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Turchetti B, Buzzini P, Baeza M. A genomic approach to analyze the cold adaptation of yeasts isolated from Italian Alps. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1026102. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1026102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms including yeasts are responsible for mineralization of organic matter in cold regions, and their characterization is critical to elucidate the ecology of such environments on Earth. Strategies developed by yeasts to survive in cold environments have been increasingly studied in the last years and applied to different biotechnological applications, but their knowledge is still limited. Microbial adaptations to cold include the synthesis of cryoprotective compounds, as well as the presence of a high number of genes encoding the synthesis of proteins/enzymes characterized by a reduced proline content and highly flexible and large catalytic active sites. This study is a comparative genomic study on the adaptations of yeasts isolated from the Italian Alps, considering their growth kinetics. The optimal temperature for growth (OTG), growth rate (Gr), and draft genome sizes considerably varied (OTG, 10°C–20°C; Gr, 0.071–0.0726; genomes, 20.7–21.5 Mpb; %GC, 50.9–61.5). A direct relationship was observed between calculated protein flexibilities and OTG, but not for Gr. Putative genes encoding for cold stress response were found, as well as high numbers of genes encoding for general, oxidative, and osmotic stresses. The cold response genes found in the studied yeasts play roles in cell membrane adaptation, compatible solute accumulation, RNA structure changes, and protein folding, i.e., dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, glycogen synthase, omega-6 fatty acid, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, ATP-dependent RNA helicase, and elongation of very-long-chain fatty acids. A redundancy for several putative genes was found, higher for P-loop containing nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase, alpha/beta hydrolase, armadillo repeat-containing proteins, and the major facilitator superfamily protein. Hundreds of thousands of small open reading frames (SmORFs) were found in all studied yeasts, especially in Phenoliferia glacialis. Gene clusters encoding for the synthesis of secondary metabolites such as terpene, non-ribosomal peptide, and type III polyketide were predicted in four, three, and two studied yeasts, respectively.
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Cai S, Snyder AB. Genomic characterization of polyextremotolerant black yeasts isolated from food and food production environments. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:928622. [PMID: 37746166 PMCID: PMC10512282 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.928622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Black yeasts have been isolated from acidic, low water activity, and thermally processed foods as well as from surfaces in food manufacturing plants. The genomic basis for their relative tolerance to food-relevant environmental stresses has not been well defined. In this study, we performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) on seven black yeast strains including Aureobasidium (n=5) and Exophiala (n=2) which were isolated from food or food production environments. These strains were previously characterized for their tolerance to heat, hyperosmotic pressure, high pressure processing, hypochlorite sanitizers, and ultraviolet light. Based on the WGS data, three of the strains previously identified as A. pullulans were reassigned as A. melanogenum. Both haploid and diploid A. melanogenum strains were identified in this collection. Single-locus phylogenies based on beta tubulin, RNA polymerase II, or translation elongation factor protein sequences were compared to the phylogeny produced through SNP analysis, revealing that duplication of the fungal genome in diploid strains complicates the use of single-locus phylogenetics. There was not a strong association between phylogeny and either environmental source or stress tolerance phenotype, nor were trends in the copy numbers of stress-related genes associated with extremotolerance within this collection. While there were obvious differences between the genera, the heterogenous distribution of stress tolerance phenotypes and genotypes suggests that food-relevant black yeasts may be ubiquitous rather than specialists associated with particular ecological niches. However, further evaluation of additional strains and the potential impact of gene sequence modification is necessary to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abigail B. Snyder
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Romsdahl J, Schultzhaus Z, Cuomo CA, Dong H, Abeyratne-Perera H, Hervey WJ, Wang Z. Phenotypic Characterization and Comparative Genomics of the Melanin-Producing Yeast Exophiala lecanii-corni Reveals a Distinct Stress Tolerance Profile and Reduced Ribosomal Genetic Content. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:1078. [PMID: 34947060 PMCID: PMC8709033 DOI: 10.3390/jof7121078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The black yeast Exophiala lecanii-corni of the order Chaetothyriales is notable for its ability to produce abundant quantities of DHN-melanin. While many other Exophiala species are frequent causal agents of human infection, E. lecanii-corni CBS 102400 lacks the thermotolerance requirements that enable pathogenicity, making it appealing for use in targeted functional studies and biotechnological applications. Here, we report the stress tolerance characteristics of E. lecanii-corni, with an emphasis on the influence of melanin on its resistance to various forms of stress. We find that E. lecanii-corni has a distinct stress tolerance profile that includes variation in resistance to temperature, osmotic, and oxidative stress relative to the extremophilic and pathogenic black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis. Notably, the presence of melanin substantially impacts stress resistance in E. lecanii-corni, while this was not found to be the case in E. dermatitidis. The cellular context, therefore, influences the role of melanin in stress protection. In addition, we present a detailed analysis of the E. lecanii-corni genome, revealing key differences in functional genetic content relative to other ascomycetous species, including a significant decrease in abundance of genes encoding ribosomal proteins. In all, this study provides insight into how genetics and physiology may underlie stress tolerance and enhances understanding of the genetic diversity of black yeasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian Romsdahl
- National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA;
| | - Zachary Schultzhaus
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA; (Z.S.); (W.J.H.IV)
| | - Christina A. Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA;
| | - Hong Dong
- Biotechnology Branch, CCDC Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD 20783, USA;
| | - Hashanthi Abeyratne-Perera
- American Society for Engineering Education Postdoctoral Research Associate, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA;
| | - W. Judson Hervey
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA; (Z.S.); (W.J.H.IV)
| | - Zheng Wang
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA; (Z.S.); (W.J.H.IV)
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Yusof NA, Hashim NHF, Bharudin I. Cold Adaptation Strategies and the Potential of Psychrophilic Enzymes from the Antarctic Yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica PI12. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070528. [PMID: 34209103 PMCID: PMC8306469 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychrophilic organisms possess several adaptive strategies which allow them to sustain life at low temperatures between −20 to 20 °C. Studies on Antarctic psychrophiles are interesting due to the multiple stressors that exist on the permanently cold continent. These organisms produce, among other peculiarities, cold-active enzymes which not only have tremendous biotechnological potential but are valuable models for fundamental research into protein structure and function. Recent innovations in omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics have contributed a remarkable perspective of the molecular basis underpinning the mechanisms of cold adaptation. This review critically discusses similar and different strategies of cold adaptation in the obligate psychrophilic yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica PI12 at the molecular (genome structure, proteins and enzymes, gene expression) and physiological (antifreeze proteins, membrane fluidity, stress-related proteins) levels. Our extensive studies on G. antarctica have revealed significant insights towards the innate capacity of- and the adaptation strategies employed by this psychrophilic yeast for life in the persistent cold. Furthermore, several cold-active enzymes and proteins with biotechnological potential are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Athirah Yusof
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah, Malaysia;
| | - Noor Haza Fazlin Hashim
- Water Quality Laboratory, National Water Research Institute Malaysia (NAHRIM), Ministry of Environment and Water, Jalan Putra Permai, Seri Kembangan 43300, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Izwan Bharudin
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
- Correspondence:
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Culture-Dependent and Amplicon Sequencing Approaches Reveal Diversity and Distribution of Black Fungi in Antarctic Cryptoendolithic Communities. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7030213. [PMID: 33809619 PMCID: PMC8001563 DOI: 10.3390/jof7030213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the harshest environmental conditions of the Antarctic desert, normally incompatible with active life, microbes are adapted to exploit the cryptoendolithic habitat (i.e., pore spaces of rocks) and represent the predominant life-forms. In the rocky niche, microbes take advantage of the thermal buffering, physical stability, protection against UV radiation, excessive solar radiation, and water retention-of paramount importance in one of the driest environments on Earth. In this work, high-throughput sequencing and culture-dependent approaches have been combined, for the first time, to untangle the diversity and distribution of black fungi in the Antarctic cryptoendolithic microbial communities, hosting some of the most extreme-tolerant microorganisms. Rock samples were collected in a vast area, along an altitudinal gradient and opposite sun exposure-known to influence microbial diversity-with the aim to compare and integrate results gained with the two approaches. Among black fungi, Friedmanniomyces endolithicus was confirmed as the most abundant taxon. Despite the much stronger power of the high-throughput sequencing, several species were not retrieved with DNA sequencing and were detectable by cultivation only. We conclude that both culture-dependent and -independent analyses are needed for a complete overview of black fungi diversity. The reason why some species remain undetectable with molecular methods are speculated upon. The effect of environmental parameters such as sun exposure on relative abundance was clearer if based on the wider biodiversity detected with the molecular approach.
