic stress responses are also discussed in connection with redox and ROS signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rengin Ozgur
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Baris Uzilday
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Yuji Iwata
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai Osaka, Japan
| | - Nozomu Koizumi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai Osaka, Japan
| | - Ismail Turkan
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Izmir, Turkey
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Identification and Characterization of Key Charged Residues in the Cofilin Protein Involved in Azole Susceptibility, Apoptosis, and Virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.01659-17. [PMID: 29483117 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01659-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Through some specific amino acid residues, cofilin, a ubiquitous actin depolymerization factor, can significantly affect mitochondrial function related to drug resistance and apoptosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; however, this modulation in a major fungal pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, was still unclear. Hereby, it was found, first, that mutations on several charged residues in cofilin to alanine, D19A-R21A, E48A, and K36A, increased the formation of reactive oxygen species and induced apoptosis along with typical hallmarks, including mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, cytochrome c release, upregulation of metacaspases, and DNA cleavage, in A. fumigatus Two of these mutations (D19A-R21A and K36A) increased acetyl coenzyme A and ATP concentrations by triggering fatty acid β-oxidation. The upregulated acetyl coenzyme A affected the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway, leading to overexpression of cyp51A and -B, while excess ATP fueled ATP-binding cassette transporters. Besides, both of these mutations reduced the susceptibility of A. fumigatus to azole drugs and enhanced the virulence of A. fumigatus in a Galleria mellonella infection model. Taken together, novel and key charged residues in cofilin were identified to be essential modules regulating the mitochondrial function involved in azole susceptibility, apoptosis, and virulence of A. fumigatus.
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Carmona-Gutierrez D, Bauer MA, Zimmermann A, Aguilera A, Austriaco N, Ayscough K, Balzan R, Bar-Nun S, Barrientos A, Belenky P, Blondel M, Braun RJ, Breitenbach M, Burhans WC, Büttner S, Cavalieri D, Chang M, Cooper KF, Côrte-Real M, Costa V, Cullin C, Dawes I, Dengjel J, Dickman MB, Eisenberg T, Fahrenkrog B, Fasel N, Fröhlich KU, Gargouri A, Giannattasio S, Goffrini P, Gourlay CW, Grant CM, Greenwood MT, Guaragnella N, Heger T, Heinisch J, Herker E, Herrmann JM, Hofer S, Jiménez-Ruiz A, Jungwirth H, Kainz K, Kontoyiannis DP, Ludovico P, Manon S, Martegani E, Mazzoni C, Megeney LA, Meisinger C, Nielsen J, Nyström T, Osiewacz HD, Outeiro TF, Park HO, Pendl T, Petranovic D, Picot S, Polčic P, Powers T, Ramsdale M, Rinnerthaler M, Rockenfeller P, Ruckenstuhl C, Schaffrath R, Segovia M, Severin FF, Sharon A, Sigrist SJ, Sommer-Ruck C, Sousa MJ, Thevelein JM, Thevissen K, Titorenko V, Toledano MB, Tuite M, Vögtle FN, Westermann B, Winderickx J, Wissing S, Wölfl S, Zhang ZJ, Zhao RY, Zhou B, Galluzzi L, Kroemer G, Madeo F. Guidelines and recommendations on yeast cell death nomenclature. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2018; 5:4-31. [PMID: 29354647 PMCID: PMC5772036 DOI: 10.15698/mic2018.01.607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating the biology of yeast in its full complexity has major implications for science, medicine and industry. One of the most critical processes determining yeast life and physiology is cel-lular demise. However, the investigation of yeast cell death is a relatively young field, and a widely accepted set of concepts and terms is still missing. Here, we propose unified criteria for the defi-nition of accidental, regulated, and programmed forms of cell death in yeast based on a series of morphological and biochemical criteria. Specifically, we provide consensus guidelines on the differ-ential definition of terms including apoptosis, regulated necrosis, and autophagic cell death, as we refer to additional cell death rou-tines that are relevant for the biology of (at least some species of) yeast. As this area of investigation advances rapidly, changes and extensions to this set of recommendations will be implemented in the years to come. Nonetheless, we strongly encourage the au-thors, reviewers and editors of scientific articles to adopt these collective standards in order to establish an accurate framework for yeast cell death research and, ultimately, to accelerate the pro-gress of this vibrant field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Anna Bauer
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Andreas Zimmermann
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Andrés Aguilera
- Centro Andaluz de Biología, Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Kathryn Ayscough
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Rena Balzan
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Shoshana Bar-Nun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Antonio Barrientos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medi-cine, Miami, USA
| | - Peter Belenky
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Marc Blondel
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR1078, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Etablissement Français du Sang Bretagne, CHRU Brest, Hôpital Morvan, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Brest, France
| | - Ralf J. Braun
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - William C. Burhans
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Sabrina Büttner
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Michael Chang
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Katrina F. Cooper
- Dept. Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Stratford, USA
| | - Manuela Côrte-Real
- Center of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Vítor Costa
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Ian Dawes
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jörn Dengjel
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Martin B. Dickman
- Institute for Plant Genomics and Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, Texas, USA
| | - Tobias Eisenberg
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Birthe Fahrenkrog
- Laboratory Biology of the Nucleus, Institute for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Fasel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kai-Uwe Fröhlich
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ali Gargouri
- Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Moléculaire des Eucaryotes, Center de Biotechnologie de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Sergio Giannattasio
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Paola Goffrini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Campbell W. Gourlay
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Chris M. Grant
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T. Greenwood
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicoletta Guaragnella
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Jürgen Heinisch
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Eva Herker
- Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Hofer
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Helmut Jungwirth
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Katharina Kainz
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis
- Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Paula Ludovico
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Minho, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Stéphen Manon
- Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR5095, CNRS & Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Enzo Martegani
- Department of Biotechnolgy and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Cristina Mazzoni
- Instituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti - Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lynn A. Megeney
- Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Chris Meisinger
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ZBMZ, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas Nyström
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Heinz D. Osiewacz
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tiago F. Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Hay-Oak Park
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Tobias Pendl
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Dina Petranovic
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stephane Picot
- Malaria Research Unit, SMITh, ICBMS, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE-University Lyon, Lyon, France
- Institut of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Peter Polčic
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Ted Powers
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Mark Ramsdale
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Rinnerthaler
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Division of Genetics, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Patrick Rockenfeller
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | - Raffael Schaffrath
- Institute of Biology, Division of Microbiology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Maria Segovia
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Fedor F. Severin
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of physico-chemical biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Amir Sharon
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Stephan J. Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cornelia Sommer-Ruck
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Maria João Sousa
- Center of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Johan M. Thevelein
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, VIB, Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Karin Thevissen
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Michel B. Toledano
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), SBIGEM, CEA-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mick Tuite
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - F.-Nora Vögtle
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ZBMZ, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Joris Winderickx
- Department of Biology, Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium
| | | | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecu-lar Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zhaojie J. Zhang
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, USA
| | - Richard Y. Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Bing Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, Paris, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, Paris, France
- Equipe 11 Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
- Cell Biology and Metabolomics Platforms, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
- INSERM, U1138, Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI, Paris, France
- Pôle de Biologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
- Institute, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frank Madeo
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
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Liu H, Xu W, Solis NV, Woolford C, Mitchell AP, Filler SG. Functional convergence of gliP and aspf1 in Aspergillus fumigatus pathogenicity. Virulence 2018; 9:1062-1073. [PMID: 30052103 PMCID: PMC6086310 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2018.1482182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gliotoxin contributes to the virulence of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus in non-neutropenic mice that are immunosuppressed with corticosteroids. To investigate how the absence of gliotoxin affects both the fungus and the host, we used a nanoString nCounter to analyze their transcriptional responses during pulmonary infection of a non-neutropenic host with a gliotoxin-deficient ΔgliP mutant. We found that the ΔgliP mutation led to increased expression of aspf1, which specifies a secreted ribotoxin. Prior studies have shown that aspf1, like gliP, is not required for virulence in a neutropenic infection model, but its role in a non-neutropenic infection model has not been fully investigated. To investigate the functional significance of this up-regulation of aspf1, a Δaspf1 single mutant and a Δaspf1 ΔgliP double mutant were constructed. Both Δaspf1 and ΔgliP single mutants had reduced lethality in non-neutropenic mice, and a Δaspf1 ΔgliP double mutant had a greater reduction in lethality than either single mutant. Analysis of mice infected with these mutants indicated that the presence of gliP is associated with massive apoptosis of leukocytes at the foci of infection and inhibition of chemokine production. Also, the combination of gliP and aspf1 is associated with suppression of CXCL1 chemokine expression. Thus, aspf1 contributes to A. fumigatus pathogenicity in non-neutropenic mice and its up-regulation in the ΔgliP mutant may partially compensate for the absence of gliotoxin. ABBREVIATIONS PAS: periodic acid-Schiff; PBS: phosphate buffered saline; ROS: reactive oxygen species; TUNEL: terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Wenjie Xu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Norma V. Solis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Carol Woolford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aaron P. Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Scott G. Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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25
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Gonçalves AP, Heller J, Daskalov A, Videira A, Glass NL. Regulated Forms of Cell Death in Fungi. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1837. [PMID: 28983298 PMCID: PMC5613156 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell death occurs in all domains of life. While some cells die in an uncontrolled way due to exposure to external cues, other cells die in a regulated manner as part of a genetically encoded developmental program. Like other eukaryotic species, fungi undergo programmed cell death (PCD) in response to various triggers. For example, exposure to external stress conditions can activate PCD pathways in fungi. Calcium redistribution between the extracellular space, the cytoplasm and intracellular storage organelles appears to be pivotal for this kind of cell death. PCD is also part of the fungal life cycle, in which it occurs during sexual and asexual reproduction, aging, and as part of development associated with infection in phytopathogenic fungi. Additionally, a fungal non-self-recognition mechanism termed heterokaryon incompatibility (HI) also involves PCD. Some of the molecular players mediating PCD during HI show remarkable similarities to major constituents involved in innate immunity in metazoans and plants. In this review we discuss recent research on fungal PCD mechanisms in comparison to more characterized mechanisms in metazoans. We highlight the role of PCD in fungi in response to exogenic compounds, fungal development and non-self-recognition processes and discuss identified intracellular signaling pathways and molecules that regulate fungal PCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pedro Gonçalves
