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Yang J, Zeng M, Wu H, Han Z, Du ZR, Yu X, Luo W. Light irradiation changes the regulation pattern of BtCrgA on carotenogenesis in Blakeslea trispora. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2024; 371:fnae002. [PMID: 38200712 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
CrgA has been shown to be a negative regulator of carotenogenesis in some filamentous fungi, while light irradiation is an inducible environmental factor for carotenoid biosynthesis. To clarify the relationship between CrgA and light-inducible carotenogenesis in Blakeslea trispora, the cis-acting elements of the btcrgA promoter region were investigated, followed by the analyses of correlation between the expression of btcrgA and carotenoid structural genes under different irradiation conditions. A variety of cis-acting elements associated with light response was observed in the promoter region of btcrgA, and transcription of btcrgA and carotenoid structural genes under different irradiation conditions was induced by white light with a clear correlation. Then, RNA interference and overexpression of btcrgA were performed to investigate their effects on carotenogenesis at different levels under irradiation and darkness. The analyses of transcription and enzyme activities of carotenoid structural gene, and accumulation of carotenoids among btcrgA-interfered, btcrgA-overexpressed, and wild-type strains under irradiation and darkness indicate that btcrgA negatively regulates the synthesis of carotenoid in darkness, while promotes the carotenogenesis under irradiation regardless of reduced or overexpression of btcrgA .
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamin Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Mingxi Zeng
- The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zhenlin Han
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Zhiyan Rock Du
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Xiaobin Yu
- The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Wei Luo
- The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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Franco-Losilla M, Nordzieke S, Feldmann I, Limón MC, Avalos J. HmbC, a Protein of the HMG Family, Participates in the Regulation of Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Fusarium fujikuroi. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1661. [PMID: 37628712 PMCID: PMC10454146 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In the fungus Fusarium fujikuroi, carotenoid production is up-regulated by light and down-regulated by the CarS RING finger protein, which modulates the mRNA levels of carotenoid pathway genes (car genes). To identify new potential regulators of car genes, we used a biotin-mediated pull-down procedure to detect proteins capable of binding to their promoters. We focused our attention on one of the proteins found in the screening, belonging to the High-Mobility Group (HMG) family that was named HmbC. The deletion of the hmbC gene resulted in increased carotenoid production due to higher mRNA levels of car biosynthetic genes. In addition, the deletion resulted in reduced carS mRNA levels, which could also explain the partial deregulation of the carotenoid pathway. The mutants exhibited other phenotypic traits, such as alterations in development under certain stress conditions, or reduced sensitivity to cell wall degrading enzymes, revealed by less efficient protoplast formation, indicating that HmbC is also involved in other cellular processes. In conclusion, we identified a protein of the HMG family that participates in the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis. This is probably achieved through an epigenetic mechanism related to chromatin structure, as is frequent in this class of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Franco-Losilla
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain; (M.F.-L.); (J.A.)
| | - Steffen Nordzieke
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain; (M.F.-L.); (J.A.)
| | - Ingo Feldmann
- Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften—ISAS—e.V., 44227 Dortmund, Germany;
| | - M. Carmen Limón
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain; (M.F.-L.); (J.A.)
| | - Javier Avalos
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain; (M.F.-L.); (J.A.)