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Baeza M, Zúñiga S, Peragallo V, Barahona S, Alcaino J, Cifuentes V. Identification of Stress-Related Genes and a Comparative Analysis of the Amino Acid Compositions of Translated Coding Sequences Based on Draft Genome Sequences of Antarctic Yeasts. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:623171. [PMID: 33633709 PMCID: PMC7902016 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.623171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms inhabiting cold environments have evolved strategies to tolerate and thrive in those extreme conditions, mainly the low temperature that slow down reaction rates. Among described molecular and metabolic adaptations to enable functioning in the cold, there is the synthesis of cold-active proteins/enzymes. In bacterial cold-active proteins, reduced proline content and highly flexible and larger catalytic active sites than mesophylls counterparts have been described. However, beyond the low temperature, microorganisms' physiological requirements may differ according to their growth velocities, influencing their global protein compositions. This hypothesis was tested in this work using eight cold-adapted yeasts isolated from Antarctica, for which their growth parameters were measured and their draft genomes determined and bioinformatically analyzed. The optimal temperature for yeasts' growth ranged from 10 to 22°C, and yeasts having similar or same optimal temperature for growth displayed significative different growth rates. The sizes of the draft genomes ranged from 10.7 (Tetracladium sp.) to 30.7 Mb (Leucosporidium creatinivorum), and the GC contents from 37 (Candida sake) to 60% (L. creatinivorum). Putative genes related to various kinds of stress were identified and were especially numerous for oxidative and cold stress responses. The putative proteins were classified according to predicted cellular function and subcellular localization. The amino acid composition was compared among yeasts considering their optimal temperature for growth and growth rates. In several groups of predicted proteins, correlations were observed between their contents of flexible amino acids and both the yeasts' optimal temperatures for growth and their growth rates. In general, the contents of flexible amino acids were higher in yeasts growing more rapidly as their optimal temperature for growth was lower. The contents of flexible amino acids became lower among yeasts with higher optimal temperatures for growth as their growth rates increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Baeza
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sergio Zúñiga
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente Peragallo
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Salvador Barahona
- Centro de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jennifer Alcaino
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Víctor Cifuentes
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Selbmann L, Benkő Z, Coleine C, de Hoog S, Donati C, Druzhinina I, Emri T, Ettinger CL, Gladfelter AS, Gorbushina AA, Grigoriev IV, Grube M, Gunde-Cimerman N, Karányi ZÁ, Kocsis B, Kubressoian T, Miklós I, Miskei M, Muggia L, Northen T, Novak-Babič M, Pennacchio C, Pfliegler WP, Pòcsi I, Prigione V, Riquelme M, Segata N, Schumacher J, Shelest E, Sterflinger K, Tesei D, U’Ren JM, Varese GC, Vázquez-Campos X, Vicente VA, Souza EM, Zalar P, Walker AK, Stajich JE. Shed Light in the DaRk LineagES of the Fungal Tree of Life-STRES. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10120362. [PMID: 33352712 PMCID: PMC7767062 DOI: 10.3390/life10120362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The polyphyletic group of black fungi within the Ascomycota (Arthoniomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes) is ubiquitous in natural and anthropogenic habitats. Partly because of their dark, melanin-based pigmentation, black fungi are resistant to stresses including UV- and ionizing-radiation, heat and desiccation, toxic metals, and organic pollutants. Consequently, they are amongst the most stunning extremophiles and poly-extreme-tolerant organisms on Earth. Even though ca. 60 black fungal genomes have been sequenced to date, [mostly in the family Herpotrichiellaceae (Eurotiomycetes)], the class Dothideomycetes that hosts the largest majority of extremophiles has only been sparsely sampled. By sequencing up to 92 species that will become reference genomes, the “Shed light in The daRk lineagES of the fungal tree of life” (STRES) project will cover a broad collection of black fungal diversity spread throughout the Fungal Tree of Life. Interestingly, the STRES project will focus on mostly unsampled genera that display different ecologies and life-styles (e.g., ant- and lichen-associated fungi, rock-inhabiting fungi, etc.). With a resequencing strategy of 10- to 15-fold depth coverage of up to ~550 strains, numerous new reference genomes will be established. To identify metabolites and functional processes, these new genomic resources will be enriched with metabolomics analyses coupled with transcriptomics experiments on selected species under various stress conditions (salinity, dryness, UV radiation, oligotrophy). The data acquired will serve as a reference and foundation for establishing an encyclopedic database for fungal metagenomics as well as the biology, evolution, and ecology of the fungi in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy;
