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Navarro‐Velasco GY, Di Pietro A, López‐Berges MS. Constitutive activation of TORC1 signalling attenuates virulence in the cross-kingdom fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2023; 24:289-301. [PMID: 36840362 PMCID: PMC10013769 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Fusarium oxysporum causes vascular wilt disease in a wide range of plant species and opportunistic infections in humans. Previous work suggested that invasive growth in this pathogen is controlled by environmental cues such as pH and nutrient status. Here we investigated the role of Target Of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1), a global regulator of eukaryotic cell growth and development. Inactivation of the negative regulator Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 (Tsc2), but not constitutive activation of the positive regulator Gtr1, in F. oxysporum resulted in inappropriate activation of TORC1 signalling under nutrient-limiting conditions. The tsc2Δ mutants showed reduced colony growth on minimal medium with different nitrogen sources and increased sensitivity to cell wall or high temperature stress. Furthermore, these mutants were impaired in invasive hyphal growth across cellophane membranes and exhibited a marked decrease in virulence, both on tomato plants and on the invertebrate animal host Galleria mellonella. Importantly, invasive hyphal growth in tsc2Δ strains was rescued by rapamycin-mediated inhibition of TORC1. Collectively, these results reveal a key role of TORC1 signalling in the development and pathogenicity of F. oxysporum and suggest new potential targets for controlling fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesabel Yaneth Navarro‐Velasco
- Departamento de GenéticaUniversidad de CórdobaCórdobaSpain
- Present address:
Centro de Investigación e Información de Medicamentos y Tóxicos, Facultad de MedicinaUniversidad de PanamáPanama CityPanama
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Yan S, Xu Y, Tao XM, Yu XW. Alleviating vacuolar transport improves cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:2483-2499. [PMID: 36917273 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12478-4] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Increasing cellulase production in cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei is of interest for biofuels and biorefineries. Previous studies indicated that secreted protein was occasionally accumulated in vacuoles; this phenomenon has also been reported in T. reesei. Therefore, alleviating vacuolar transport seems to be a promising strategy for improving cellulase production in T. reesei. Herein, we found that knockout of vps10, vps13, and vps21, among 11 vacuolar protein sorting factors, improved cellulase production in T. reesei. The filter paper activity in Δvps10, Δvps13, and Δvps21 increased by 1.28-, 2.45-, and 2.11-fold than that of the parent strain. Moreover, the β-glucosidase activity in Δvps13 and Δvps21 increased by 3.22- and 3.56-fold after 6 days of fermentation. Furthermore, we also found that the vacuolar trafficking towards vacuoles was partially impaired in three knockout mutants, and disruption of vps13 alleviated the autophagy process. These results indicated that alleviated transport and degradation towards vacuole in Δvps10, Δvps13, and Δvps21 might improve cellulase production. Of note, the expression of cellulase genes in Δvps13 and Δvps21 was dramatically increased in the late induction phase compared to the parent. These results suggested that Vps13 and Vps21 might influence the cellulase production at transcription level. And further transcriptome analysis indicated that increased cellulase gene expression might be attributed to the differential expression of sugar transporters. Our study unravels the effect of alleviating vacuolar transport through knockout vps10, vps13, and vps21 for efficient cellulase secretion, providing new clues for higher cellulase production in T. reesei. KEY POINTS: • Disruption of vps10, vps13 or vps21 improves cellulase production • Vacuolar transport is impaired in three vps KO mutants • Deletion of vps13 or vps21 increases the transcript of cellulase genes in late stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Yan
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiu-Mei Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Yu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
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3
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Pinar M, Peñalva MA. The fungal RABOME: RAB GTPases acting in the endocytic and exocytic pathways of Aspergillus nidulans (with excursions to other filamentous fungi). Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:53-70. [PMID: 33724562 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RAB GTPases are major determinants of membrane identity that have been exploited as highly specific reporters to study intracellular traffic in vivo. A score of fungal papers have considered individual RABs, but systematic, integrated studies on the localization and physiological role of these regulators and their effectors have been performed only with Aspergillus nidulans. These studies have influenced the intracellular trafficking field beyond fungal specialists, leading to findings such as the maturation of trans-Golgi (TGN) cisternae into post-Golgi RAB11 secretory vesicles, the concept that these RAB11 secretory carriers are loaded with three molecular nanomotors, the understanding of the role of endocytic recycling mediated by RAB6 and RAB11 in determining the hyphal mode of life, the discovery that early endosome maturation and the ESCRT pathway are essential, the identification of specific adaptors of dynein-dynactin to RAB5 endosomes, the exquisite dependence that autophagy displays on RAB1 activity, the role of TRAPPII as a GEF for RAB11, or the conclusion that the RAB1-to-RAB11 transition is not mediated by TRAPP maturation. A remarkable finding was that the A. nidulans Spitzenkörper contains four RABs: RAB11, Sec4, RAB6, and RAB1. How these RABs cooperate during exocytosis represents an as yet outstanding question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Pinar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Peñalva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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The monothiol glutaredoxin GrxD is essential for sensing iron starvation in Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008379. [PMID: 31525190 PMCID: PMC6762210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient adaptation to iron starvation is an essential virulence determinant of the most common human mold pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus. Here, we demonstrate that the cytosolic monothiol glutaredoxin GrxD plays an essential role in iron sensing in this fungus. Our studies revealed that (i) GrxD is essential for growth; (ii) expression of the encoding gene, grxD, is repressed by the transcription factor SreA in iron replete conditions and upregulated during iron starvation; (iii) during iron starvation but not iron sufficiency, GrxD displays predominant nuclear localization; (iv) downregulation of grxD expression results in de-repression of genes involved in iron-dependent pathways and repression of genes involved in iron acquisition during iron starvation, but did not significantly affect these genes during iron sufficiency; (v) GrxD displays protein-protein interaction with components of the cytosolic iron-sulfur cluster biosynthetic machinery, indicating a role in this process, and with the transcription factors SreA and HapX, which mediate iron regulation of iron acquisition and iron-dependent pathways; (vi) UV-Vis spectra of recombinant HapX or the complex of HapX and GrxD indicate coordination of iron-sulfur clusters; (vii) the cysteine required for iron-sulfur cluster coordination in GrxD is in vitro dispensable for interaction with HapX; and (viii) there is a GrxD-independent mechanism for sensing iron sufficiency by HapX; (ix) inactivation of SreA suppresses the lethal effect caused by GrxD inactivation. Taken together, this study demonstrates that GrxD is crucial for iron homeostasis in A. fumigatus. Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic mold and the major causative pathogen causing life-threatening aspergillosis. To improve therapy, there is an urgent need for a better understanding of the fungal physiology. We have previously shown that adaptation to iron starvation is an essential virulence attribute of A. fumigatus. In the present study, we characterized the mechanism employed by A. fumigatus to sense the cellular iron status, which is essential for iron homeostasis. We demonstrate that the transcription factors SreA and HapX, which coordinate iron acquisition, iron consumption and iron detoxification require physical interaction with the monothiol glutaredoxin GrxD to sense iron starvation. Moreover, we show that there is a GrxD-independent mechanism for sensing excess of iron.
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Identification of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for SAR1 in the filamentous fungal model Aspergillus nidulans. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2019; 1866:118551. [PMID: 31487505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2019.118551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In spite of its basic and applied interest, the regulation of ER exit by filamentous fungi is insufficiently understood. In previous work we isolated a panel of conditional mutations in sarA encoding the master GTPase SarASAR1 in A. nidulans and demonstrated its key role in exocytosis and hyphal morphogenesis. However, the SAR1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), Sec12, has not been characterized in any filamentous fungus, largely due to the fact that SEC12 homologues share little amino acid sequence identity beyond a GGGGxxxxGϕxN motif involved in guanine nucleotide exchange. Here we demonstrate that AN11127 encodes A. nidulans Sec12, which is an essential protein that localizes to the ER and that, when overexpressed, rescues the growth defect resulting from a hypomorphic sarA6ts mutation at 37 °C. Using purified, bacterially expressed proteins we demonstrate that the product of AN11127 accelerates nucleotide exchange on SarASAR1, but not on its closely related GTPase ArfAARF1, as expected for a bona fide GEF. The unequivocal characterization of A. nidulans Sec12 paves the way for the tailored modification of ER exit in a model organism that is closely related to industrial species of filamentous fungi.
