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Li XZ, Xiao MJ, Li YL, Gao L, Zhu JS. Mutations and Differential Transcription of Mating-Type and Pheromone Receptor Genes in Hirsutella sinensis and the Natural Cordyceps sinensis Insect-Fungi Complex. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:632. [PMID: 39194570 DOI: 10.3390/biology13080632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction in ascomycetes is controlled by the mating-type (MAT) locus. (Pseudo)homothallic reproduction has been hypothesized on the basis of genetic data from Hirsutella sinensis (Genotype #1 of Ophiocordyceps sinensis). However, the differential occurrence and differential transcription of mating-type genes in the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs were found in the genome and transcriptome assemblies of H. sinensis, and the introns of the MAT1-2-1 transcript were alternatively spliced with an unspliced intron I that contains stop codons. These findings reveal that O. sinensis reproduction is controlled at the genetic, transcriptional, and coupled transcriptional-translational levels. This study revealed that mutant mating proteins could potentially have various secondary structures. Differential occurrence and transcription of the a-/α-pheromone receptor genes were also found in H. sinensis. The data were inconsistent with self-fertilization under (pseudo)homothallism but suggest the self-sterility of H. sinensis and the requirement of mating partners to achieve O. sinensis sexual outcrossing under heterothallism or hybridization. Although consistent occurrence and transcription of the mating-type genes of both the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs have been reported in natural and cultivated Cordyceps sinensis insect-fungi complexes, the mutant MAT1-1-1 and α-pheromone receptor transcripts in natural C. sinensis result in N-terminal or middle-truncated proteins with significantly altered overall hydrophobicity and secondary structures of the proteins, suggesting heterogeneous fungal source(s) of the proteins and hybridization reproduction because of the co-occurrence of multiple genomically independent genotypes of O. sinensis and >90 fungal species in natural C. sinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Zhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Meng-Jun Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Yu-Ling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Ling Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Jia-Shi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
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Wilken PM, Lane FA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. Unidirectional mating-type switching is underpinned by a conserved MAT1 locus architecture. Fungal Genet Biol 2024; 170:103859. [PMID: 38114017 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103859] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Unidirectional mating-type switching is a form of homothallic reproduction known only in a small number of filamentous ascomycetes. Their ascospores can give rise to either self-sterile isolates that require compatible partners for subsequent sexual reproduction, or self-fertile individuals capable of completing this process in isolation. The limited studies previously conducted in these fungi suggest that the differences in mating specificity are determined by the architecture of the MAT1 locus. In self-fertile isolates that have not undergone unidirectional mating-type switching, the locus contains both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating-type genes, typical of primary homothallism. In the self-sterile isolates produced after a switching event, the MAT1-2 genes are lacking from the locus, likely due to a recombination-mediated deletion of the MAT1-2 gene information. To determine whether these arrangements of the MAT1 locus support unidirectional mating-type switching in the Ceratocystidaceae, the largest known fungal assemblage capable of this reproduction strategy, a combination of genetic and genomic approaches were used. The MAT1 locus was annotated in representative species of Ceratocystis, Endoconidiophora, and Davidsoniella. In all cases, MAT1-2 genes interrupted the MAT1-1-1 gene in self-fertile isolates. The MAT1-2 genes were flanked by two copies of a direct repeat that accurately predicted the boundaries of the deletion event that would yield the MAT1 locus of self-sterile isolates. Although the relative position of the MAT1-2 gene region differed among species, it always disrupted the MAT1-1-1 gene and/or its expression in the self-fertile MAT1 locus. Following switching, this gene and/or its expression was restored in the self-sterile arrangement of the locus. This mirrors what has been reported in other species capable of unidirectional mating-type switching, providing the strongest support for a conserved MAT1 locus structure that is associated with this process. This study contributes to our understanding of the evolution of unidirectional mating-type switching.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Markus Wilken
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
| | - Frances A Lane
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Michael J Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Brenda D Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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3
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de Hoog S, Walsh TJ, Ahmed SA, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Alexander BD, Arendrup MC, Babady E, Bai FY, Balada-Llasat JM, Borman A, Chowdhary A, Clark A, Colgrove RC, Cornely OA, Dingle TC, Dufresne PJ, Fuller J, Gangneux JP, Gibas C, Glasgow H, Gräser Y, Guillot J, Groll AH, Haase G, Hanson K, Harrington A, Hawksworth DL, Hayden RT, Hoenigl M, Hubka V, Johnson K, Kus JV, Li R, Meis JF, Lackner M, Lanternier F, Leal Jr. SM, Lee F, Lockhart SR, Luethy P, Martin I, Kwon-Chung KJ, Meyer W, Nguyen MH, Ostrosky-Zeichner L, Palavecino E, Pancholi P, Pappas PG, Procop GW, Redhead SA, Rhoads DD, Riedel S, Stevens B, Sullivan KO, Vergidis P, Roilides E, Seyedmousavi A, Tao L, Vicente VA, Vitale RG, Wang QM, Wengenack NL, Westblade L, Wiederhold N, White L, Wojewoda CM, Zhang SX. A conceptual framework for nomenclatural stability and validity of medically important fungi: a proposed global consensus guideline for fungal name changes supported by ABP, ASM, CLSI, ECMM, ESCMID-EFISG, EUCAST-AFST, FDLC, IDSA, ISHAM, MMSA, and MSGERC. J Clin Microbiol 2023; 61:e0087323. [PMID: 37882528 PMCID: PMC10662369 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00873-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid pace of name changes of medically important fungi is creating challenges for clinical laboratories and clinicians involved in patient care. We describe two sources of name change which have different drivers, at the species versus the genus level. Some suggestions are made here to reduce the number of name changes. We urge taxonomists to provide diagnostic markers of taxonomic novelties. Given the instability of phylogenetic trees due to variable taxon sampling, we advocate to maintain genera at the largest possible size. Reporting of identified species in complexes or series should where possible comprise both the name of the overarching species and that of the molecular sibling, often cryptic species. Because the use of different names for the same species will be unavoidable for many years to come, an open access online database of the names of all medically important fungi, with proper nomenclatural designation and synonymy, is essential. We further recommend that while taxonomic discovery continues, the adaptation of new name changes by clinical laboratories and clinicians be reviewed routinely by a standing committee for validation and stability over time, with reference to an open access database, wherein reasons for changes are listed in a transparent way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybren de Hoog
- Radboudumc-CWZ Centre of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Foundation Atlas of Clinical Fungi, Hilversum, the Netherlands
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Working Group Nomenclature
| | - Thomas J. Walsh
- International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Working Group Nomenclature
- Center for Innovative Therapeutics and Diagnostics, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Nomenclature Committee for Fungi, International Mycological Association (IMA)
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Mycoses Study Group, Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC)
- European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
- Medical Mycological Society of the Americas (MMSA)
- ISHAM Working Group on Diagnostics
| | - Sarah A. Ahmed
- Radboudumc-CWZ Centre of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Foundation Atlas of Clinical Fungi, Hilversum, the Netherlands
- International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Working Group Nomenclature
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Working Group Nomenclature
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Madrid, Spain
- Fungal Infection Study Group, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG/ESCMID), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Barbara D. Alexander
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maiken Cavling Arendrup
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Antifungal Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee of European Committee of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST-AFST)
| | - Esther Babady
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical Microbiology Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - Feng-Yan Bai
- Mycology Committee of Chinese Society for Microbiology
- Institute of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Medical Mycology Society of Chinese Medicine and Education Association
- Asia Pacific Society for Medical Mycology
- ISHAM Working Group Veterinary Mycology and One Health
- Mycological Society of China (MSC)
| | - Joan-Miquel Balada-Llasat
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical Microbiology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Andrew Borman
- National Mycology Reference Laboratory, Public Health England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Anuradha Chowdhary
- Fungal Infection Study Group, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG/ESCMID), Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Microbiology, National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance in Fungal Pathogens, Medical Mycology Unit, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Andrew Clark
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Robert C. Colgrove
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Infectious Diseases Society of America (ISDA)
| | - Oliver A. Cornely
- European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM)
- Fungal Infection Study Group, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG/ESCMID), Basel, Switzerland
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Translational Research, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tanis C. Dingle
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health Laboratory, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Philippe J. Dufresne
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
- Mycology Department, Laboratoire de Santé Publique du Québec, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ), Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
| | - Jeff Fuller
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, London Health Sciences Center, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Gangneux
- European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM)
- Department of Mycology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Connie Gibas
- University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Heather Glasgow
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical and Molecular Microbiology, Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yvonne Gräser
- Department of Parasitology (Charité), Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacques Guillot
- ISHAM Working Group Veterinary Mycology and One Health
- Onoris, École Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Nantes, France
| | - Andreas H. Groll
- Fungal Infection Study Group, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG/ESCMID), Basel, Switzerland
- Infectious Disease Research Program, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation, University Children’s Hospital, Münster, Germany
| | - Gerhard Haase
- Laboratory Diagnostic Center, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kimberly Hanson
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Amanda Harrington
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Loyola University Health System, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - David L. Hawksworth
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Jilin Agricultural University, Chanchung, China
- General Committee for Nomenclature, International Botanical Congress (IBC)
- Advisory Board of International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF)
| | - Randall T. Hayden
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
- Clinical and Molecular Microbiology, Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Martin Hoenigl
- Mycoses Study Group, Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC)
- European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM)
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Translational Medical Mycology Research Unit, ECMM Excellence Center for Medical Mycology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- European Hematology Association, Specialized Working Group for Infections in Hematology, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Vit Hubka
- Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Kristie Johnson
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, UMMC Laboratories of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Julianne V. Kus
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Canada and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ruoyu Li
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- ISHAM Working Group on Diagnostics
- Fungal Infection Study Group, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG/ESCMID), Basel, Switzerland
- Antifungal Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee of European Committee of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST-AFST)
- Medical Mycology Society of Chinese Medicine and Education Association
| | - Jacques F. Meis
- Radboudumc-CWZ Centre of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- ISHAM Working Group on Diagnostics
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Translational Research, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michaela Lackner
- International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Working Group Nomenclature
- Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Sixto M. Leal Jr.