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jens Heller
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Asen Daskalov
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Arnaldo Videira
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do PortoPorto, Portugal.,I3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em SaúdePorto, Portugal
| | - N Louise Glass
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
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26
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Desoubeaux G, Cray C. Rodent Models of Invasive Aspergillosis due to Aspergillus fumigatus: Still a Long Path toward Standardization. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:841. [PMID: 28559881 PMCID: PMC5432554 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis has been studied in laboratory by the means of plethora of distinct animal models. They were developed to address pathophysiology, therapy, diagnosis, or miscellaneous other concerns associated. However, there are great discrepancies regarding all the experimental variables of animal models, and a thorough focus on them is needed. This systematic review completed a comprehensive bibliographic analysis specifically-based on the technical features of rodent models infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. Out the 800 articles reviewed, it was shown that mice remained the preferred model (85.8% of the referenced reports), above rats (10.8%), and guinea pigs (3.8%). Three quarters of the models involved immunocompromised status, mainly by steroids (44.4%) and/or alkylating drugs (42.9%), but only 27.7% were reported to receive antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent from bacterial infection. Injection of spores (30.0%) and inhalation/deposition into respiratory airways (66.9%) were the most used routes for experimental inoculation. Overall, more than 230 distinct A. fumigatus strains were used in models. Of all the published studies, 18.4% did not mention usage of any diagnostic tool, like histopathology or mycological culture, to control correct implementation of the disease and to measure outcome. In light of these findings, a consensus discussion should be engaged to establish a minimum standardization, although this may not be consistently suitable for addressing all the specific aspects of invasive aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Desoubeaux
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of MiamiMiami, FL, USA.,Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie-Médecine tropicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de ToursTours, France.,Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR) Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1100/Équipe 3, Université François-RabelaisTours, France
| | - Carolyn Cray
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of MiamiMiami, FL, USA
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27
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Cotoras M, Castro P, Vivanco H, Melo R, Mendoza L. Farnesol induces apoptosis-like phenotype in the phytopathogenic fungusBotrytis cinerea. Mycologia 2017; 105:28-33. [DOI: 10.3852/12-012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Milena Cotoras
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulo Castro
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Herman Vivanco
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Melo
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Leonora Mendoza
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
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28
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Role of HxkC, a mitochondrial hexokinase-like protein, in fungal programmed cell death. Fungal Genet Biol 2016; 97:36-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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29
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Aspergillus fumigatus CalA binds to integrin α 5β 1 and mediates host cell invasion. Nat Microbiol 2016; 2:16211. [PMID: 27841851 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that invades pulmonary epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells by inducing its own endocytosis, but the mechanism by which this process occurs is poorly understood. Here, we show that the thaumatin-like protein CalA is expressed on the surface of the A. fumigatus cell wall, where it mediates invasion of epithelial and endothelial cells. CalA induces endocytosis in part by interacting with integrin α5β1 on host cells. In corticosteroid-treated mice, a ΔcalA deletion mutant has significantly attenuated virulence relative to the wild-type strain, as manifested by prolonged survival, reduced pulmonary fungal burden and decreased pulmonary invasion. Pretreatment with an anti-CalA antibody improves survival of mice with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, demonstrating the potential of CalA as an immunotherapeutic target. Thus, A. fumigatus CalA is an invasin that interacts with integrin α5β1 on host cells, induces endocytosis and enhances virulence.
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30
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Tian J, Wang Y, Lu Z, Sun C, Zhang M, Zhu A, Peng X. Perillaldehyde, a Promising Antifungal Agent Used in Food Preservation, Triggers Apoptosis through a Metacaspase-Dependent Pathway in Aspergillus flavus. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2016; 64:7404-7413. [PMID: 27622540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b03546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we provide detailed insights into perillaldehyde (PAE)'s mechanisms of action on Aspergillus flavus and offer evidence in favor of the induction of an apoptosis-like phenotype. Specifically, PAE's antifungal mode of action was investigated through the detection of mitochondrial membrane potential (MtΔψ) and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, as well as intracellular Ca2+ level, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and metacaspase activation. This was done by way of fluorometry, measuring DNA fragmentation, and condensation by fluorescent microscopy. Furthermore, we searched for phenotypic changes characteristic of apoptosis by transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry, determining the amount of cytochrome c released using Western blotting. Results indicated that cultivation of A. flavus in the presence of PAE caused depolarization of MtΔψ, rapid DNA condensation, large-scale DNA fragmentation, and an elevation of intracellular Ca2+ level. The percentage of early apoptotic cells with exposure of PS were 27.4% and 48.7%, respectively, after 9 h incubations with 0.25 and 0.5 μL/mL of PAE. The percentage of stained cells with activated intracellular metacaspases exposed to PAE at concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 μL/mL compared with control subjects were increased by 28.4 ± 3.25% and 37.9 ± 4.24%, respectively. The above results has revealed that PAE induces fungal apoptosis through a caspase-dependent mitochondrial pathway. In all, our findings provide a novel mechanism for exploring a possible antifungal agent used in food preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Tian
- College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
- Key Lab for New Drug Research of TCM and Shenzhen Branch, State R&D Centre for Viro-Biotech, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen , Shenzhen 518057, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanzhen Wang
- College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoqun Lu