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Lin L, Zhang T, Xu J. Genetic and Environmental Factors Influencing the Production of Select Fungal Colorants: Challenges and Opportunities in Industrial Applications. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9050585. [PMID: 37233296 DOI: 10.3390/jof9050585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural colorants, mostly of plant and fungal origins, offer advantages over chemically synthetic colorants in terms of alleviating environmental pollution and promoting human health. The market value of natural colorants has been increasing significantly across the globe. Due to the ease of artificially culturing most fungi in the laboratory and in industrial settings, fungi have emerged as the organisms of choice for producing many natural colorants. Indeed, there is a wide variety of colorful fungi and a diversity in the structure and bioactivity of fungal colorants. Such broad diversities have spurred significant research efforts in fungi to search for natural alternatives to synthetic colorants. Here, we review recent research on the genetic and environmental factors influencing the production of three major types of natural fungal colorants: carotenoids, melanins, and polyketide-derived colorants. We highlight how molecular genetic studies and environmental condition manipulations are helping to overcome some of the challenges associated with value-added and large-scale productions of these colorants. We finish by discussing potential future trends, including synthetic biology approaches, in the commercial production of fungal colorants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases (MOE), School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jianping Xu
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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Ruger-Herreros M, Nordzieke S, Vega-Álvarez C, Avalos J, Limón MC. Relation between CarS expression and activation of carotenogenesis by stress in Fusarium fujikuroi. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1000129. [PMID: 36277400 PMCID: PMC9581392 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1000129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusarium fujikuroi, a model organism for secondary metabolism in fungi, produces carotenoids, terpenoid pigments with antioxidant activity. Previous results indicate that carotenoid synthesis in F. fujikuroi is stimulated by light or by different stress conditions and downregulated by a RING finger protein encoded by carS gene. Here, we have analyzed the effects of three stressors, nitrogen scarcity, heat shock, and oxidative stress. We compared them with the effect of light in the wild type, a carS mutant that overproduces carotenoids, and its complemented strain. The assayed stressors increase the synthesis of carotenoids in the three strains, but mRNA levels of structural genes of carotenogenesis, carRA and carB, are only enhanced in the presence of a functional carS gene. In the wild-type strain, the four conditions affect in different manners the mRNA levels of carS: greater in the presence of light, without significant changes in nitrogen starvation, and with patent decreases after heat shock or oxidative stress, suggesting different activation mechanisms. The spores of the carS mutant are more resistant to H2O2 than those of the wild type; however, the mutant shows a greater H2O2 sensitivity at the growth level, which may be due to the participation of CarS in the regulation of genes with catalase domains, formerly described. A possible mechanism of regulation by heat stress has been found in the alternative splicing of the intron of the carS gene, located close to its 3′ end, giving rise to the formation of a shorter protein. This action could explain the inducing effect of the heat shock, but not of the other inducing conditions, which may involve other mechanisms of action on the CarS regulator, either transcriptionally or post-transcriptionally.
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Pardo-Medina J, Gutiérrez G, Limón MC, Avalos J. The carP lncRNA Is a carS-Related Regulatory Element with Broad Effects on the Fusarium fujikuroi Transcriptome. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:ncrna7030046. [PMID: 34449676 PMCID: PMC8395912 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7030046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid biosynthesis in the fungus Fusarium fujikuroi is regulated by environmental factors, with light being the main stimulating signal. The CarS RING-finger protein plays an important role in the downregulation of structural genes of the carotenoid pathway. A recent transcriptomic analysis on the effect of carS mutation identified a gene for a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) upstream of carS, called carP, the deletion of which results in increased carS mRNA levels and lack of carotenoid production. We have investigated the function of carP by studying the transcriptomic effect of its deletion and the phenotypes resulting from the reintroduction of carP to a deletion strain. The RNA-seq data showed that the loss of carP affected the mRNA levels of hundreds of genes, especially after illumination. Many of these changes appeared to be cascade effects as a result of changes in carS expression, as suggested by the comparison with differentially expressed genes in a carS mutant. Carotenoid production only recovered when carP was integrated upstream of carS, but not at other genomic locations, indicating a cis-acting mechanism on carS. However, some genes hardly affected by CarS were strongly upregulated in the carP mutant, indicating that carP may have other regulatory functions as an independent regulatory element.
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Marente J, Avalos J, Limón MC. Controlled Transcription of Regulator Gene carS by Tet-on or by a Strong Promoter Confirms Its Role as a Repressor of Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Fusarium fujikuroi. Microorganisms 2020; 9:E71. [PMID: 33383912 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid biosynthesis is a frequent trait in fungi. In the ascomycete Fusarium fujikuroi, the synthesis of the carboxylic xanthophyll neurosporaxanthin (NX) is stimulated by light. However, the mutants of the carS gene, encoding a protein of the RING finger family, accumulate large NX amounts regardless of illumination, indicating the role of CarS as a negative regulator. To confirm CarS function, we used the Tet-on system to control carS expression in this fungus. The system was first set up with a reporter mluc gene, which showed a positive correlation between the inducer doxycycline and luminescence. Once the system was improved, the carS gene was expressed using Tet-on in the wild strain and in a carS mutant. In both cases, increased carS transcription provoked a downregulation of the structural genes of the pathway and albino phenotypes even under light. Similarly, when the carS gene was constitutively overexpressed under the control of a gpdA promoter, total downregulation of the NX pathway was observed. The results confirmed the role of CarS as a repressor of carotenogenesis in F. fujikuroi and revealed that its expression must be regulated in the wild strain to allow appropriate NX biosynthesis in response to illumination.