- Section of Mycology, Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA), 16121 Genoa, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (J.E.S.); Tel.: +39-0761-357012 (L.S.); +1-951-827-2363 (J.E.S.)
| | - Zsigmond Benkő
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.B.); (T.E.); (B.K.); (W.P.P.); (I.P.)
| | - Claudia Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy;
| | - Sybren de Hoog
- Center of Expertise in Mycology of Radboud University Medical Center, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, 6532 Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Claudio Donati
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy;
| | - Irina Druzhinina
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
| | - Tamás Emri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.B.); (T.E.); (B.K.); (W.P.P.); (I.P.)
| | - Cassie L. Ettinger
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
- Microbiology & Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
| | - Amy S. Gladfelter
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA;
| | - Anna A. Gorbushina
- Department of Materials and Environment, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 10115 Berlin, Germany; (A.A.G.); (J.S.)
- Department of Earth Sciences & Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität, Berlin 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (I.V.G.); (T.N.); (C.P.)
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Martin Grube
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz A-8010, Austria;
| | - Nina Gunde-Cimerman
- Department Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.G.-C.); (M.N.-B.); (P.Z.)
| | - Zsolt Ákos Karányi
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Beatrix Kocsis
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.B.); (T.E.); (B.K.); (W.P.P.); (I.P.)
| | - Tania Kubressoian
- Microbiology & Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
| | - Ida Miklós
- Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Márton Miskei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34121 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Trent Northen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (I.V.G.); (T.N.); (C.P.)
| | - Monika Novak-Babič
- Department Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.G.-C.); (M.N.-B.); (P.Z.)
| | - Christa Pennacchio
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (I.V.G.); (T.N.); (C.P.)
| | - Walter P. Pfliegler
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.B.); (T.E.); (B.K.); (W.P.P.); (I.P.)
| | - Istvàn Pòcsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.B.); (T.E.); (B.K.); (W.P.P.); (I.P.)
| | - Valeria Prigione
- Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy; (V.P.); (G.C.V.)
| | - Meritxell Riquelme
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California 22980, Mexico;
| | - Nicola Segata
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy;
| | - Julia Schumacher
- Department of Materials and Environment, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), 10115 Berlin, Germany; (A.A.G.); (J.S.)
| | - Ekaterina Shelest
- Centre for Enzyme Innovation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK;
| | - Katja Sterflinger
- Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Vienna 22180, Austria;
| | - Donatella Tesei
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna 22180, Austria;
| | - Jana M. U’Ren
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;
| | - Giovanna C. Varese
- Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy; (V.P.); (G.C.V.)
| | - Xabier Vázquez-Campos
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2006, Australia;
| | - Vania A. Vicente
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Paraná, Paraná E3100, Brazil; (V.A.V.); (E.M.S.)
| | - Emanuel M. Souza
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Paraná, Paraná E3100, Brazil; (V.A.V.); (E.M.S.)
| | - Polona Zalar
- Department Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.G.-C.); (M.N.-B.); (P.Z.)
| | - Allison K. Walker
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada;
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Microbiology & Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (J.E.S.); Tel.: +39-0761-357012 (L.S.); +1-951-827-2363 (J.E.S.)