- College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunhui Sun
- College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Man Zhang
- College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Aihua Zhu
- College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Peng
- College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
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31
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Asplund-Samuelsson J, Sundh J, Dupont CL, Allen AE, McCrow JP, Celepli NA, Bergman B, Ininbergs K, Ekman M. Diversity and Expression of Bacterial Metacaspases in an Aquatic Ecosystem. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1043. [PMID: 27458440 PMCID: PMC4933709 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metacaspases are distant homologs of metazoan caspase proteases, implicated in stress response, and programmed cell death (PCD) in bacteria and phytoplankton. While the few previous studies on metacaspases have relied on cultured organisms and sequenced genomes, no studies have focused on metacaspases in a natural setting. We here present data from the first microbial community-wide metacaspase survey; performed by querying metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets from the brackish Baltic Sea, a water body characterized by pronounced environmental gradients and periods of massive cyanobacterial blooms. Metacaspase genes were restricted to ~4% of the bacteria, taxonomically affiliated mainly to Bacteroidetes, Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria and Cyanobacteria. The gene abundance was significantly higher in larger or particle-associated bacteria (>0.8 μm), and filamentous Cyanobacteria dominated metacaspase gene expression throughout the bloom season. Distinct seasonal expression patterns were detected for the three metacaspase genes in Nodularia spumigena, one of the main bloom-formers. Clustering of normalized gene expression in combination with analyses of genomic and assembly data suggest functional diversification of these genes, and possible roles of the metacaspase genes related to stress responses, i.e., sulfur metabolism in connection to oxidative stress, and nutrient stress induced cellular differentiation. Co-expression of genes encoding metacaspases and nodularin toxin synthesis enzymes was also observed in Nodularia spumigena. The study shows that metacaspases represent an adaptation of potentially high importance for several key organisms in the Baltic Sea, most prominently Cyanobacteria, and open up for further exploration of their physiological roles in microbes and assessment of their ecological impact in aquatic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Asplund-Samuelsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm UniversitySolna, Sweden
| | - John Sundh
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus UniversitySolna, Sweden
| | - Chris L. Dupont
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter InstituteSan Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew E. Allen
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter InstituteSan Diego, CA, USA
| | - John P. McCrow
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter InstituteSan Diego, CA, USA
| | - Narin A. Celepli
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm UniversitySolna, Sweden
| | - Birgitta Bergman
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm UniversitySolna, Sweden
| | - Karolina Ininbergs
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm UniversitySolna, Sweden
| | - Martin Ekman
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm UniversitySolna, Sweden
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Kaltdorf M, Srivastava M, Gupta SK, Liang C, Binder J, Dietl AM, Meir Z, Haas H, Osherov N, Krappmann S, Dandekar T. Systematic Identification of Anti-Fungal Drug Targets by a Metabolic Network Approach. Front Mol Biosci 2016; 3:22. [PMID: 27379244 PMCID: PMC4911368 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2016.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
New antimycotic drugs are challenging to find, as potential target proteins may have close human orthologs. We here focus on identifying metabolic targets that are critical for fungal growth and have minimal similarity to targets among human proteins. We compare and combine here: (I) direct metabolic network modeling using elementary mode analysis and flux estimates approximations using expression data, (II) targeting metabolic genes by transcriptome analysis of condition-specific highly expressed enzymes, and (III) analysis of enzyme structure, enzyme interconnectedness ("hubs"), and identification of pathogen-specific enzymes using orthology relations. We have identified 64 targets including metabolic enzymes involved in vitamin synthesis, lipid, and amino acid biosynthesis including 18 targets validated from the literature, two validated and five currently examined in own genetic experiments, and 38 further promising novel target proteins which are non-orthologous to human proteins, involved in metabolism and are highly ranked drug targets from these pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kaltdorf
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mugdha Srivastava
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Shishir K Gupta
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chunguang Liang
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jasmin Binder
- Microbiology Institute - Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, University Hospital of Erlangen Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Dietl
- Division of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Zohar Meir
- Aspergillus and Antifungal Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Division of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nir Osherov
- Aspergillus and Antifungal Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Sven Krappmann
- Microbiology Institute - Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, University Hospital of Erlangen Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Dandekar
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
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Implication of different domains of the Leishmania major metacaspase in cell death and autophagy. Cell Death Dis 2015; 6:e1933. [PMID: 26492367 PMCID: PMC4632311 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2015.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Metacaspases (MCAs) are cysteine peptidases expressed in plants, fungi and protozoa, with a caspase-like histidine–cysteine catalytic dyad, but differing from caspases, for example, in their substrate specificity. The role of MCAs is subject to debate: roles in cell cycle control, in cell death or even in cell survival have been suggested. In this study, using a Leishmania major MCA-deficient strain, we showed that L. major MCA (LmjMCA) not only had a role similar to caspases in cell death but also in autophagy and this through different domains. Upon cell death induction by miltefosine or H2O2, LmjMCA is processed, releasing the catalytic domain, which activated substrates via its catalytic dyad His/Cys and a proline-rich C-terminal domain. The C-terminal domain interacted with proteins, notably proteins involved in stress regulation, such as the MAP kinase LmaMPK7 or programmed cell death like the calpain-like cysteine peptidase. We also showed a new role of LmjMCA in autophagy, acting on or upstream of ATG8, involving Lmjmca gene overexpression and interaction of the C-terminal domain of LmjMCA with itself and other proteins. These results allowed us to propose two models, showing the role of LmjMCA in the cell death and also in the autophagy pathway, implicating different protein domains.