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Hernández-González M, Bravo-Plaza I, de Los Ríos V, Pinar M, Pantazopoulou A, Peñalva MA. COPI localizes to the early Golgi in Aspergillus nidulans. Fungal Genet Biol 2018; 123:78-86. [PMID: 30550852 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Coatomer-I (COPI) is a heteromeric protein coat that facilitates the budding of membranous carriers mediating Golgi-to-ER and intra-Golgi transport. While the structural features of COPI have been thoroughly investigated, its physiological role is insufficiently understood. Here we exploit the amenability of A. nidulans for studying intracellular traffic, taking up previous studies by Breakspear et al. (2007) with the α-COP/CopA subunit of COPI. Endogenously tagged α-COP/CopA largely localizes to SedVSed5 syntaxin-containing early Golgi cisterna, and acute inactivation of ER-to-Golgi traffic delocalizes COPI to a haze, consistent with the cisternal maturation model. In contrast, the Golgi localization of COPI is independent of the TGN regulators HypBSec7 and HypATrs120, implying that COPI budding predominates at the SedVSed5 early Golgi, with lesser contribution of the TGN. This finding agrees with the proposed role of COPI-mediated intra-Golgi retrograde traffic in driving cisternal maturation, which predicts that the capacity of the TGN to generate COPI carriers is low. The COPI early Golgi compartments intimately associates with Sec13-containing ER exit sites. Characterization of the heat-sensitive copA1ts (sodVIC1) mutation showed that it results in a single residue substitution in the ε-COP-binding Carboxyl-Terminal-Domain of α-COP that likely destabilizes its folding. However, we show that Golgi disorganization by copA1ts necessitates >150 min-long incubation at 42 °C. This weak subcellular phenotype makes it unsuitable for inactivating COPI traffic acutely for microscopy studies, and explains the aneuploidy-stabilizing role of the mutation at subrestrictive temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Hernández-González
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain; Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, Gibbet Hill Road, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK(1)
| | - Ignacio Bravo-Plaza
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Vivian de Los Ríos
- Proteomics and Genomics Facility, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Mario Pinar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Areti Pantazopoulou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain; Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, United States(1).
| | - Miguel A Peñalva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain.
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The Sec1/Munc18 (SM) protein Vps45 is involved in iron uptake, mitochondrial function and virulence in the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007220. [PMID: 30071112 PMCID: PMC6091972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The battle for iron between invading microorganisms and mammalian hosts is a pivotal determinant of the outcome of infection. The pathogenic fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans, employs multiple mechanisms to compete for iron during cryptococcosis, a disease primarily of immunocompromised hosts. In this study, we examined the role of endocytic trafficking in iron uptake by characterizing a mutant defective in the Sec1/Munc18 (SM) protein Vps45. This protein is known to regulate the machinery for vesicle trafficking and fusion via interactions with SNARE proteins. As expected, a vps45 deletion mutant was impaired in endocytosis and showed sensitivity to trafficking inhibitors. The mutant also showed poor growth on iron-limited media and a defect in transporting the Cfo1 ferroxidase of the high-affinity iron uptake system from the plasma membrane to the vacuole. Remarkably, we made the novel observation that Vps45 also contributes to mitochondrial function in that a Vps45-Gfp fusion protein associated with mitotracker, and a vps45 mutant showed enhanced sensitivity to inhibitors of electron transport complexes as well as changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. Consistent with mitochondrial function, the vps45 mutant was impaired in calcium homeostasis. To assess the relevance of these defects for virulence, we examined cell surface properties of the vps45 mutant and found increased sensitivity to agents that challenge cell wall integrity and to antifungal drugs. A change in cell wall properties was consistent with our observation of altered capsule polysaccharide attachment, and with attenuated virulence in a mouse model of cryptococcosis. Overall, our studies reveal a novel role for Vps45-mediated trafficking for iron uptake, mitochondrial function and virulence. Cryptococcus neoformans is a causative agent of cryptococcal meningitis, a disease that is estimated to cause ~ 15% of AIDS-related deaths. In this context, cryptococosis is one of the most common causes of mortality in people with HIV/AIDS, closely behind tuberculosis. Unfortunately, very few antifungal drugs are available to treat this disease. However, understanding mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of C. neoformans can lead to new therapeutic avenues. In this study, we discovered a new role for a regulatory protein involved in vesicle transport. Specifically, we found that the Vps45 protein, which regulates vesicle fusion, participates in the trafficking of iron into fungal cells, supports mitochondria function, mediates antifungal resistance and is required for virulence. These discoveries shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the uptake and use of iron as an essential nutrient for the virulence of C. neoformans. Further investigations could lead to the development of drugs that target Vps45-mediated processes.