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Mycoses Study Group, Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Francesca Lee
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Shawn R. Lockhart
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Paul Luethy
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, UMMC Laboratories of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Isabella Martin
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Kyung J. Kwon-Chung
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wieland Meyer
- Nomenclature Committee for Fungi, International Mycological Association (IMA)
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M. Hong Nguyen
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Mycoses Study Group, Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC)
- Medical Mycological Society of the Americas (MMSA)
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner
- Mycoses Study Group, Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC)
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Elizabeth Palavecino
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Preeti Pancholi
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical Microbiology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Peter G. Pappas
- Mycoses Study Group, Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Gary W. Procop
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
- The American Board of Pathology, Tampa, Florida, USA
- American Board of Pathology (ABP)
| | - Scott A. Redhead
- Nomenclature Committee for Fungi, International Mycological Association (IMA)
- National Mycological Herbarium, Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Science and Technology Branch, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel D. Rhoads
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Infection Biology Program, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Stefan Riedel
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bryan Stevens
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kaede Ota Sullivan
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paschalis Vergidis
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Emmanuel Roilides
- International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Working Group Nomenclature
- European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM)
- Fungal Infection Study Group, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG/ESCMID), Basel, Switzerland
- Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Amir Seyedmousavi
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Fungal Infection Study Group, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG/ESCMID), Basel, Switzerland
- ISHAM Working Group Veterinary Mycology and One Health
- Microbiology Service, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lili Tao
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Vania A. Vicente
- Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Roxana G. Vitale
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Unidad de Parasitología, Sector Micología, Hospital J.M. Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Qi-Ming Wang
- Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Nancy L. Wengenack
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lars Westblade
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA
| | - Nathan Wiederhold
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Mycoses Study Group, Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
- Medical Mycological Society of the Americas (MMSA)
- University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Lewis White
- Public Health Wales Microbiology, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Christina M. Wojewoda
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Sean X. Zhang
- International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Working Group Nomenclature
- Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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4
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Wang YW, McKeon MC, Elmore H, Hess J, Golan J, Gage H, Mao W, Harrow L, Gonçalves SC, Hull CM, Pringle A. Invasive Californian death caps develop mushrooms unisexually and bisexually. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6560. [PMID: 37875491 PMCID: PMC10598064 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42317-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Canonical sexual reproduction among basidiomycete fungi involves the fusion of two haploid individuals of different mating types, resulting in a heterokaryotic mycelial body made up of genetically different nuclei. Using population genomics data and experiments, we discover mushrooms of the invasive and deadly Amanita phalloides can also be homokaryotic; evidence of sexual reproduction by single, unmated individuals. In California, genotypes of homokaryotic mushrooms are also found in heterokaryotic mushrooms, implying nuclei of homokaryotic mycelia are also involved in outcrossing. We find death cap mating is controlled by a single mating type locus, but the development of homokaryotic mushrooms appears to bypass mating type gene control. Ultimately, sporulation is enabled by nuclei able to reproduce alone as well as with others, and nuclei competent for both unisexuality and bisexuality have persisted in invaded habitats for at least 17 but potentially as long as 30 years. The diverse reproductive strategies of invasive death caps are likely facilitating its rapid spread, suggesting a profound similarity between plant, animal and fungal invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Wen Wang
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Megan C McKeon
- Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | | | - Jacob Golan
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Hunter Gage
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - William Mao
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lynn Harrow
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Susana C Gonçalves
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Christina M Hull
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anne Pringle
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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5
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Wilson AM, Coetzee MPA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. Needles in fungal haystacks: Discovery of a putative a-factor pheromone and a unique mating strategy in the Leotiomycetes. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292619. [PMID: 37824487 PMCID: PMC10569646 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Leotiomycetes is a hugely diverse group of fungi, accommodating a wide variety of important plant and animal pathogens, ericoid mycorrhizal fungi, as well as producers of antibiotics. Despite their importance, the genetics of these fungi remain relatively understudied, particularly as they don't include model taxa. For example, sexual reproduction and the genetic mechanisms that underly this process are poorly understood in the Leotiomycetes. We exploited publicly available genomic and transcriptomic resources to identify genes of the mating-type locus and pheromone response pathway in an effort to characterize the mating strategies and behaviors of 124 Leotiomycete species. Our analyses identified a putative a-factor mating pheromone in these species. This significant finding represents the first identification of this gene in Pezizomycotina species outside of the Sordariomycetes. A unique mating strategy was also discovered in Lachnellula species that appear to have lost the need for the primary MAT1-1-1 protein. Ancestral state reconstruction enabled the identification of numerous transitions between homothallism and heterothallism in the Leotiomycetes and suggests a heterothallic ancestor for this group. This comprehensive catalog of mating-related genes from such a large group of fungi provides a rich resource from which in-depth, functional studies can be conducted in these economically and ecologically important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi M. Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics & Microbiology, Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Martin P. A. Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics & Microbiology, Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michael J. Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics & Microbiology, Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Brenda D. Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics & Microbiology, Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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James TY. Sex Without Sexes: Can the Cost of Finding a Mate Explain Diversity in Fungal Mating Systems? Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:922-935. [PMID: 37218718 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotes have evolved myriad ways of uniting gametes during sexual reproduction. A repeated pattern is the convergent evolution of a mating system with the fusion of larger gametes with smaller gametes (anisogamy) from that of fusion between morphologically identical gametes (isogamy). In anisogamous species, sexes are defined as individuals that produce only one gamete type. Although sexes abound throughout Eukarya, in fungi there are no biological sexes, because even in anisogamous species, individuals are hermaphroditic and produce both gamete types. For this reason, the term mating types is preferred over sexes, and, thus defined, only individuals of differing mating types can mate (homoallelic incompatibility). In anisogamous fungal species, there is scant evidence that there are more than two mating types, and this may be linked to genetic constraints, such as the use of mating types to determine the inheritance of cytoplasmic genomes. However, the mushroom fungi (Agaricomycetes) stand out as having both large numbers of mating types within a species, which will allow nearly all individuals to be compatible with each other, and reciprocal exchange of nuclei during mating, which will avoid cytoplasmic mixing and cyto-nuclear conflicts. Although the limitation of mating types to two in most fungi is consistent with the cyto-nuclear conflicts model, there are many facets of the Agaricomycete life cycle that also suggest they will demand a high outbreeding efficiency. Specifically, they are mostly obligately sexual and outcrossing, inhabit complex competitive niches, and display broadcast spore dispersal. Subsequently, the Agaricomycete individual pays a high cost to being choosy when encountering a mate. Here, I discuss the costs of mate finding and choice and demonstrate how most fungi have multiple ways of reducing these costs, which can explain why mating types are mostly limited to two per species. Nevertheless, it is perplexing that fungi have not evolved multiple mating types on more occasions nor evolved sexes. The few exceptions to these rules suggest that it is dictated by both molecular and evolutionary constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Yao L, Kong Y, Yang W, Tian H, Meng X, Zhao X, Zhang R, Sun G, Rollins JA, Liang X. Two Putative Pheromone Receptors, but Not Their Cognate Pheromones, Regulate Female Fertility in the Atypical Mating Fungus Colletotrichum fructicola. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2023; 113:1934-1945. [PMID: 37141175 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-11-22-0436-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Colletotrichum fungi are a group of damaging phytopathogens with atypical mating type loci (harboring only MAT1-2-1 but not MAT1-1-1) and complex sexual behaviors. Sex pheromones and their cognate G-protein-coupled receptors are conserved regulators of fungal mating. These genes, however, lose function frequently among Colletotrichum species, indicating a possibility that pheromone signaling is dispensable for Colletotrichum sexual reproduction. We have identified two putative pheromone-receptor pairs (PPG1:PRE2, PPG2:PRE1) in C. fructicola, a species that exhibits plus-to-minus mating type switching and plus-minus-mediated mating line development. Here, we report the generation and characterization of gene-deletion mutants for all four genes in both plus and minus strain backgrounds. Single-gene deletion of pre1 or pre2 had no effect on sexual development, whereas their double deletion caused self-sterility in both the plus and minus strains. Moreover, double deletion of pre1 and pre2 caused female sterility in plus-minus outcrossing. Double deletion of pre1 and pre2, however, did not inhibit perithecial differentiation or plus-minus-mediated enhancement of perithecial differentiation. Contrary to the results with pre1 and pre2, double deletion of ppg1 and ppg2 had no effect on sexual compatibility, development, or fecundity. We concluded that pre1 and pre2 coordinately regulate C. fructicola mating by recognizing novel signal molecule(s) distinct from canonical Ascomycota pheromones. The contrasting importance between pheromone receptors and their cognate pheromones highlights the complicated nature of sex regulation in Colletotrichum fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiang Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yuanyuan Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Wenrui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Huanhuan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xiangchen Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xuemei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Guangyu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jeffrey A Rollins
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, U.S.A
| | - Xiaofei Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
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Li YL, Gao L, Yao YS, Li XZ, Wu ZM, Tan NZ, Luo ZQ, Xie WD, Wu JY, Zhu JS. Altered GC- and AT-biased genotypes of Ophiocordyceps sinensis in the stromal fertile portions and ascospores of natural Cordyceps sinensis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286865. [PMID: 37289817 PMCID: PMC10249794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine multiple genotypes of Ophiocordyceps sinensis in a semi-quantitative manner in the stromal fertile portion (SFP) densely covered with numerous ascocarps and ascospores of natural Cordyceps sinensis and to outline the dynamic alterations of the coexisting O. sinensis genotypes in different developmental phases. METHODS Mature Cordyceps sinensis specimens were harvested and continuously cultivated in our laboratory (altitude 2,254 m). The SFPs (with ascocarps) and fully and semi-ejected ascospores were collected for histological and molecular examinations. Biochip-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) was used to genotype multiple O. sinensis mutants in the SFPs and ascospores. RESULTS Microscopic analysis revealed distinct morphologies of the SFPs (with ascocarps) before and after ascospore ejection and SFP of developmental failure, which, along with the fully and semi-ejected ascospores, were subjected to SNP MS genotyping analysis. Mass spectra showed the coexistence of GC- and AT-biased genotypes of O. sinensis that were genetically and phylogenetically distinct in the SFPs before and after ejection and of developmental failure and in fully and semi-ejected ascospores. The intensity ratios of MS peaks were dynamically altered in the SFPs and the fully and semi-ejected ascospores. Mass spectra also showed transversion mutation alleles of unknown upstream and downstream sequences with altered intensities in the SFPs and ascospores. Genotype #5 of AT-biased Cluster-A maintained a high intensity in all SFPs and ascospores. An MS peak with a high intensity containing AT-biased Genotypes #6 and #15 in pre-ejection SFPs was significantly attenuated after ascospore ejection. The abundance of Genotypes #5‒6 and #16 of AT-biased Cluster-A was differentially altered in the fully and semi-ejected ascospores that were collected from the same Cordyceps sinensis specimens. CONCLUSION Multiple O. sinensis genotypes coexisted in different combinations with altered abundances in the SFPs prior to and after ejection, the SFP of developmental failure, and the two types of ascospores of Cordyceps sinensis, demonstrating their genomic independence. Metagenomic fungal members present in different combinations and with dynamic alterations play symbiotic roles in different compartments of natural Cordyceps sinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Ling Gao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Health Science and Technology, Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi-Sang Yao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Health Science and Technology, Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiu-Zhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Zi-Mei Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ning-Zhi Tan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Health Science and Technology, Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhou-Qing Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Dong Xie