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Parra-Rivero O, Paes de Barros M, Prado MDM, Gil JV, Hornero-Méndez D, Zacarías L, Rodrigo MJ, Limón MC, Avalos J. Neurosporaxanthin Overproduction by Fusarium fujikuroi and Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Properties. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:E528. [PMID: 32560158 PMCID: PMC7346100 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9060528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurosporaxanthin (NX) is a carboxylic carotenoid produced by some filamentous fungi, including species of the genera Neurospora and Fusarium. NX biosynthetic genes and their regulation have been thoroughly investigated in Fusarium fujikuroi, an industrial fungus used for gibberellin production. In this species, carotenoid-overproducing mutants, affected in the regulatory gene carS, exhibit an upregulated expression of the NX pathway. Based on former data on a stimulatory effect of nitrogen starvation on carotenoid biosynthesis, we developed culture conditions with carS mutants allowing the production of deep-pigmented mycelia. With this method, we obtained samples with ca. 8 mg NX/g dry mass, in turn the highest concentration for this carotenoid described so far. NX-rich extracts obtained from these samples were used in parallel with carS-complemented NX-poor extracts obtained under the same conditions, to check the antioxidant properties of this carotenoid in in vitro assays. NX-rich extracts exhibited higher antioxidant capacity than NX-poor extracts, either when considering their quenching activity against [O2(1g)] in organic solvent (singlet oxygen absorption capacity (SOAC) assays) or their scavenging activity against different free radicals in aqueous solution and in liposomes. These results make NX a promising carotenoid as a possible feed or food additive, and encourage further studies on its chemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obdulia Parra-Rivero
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (O.P.-R.); (M.d.M.P.); (M.C.L.)
| | - Marcelo Paes de Barros
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.P.d.B.); (J.-V.G.); (L.Z.); (M.J.R.)
- Interdisciplinary Program in Health Sciences, Institute of Physical Activity Sciences and Sports (ICAFE), Cruzeiro do Sul University, Rua Galvão Bueno 868, São Paulo SP 01506-000, Brazil
| | - María del Mar Prado
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (O.P.-R.); (M.d.M.P.); (M.C.L.)
| | - José-Vicente Gil
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.P.d.B.); (J.-V.G.); (L.Z.); (M.J.R.)
- Food Technology Area, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain
| | - Dámaso Hornero-Méndez
- Department of Food Phytochemistry, Instituto de la Grasa (IG-CSIC), 41013 Seville, Spain;
| | - Lorenzo Zacarías
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.P.d.B.); (J.-V.G.); (L.Z.); (M.J.R.)
| | - María J. Rodrigo
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.P.d.B.); (J.-V.G.); (L.Z.); (M.J.R.)
| | - M. Carmen Limón
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (O.P.-R.); (M.d.M.P.); (M.C.L.)
| | - Javier Avalos
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (O.P.-R.); (M.d.M.P.); (M.C.L.)