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Tang C, Wei J, Han Q, Liu R, Duan X, Fu Y, Huang X, Wang X, Kang Z. PsANT, the adenine nucleotide translocase of Puccinia striiformis, promotes cell death and fungal growth. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11241. [PMID: 26058921 PMCID: PMC4462048 DOI: 10.1038/srep11241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) is a constitutive mitochondrial component that is involved in ADP/ATP exchange and mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis in yeast and mammals. However, little is known about the function of ANT in pathogenic fungi. In this study, we identified an ANT gene of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), designated PsANT. The PsANT protein contains three typical conserved mitochondrion-carrier-protein (mito-carr) domains and shares more than 70% identity with its orthologs from other fungi, suggesting that ANT is conserved in fungi. Immuno-cytochemical localization confirmed the mitochondrial localization of PsANT in normal Pst hyphal cells or collapsed cells. Over-expression of PsANT indicated that PsANT promotes cell death in tobacco, wheat and fission yeast cells. Further study showed that the three mito-carr domains are all needed to induce cell death. qRT-PCR analyses revealed an in-planta induced expression of PsANT during infection. Knockdown of PsANT using a host-induced gene silencing system (HIGS) attenuated the growth and development of virulent Pst at the early infection stage but not enough to alter its pathogenicity. These results provide new insight into the function of PsANT in fungal cell death and growth and might be useful in the search for and design of novel disease control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlei Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Jinping Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Qingmei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Rui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yanping Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xueling Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xiaojie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhensheng Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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McLuskey K, Mottram J. Comparative structural analysis of the caspase family with other clan CD cysteine peptidases. Biochem J 2015; 466:219-32. [PMID: 25697094 PMCID: PMC4357240 DOI: 10.1042/bj20141324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Clan CD forms a structural group of cysteine peptidases, containing seven individual families and two subfamilies of structurally related enzymes. Historically, it is most notable for containing the mammalian caspases, on which the structures of the clan were founded. Interestingly, the caspase family is split into two subfamilies: the caspases, and a second subfamily containing both the paracaspases and the metacaspases. Structural data are now available for both the paracaspases and the metacaspases, allowing a comprehensive structural analysis of the entire caspase family. In addition, a relative plethora of structural data has recently become available for many of the other families in the clan, allowing both the structures and the structure-function relationships of clan CD to be fully explored. The present review compares the enzymes in the caspase subfamilies with each other, together with a comprehensive comparison of all the structural families in clan CD. This reveals a diverse group of structures with highly conserved structural elements that provide the peptidases with a variety of substrate specificities and activation mechanisms. It also reveals conserved structural elements involved in substrate binding, and potential autoinhibitory functions, throughout the clan, and confirms that the metacaspases are structurally diverse from the caspases (and paracaspases), suggesting that they should form a distinct family of clan CD peptidases.
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Key Words
- caspase
- clan cd
- crystallography
- metacaspase
- peptidase
- protein structure
- ap, activation peptide
- card, caspase recruitment domain
- chf, caspase/haemoglobinase fold
- cpd, cysteine peptidase domain
- csd, c-terminal subdomain
- dd, death domain
- ded, death effector domain
- insp6, myo-inositol hexakisphosphate
- lsam, legumain stabilization and activity modulation
- lsd1, lesion-simulating disease 1
- malt1, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue translocation protein 1
- martx, multi-functional, autoprocessing repeat in toxin
- rmsd, root-mean-square deviation
- sse, secondary structural element
- xiap, x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis
- z-vrpr-fmk, benzoxycarbonyl-val-arg-pro-arg-fluoromethylketone
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen McLuskey
- *Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Jeremy C. Mottram
- *Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
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Caspase-like proteins: Acanthamoeba castellanii metacaspase and Dictyostelium discoideum paracaspase, what are their functions? J Biosci 2014; 39:909-16. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-014-9486-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Bidle KD. The molecular ecophysiology of programmed cell death in marine phytoplankton. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2014; 7:341-75. [PMID: 25251265 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010213-135014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Planktonic, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic photoautotrophs (phytoplankton) share a diverse and ancient evolutionary history, during which time they have played key roles in regulating marine food webs, biogeochemical cycles, and Earth's climate. Because phytoplankton represent the basis of marine ecosystems, the manner in which they die critically determines the flow and fate of photosynthetically fixed organic matter (and associated elements), ultimately constraining upper-ocean biogeochemistry. Programmed cell death (PCD) and associated pathway genes, which are triggered by a variety of nutrient stressors and are employed by parasitic viruses, play an integral role in determining the cell fate of diverse photoautotrophs in the modern ocean. Indeed, these multifaceted death pathways continue to shape the success and evolutionary trajectory of diverse phytoplankton lineages at sea. Research over the past two decades has employed physiological, biochemical, and genetic techniques to provide a novel, comprehensive, mechanistic understanding of the factors controlling this key process. Here, I discuss the current understanding of the genetics, activation, and regulation of PCD pathways in marine model systems; how PCD evolved in unicellular photoautotrophs; how it mechanistically interfaces with viral infection pathways; how stress signals are sensed and transduced into cellular responses; and how novel molecular and biochemical tools are revealing the impact of PCD genes on the fate of natural phytoplankton assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay D Bidle
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901;
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38
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Fujita KI, Tatsumi M, Ogita A, Kubo I, Tanaka T. Anethole induces apoptotic cell death accompanied by reactive oxygen species production and DNA fragmentation in Aspergillus fumigatus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEBS J 2014; 281:1304-13. [PMID: 24393541 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
trans-Anethole (anethole), a major component of anise oil, has a broad antimicrobial spectrum, and antimicrobial activity that is weaker than that of other antibiotics on the market. When combined with polygodial, nagilactone E, and n-dodecanol, anethole has been shown to possess significant synergistic antifungal activity against a budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a human opportunistic pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans. However, the antifungal mechanism of anethole has not been completely determined. We found that anethole stimulated cell death of a human opportunistic pathogenic fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus, in addition to S. cerevisiae. The anethole-induced cell death was accompanied by reactive oxygen species production, metacaspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. Several mutants of S. cerevisiae, in which genes related to the apoptosis-initiating execution signals from mitochondria were deleted, were resistant to anethole. These results suggest that anethole-induced cell death could be explained by oxidative stress-dependent apoptosis via typical mitochondrial death cascades in fungi, including A. fumigatus and S. cerevisiae.