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Health Science and Technology, Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian-Yong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemistry Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
| | - Jia-Shi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Health Science and Technology, Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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van der Merwe NA, Phakalatsane T, Wilken PM. The Unique Homothallic Mating-Type Loci of the Fungal Tree Pathogens Chrysoporthe syzygiicola and Chrysoporthe zambiensis from Africa. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1158. [PMID: 37372338 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061158] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chrysoporthe syzygiicola and C. zambiensis are ascomycete tree pathogens first described from Zambia, causing stem canker on Syzygium guineense and Eucalyptus grandis, respectively. The taxonomic descriptions of these two species were based on their anamorphic states, as no sexual states are known. The main purpose of this work was to use whole genome sequences to identify and define the mating-type (MAT1) loci of these two species. The unique MAT1 loci for C. zambiensis and C. syzygiicola consist of the MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-2, and MAT1-2-1 genes, but the MAT1-1-3 gene is absent. Genes canonically associated with opposite mating types were present at the single mating-type locus, suggesting that C. zambiensis and C. syzygiicola have homothallic mating systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolaas A van der Merwe
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Tshiamo Phakalatsane
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - P Markus Wilken
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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10
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Wilson AM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. Structure and number of mating pheromone genes is closely linked to sexual reproductive strategy in Huntiella. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:261. [PMID: 37179314 PMCID: PMC10182648 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09355-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntiella resides in the Ceratocystidaceae, a family of fungi that accommodates important plant pathogens and insect-associated saprotrophs. Species in the genus have either heterothallic or unisexual (a form of homothallism) mating systems, providing an opportunity to investigate the genetic mechanisms that enable transitions between reproductive strategies in related species. Two newly sequenced Huntiella genomes are introduced in this study and comparative genomics and transcriptomics tools are used to investigate the differences between heterothallism and unisexuality across the genus. RESULTS Heterothallic species harbored up to seven copies of the a-factor pheromone, each of which possessed numerous mature peptide repeats. In comparison, unisexual Huntiella species had only two or three copies of this gene, each with fewer repeats. Similarly, while the heterothallic species expressed up to 12 copies of the mature α-factor pheromone, unisexual species had up to six copies. These significant differences imply that unisexual Huntiella species do not rely on a mating partner recognition system in the same way that heterothallic fungi do. CONCLUSION While it is suspected that mating type-independent pheromone expression is the mechanism allowing for unisexual reproduction in Huntiella species, our results suggest that the transition to unisexuality may also have been associated with changes in the genes governing the pheromone pathway. While these results are specifically related to Huntiella, they provide clues leading to a better understanding of sexual reproduction and the fluidity of mating strategies in fungi more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi M Wilson
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Michael J Wingfield
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Brenda D Wingfield
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
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Yadav V, Sun S, Heitman J. On the evolution of variation in sexual reproduction through the prism of eukaryotic microbes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219120120. [PMID: 36867686 PMCID: PMC10013875 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219120120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Almost all eukaryotes undergo sexual reproduction to generate diversity and select for fitness in their population pools. Interestingly, the systems by which sex is defined are highly diverse and can even differ between evolutionarily closely related species. While the most commonly known form of sex determination involves males and females in animals, eukaryotic microbes can have as many as thousands of different mating types for the same species. Furthermore, some species have found alternatives to sexual reproduction and prefer to grow clonally and yet undergo infrequent facultative sexual reproduction. These organisms are mainly invertebrates and microbes, but several examples are also present among vertebrates suggesting that alternative modes of sexual reproduction evolved multiple times throughout evolution. In this review, we summarize the sex-determination modes and variants of sexual reproduction found across the eukaryotic tree of life and suggest that eukaryotic microbes provide unique opportunities to study these processes in detail. We propose that understanding variations in modes of sexual reproduction can serve as a foundation to study the evolution of sex and why and how it evolved in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Yadav
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
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Wang YW, McKeon MC, Elmore H, Hess J, Golan J, Gage H, Mao W, Harrow L, Gon ßalves SC, Hull CM, Pringle A. Invasive Californian death caps develop mushrooms unisexually and bisexually. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.30.525609. [PMID: 36778337 PMCID: PMC9915504 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.30.525609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Canonical sexual reproduction among basidiomycete fungi involves the fusion of two haploid individuals of different sexes, resulting in a heterokaryotic mycelial body made up of genetically different nuclei 1 . Using population genomics data, we discovered mushrooms of the deadly invasive Amanita phalloides are also homokaryotic, evidence of sexual reproduction by single individuals. In California, genotypes of homokaryotic mushrooms are also found in heterokaryotic mushrooms, implying nuclei of homokaryotic mycelia also promote outcrossing. We discovered death cap mating is controlled by a single mating-type locus ( A. phalloides is bipolar), but the development of homokaryotic mushrooms appears to bypass mating-type gene control. Ultimately, sporulation is enabled by nuclei able to reproduce alone as well as with others, and nuclei competent for both unisexuality and bisexuality have persisted in invaded habitats for at least 17 but potentially as long as 30 years. The diverse reproductive strategies of invasive death caps are likely facilitating its rapid spread, revealing a profound similarity between plant, animal and fungal invasions 2,3 .
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Cravero M, Robinson AJ, Hilpisch P, Chain PS, Bindschedler S, Junier P. Importance of appropriate genome information for the design of mating type primers in black and yellow morel populations. IMA Fungus 2022; 13:14. [PMID: 35996182 PMCID: PMC9394083 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-022-00101-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Morels are highly prized edible fungi where sexual reproduction is essential for fruiting-body production. As a result, a comprehensive understanding of their sexual reproduction is of great interest. Central to this is the identification of the reproductive strategies used by morels. Sexual reproduction in fungi is controlled by mating-type (MAT) genes and morels are thought to be mainly heterothallic with two idiomorphs, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2. Genomic sequencing of black (Elata clade) and yellow (Esculenta clade) morel species has led to the development of PCR primers designed to amplify genes from the two idiomorphs for rapid genotyping of isolates from these two clades. To evaluate the design and theoretical performance of these primers we performed a thorough bioinformatic investigation, including the detection of the MAT region in publicly available Morchella genomes and in-silico PCR analyses. All examined genomes, including those used for primer design, appeared to be heterothallic. This indicates an inherent fault in the original primer design which utilized a single Morchella genome, as the use of two genomes with complementary mating types would be required to design accurate primers for both idiomorphs. Furthermore, potential off-targets were identified for some of the previously published primer sets, but verification was challenging due to lack of adequate genomic information and detailed methodologies for primer design. Examinations of the black morel specific primer pairs (MAT11L/R and MAT22L/R) indicated the MAT22 primers would correctly target and amplify the MAT1-2 idiomorph, but the MAT11 primers appear to be capable of amplifying incorrect off-targets within the genome. The yellow morel primer pairs (EMAT1-1 L/R and EMAT1-2 L/R) appear to have reporting errors, as the published primer sequences are dissimilar with reported amplicon sequences and the EMAT1-2 primers appear to amplify the RNA polymerase II subunit (RPB2) gene. The lack of the reference genome used in primer design and descriptive methodology made it challenging to fully assess the apparent issues with the primers for this clade. In conclusion, additional work is still required for the generation of reliable primers to investigate mating types in morels and to assess their performance on different clades and across multiple geographical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Cravero
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Aaron J Robinson
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Patrick Hilpisch
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick S Chain
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Saskia Bindschedler
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
| | - Pilar Junier
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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Chai H, Liu P, Ma Y, Chen W, Tao N, Zhao Y. Organization and Unconventional Integration of the Mating-Type Loci in Morchella Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8070746. [PMID: 35887501 PMCID: PMC9318749 DOI: 10.3390/jof8070746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
True morels (Morchella spp.) are a group of delicious fungi in high demand worldwide, and some species of morels have been successfully cultivated in recent years. To better understand the sexual reproductive mechanisms of these fungi, we characterized the structure of the mating-type loci from ten morel species, and seven of them were obtained using long-range PCR amplification. Among the studied species, eight were heterothallic, two were homothallic, and four types of composition were observed in the MAT loci. In three of the five black morel species, the MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-10, and MAT1-1-11 genes were in the MAT1-1 idiomorph, and only the MAT1-2-1 gene was in the MAT1-2 idiomorph, while an integration event occurred in the other two species and resulted in the importation of the MAT1-1-11 gene into the MAT1-2 idiomorph and survival as a truncated fragment in the MAT1-1 idiomorph. However, the MAT1-1-11 gene was not available in the four yellow morels and one blushing morel species. M. rufobrunnea, a representative species of the earliest diverging branch of true morels, along with another yellow morel Mes-15, were confirmed to be homothallic, and the MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-10, and MAT1-2-1 genes were arranged in a tandem array. Therefore, we hypothesized that homothallism should be the ancestral reproductive state in Morchella. RT-PCR analyses revealed that four mating genes could be constitutively expressed, while the MAT1-1-10 gene underwent alternative splicing to produce different splice variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Chai
- Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China; (H.C.); (P.L.); (Y.M.); (W.C.); (N.T.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology, Kunming 650205, China
- Key Lab of Southwestern Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kunming 650205, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China; (H.C.); (P.L.); (Y.M.); (W.C.); (N.T.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology, Kunming 650205, China
- Key Lab of Southwestern Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kunming 650205, China
| | - Yuanhao Ma
- Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China; (H.C.); (P.L.); (Y.M.); (W.C.); (N.T.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology, Kunming 650205, China
- Key Lab of Southwestern Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kunming 650205, China
| | - Weimin Chen
- Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China; (H.C.); (P.L.); (Y.M.); (W.C.); (N.T.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology, Kunming 650205, China
- Key Lab of Southwestern Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kunming 650205, China
| | - Nan Tao
- Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China; (H.C.); (P.L.); (Y.M.); (W.C.); (N.T.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology, Kunming 650205, China
- Key Lab of Southwestern Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kunming 650205, China
| | - Yongchang Zhao
- Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China; (H.C.); (P.L.); (Y.M.); (W.C.); (N.T.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology, Kunming 650205, China
- Key Lab of Southwestern Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kunming 650205, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-871-6514-0446
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15