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8
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Muggia L, Ametrano CG, Sterflinger K, Tesei D. An Overview of Genomics, Phylogenomics and Proteomics Approaches in Ascomycota. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E356. [PMID: 33348904 PMCID: PMC7765829 DOI: 10.3390/life10120356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi are among the most successful eukaryotes on Earth: they have evolved strategies to survive in the most diverse environments and stressful conditions and have been selected and exploited for multiple aims by humans. The characteristic features intrinsic of Fungi have required evolutionary changes and adaptations at deep molecular levels. Omics approaches, nowadays including genomics, metagenomics, phylogenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics have enormously advanced the way to understand fungal diversity at diverse taxonomic levels, under changeable conditions and in still under-investigated environments. These approaches can be applied both on environmental communities and on individual organisms, either in nature or in axenic culture and have led the traditional morphology-based fungal systematic to increasingly implement molecular-based approaches. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies was key to boost advances in fungal genomics and proteomics research. Much effort has also been directed towards the development of methodologies for optimal genomic DNA and protein extraction and separation. To date, the amount of proteomics investigations in Ascomycetes exceeds those carried out in any other fungal group. This is primarily due to the preponderance of their involvement in plant and animal diseases and multiple industrial applications, and therefore the need to understand the biological basis of the infectious process to develop mechanisms for biologic control, as well as to detect key proteins with roles in stress survival. Here we chose to present an overview as much comprehensive as possible of the major advances, mainly of the past decade, in the fields of genomics (including phylogenomics) and proteomics of Ascomycota, focusing particularly on those reporting on opportunistic pathogenic, extremophilic, polyextremotolerant and lichenized fungi. We also present a review of the mostly used genome sequencing technologies and methods for DNA sequence and protein analyses applied so far for fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Claudio G. Ametrano
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Department of Science and Education, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605, USA;
| | - Katja Sterflinger
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Institute of Natual Sciences and Technology in the Arts, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Donatella Tesei
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria;
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Coleine C, Masonjones S, Sterflinger K, Onofri S, Selbmann L, Stajich JE. Peculiar genomic traits in the stress-adapted cryptoendolithic Antarctic fungus Friedmanniomyces endolithicus. Fungal Biol 2020; 124:458-467. [PMID: 32389308 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Friedmanniomyces endolithicus is a highly melanized fungus endemic to the Antarctic, occurring exclusively in endolithic communities of the ice-free areas of the Victoria Land, including the McMurdo Dry Valleys, the coldest and most hyper-arid desert on Earth and accounted as the Martian analog on our planet. F. endolithicus is highly successful in these inhospitable environments, the most widespread and commonly isolated species from these peculiar niches, indicating a high degree of adaptation. The nature of its extremo tolerance has not been previously studied. To investigate this, we sequenced genome of F. endolithicus CCFEE 5311 to explore gene content and genomic patterns that could be attributed to its specialization. The predicted functional potential of the genes was assigned by similarity to InterPro and CAZy domains. The genome was compared to phylogenetically close relatives which are also melanized fungi occurring in extreme environments including Friedmanniomyces simplex, Baudoinia panamericana, Acidomyces acidophilus, Hortaea thailandica and Hortaea werneckii. We tested if shared genomic traits existed among these species and hyper-extremotolerant fungus F. endolithicus. We found that some characters for stress tolerance such as meristematic growth and cold tolerance are enriched in F. endolithicus that may be triggered by the exposure to Antarctic prohibitive conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Sawyer Masonjones
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Katja Sterflinger
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Silvano Onofri
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; Italian Antarctic National Museum (MNA), Mycological Section, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
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