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Dick SA, Megeney LA. Cell death proteins: an evolutionary role in cellular adaptation before the advent of apoptosis. Bioessays 2013; 35:974-83. [PMID: 23943356 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201300052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Programmed cell death (PCD) or apoptosis is a broadly conserved phenomenon in metazoans, whereby activation of canonical signal pathways induces an ordered dismantling and death of a cell. Paradoxically, the constituent proteins and pathways of PCD (most notably the metacaspase/caspase protease mediated signal pathways) have been demonstrated to retain non-death functions across all phyla including yeast, nematodes, drosophila, and mammals. The ancient conservation of both death and non-death functions of PCD proteins raises an interesting evolutionary conundrum: was the primordial intent of these factors to induce cell death or to regulate other cellular adaptations? Here, we propose the hypothesis that apoptotic behavior of PCD proteins evolved or were co-opted from core non-death functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Dick
- Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Tsiatsiani L, Timmerman E, De Bock PJ, Vercammen D, Stael S, van de Cotte B, Staes A, Goethals M, Beunens T, Van Damme P, Gevaert K, Van Breusegem F. The Arabidopsis metacaspase9 degradome. THE PLANT CELL 2013; 25:2831-47. [PMID: 23964026 PMCID: PMC3784583 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.113.115287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Metacaspases are distant relatives of the metazoan caspases, found in plants, fungi, and protists. However, in contrast with caspases, information about the physiological substrates of metacaspases is still scarce. By means of N-terminal combined fractional diagonal chromatography, the physiological substrates of metacaspase9 (MC9; AT5G04200) were identified in young seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana on the proteome-wide level, providing additional insight into MC9 cleavage specificity and revealing a previously unknown preference for acidic residues at the substrate prime site position P1'. The functionalities of the identified MC9 substrates hinted at metacaspase functions other than those related to cell death. These results allowed us to resolve the substrate specificity of MC9 in more detail and indicated that the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (AT4G37870), a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis, is enhanced upon MC9-dependent proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Tsiatsiani
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Evy Timmerman
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter-Jan De Bock
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominique Vercammen
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Simon Stael
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Brigitte van de Cotte
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - An Staes
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marc Goethals
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tine Beunens
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petra Van Damme
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Gevaert
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Van Breusegem
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Address correspondence to
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Jauzein C, Erdner DL. Stress-related responses in Alexandrium tamarense cells exposed to environmental changes. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2013; 60:526-38. [PMID: 23865757 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Revised: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Organisms tend to be sensitive to drastic changes in environmental conditions. For unicellular microorganisms, variations in physico-chemical conditions are particularly challenging and may result in acclimation, entrance into quiescence, or death through necrotic or autocatalytic pathways. This study focuses on the thecate dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense. Cellular responses to oxidative, thermal, and nutrient stress were characterized using stress indicators, such as pigment content, efficiency of photosystem II or production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as hallmarks of apoptosis including activity of caspase-like enzymes and expression of a metacaspase gene homolog. The formation of temporary cysts, a survival strategy of short-term quiescence, was also monitored. Cellular responses appeared to depend on multifactorial influences where type and intensity of stimulus as well as position in cell cycle may act in combination. Sequences of events observed implicate ROS production as a key determinant of stress-related pathways, playing potential roles in intracellular signaling, formation of temporary cysts, or cellular damage. Variations observed in caspase-like activities and metacaspase gene expression did not appear to be associated with programmed cell death pathways; our results suggest a wider range of functions for these proteases in phytoplankton cells, including roles in survival pathways and cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecile Jauzein
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas, Port Aransas, Texas
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42
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Wen S, Ma QM, Zhang YL, Yang JP, Zhao GH, Fu DQ, Luo YB, Qu GQ. Biochemical evidence of key residues for the activation and autoprocessing of tomato type II metacaspase. FEBS Lett 2013; 587:2517-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.06.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is a substrate recognized by two metacaspases of Podospora anserina. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2013; 12:900-12. [PMID: 23584991 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00337-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The two metacaspases MCA1 and MCA2 of the fungal aging model organism Podospora anserina (PaMCA1 and PaMCA2, respectively) have previously been demonstrated to be involved in the control of programmed cell death (PCD) and life span. In order to identify specific pathways and components which are controlled by the activity of these enzymes, we set out to characterize them further. Heterologous overexpression in Escherichia coli of the two metacaspase genes resulted in the production of proteins which aggregate and form inclusion bodies from which the active protein has been recovered via refolding in appropriate buffers. The renaturated proteins are characterized by an arginine-specific activity and are active in caspase-like self-maturation leading to the generation of characteristic small protein fragments. Both activities are dependent on the presence of calcium. Incubation of the two metacaspases with recombinant poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a known substrate of mammalian caspases, led to the identification of PARP as a substrate of the two P. anserina proteases. Using double mutants in which P. anserina Parp (PaParp) is overexpressed and PaMca1 is either overexpressed or deleted, we provide evidence for in vivo degradation of PaPARP by PaMCA1. These results support the idea that the substrate profiles of caspases and metacaspases are at least partially overlapping. Moreover, they link PCD and DNA maintenance in the complex network of molecular pathways involved in aging and life span control.