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Li J, Wingfield MJ, Barnes I, Chen S. Calonectria in the age of genes and genomes: Towards understanding an important but relatively unknown group of pathogens. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2022; 23:1060-1072. [PMID: 35338559 PMCID: PMC9190971 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The genus Calonectria includes many aggressive plant pathogens causing diseases on various agricultural crops as well as forestry and ornamental tree species. Some species have been accidentally introduced into new environments via international trade of putatively asymptomatic plant germplasm or contaminated soil, resulting in significant economic losses. This review provides an overview of the taxonomy, population biology, and pathology of Calonectria species, specifically emerging from contemporary studies that have relied on DNA-based technologies. The growing importance of genomics in future research is highlighted. A life cycle is proposed for Calonectria species, aimed at improving our ability to manage diseases caused by these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- JieQiong Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- Research Institute of Fast‐growing Trees/China Eucalypt Research Centre, Chinese Academy of ForestryZhanjiangChina
| | - Michael J. Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Irene Barnes
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - ShuaiFei Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- Research Institute of Fast‐growing Trees/China Eucalypt Research Centre, Chinese Academy of ForestryZhanjiangChina
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Passer AR, Clancey SA, Shea T, David-Palma M, Averette AF, Boekhout T, Porcel BM, Nowrousian M, Cuomo CA, Sun S, Heitman J, Coelho MA. Obligate sexual reproduction of a homothallic fungus closely related to the Cryptococcus pathogenic species complex. eLife 2022; 11:e79114. [PMID: 35713948 PMCID: PMC9296135 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi are enigmatic organisms that flourish in soil, on decaying plants, or during infection of animals or plants. Growing in myriad forms, from single-celled yeast to multicellular molds and mushrooms, fungi have also evolved a variety of strategies to reproduce. Normally, fungi reproduce in one of two ways: either they reproduce asexually, with one individual producing a new individual identical to itself, or they reproduce sexually, with two individuals of different 'mating types' contributing to produce a new individual. However, individuals of some species exhibit 'homothallism' or self-fertility: these individuals can produce reproductive cells that are universally compatible, and therefore can reproduce sexually with themselves or with any other cell in the population. Homothallism has evolved multiple times throughout the fungal kingdom, suggesting it confers advantage when population numbers are low or mates are hard to find. Yet some homothallic fungi been overlooked compared to heterothallic species, whose mating types have been well characterised. Understanding the genetic basis of homothallism and how it evolved in different species can provide insights into pathogenic species that cause fungal disease. With that in mind, Passer, Clancey et al. explored the genetic basis of homothallism in Cryptococcus depauperatus, a close relative of C. neoformans, a species that causes fungal infections in humans. A combination of genetic sequencing techniques and experiments were applied to analyse, compare, and manipulate C. depauperatus' genome to see how this species evolved self-fertility. Passer, Clancey et al. showed that C. depauperatus evolved the ability to reproduce sexually by itself via a unique evolutionary pathway. The result is a form of homothallism never reported in fungi before. C. depauperatus lost some of the genes that control mating in other species of fungi, and acquired genes from the opposing mating types of a heterothallic ancestor to become self-fertile. Passer, Clancey et al. also found that, unlike other Cryptococcus species that switch between asexual and sexual reproduction, C. depauperatus grows only as long, branching filaments called hyphae, a sexual form. The species reproduces sexually with itself throughout its life cycle and is unable to produce a yeast (asexual) form, in contrast to other closely related species. This work offers new insights into how different modes of sexual reproduction have evolved in fungi. It also provides another interesting case of how genome plasticity and evolutionary pressures can produce similar outcomes, homothallism, via different evolutionary paths. Lastly, assembling the complete genome of C. depauperatus will foster comparative studies between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Cryptococcus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Ryan Passer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Shelly Applen Clancey
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Terrance Shea
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Márcia David-Palma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Anna Floyd Averette
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity InstituteUtrechtNetherlands
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Betina M Porcel
- Génomique Métabolique, CNRS, University Evry, Université Paris-SaclayEvryFrance
| | - Minou Nowrousian
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare und Zelluläre Botanik, Ruhr-Universität BochumBochumGermany
| | | | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Marco A Coelho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
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Mating-Type Switching in Budding Yeasts, from Flip/Flop Inversion to Cassette Mechanisms. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2022; 86:e0000721. [PMID: 35195440 PMCID: PMC8941940 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00007-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating-type switching is a natural but unusual genetic control process that regulates cell identity in ascomycete yeasts. It involves physically replacing one small piece of genomic DNA by another, resulting in replacement of the master regulatory genes in the mating pathway and hence a switch of cell type and mating behavior. In this review, we concentrate on recent progress that has been made on understanding the origins and evolution of mating-type switching systems in budding yeasts (subphylum Saccharomycotina). Because of the unusual nature and the complexity of the mechanism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mating-type switching was assumed until recently to have originated only once or twice during yeast evolution. However, comparative genomics analysis now shows that switching mechanisms arose many times independently-at least 11 times in budding yeasts and once in fission yeasts-a dramatic example of convergent evolution. Most of these lineages switch mating types by a flip/flop mechanism that inverts a section of a chromosome and is simpler than the well-characterized 3-locus cassette mechanism (MAT/HML/HMR) used by S. cerevisiae. Mating-type switching (secondary homothallism) is one of the two possible mechanisms by which a yeast species can become self-fertile. The other mechanism (primary homothallism) has also emerged independently in multiple evolutionary lineages of budding yeasts, indicating that homothallism has been favored strongly by natural selection. Recent work shows that HO endonuclease, which makes the double-strand DNA break that initiates switching at the S. cerevisiae MAT locus, evolved from an unusual mobile genetic element that originally targeted a glycolytic gene, FBA1.
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Jaimes Y, Gonzalez C, Rojas J, Rivera JJ, Cilas C, Argout X. Population Structure of Moniliophthora perniciosa in the Main Cacao Producing Departments of Colombia. PLANT DISEASE 2022; 106:1492-1501. [PMID: 34879729 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-12-20-2679-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The witches' broom (Moniliophthora perniciosa) is considered as one of the main threats for cacao production and, consequently, for chocolate production worldwide. In this work, the genetic diversity and population structure of M. perniciosa were analyzed for 59 isolates collected in five departments of Colombia and using 10 microsatellite markers. Analyses revealed 35 multilocus genotypes and clonal populations structure according to linkage disequilibrium analysis. One of the objectives of this study was to determine whether populations were differentiated by geographic origin or Theobroma cacao host genotype. Analysis of molecular variance, discriminant analysis of principal components, and Bruvo genetic distance suggested that the genetic structure was driven by geographic origin and not by T. cacao genotype. The results of this study were consistent with previous findings obtained in other cocoa-producing countries. Important insights were discussed regarding the dispersal patterns of the pathogen in Colombia and the genetic change of its populations because of different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeirme Jaimes
- Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA), Centro de Investigación La Suiza, Rionegro, Santander 687511, Colombia
| | - Carolina Gonzalez
- Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA), Centro de Investigación Tibaitatá, Bogotá, Cundinamarca 0130, Colombia
| | - Jairo Rojas
- Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA), Centro de Investigación La Suiza, Rionegro, Santander 687511, Colombia
| | - Jessica Johana Rivera
- Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA), Centro de Investigación La Suiza, Rionegro, Santander 687511, Colombia
| | - Christian Cilas
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Deputy Director General for Research and Strategy, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Cocody, 01 BP 6483 Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Xavier Argout
- Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA), Centro de Investigación Palmira, Palmira, Valle del Cauca 763531, Colombia
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), UMR AGAP, Palmira 763532, Colombia
- AGAP, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE), Institut Agro, Université Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier, France
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Aylward J, Havenga M, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Dreyer LL, Roets F, Steenkamp ET. Novel mating-type-associated genes and gene fragments in the genomes of Mycosphaerellaceae and Teratosphaeriaceae fungi. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 171:107456. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Solieri L, Cassanelli S, Huff F, Barroso L, Branduardi P, Louis EJ, Morrissey JP. Insights on life cycle and cell identity regulatory circuits for unlocking genetic improvement in Zygosaccharomyces and Kluyveromyces yeasts. FEMS Yeast Res 2021; 21:foab058. [PMID: 34791177 PMCID: PMC8673824 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foab058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution has provided a vast diversity of yeasts that play fundamental roles in nature and society. This diversity is not limited to genotypically homogeneous species with natural interspecies hybrids and allodiploids that blur species boundaries frequently isolated. Thus, life cycle and the nature of breeding systems have profound effects on genome variation, shaping heterozygosity, genotype diversity and ploidy level. The apparent enrichment of hybrids in industry-related environments suggests that hybridization provides an adaptive route against stressors and creates interest in developing new hybrids for biotechnological uses. For example, in the Saccharomyces genus where regulatory circuits controlling cell identity, mating competence and meiosis commitment have been extensively studied, this body of knowledge is being used to combine interesting traits into synthetic F1 hybrids, to bypass F1 hybrid sterility and to dissect complex phenotypes by bulk segregant analysis. Although these aspects are less known in other industrially promising yeasts, advances in whole-genome sequencing and analysis are changing this and new insights are being gained, especially in the food-associated genera Zygosaccharomyces and Kluyveromyces. We discuss this new knowledge and highlight how deciphering cell identity circuits in these lineages will contribute significantly to identify the genetic determinants underpinning complex phenotypes and open new avenues for breeding programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Solieri
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Stefano Cassanelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Franziska Huff
- School of Microbiology, APC Microbiome Ireland, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Liliane Barroso
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2-20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Branduardi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2-20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Edward J Louis
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - John P Morrissey
- School of Microbiology, APC Microbiome Ireland, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland
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Wilson AM, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. Genetic Networks That Govern Sexual Reproduction in the Pezizomycotina. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:e0002021. [PMID: 34585983 PMCID: PMC8485983 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00020-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual development in filamentous fungi is a complex process that relies on the precise control of and interaction between a variety of genetic networks and pathways. The mating-type (MAT) genes are the master regulators of this process and typically act as transcription factors, which control the expression of genes involved at all stages of the sexual cycle. In many fungi, the sexual cycle typically begins when the mating pheromones of one mating type are recognized by a compatible partner, followed by physical interaction and fertilization. Subsequently, highly specialized sexual structures are formed, within which the sexual spores develop after rounds of meiosis and mitosis. These spores are then released and germinate, forming new individuals that initiate new cycles of growth. This review provides an overview of the known genetic networks and pathways that are involved in each major stage of the sexual cycle in filamentous ascomycete fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi M. Wilson
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - P. Markus Wilken
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Michael J. Wingfield
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Brenda D. Wingfield
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
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22
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Nagel JH, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B. Next-generation sequencing provides important insights into the biology and evolution of the Botryosphaeriaceae. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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23
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Abstract
True morels (Morchella spp., Morchellaceae, Ascomycota) are widely regarded as a highly prized delicacy and are of great economic and scientific value. Recently, the rapid development of cultivation technology and expansion of areas for artificial morel cultivation have propelled morel research into a hot topic. Many studies have been conducted in various aspects of morel biology, but despite this, cultivation sites still frequently report failure to fruit or only low production of fruiting bodies. Key problems include the gap between cultivation practices and basic knowledge of morel biology. In this review, in an effort to highlight the mating systems, evolution, and life cycle of morels, we summarize the current state of knowledge of morel sexual reproduction, the structure and evolution of mating-type genes, the sexual process itself, and the influence of mating-type genes on the asexual stages and conidium production. Understanding of these processes is critical for improving technology for the cultivation of morels and for scaling up their commercial production. Morel species may well be good candidates as model species for improving sexual development research in ascomycetes in the future.