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Hernández‐González M, Pantazopoulou A, Spanoudakis D, Seegers CL, Peñalva MA. Genetic dissection of the secretory route followed by a fungal extracellular glycosyl hydrolase. Mol Microbiol 2018; 109:781-800. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Hernández‐González
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and WhiteBiotech Interdepartmental Unit Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC Madrid Spain
| | - Areti Pantazopoulou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and WhiteBiotech Interdepartmental Unit Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC Madrid Spain
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology The University of Chicago Chicago IL USA
| | - Dimitris Spanoudakis
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and WhiteBiotech Interdepartmental Unit Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC Madrid Spain
| | - Christel L.C. Seegers
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and WhiteBiotech Interdepartmental Unit Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC Madrid Spain
- Avebe UA Foxhol The Netherlands
| | - Miguel A. Peñalva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and WhiteBiotech Interdepartmental Unit Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC Madrid Spain
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Hernández-González M, Bravo-Plaza I, Pinar M, de los Ríos V, Arst HN, Peñalva MA. Endocytic recycling via the TGN underlies the polarized hyphal mode of life. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007291. [PMID: 29608571 PMCID: PMC5880334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular traffic in Aspergillus nidulans hyphae must cope with the challenges that the high rates of apical extension (1μm/min) and the long intracellular distances (>100 μm) impose. Understanding the ways in which the hyphal tip cell coordinates traffic to meet these challenges is of basic importance, but is also of considerable applied interest, as fungal invasiveness of animals and plants depends critically upon maintaining these high rates of growth. Rapid apical extension requires localization of cell-wall-modifying enzymes to hyphal tips. By combining genetic blocks in different trafficking steps with multidimensional epifluorescence microscopy and quantitative image analyses we demonstrate that polarization of the essential chitin-synthase ChsB occurs by indirect endocytic recycling, involving delivery/exocytosis to apices followed by internalization by the sub-apical endocytic collar of actin patches and subsequent trafficking to TGN cisternae, where it accumulates for ~1 min before being re-delivered to the apex by a RAB11/TRAPPII-dependent pathway. Accordingly, ChsB is stranded at the TGN by Sec7 inactivation but re-polarizes to the apical dome if the block is bypassed by a mutation in geaAgea1 that restores growth in the absence of Sec7. That polarization is independent of RAB5, that ChsB predominates at apex-proximal cisternae, and that upon dynein impairment ChsB is stalled at the tips in an aggregated endosome indicate that endocytosed ChsB traffics to the TGN via sorting endosomes functionally located upstream of the RAB5 domain and that this step requires dynein-mediated basipetal transport. It also requires RAB6 and its effector GARP (Vps51/Vps52/Vps53/Vps54), whose composition we determined by MS/MS following affinity chromatography purification. Ablation of any GARP component diverts ChsB to vacuoles and impairs growth and morphology markedly, emphasizing the important physiological role played by this pathway that, we propose, is central to the hyphal mode of growth. Filamentous fungi form long tubular cells, called hyphae, which grow rapidly by apical extension, enabling these sessile organisms to explore substrates and facilitating tissue invasion in the case of pathogenic species. Because the shape of the hyphae is determined by an external cell wall, hyphal growth requires that cell-wall sculpting enzymes polarize to the tips. Endocytosis is essential for hyphal growth, and it was suspected that this results from its participation in a recycling pathway that takes up cell-wall enzymes from the plasma membrane and re-delivers them to the apex. Here we track the trafficking of a chitin synthase (a cell-wall modifying enzyme) to demonstrate that it is polarized by endocytic recycling. This chitin synthase is delivered by exocytosis to the apex, but diffuses away until being captured by a subapical collar of actin patches (sites of endocytosis) from where it reaches a sorting endosome before undergoing transport to the nearest trans-Golgi cisternae and incorporating into secretory vesicles that re-deliver the enzyme to the apex. Because impairing transit across this pathway compromises apical extension markedly and results in severe morphological defects, the pathway could be manipulated to prevent fungal pathogenicity of plants and humans, an enormous burden on human welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Hernández-González
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Intradepartmental WhiteBiotech Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Bravo-Plaza
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Intradepartmental WhiteBiotech Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Pinar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Intradepartmental WhiteBiotech Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vivian de los Ríos
- Proteomics Facility, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu, Madrid, Spain
| | - Herbert N. Arst
- Section of Microbiology, Imperial College London, Flowers Building, Armstrong Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel A. Peñalva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Intradepartmental WhiteBiotech Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Pinar M, Peñalva MA. Aspergillus nidulansBapH is a RAB11 effector that connects membranes in the Spitzenkörper with basal autophagy. Mol Microbiol 2017; 106:452-468. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mario Pinar
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular; Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9; Madrid 28040 Spain
| | - Miguel A. Peñalva