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Yan J, Du T, Zhao W, Hartmann T, Lu H, Lü Y, Ouyang H, Jiang X, Sun L, Jin C. Transcriptome and biochemical analysis reveals that suppression of GPI-anchor synthesis leads to autophagy and possible necroptosis in Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59013. [PMID: 23527074 PMCID: PMC3601126 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, it has been shown that GPI proteins are required for cell wall synthesis and organization in Aspergillus fumigatus, a human opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients. Blocking GPI anchor synthesis leads to severe phenotypes such as cell wall defects, increased cell death, and attenuated virulence. However, the mechanism by which these phenotypes are induced is unclear. To gain insight into global effects of GPI anchoring in A. fumigatus, in this study a conditional expression mutant was constructed and a genome wide transcriptome analysis was carried out. Our results suggested that suppression of GPI anchor synthesis mainly led to activation of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) signaling and ER stress. Biochemical and morphological evidence showed that autophagy was induced in response to suppression of the GPI anchor synthesis, and also an increased necroptosis was observed. Based on our results, we propose that activation of PtdIns3K and increased cytosolic Ca2+, which was induced by both ER stress and PtdIns signaling, acted as the main effectors to induce autophagy and possible necroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghong Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Bidle KD, Kwityn CJ. ASSESSING THE ROLE OF CASPASE ACTIVITY AND METACASPASE EXPRESSION ON VIRAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE COCCOLITHOPHORE, EMILIANIA HUXLEYI (HAPTOPHYTA). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2012; 48:1079-89. [PMID: 27011269 DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2012.01209.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2011] [Accepted: 04/06/2012] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
As part of their strategy to infect the globally important coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) W.W. Hay & H.P. Mohler, Coccolithoviruses trigger and regulate the host's programmed cell death (PCD) machinery during lytic infection. The induction and recruitment of host metacaspases, specialized, ancestral death proteases that facilitate viral lysis, suggests they may be important subcellular determinants to infection. We examined the "basal" levels and patterns of caspase activity and metacaspase expression in exponentially growing resistant and sensitive E. huxleyi strains and linked them with susceptibility to E. huxleyi virus 1 (EhV1). Resistant E. huxleyi strains were consistently characterized by low caspase specific activity and a relatively simple metacaspase expression profile. In contrast, sensitive E. huxleyi strains had markedly elevated caspase specific activity and consistently expressed more diverse metacaspase proteins. Using pooled data sets from triplicate experiments, we observed statistically significant linear correlations between infectivity, caspase activity, and metacaspase expression, with each strain forming distinct clusters, within a gradient in viral susceptibility. At the same time, we observed positive correlations between the expression of a subset of metacaspase proteins and lower susceptibility, suggestive of potential protective roles. Our findings implicate the importance of subtle differences in the basal physiological regulation of the PCD machinery to viral resistance or sensitivity and cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay D Bidle
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, USA
| | - Clifford J Kwityn
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, USA
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Shrestha A, Megeney LA. The non-death role of metacaspase proteases. Front Oncol 2012; 2:78. [PMID: 22837984 PMCID: PMC3402860 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2012.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of caspase proteases and the targeting of protein substrates act as key steps in the engagement and conduct of apoptosis/programmed cell death. However, the discovery of caspase involvement in diverse non-apoptotic cellular functions strongly suggests that these proteins may have evolved from a core behavior unrelated to the induction of cell death. The presence of similar proteases, termed metacaspases, in single cell organisms supports the contention that such proteins may have co-evolved or derived from a critical non-death function. Indeed, the benefit(s) for single cell life forms to retain proteins solely dedicated to self destruction would be countered by a strong selection pressure to curb or eliminate such processes. Examination of metacaspase biology provides evidence that these ancient protease forerunners of the caspase family also retain versatility in function, i.e., death and non-death cell functions. Here, we provide a critical review that highlights the non-death roles of metacaspases that have been described thus far, and the impact that these observations have for our understanding of the evolution and cellular utility of this protease family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Shrestha
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Signal transduction pathways regulating growth and stress responses are areas of significant study in the effort to delineate pathogenic mechanisms of fungi. In-depth knowledge of signal transduction events deepens our understanding of how a fungal pathogen is able to sense changes in the environment and respond accordingly by modulation of gene expression and re-organization of cellular activities to optimize fitness. Members of the Ras protein family are important regulators of growth and differentiation in eukaryotic organisms, and have been the focus of numerous studies exploring fungal pathogenesis. Here, the current data regarding Ras signal transduction are reviewed for three major pathogenic fungi: Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Particular emphasis is placed on Ras-protein interactions during control of morphogenesis, stress response and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrod R Fortwendel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama, Mobile AL, USA