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Abstract
Sexual reproduction in fungi relies on proteins with well-known functions encoded by the mating type (MAT) loci. In the Basidiomycota, MAT loci are often bipartite, with the P/R locus encoding pheromone precursors and pheromone receptors and the HD locus encoding heterodimerizing homeodomain transcription factors (Hd1/Hd2). The interplay between different alleles of these genes within a single species usually generates at least two compatible mating types. However, a minority of species are homothallic, reproducing sexually without an obligate need for a compatible partner. Here, we examine the organization and function of the MAT loci of Cystofilobasidium capitatum, a species in the order Cystofilobasidiales, which is unusually rich in homothallic species. We determined MAT gene content and organization in C. capitatum and found that it resembles a mating type of the closely related heterothallic species Cystofilobasidium ferigula To explain the homothallic sexual reproduction observed in C. capitatum, we examined HD protein interactions in the two Cystofilobasidium species and determined C. capitatum MAT gene expression both in a natural setting and upon heterologous expression in Phaffia rhodozyma, a homothallic species belonging to a clade sister to that of Cystofilobasidium. We conclude that the molecular basis for homothallism in C. capitatum appears to be distinct from that previously established for P. rhodozyma Unlike in the latter species, homothallism in C. capitatum may involve constitutive activation or dispensability of the pheromone receptor and the functional replacement of the usual Hd1/Hd2 heterodimer by an Hd2 homodimer. Overall, our results suggest that homothallism evolved multiple times within the Cystofilobasidiales.IMPORTANCE Sexual reproduction is important for the biology of eukaryotes because it strongly impacts the dynamics of genetic variation. In fungi, although sexual reproduction is usually associated with the fusion between cells belonging to different individuals (heterothallism), sometimes a single individual is capable of completing the sexual cycle alone (homothallism). Homothallic species are unusually common in a fungal lineage named Cystofilobasidiales. Here, we studied the genetic bases of homothallism in one species in this lineage, Cystofilobasidium capitatum, and found it to be different in several aspects from those of another homothallic species, Phaffia rhodozyma, belonging to the genus most closely related to Cystofilobasidium Our results strongly suggest that homothallism evolved independently in Phaffia and Cystofilobasidium, lending support to the idea that transitions between heterothallism and homothallism are not as infrequent as previously thought. Our work also helps to establish the Cystofilobasidiales as a model lineage in which to study these transitions.
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Krämer D, Lane FA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Wilken PM. Unidirectional mating-type switching confers self-fertility to Thielaviopsis cerberus, the only homothallic species in the genus. Fungal Biol 2021; 125:427-434. [PMID: 34024590 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is ubiquitous in nature, and nowhere is this more so than in the fungi. Heterothallic behaviour is observed when there is a strict requirement of contact between two individuals of opposite mating type for sexual reproduction to occur. In contrast, a homothallic species can complete the entire sexual cycle in isolation, although several genetic mechanisms underpin this self-fertility. These can be inferred by characterising the structure and gene-content of the mating-type locus, which contains genes that are involved in the regulation of sexual reproduction. In this study, the genetic basis of homothallism in Thielaviopsis cerberus was investigated, the only known self-fertile species within this genus. Using genome sequencing and conventional molecular techniques, two versions of the mating-type locus were identified in this species. This is typical of species that have a unidirectional mating-type switching reproductive strategy. The first version was a self-fertile locus that contained four known mating-type genes, while the second was a self-sterile version with a single mating-type gene. The conversion from a self-fertile to a self-sterile locus is likely mediated by a homologous recombination event at two direct repeats present in the self-fertile locus, resulting in the deletion of three mating-type genes and one of the repeats. Both locus versions were present in isolates that were self-fertile, while self-sterility was caused by the presence of only a switched locus. This study provides a clear example of the architectural fluidity in the mating-type loci that is common among even closely related fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Krämer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Frances A Lane
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Brenda D Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - P Markus Wilken
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa. http://
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Cornejo C, Hauser A, Beenken L, Cech T, Rigling D. Cryphonectria carpinicola sp. nov. Associated with hornbeam decline in Europe. Fungal Biol 2020; 125:347-356. [PMID: 33910676 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Since the early 2000s, reports on declining hornbeam trees (Carpinus betulus) are spreading in Europe. Two fungi are involved in the decline phenomenon: One is Anthostoma decipiens, but the other etiological agent has not been identified yet. We examined the morphology, phylogenetic position, and pathogenicity of yellow fungal isolates obtained from hornbeam trees from Austria, Georgia and Switzerland, and compared data with disease reports from northern Italy documented since the early 2000s. Results demonstrate distinctive morphology and monophyletic status of Cryphonectria carpinicola sp. nov. as etiological agent of the European hornbeam decline. Interestingly, the genus Cryphonectria splits into two major clades. One includes Cry. carpinicola together with Cry. radicalis, Cry. decipiens and Cry. naterciae from Europe, while the other comprises species known from Asia-suggesting that the genus Cryphonectria has developed at two evolutionary centres, one in Europe and Asia Minor, the other in East Asia. Pathogenicity studies confirm that Car. betulus is a major host species of Cry. carpinicola. This clearly distinguished Cry. carpinicola from other Cryphonectria species, which mainly occur on Castanea and Quercus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Cornejo
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Andrea Hauser
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ludwig Beenken
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Cech
- Bundesforschungszentrum für Wald, Institut für Waldschutz, Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 8, 1131, Wien, Austria
| | - Daniel Rigling
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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Gupta S, Paul K, Kaur S. Diverse species in the genus Cryptococcus: Pathogens and their non-pathogenic ancestors. IUBMB Life 2020; 72:2303-2312. [PMID: 32897638 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The genus Cryptococcus comprises of more than 30 species. It consists of clinically significant pathogenic Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex comprising of a minimum of seven species. These pathogens cost more than 200,000 lives annually by causing cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. The evolution of the pathogenic species from closely related non-pathogenic species of the Cryptococcus amylolentus complex is of particular importance and several advances have been made to understand their phylogenetic and genomic relationships. The current review briefly describes the sexual reproduction process followed by an individual description of the members focusing on their key attributes and virulence mechanisms of the pathogenic species. A special section on phylogenetic studies is aimed at understanding the evolutionary divergence of pathogens from non-pathogens. Recent findings from our group pertaining to parameters affecting codon usage bias in six pathogenic and three non-pathogenic ancestral species and their corroboration with existing phylogenetic reports are also included in the current review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelly Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry, Lovely Professional University, Kapurthala, India
| | - Karan Paul
- Department of Biochemistry, DAV University, Jalandhar, India
| | - Sukhmanjot Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry, Lovely Professional University, Kapurthala, India
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Havenga M, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Roets F, Dreyer LL, Tatham CT, Duong TA, Wilken PM, Chen S, Aylward J. Mating strategy and mating type distribution in six global populations of the Eucalyptus foliar pathogen Teratosphaeria destructans. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 137:103350. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Mating genes in Calonectria and evidence for a heterothallic ancestral state. Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 2020; 45:163-176. [PMID: 34456375 PMCID: PMC8375350 DOI: 10.3767/persoonia.2020.45.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The genus Calonectria includes many important plant pathogens with a wide global distribution. In order to better understand the reproductive biology of these fungi, we characterised the structure of the mating type locus and flanking genes using the genome sequences for seven Calonectria species. Primers to amplify the mating type genes in other species were also developed. PCR amplification of the mating type genes and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses were used to investigate the mating strategies and evolution of mating type in a collection of 70 Calonectria species residing in 10 Calonectria species complexes. Results showed that the organisation of the MAT locus and flanking genes is conserved. In heterothallic species, a novel MAT gene, MAT1-2-12 was identified in the MAT1-2 idiomorph; the MAT1-1 idiomorph, in most cases, contained the MAT1-1-3 gene. Neither MAT1-1-3 nor MAT1-2-12 was found in homothallic Calonectria (Ca.) hongkongensis, Ca. lateralis, Ca. pseudoturangicola and Ca. turangicola. Four different homothallic MAT locus gene arrangements were observed. Ancestral state reconstruction analysis provided evidence that the homothallic state was basal in Calonectria and this evolved from a heterothallic ancestor.