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Luo W, Gong Z, Li N, Zhao Y, Zhang H, Yang X, Liu Y, Rao Z, Yu X. A Negative Regulator of Carotenogenesis in Blakeslea trispora. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e02462-19. [PMID: 31953331 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02462-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As an ideal carotenoid producer, Blakeslea trispora has gained much attention due to its large biomass and high production of β-carotene and lycopene. However, carotenogenesis regulation in B. trispora still needs to be clarified, as few investigations have been conducted at the molecular level in B. trispora In this study, a gene homologous to carotenogenesis regulatory gene (crgA) was cloned from the mating type (-) of B. trispora, and the deduced CrgA protein was analyzed for its primary structure and domains. To clarify the crgA-mediated regulation in B. trispora, we used the strategies of gene knockout and complementation to investigate the effect of crgA expression on the phenotype of B. trispora In contrast to the wild-type strain, the crgA null mutant (ΔcrgA) was defective in sporulation but accumulated much more β-carotene (31.2% improvement at the end) accompanied by enhanced transcription of three structural genes (hmgR, carB, and carRA) for carotenoids throughout the culture time. When the wild-type copy of crgA was complemented into the crgA null mutant, sporulation, transcription of structural genes, and carotenoid production were restored to those of the wild-type strain. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomic approach and multivariate statistical analyses were performed to investigate the intracellular metabolite profiles. The reduced levels of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle components and some amino acids and enhanced levels of glycolysis intermediates and fatty acids indicate that more metabolic flux was driven into the mevalonate (MVA) pathway; thus, the increase of precursors and fat content contributes to the accumulation of carotenoids.IMPORTANCE The zygomycete Blakeslea trispora is an important strain for the production of carotenoids on a large scale. However, the regulation mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis is still not well understood in this filamentous fungus. In the present study, we sought to investigate how crgA influences the expression of structural genes for carotenoids, carotenoid biosynthesis, and other anabolic phenotypes. This will lead to a better understanding of the global regulation mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis and facilitate engineering this strain in the future for enhanced production of carotenoids.
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Parra-Rivero O, Pardo-Medina J, Gutiérrez G, Limón MC, Avalos J. A novel lncRNA as a positive regulator of carotenoid biosynthesis in Fusarium. Sci Rep 2020; 10:678. [PMID: 31959816 PMCID: PMC6971296 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57529-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium fujikuroi produce carotenoids, lipophilic terpenoid pigments of biotechnological interest, with xanthophyll neurosporaxanthin as the main end product. Their carotenoid biosynthesis is activated by light and negatively regulated by the RING-finger protein CarS. Global transcriptomic analysis identified in both species a putative 1-kb lncRNA that we call carP, referred to as Fo-carP and Ff-carP in each species, upstream to the gene carS and transcribed from the same DNA strand. Fo-carP and Ff-carP are poorly transcribed, but their RNA levels increase in carS mutants. The deletion of Fo-carP or Ff-carP in the respective species results in albino phenotypes, with strong reductions in mRNA levels of structural genes for carotenoid biosynthesis and higher mRNA content of the carS gene, which could explain the low accumulation of carotenoids. Upon alignment, Fo-carP and Ff-carP show 75-80% identity, with short insertions or deletions resulting in a lack of coincident ORFs. Moreover, none of the ORFs found in their sequences have indications of possible coding functions. We conclude that Fo-carP and Ff-carP are regulatory lncRNAs necessary for the active expression of the carotenoid genes in Fusarium through an unknown molecular mechanism, probably related to the control of carS function or expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obdulia Parra-Rivero
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012, Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Pardo-Medina
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012, Seville, Spain
| | - Gabriel Gutiérrez
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012, Seville, Spain
| | - M Carmen Limón
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012, Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Avalos
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012, Seville, Spain.