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Scheckhuber CQ, Hamann A, Brust D, Osiewacz HD. Cellular homeostasis in fungi: impact on the aging process. Subcell Biochem 2012; 57:233-250. [PMID: 22094425 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2561-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Cellular quality control pathways are needed for maintaining the biological function of organisms. If these pathways become compromised, the results are usually highly detrimental. Functional impairments of cell components can lead to diseases and in extreme cases to organismal death. Dysfunction of cells can be induced by a number of toxic by-products that are formed during metabolic activity, like reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, for example. A key source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the organelles of oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondria. Therefore mitochondrial function is also directly affected by ROS, especially if there is a compromised ROS-scavenging capacity. Biological systems therefore depend on several lines of defence to counteract the toxic effects of ROS and other damaging agents. The first level is active at the molecular level and consists of various proteases that bind and degrade abnormally modified and / or aggregated mitochondrial proteins. The second level is concerned with maintaining the quality of whole mitochondria. Among the pathways of this level are mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy (mitophagy). Mitochondrial dynamics describes the time-dependent fusion and fission of mitochondria. It is argued that this kind of organellar dynamics has the power to restore the function of impaired organelles by content mixing with intact organelles. If the first and second lines of defence against damage fail and mitochondria become damaged too severely, there is the option to remove affected cells before they can elicit more damage to their surrounding environment by apoptosis. This form of programmed cell death is strictly regulated by a complex network of interacting components and can be divided into mitochondria-dependent and mitochondria-independent modes of action. In this review we give an overview on various biological quality control systems in fungi (yeasts and filamentous fungi) with an emphasis on autophagy (mitophagy) and apoptosis and how these pathways allow fungal organisms to maintain a balanced cellular homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Q Scheckhuber
- Faculty of Biosciences, Institute of Molecular Biosciences and Cluster of Excellence Macromolecular Complexes, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany,
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Krauss GJ, Solé M, Krauss G, Schlosser D, Wesenberg D, Bärlocher F. Fungi in freshwaters: ecology, physiology and biochemical potential. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2011; 35:620-51. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2011.00266.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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Watson DS, Feng X, Askew DS, Jambunathan K, Kodukula K, Galande AK. Substrate specifity profiling of the Aspergillus fumigatus proteolytic secretome reveals consensus motifs with predominance of Ile/Leu and Phe/Tyr. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21001. [PMID: 21695046 PMCID: PMC3117871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2011] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) can cause devastating infections in immunocompromised individuals. Early diagnosis improves patient outcomes but remains challenging because of the limitations of current methods. To augment the clinician's toolkit for rapid diagnosis of AF infections, we are investigating AF secreted proteases as novel diagnostic targets. The AF genome encodes up to 100 secreted proteases, but fewer than 15 of these enzymes have been characterized thus far. Given the large number of proteases in the genome, studies focused on individual enzymes may overlook potential diagnostic biomarkers. Methodology and Principal Findings As an alternative, we employed a combinatorial library of internally quenched fluorogenic probes (IQFPs) to profile the global proteolytic secretome of an AF clinical isolate in vitro. Comparative protease activity profiling revealed 212 substrate sequences that were cleaved by AF secreted proteases but not by normal human serum. A central finding was that isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine predominated at each of the three variable positions of the library (44.1%, 59.1%, and 57.0%, respectively) among substrate sequences cleaved by AF secreted proteases. In contrast, fewer than 10% of the residues at each position of cleaved sequences were cationic or anionic. Consensus substrate motifs were cleaved by thermostable serine proteases that retained activity up to 50°C. Precise proteolytic cleavage sites were reliably determined by a simple, rapid mass spectrometry-based method, revealing predominantly non-prime side specificity. A comparison of the secreted protease activities of three AF clinical isolates revealed consistent protease substrate specificity fingerprints. However, secreted proteases of A. flavus, A. nidulans, and A. terreus strains exhibited striking differences in their proteolytic signatures. Conclusions This report provides proof-of-principle for the use of protease substrate specificity profiling to define the proteolytic secretome of Aspergillus fumigatus. Expansion of this technique to protease secretion during infection could lead to development of novel approaches to fungal diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S. Watson
- Center for Advanced Drug Research, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Xizhi Feng
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - David S. Askew
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Kalyani Jambunathan
- Center for Advanced Drug Research, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Krishna Kodukula
- Center for Advanced Drug Research, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Amit K. Galande
- Center for Advanced Drug Research, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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