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Keuler R, Garretson A, Saunders T, Erickson RJ, St Andre N, Grewe F, Smith H, Lumbsch HT, Huang JP, St Clair LL, Leavitt SD. Genome-scale data reveal the role of hybridization in lichen-forming fungi. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1497. [PMID: 32001749 PMCID: PMC6992703 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58279-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Advancements in molecular genetics have revealed that hybridization may be common among plants, animals, and fungi, playing a role in evolutionary dynamics and speciation. While hybridization has been well-documented in pathogenic fungi, the effects of these processes on speciation in fungal lineages with different life histories and ecological niches are largely unexplored. Here we investigated the potential influence of hybridization on the emergence of morphologically and reproductively distinct asexual lichens. We focused on vagrant forms (growing obligately unattached to substrates) within a clade of rock-dwelling, sexually reproducing species in the Rhizoplaca melanophthalma (Lecanoraceae, Ascomycota) species complex. We used phylogenomic data from both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes to infer evolutionary relationships and potential patterns of introgression. We observed multiple instances of discordance between the mitochondrial and nuclear trees, including the clade comprising the asexual vagrant species R. arbuscula, R. haydenii, R. idahoensis, and a closely related rock-dwelling lineage. Despite well-supported phylogenies, we recovered strong evidence of a reticulated evolutionary history using a network approach that incorporates both incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization. These data suggest that the rock-dwelling western North American subalpine endemic R. shushanii is potentially the result of a hybrid speciation event, and introgression may have also played a role in other taxa, including vagrant species R. arbuscula, R. haydenii and R. idahoensis. We discuss the potential roles of hybridization in terms of generating asexuality and novel morphological traits in lichens. Furthermore, our results highlight the need for additional study of reticulate phylogenies when investigating species boundaries and evolutionary history, even in cases with well-supported topologies inferred from genome-scale data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Keuler
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Alexis Garretson
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Theresa Saunders
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Robert J Erickson
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Nathan St Andre
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Felix Grewe
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Science & Education, The Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Hayden Smith
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - H Thorsten Lumbsch
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Science & Education, The Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Jen-Pan Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd, Section 2, Nankang District, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Larry L St Clair
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
- M. L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1115 MLBM, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Steven D Leavitt
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
- M. L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1115 MLBM, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
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Integrative Activity of Mating Loci, Environmentally Responsive Genes, and Secondary Metabolism Pathways during Sexual Development of Chaetomium globosum. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.02119-19. [PMID: 31822585 PMCID: PMC6904875 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02119-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal diversity has amazed evolutionary biologists for decades. One societally important aspect of this diversity manifests in traits that enable pathogenicity. The opportunistic pathogen Chaetomium globosum is well adapted to a high-humidity environment and produces numerous secondary metabolites that defend it from predation. Many of these chemicals can threaten human health. Understanding the phases of the C. globosum life cycle in which these products are made enables better control and even utilization of this fungus. Among its intriguing traits is that it both is self-fertile and lacks any means of propagule-based asexual reproduction. By profiling genome-wide gene expression across the process of sexual reproduction in C. globosum and comparing it to genome-wide gene expression in the model filamentous fungus N. crassa and other closely related fungi, we revealed associations among mating-type genes, sexual developmental genes, sexual incompatibility regulators, environmentally responsive genes, and secondary metabolic pathways. The origins and maintenance of the rich fungal diversity have been longstanding issues in evolutionary biology. To investigate how differences in expression regulation contribute to divergences in development and ecology among closely related species, transcriptomes were compared between Chaetomium globosum, a homothallic pathogenic fungus thriving in highly humid ecologies, and Neurospora crassa, a heterothallic postfire saprotroph. Gene expression was quantified in perithecia at nine distinct morphological stages during nearly synchronous sexual development. Unlike N. crassa, expression of all mating loci in C. globosum was highly correlated. Key regulators of the initiation of sexual development in response to light stimuli—including orthologs of N. crassasub-1, sub-1-dependent gene NCU00309, and asl-1—showed regulatory dynamics matching between C. globosum and N. crassa. Among 24 secondary metabolism gene clusters in C. globosum, 11—including the cochliodones biosynthesis cluster—exhibited highly coordinated expression across perithecial development. C. globosum exhibited coordinately upregulated expression of histidine kinases in hyperosmotic response pathways—consistent with gene expression responses to high humidity we identified in fellow pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Bayesian networks indicated that gene interactions during sexual development have diverged in concert with the capacities both to reproduce asexually and to live a self-compatible versus self-incompatible life cycle, shifting the hierarchical roles of genes associated with conidiation and heterokaryon incompatibility in N. crassa and C. globosum. This divergence supports an evolutionary history of loss of conidiation due to unfavorable combinations of heterokaryon incompatibility in homothallic species.
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Whole Genome Sequence of the Commercially Relevant Mushroom Strain Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus ARP23. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:3057-3066. [PMID: 31371382 PMCID: PMC6778795 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Agaricus bisporus is an extensively cultivated edible mushroom. Demand for cultivation is continuously growing and difficulties associated with breeding programs now means strains are effectively considered monoculture. While commercial growing practices are highly efficient and tightly controlled, the over-use of a single strain has led to a variety of disease outbreaks from a range of pathogens including bacteria, fungi and viruses. To address this, the Agaricus Resource Program (ARP) was set up to collect wild isolates from diverse geographical locations through a bounty-driven scheme to create a repository of wild Agaricus germplasm. One of the strains collected, Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus ARP23, has been crossed extensively with white commercial varieties leading to the generation of a novel hybrid with a dark brown pileus commonly referred to as 'Heirloom'. Heirloom has been successfully implemented into commercial mushroom cultivation. In this study the whole genome of Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus ARP23 was sequenced and assembled with Illumina and PacBio sequencing technology. The final genome was found to be 33.49 Mb in length and have significant levels of synteny to other sequenced Agaricus bisporus strains. Overall, 13,030 putative protein coding genes were located and annotated. Relative to the other A. bisporus genomes that are currently available, Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus ARP23 is the largest A. bisporus strain in terms of gene number and genetic content sequenced to date. Comparative genomic analysis shows that the A. bisporus mating loci in unifactorial and unsurprisingly highly conserved between strains. The lignocellulolytic gene content of all A. bisporus strains compared is also very similar. Our results show that the pangenome structure of A. bisporus is quite diverse with between 60-70% of the total protein coding genes per strain considered as being orthologous and syntenically conserved. These analyses and the genome sequence described herein are the starting point for more detailed molecular analyses into the growth and phenotypical responses of Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus ARP23 when challenged with economically important mycoviruses.
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Krassowski T, Kominek J, Shen XX, Opulente DA, Zhou X, Rokas A, Hittinger CT, Wolfe KH. Multiple Reinventions of Mating-type Switching during Budding Yeast Evolution. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2555-2562.e8. [PMID: 31353182 PMCID: PMC6692504 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cell type in budding yeasts is determined by the genotype at the mating-type (MAT) locus, but yeast species differ widely in their mating compatibility systems and life cycles. Among sexual yeasts, heterothallic species are those in which haploid strains fall into two distinct and stable mating types (MATa and MATα), whereas homothallic species are those that can switch mating types or that appear not to have distinct mating types [1, 2]. The evolutionary history of these mating compatibility systems is uncertain, particularly regarding the number and direction of transitions between homothallism and heterothallism, and regarding whether the process of mating-type switching had a single origin [3, 4, 5]. Here, we inferred the mating compatibility systems of 332 budding yeast species from their genome sequences. By reference to a robust phylogenomic tree [6], we detected evolutionary transitions between heterothallism and homothallism, and among different forms of homothallism. We find that mating-type switching has arisen independently at least 11 times during yeast evolution and that transitions from heterothallism to homothallism greatly outnumber transitions in the opposite direction (31 versus 3). Although the 3-locus MAT-HML-HMR mechanism of mating-type switching as seen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae had a single evolutionary origin in budding yeasts, simpler “flip/flop” mechanisms of switching evolved separately in at least 10 other groups of yeasts. These results point to the adaptive value of homothallism and mating-type switching to unicellular fungi. Mating-type switching by flip-flopping arose at least 10 separate times Mating-type switching by copy-and-paste arose only once in budding yeasts Transitions toward homothallism outnumber transitions away from homothallism Heterothallic species can become homothallic by DNA introgression
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadeusz Krassowski
- Conway Institute and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland; Laboratory of Genetics, Genome Center of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jacek Kominek
- Laboratory of Genetics, Genome Center of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Dana A Opulente
- Laboratory of Genetics, Genome Center of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, Genome Center of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kenneth H Wolfe
- Conway Institute and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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Pizarro D, Dal Grande F, Leavitt SD, Dyer PS, Schmitt I, Crespo A, Thorsten Lumbsch H, Divakar PK. Whole-Genome Sequence Data Uncover Widespread Heterothallism in the Largest Group of Lichen-Forming Fungi. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:721-730. [PMID: 30715356 PMCID: PMC6414310 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal reproduction is regulated by the mating-type (MAT1) locus, which typically comprises two idiomorphic genes. The presence of one or both allelic variants at the locus determines the reproductive strategy in fungi—homothallism versus heterothallism. It has been hypothesized that self-fertility via homothallism is widespread in lichen-forming fungi. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the MAT1 locus of 41 genomes of lichen-forming fungi representing a wide range of growth forms and reproductive strategies in the class Lecanoromycetes, the largest group of lichen-forming fungi. Our results show the complete lack of genetic homothallism suggesting that lichens evolved from a heterothallic ancestor. We argue that this may be related to the symbiotic lifestyle of these fungi, and may be a key innovation that has contributed to the accelerated diversification rates in this fungal group.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pizarro
- Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y Botánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesco Dal Grande
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe Universität and Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Steven Don Leavitt
- Department of Biology and M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
| | | | - Imke Schmitt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe Universität and Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ana Crespo
- Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y Botánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pradeep Kumar Divakar
- Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y Botánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
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Goüy de Bellocq J, Wasimuddin, Ribas A, Bryja J, Piálek J, Baird SJE. Holobiont suture zones: Parasite evidence across the European house mouse hybrid zone. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:5214-5227. [PMID: 30427096 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasite hybrid zones resulting from host secondary contact have never been described in nature although parasite hybridization is well known and secondary contact should affect them similarly to free-living organisms. When host populations are isolated, diverge and recontact, intimate parasites (host specific, direct life cycle) carried during isolation will also meet and so may form parasite hybrid zones. If so, we hypothesize these should be narrower than the host's hybrid zone as shorter parasite generation time allows potentially higher divergence. We investigate multilocus genetics of two parasites across the European house mouse hybrid zone. We find each host taxon harbours its own parasite taxa. These also hybridize: Parasite hybrid zones are significantly narrower than the host's. Here, we show a host hybrid zone is a suture zone for a subset of its parasite community and highlight the potential of such systems as windows on the evolutionary processes of host-parasite interactions and recombinant pathogen emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wasimuddin
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alexis Ribas
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.,Section of Parasitology, Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josef Bryja
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Piálek
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Stuart J E Baird
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
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Allen JL, McKenzie SK, Sleith RS, Alter SE. First genome-wide analysis of the endangered, endemic lichen Cetradonia linearis reveals isolation by distance and strong population structure. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2018; 105:1556-1567. [PMID: 30157288 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Lichenized fungi are evolutionarily diverse and ecologically important, but little is known about the processes that drive their diversification and genetic differentiation. Distributions are often assumed to be wholly shaped by ecological requirements rather than dispersal limitations. Furthermore, although asexual and sexual reproductive structures are observable, the lack of information about recombination rates makes inferences about reproductive strategies difficult. We investigated the population genomics of Cetradonia linearis, a federally endangered lichen in the southern Appalachians of eastern North America, to test the relative contributions of environmental and geographic distance in shaping genetic structure, and to characterize the mating system and genome-wide recombination. METHODS Whole-genome shotgun sequencing was conducted to generate data for 32 individuals of C. linearis. A reference genome was assembled, and reads from all samples were aligned to generate a set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms for further analyses. KEY RESULTS We found evidence for low rates of recombination and for isolation by distance, but not for isolation by environment. The species is putatively unisexual, given that only one mating-type locus was found. Hindcast species distribution models and the distribution of genetic diversity support C. linearis having a larger range during the Last Glacial Maximum in the southern portion of its current extent. CONCLUSIONS Our findings contribute to the understanding of factors that shape genetic diversity in C. linearis and in fungi more broadly. Because all populations are highly genetically differentiated, the extirpation of any population would mean the loss of unique genetic diversity; therefore, our results support the continued conservation of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Allen
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York, 10458, USA
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Sean K McKenzie
- Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York, 10065, USA
| | - Robin S Sleith
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York, 10458, USA
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, USA
| | - S Elizabeth Alter
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, USA
- Biology Department, York College, 94-20 Guy R Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, New York, 11451, USA
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Heterothallism revealed in the root rot fungi Berkeleyomyces basicola and B. rouxiae. Fungal Biol 2018; 122:1031-1040. [PMID: 30342619 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2018.08.006] [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: 04/21/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Berkeleyomyces basicola and Berkeleyomyces rouxiae, two sister species previously treated collectively as Thielaviopsis basicola, reside in the Ceratocystidaceae (Microascales, Ascomycota). Both species are important root pathogens of many important agricultural crops and ornamental plants. Although T. basicola has been known for more than 150y, a sexual state has never been found and it has been assumed to be an asexual pathogen. The aim of this study was to determine the mating strategy of the two Berkeleyomyces species. Investigation of the genome sequences of two B. basicola isolates allowed for the complete characterization of the MATlocus, revealing that it has a typical heterothallic mating system with the MAT1-1andMAT1-2 idiomorphs occurring in different isolates. PCR amplification using mating type primers developed in this study, showed that the MAT1-1-1andMAT1-2-1 genes were also present in different isolates of B. rouxiae. Pairing of isolates representing the two mating types of both species,using a variety of techniques failed to produce sexual structures. Although we have found no direct evidence that they reproduce sexually, these fungi are clearly heterothallic with both mating types occurring in some countries suggesting that a cryptic sexual cycle could exist for them.
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The rate of facultative sex governs the number of expected mating types in isogamous species. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1168-1175. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0580-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Serrato-Capuchina A, Matute DR. The Role of Transposable Elements in Speciation. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E254. [PMID: 29762547 PMCID: PMC5977194 DOI: 10.3390/genes9050254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the phenotypic and molecular mechanisms that contribute to genetic diversity between and within species is fundamental in studying the evolution of species. In particular, identifying the interspecific differences that lead to the reduction or even cessation of gene flow between nascent species is one of the main goals of speciation genetic research. Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences with the ability to move within genomes. TEs are ubiquitous throughout eukaryotic genomes and have been shown to alter regulatory networks, gene expression, and to rearrange genomes as a result of their transposition. However, no systematic effort has evaluated the role of TEs in speciation. We compiled the evidence for TEs as potential causes of reproductive isolation across a diversity of taxa. We find that TEs are often associated with hybrid defects that might preclude the fusion between species, but that the involvement of TEs in other barriers to gene flow different from postzygotic isolation is still relatively unknown. Finally, we list a series of guides and research avenues to disentangle the effects of TEs on the origin of new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Serrato-Capuchina
- Biology Department, Genome Sciences Building, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
| | - Daniel R Matute
- Biology Department, Genome Sciences Building, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
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41
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Repeated evolution of self-compatibility for reproductive assurance. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1639. [PMID: 29691402 PMCID: PMC5915400 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04054-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction in eukaryotes requires the fusion of two compatible gametes of opposite sexes or mating types. To meet the challenge of finding a mating partner with compatible gametes, evolutionary mechanisms such as hermaphroditism and self-fertilization have repeatedly evolved. Here, by combining the insights from comparative genomics, computer simulations and experimental evolution in fission yeast, we shed light on the conditions promoting separate mating types or self-compatibility by mating-type switching. Analogous to multiple independent transitions between switchers and non-switchers in natural populations mediated by structural genomic changes, novel switching genotypes readily evolved under selection in the experimental populations. Detailed fitness measurements accompanied by computer simulations show the benefits and costs of switching during sexual and asexual reproduction, governing the occurrence of both strategies in nature. Our findings illuminate the trade-off between the benefits of reproductive assurance and its fitness costs under benign conditions facilitating the evolution of self-compatibility. Mating-type switching enables self-compatible reproduction in fungi, but switching ability is variable even within species. Here, the authors find de novo evolution of switching genotypes in experimentally evolved fission yeast populations and show a trade-off between mating success and growth.
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New Ceratocystis species associated with rapid death of Metrosideros polymorpha in Hawai'i. Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 2018; 40:154-181. [PMID: 30505000 PMCID: PMC6146641 DOI: 10.3767/persoonia.2018.40.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The native ‘ōhi’a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) has cultural, biological and ecological significance to Hawai’i, but it is seriously threatened by a disease commonly referred to as rapid ‘ōhi’a death (ROD). Preliminary investigations showed that a Ceratocystis species similar to C. fimbriata s.lat. was the cause of the disease. In this study, we used a combination of the phylogenetic, morphological and biological species concepts, as well as pathogenicity tests and microsatellite analyses, to characterise isolates collected from diseased ‘ōhi’a trees across Hawai’i Island. Two distinct lineages, representing new species of Ceratocystis, were evident based on multigene phylogenetic analyses. These are described here as C. lukuohia and C. huliohia. Ceratocystis lukuohia forms part of the Latin American clade (LAC) and was most closely associated with isolates from Syngonium and Xanthosoma from the Caribbean and elsewhere, including Hawai’i, and C. platani, which is native to eastern USA. Ceratocystis huliohia resides in the Asian-Australian clade (AAC) and is most closely related to C. uchidae, C. changhui and C. cercfabiensis, which are thought to be native to Asia. Morphology and interfertility tests support the delineation of these two new species and pathogenicity tests show that both species are aggressive pathogens on seedlings of M. polymorpha. Characterisation of isolates using microsatellite markers suggest that both species are clonal and likely represent recently-introduced strains. Intensive research is underway to develop rapid screening protocols for early detection of the pathogens and management strategies in an attempt to prevent the spread of the pathogens to the other islands of Hawai’i, which are currently disease free.