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular; Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9; Madrid 28040 Spain
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11
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Feng X, Ramamoorthy V, Pandit SS, Prieto A, Espeso EA, Calvo AM. cpsA regulates mycotoxin production, morphogenesis and cell wall biosynthesis in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Mol Microbiol 2017; 105:1-24. [PMID: 28370587 PMCID: PMC5506848 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The model fungus Aspergillus nidulans synthesizes numerous secondary metabolites, including sterigmatocystin (ST). The production of this toxin is positively controlled by the global regulator veA. In the absence of veA (ΔveA), ST biosynthesis is blocked. Previously, we performed random mutagenesis in a ΔveA strain and identified revertant mutants able to synthesize ST, among them RM1. Complementation of RM1 with a genomic library revealed that the mutation occurred in a gene designated as cpsA. While in the ΔveA genetic background cpsA deletion restores ST production, in a veA wild-type background absence of cpsA reduces and delays ST biosynthesis decreasing the expression of ST genes. Furthermore, cpsA is also necessary for the production of other secondary metabolites, including penicillin, affecting the expression of PN genes. In addition, cpsA is necessary for normal asexual and sexual development. Chemical and microscopy analyses revealed that CpsA is found in cytoplasmic vesicles and it is required for normal cell wall composition and integrity, affecting adhesion capacity and oxidative stress sensitivity. The conservation of cpsA in Ascomycetes suggests that cpsA homologs might have similar roles in other fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuehuan Feng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA
| | - Vellaisamy Ramamoorthy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA,Dept. of Plant Pathology Agricultural College and Research Institute Killikulam, Vallanadu - 628 252 Thoothukudi District Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sandesh S. Pandit
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA
| | - Alicia Prieto
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Ana M. Calvo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA,Author to whom correspondence should be addressed [telephone: (815) 753-0451]; fax (815) 753-0461; ]
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Abstract
Filamentous fungi are a large and ancient clade of microorganisms that occupy a broad range of ecological niches. The success of filamentous fungi is largely due to their elongate hypha, a chain of cells, separated from each other by septa. Hyphae grow by polarized exocytosis at the apex, which allows the fungus to overcome long distances and invade many substrates, including soils and host tissues. Hyphal tip growth is initiated by establishment of a growth site and the subsequent maintenance of the growth axis, with transport of growth supplies, including membranes and proteins, delivered by motors along the cytoskeleton to the hyphal apex. Among the enzymes delivered are cell wall synthases that are exocytosed for local synthesis of the extracellular cell wall. Exocytosis is opposed by endocytic uptake of soluble and membrane-bound material into the cell. The first intracellular compartment in the endocytic pathway is the early endosomes, which emerge to perform essential additional functions as spatial organizers of the hyphal cell. Individual compartments within septated hyphae can communicate with each other via septal pores, which allow passage of cytoplasm or organelles to help differentiation within the mycelium. This article introduces the reader to more detailed aspects of hyphal growth in fungi.
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13
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López-Berges MS, Arst HN, Pinar M, Peñalva MA. Genetic studies on the physiological role of CORVET in Aspergillus nidulans. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2017; 364:3095991. [PMID: 28379362 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
CORVET and HOPS are protein complexes mediating the maturation of early endosomes (EEs) into late endosomes (LEs)/vacuoles. These hetero-hexamers share four 'core' components, Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33, and differ in two specific subunits, CORVET Vps8 and Vps3 and HOPS Vps39 and Vps41. Whereas ablating HOPS-specific components has minor growth effects, ablating any CORVET constituent severely debilitates Aspergillus nidulans growth, buttressing previous work indicating that maturation of EEs into LEs is physiologically crucial. A genetic screen revealed that impairing the slt cation homeostasis pathway rescues the growth defect resulting from inactivation of the 'core' protein Vps33. Subsequent genetic analyses showed that the defect resulting from lack of any one of the five other CORVET components could similarly be rescued by sltAΔ eliminating the slt regulator SltA. Whereas double deletants lacking functionally non-equivalent components of the CORVET and HOPS complexes are rescued by sltAΔ, those lacking functionally equivalent components are not, suggesting that intermediate 'hybrid' complexes previously detected in yeast are physiologically relevant. vps3Δ, vps8Δ, vps39Δ and vps41Δ result in small vacuoles. This phenotype is remediable by sltAΔ in the case of CORVET-specific, but not in the case of HOPS-specific deletants, indicating that the slt- effect on vacuolar size necessitates HOPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel S López-Berges
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Herbert N Arst
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain.,Section of Microbiology, Imperial College London, Flowers Building, Armstrong Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Mario Pinar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Miguel A Peñalva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
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Pantazopoulou A. The Golgi apparatus: insights from filamentous fungi. Mycologia 2017; 108:603-22. [DOI: 10.3852/15-309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Areti Pantazopoulou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
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