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Nagel JH, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B. Evolution of the mating types and mating strategies in prominent genera in the Botryosphaeriaceae. Fungal Genet Biol 2018. [PMID: 29530630 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Little is known regarding mating strategies in the Botryosphaeriaceae. To understand sexual reproduction in this fungal family, the mating type genes of Botryosphaeria dothidea and Macrophomina phaseolina, as well as several species of Diplodia, Lasiodiplodia and Neofusicoccum were characterized from whole genome assemblies. Comparisons between the mating type loci of these fungi showed that the mating type genes are highly variable, but in most cases the organization of these genes is conserved. Of the species considered, nine were homothallic and seven were heterothallic. Mating type gene fragments were discovered flanking the mating type regions, which indicates both ongoing and ancestral recombination occurring within the mating type region. Ancestral reconstruction analysis further indicated that heterothallism is the ancestral state in the Botryosphaeriaceae and this is supported by the presence of mating type gene fragments in homothallic species. The results also show that at least five transitions from heterothallism to homothallism have taken place in the Botryosphaeriaceae. The study provides a foundation for comparison of mating type evolution between Botryosphaeriaceae and other fungi and also provides valuable markers for population biology studies in this family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan H Nagel
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Michael J Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
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Wilson AM, van der Nest MA, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. Pheromone expression reveals putative mechanism of unisexuality in a saprobic ascomycete fungus. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192517. [PMID: 29505565 PMCID: PMC5837088 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Homothallism (self-fertility) describes a wide variety of sexual strategies that enable a fungus to reproduce in the absence of a mating partner. Unisexual reproduction, a form of homothallism, is a process whereby a fungus can progress through sexual reproduction in the absence of mating genes previously considered essential for self-fertility. In this study, we consider the molecular mechanisms that allow for this unique sexual behaviour in the saprotrophic ascomycete; Huntiella moniliformis. These molecular mechanisms are also compared to the underlying mechanisms that control sex in Huntiella omanensis, a closely related, but self-sterile, species. The main finding was that H. omanensis displayed mating-type dependent expression of the a- and α-pheromones. This was in contrast to H. moniliformis where both pheromones were co-expressed during vegetative growth and sexual development. Furthermore, H. moniliformis also expressed the receptors of both pheromones. Consequently, this fungus is likely able to recognize and respond to the endogenously produced pheromones, allowing for self-fertility in the absence of other key mating genes. Overall, these results are concomitant with those reported for other unisexual species, but represent the first detailed study considering the unisexual behaviour of a filamentous fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi M. Wilson
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Magriet A. van der Nest
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - P. Markus Wilken
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michael J. Wingfield
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Brenda D. Wingfield
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Wilken PM, Steenkamp ET, van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ, de Beer ZW, Wingfield BD. Unexpected placement of the MAT1-1-2 gene in the MAT1-2 idiomorph of Thielaviopsis. Fungal Genet Biol 2018; 113:32-41. [PMID: 29409964 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction in the Ascomycota is controlled by genes encoded at the mating-type or MAT1 locus. The two allelic versions of this locus in heterothallic species, referred to as idiomorphs, are defined by the MAT1-1-1 (for the MAT1-1 idiomorph) and MAT1-2-1 (for the MAT1-2 idiomorph) genes. Both idiomorphs can contain additional genes, although the contents of each is typically specific to and conserved within particular Pezizomycotina lineages. Using full genome sequences, complemented with conventional PCR and Sanger sequencing, we compared the mating-type idiomorphs in heterothallic species of Thielaviopsis (Ceratocystidaceae). The analyses showed that the MAT1-1 idiomorph of T. punctulata, T. paradoxa, T. euricoi, T. ethacetica and T. musarum harboured only the expected MAT1-1-1 gene. In contrast, the MAT1-2 idiomorph of T. punctulata, T. paradoxa and T. euricoi encoded the MAT1-2-1, MAT1-2-7 and MAT1-1-2 genes. Of these, MAT1-2-1 and MAT1-2-7 are genes previously reported in this idiomorph, while MAT1-1-2 is known only in the MAT1-1 idiomorph. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Thielaviopsis MAT1-1-2 groups with the known homologues of this gene in other Microascales, thus confirming its annotation. Previous work suggests that MAT1-1-2 is involved in fruiting body development, a role that would be unaffected by its idiomorphic position. This notion is supported by our findings for the MAT1 locus structure in Thielaviopsis species. This also serves as the first example of a MAT1-1-specific gene restricted to only the MAT1-2 idiomorph.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Markus Wilken
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Magriet A van der Nest
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Michael J Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Z Wilhelm de Beer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Brenda D Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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Creation of Stable Heterothallic Strains of Komagataella phaffii Enables Dissection of Mating Gene Regulation. Mol Cell Biol 2017; 38:MCB.00398-17. [PMID: 29061733 PMCID: PMC5748462 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00398-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The methylotrophic yeast Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) is homothallic and has been reported to switch mating type by an ancient inversion mechanism. Two mating-type (MAT) loci include homologs of the MATa and MATα transcription factor genes, with the expression from one locus downregulated by telomere position effects. However, not much is known about mating gene regulation, since the mixture of mating types complicates detailed investigations. In this study, we developed K. phaffii strains with stable mating types by deletion of the inverted-repeat region required for mating-type switching. These heterothallic strains retain their ability to mate with cells of the opposite mating type and were used to further elucidate mating gene regulation. Functional analysis of MAT mutant strains revealed the essential role of MATa2 and MATα1 in diploid cell formation. Disruption of MATa1 or MATα2 did not affect mating; however, in diploid cells, both genes are required for sporulation and the repression of shmoo formation. The heterothallic strains generated in this study allowed the first detailed characterization of mating gene regulation in K. phaffii They will be a valuable tool for further studies investigating cell-type-specific behavior and will enable in-depth genetic analyses and strain hybridization in this industrially relevant yeast species.
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Nieuwenhuis BPS, James TY. The frequency of sex in fungi. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0540. [PMID: 27619703 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi are a diverse group of organisms with a huge variation in reproductive strategy. While almost all species can reproduce sexually, many reproduce asexually most of the time. When sexual reproduction does occur, large variation exists in the amount of in- and out-breeding. While budding yeast is expected to outcross only once every 10 000 generations, other fungi are obligate outcrossers with well-mixed panmictic populations. In this review, we give an overview of the costs and benefits of sexual and asexual reproduction in fungi, and the mechanisms that evolved in fungi to reduce the costs of either mode. The proximate molecular mechanisms potentiating outcrossing and meiosis appear to be present in nearly all fungi, making them of little use for predicting outcrossing rates, but also suggesting the absence of true ancient asexual lineages. We review how population genetic methods can be used to estimate the frequency of sex in fungi and provide empirical data that support a mixed mode of reproduction in many species with rare to frequent sex in between rounds of mitotic reproduction. Finally, we highlight how these estimates might be affected by the fungus-specific mechanisms that evolved to reduce the costs of sexual and asexual reproduction.This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart P S Nieuwenhuis
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 North University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
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Hanson SJ, Byrne KP, Wolfe KH. Flip/flop mating-type switching in the methylotrophic yeast Ogataea polymorpha is regulated by an Efg1-Rme1-Ste12 pathway. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007092. [PMID: 29176810 PMCID: PMC5720833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In haploid cells of Ogataea (Hansenula) polymorpha an environmental signal, nitrogen starvation, induces a reversible change in the structure of a chromosome. This process, mating-type switching, inverts a 19-kb DNA region to place either MATa or MATα genes under centromeric repression of transcription, depending on the orientation of the region. Here, we investigated the genetic pathway that controls switching. We characterized the transcriptomes of haploid and diploid O. polymorpha by RNAseq in rich and nitrogen-deficient media, and found that there are no constitutively a-specific or α-specific genes other than the MAT genes themselves. We mapped a switching defect in a sibling species (O. parapolymorpha strain DL-1) by interspecies bulk segregant analysis to a frameshift in the transcription factor EFG1, which in Candida albicans regulates filamentous growth and white-opaque switching. Gene knockout, overexpression and ChIPseq experiments show that EFG1 regulates RME1, which in turn regulates STE12, to achieve mating-type switching. All three genes are necessary both for switching and for mating. Overexpression of RME1 or STE12 is sufficient to induce switching without a nitrogen depletion signal. The homologous recombination genes RAD51 and RAD17 are also necessary for switching. The pathway controlling switching in O. polymorpha shares no components with the regulation of HO in S. cerevisiae, which does not involve any environmental signal, but it shares some components with mating-type switching in Kluyveromyces lactis and with white-opaque phenotypic switching in C. albicans. The molecular mechanisms of self-fertility (homothallism) vary enormously among fungal species. We previously found that in the yeast Ogataea polymorpha, homothallism is achieved by a novel mating-type switching mechanism that exchanges the locations of MATa and MATα genes between expression and repression contexts. Switching in this species is induced by nitrogen depletion, unlike the analogous process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we show that the upstream parts of the genetic pathway controlling the environmental induction of switching in O. polymorpha are the same as the environmental pathway that induces competence for mating in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J. Hanson
- UCD Conway Institute, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Department of Molecular Biology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kevin P. Byrne
- UCD Conway Institute, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Kenneth H. Wolfe
- UCD Conway Institute, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Yun SH, Kim HK, Lee T, Turgeon BG. Self-fertility in Chromocrea spinulosa is a consequence of direct repeat-mediated loss of MAT1-2, subsequent imbalance of nuclei differing in mating type, and recognition between unlike nuclei in a common cytoplasm. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006981. [PMID: 28892488 PMCID: PMC5608430 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Chromocrea spinulosa (Trichoderma spinulosum) exhibits both self-fertile (homothallic) and self-sterile (heterothallic) sexual reproductive behavior. Self-fertile strains produce progeny cohorts that are 50% homothallic, 50% heterothallic. Heterothallic progeny can mate only with homothallic strains, and progeny also segregate 50% homothallic, 50% heterothallic. Sequencing of the mating type (MAT) region of homothallic and heterothallic strains revealed that both carry an intact MAT1-1 locus with three MAT1-1 genes (MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-2, MAT1-1-3), as previously described for the Sordariomycete group of filamentous fungi. Homothallic strains, however, have a second version of MAT with the MAT1-2 locus genetically linked to MAT1-1. In this version, the MAT1-1-1 open reading frame is split into a large and small fragment and the truncated ends are bordered by 115bp direct repeats (DR). The MAT1-2-1 gene and additional sequences are inserted between the repeats. To understand the mechanism whereby C. spinulosa can exhibit both homothallic and heterothallic behavior, we utilized molecular manipulation to delete one of the DRs from a homothallic strain and insert MAT1-2 into a heterothallic strain. Mating assays indicated that: i) the DRs are key to homothallic behavior, ii) looping out of MAT1-2-1 via intra-molecular homologous recombination between the DRs in self-fertile strains results in two nuclear types in an individual (one carrying both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 and one carrying MAT1-1 only), iii) self-fertility is achieved by inter-nuclear recognition between these two nuclear types before meiosis, iv) the two types of nuclei are in unequal proportion, v) having both an intact MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 gene in a single nucleus is not sufficient for self-fertility, and vi) the large truncated MAT1-1-1 fragment is expressed. Comparisons with MAT regions of Trichoderma reesei and Trichoderma virens suggest that several crossovers between misaligned parental MAT chromosomes may have led to the MAT architecture of homothallic C. spinulosa. Fungi employ one of two mating tactics for sexual reproduction: self-sterile/heterothallic species can mate only with a genetically distinct partner while self-fertile/homothallic species do not require a partner. In ascomycetes, sexual reproduction is controlled by master regulators encoded by the mating-type (MAT) locus. The architecture of MAT differs in heterothallic versus homothallic species; heterothallics carry one of two forms (MAT1-1 or MAT1-2) per nucleus, whereas most homothallics carry both MAT forms in a single nucleus. There are intriguing exceptions. For example, the yeast models, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe undergo reversible MAT switching, not demonstrated in filamentous fungi. Here, we describe the mating mechanism in Chromocrea spinulosa (Trichoderma spinulosum), a filamentous ascomycete that exhibits both homothallic and heterothallic behavior. Self-fertile strains produce progeny cohorts that are 50% homothallic, 50% heterothallic. Self-sterile strains can mate only with homothallic strains, and when this occurs, homothallic and heterothallic progeny are also produced in a 1:1 ratio. By MAT sequencing and manipulation, we discovered unique MAT architecture and determined that self-fertility is achieved by deletion of MAT1-2 from most homothallic nuclei and subsequent inter-nuclear recognition between the resulting two, unevenly present, nuclear types in a common cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Hwan Yun
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungnam, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (SHY); (BGT)
| | - Hee-Kyoung Kim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Theresa Lee
- Microbial Safety Team, National Institute of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - B. Gillian Turgeon
- Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SHY); (BGT)
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Wilken PM, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, de Beer ZW, Wingfield BD. Which MAT gene? Pezizomycotina (Ascomycota) mating-type gene nomenclature reconsidered. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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