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Marente J, Ortega P, Pardo-Medina J, Avalos J, Limón MC. Modulation of Activity of a Carotenoid Pathway Through the Use of the TeT-on Regulatory System: Application in the Fungus Fusarium fujikuroi. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2083:343-360. [PMID: 31745934 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9952-1_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are widespread pigments in photosynthetic species, but they are also found in nonphotosynthetic microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. The amenability of fungi to genetic studies have made some fungal species advantageous models in the study of the genetics and biochemistry of carotenoid biosynthesis, while others have been used for biotechnological carotenoid production. The availability of molecular techniques that allow modulating the expression of target genes is a powerful tool in the manipulation of carotenoid synthesis. An example of an adjustable gene expression is based on the tetracycline-controlled transcriptional activation system, known as Tet-on. We describe here the material and protocols for the construction of a Tet-on regulated gene, its introduction in the filamentous fungus F. fujikuroi, and its use to modulate the expression of a negative regulator of carotenoid biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Marente
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Pedro Ortega
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Pardo-Medina
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Avalos
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - M Carmen Limón
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
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Tagua VG, Navarro E, Gutiérrez G, Garre V, Corrochano LM. Light regulates a Phycomyces blakesleeanus gene family similar to the carotenogenic repressor gene of Mucor circinelloides. Fungal Biol 2019; 124:338-351. [PMID: 32389296 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The transcription of about 5-10 % of the genes in Phycomyces blakesleeanus is regulated by light. Among the most up-regulated, we have identified four genes, crgA-D, with similarity to crgA of Mucor circinelloides, a gene encoding a repressor of light-inducible carotenogenesis. The four proteins have the same structure with two RING RING Finger domains and a LON domain, suggesting that they could act as ubiquitin ligases, as their M. circinelloides homolog. The expression of these genes is induced by light with different thresholds as in other Mucoromycotina fungi like Blakeslea trispora and M. circinelloides. Only the P. blakesleeanus crgD gene could restore the wild type phenotype in a M. circinelloides null crgA mutant suggesting that P. blakesleeanus crgD is the functional homolog of crgA in M. circinelloides. Despite their sequence similarity it is possible that the P. blakesleeanus Crg proteins do not participate in the regulation of beta-carotene biosynthesis since none of the carotene-overproducing mutants of P. blakesleeanus had mutations in any of the crg genes. Our results provide further support of the differences in the regulation of the biosynthesis of beta-carotene in these two Mucoromycotina fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor G Tagua
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain; Present address: Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Eusebio Navarro
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Spain
| | - Gabriel Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Victoriano Garre
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Spain
| | - Luis M Corrochano
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.
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Ruger-Herreros M, Parra-Rivero O, Pardo-Medina J, Romero-Campero FJ, Limón MC, Avalos J. Comparative transcriptomic analysis unveils interactions between the regulatory CarS protein and light response in Fusarium. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:67. [PMID: 30665350 PMCID: PMC6340186 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5430-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The orange pigmentation of the agar cultures of many Fusarium species is due to the production of carotenoids, terpenoid pigments whose synthesis is stimulated by light. The genes of the carotenoid pathway and their regulation have been investigated in detail in Fusarium fujikuroi. In this and other Fusarium species, such as F. oxysporum, deep-pigmented mutants affected in the gene carS, which encodes a protein of the RING-finger family, overproduce carotenoids irrespective of light. The induction of carotenogenesis by light and its deregulation in carS mutants are achieved on the transcription of the structural genes of the pathway. We have carried out global RNA-seq transcriptomics analyses to investigate the relationship between the regulatory role of CarS and the control by light in these fungi. RESULTS The absence of a functional carS gene or the illumination exert wide effects on the transcriptome of F. fujikuroi, with predominance of genes activated over repressed and a greater functional diversity in the case of genes induced by light. The number of the latter decreases drastically in a carS mutant (1.1% vs. 4.8% in the wild-type), indicating that the deregulation produced by the carS mutation affects the light response of many genes. Moreover, approximately 27% of the genes activated at least 2-fold by light or by the carS mutation are coincident, raising to 40% for an 8-fold activation threshold. As expected, the genes with the highest changes under both regulatory conditions include those involved in carotenoid metabolism. In addition, light and CarS strongly influence the expression of some genes associated with stress responses, including three genes with catalase domains, consistent with roles in the control of oxidative stress. The effects of the CarS mutation or light in the transcriptome of F. oxysporum were partially coincident with those of F. fujikuroi, indicating the conservation of the objectives of their regulatory mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS The CarS RING finger protein down-regulates many genes whose expression is up-regulated by light in wild strains of the two investigated Fusarium species, indicating a regulatory interplay between the mechanism of action of the CarS protein and the control by light.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Obdulia Parra-Rivero
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Pardo-Medina
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Francisco J. Romero-Campero
- Department of Computer Science and artificial Intelligence, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain
- Plant Development Unit, Institute for Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis, University of Seville – CSIC, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - M. Carmen Limón
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Avalos
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain
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Avalos J, Pardo-Medina J, Parra-Rivero O, Ruger-Herreros M, Rodríguez-Ortiz R, Hornero-Méndez D, Limón MC. Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Fusarium. J Fungi (Basel) 2017; 3:E39. [PMID: 29371556 PMCID: PMC5715946 DOI: 10.3390/jof3030039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Many fungi of the genus Fusarium stand out for the complexity of their secondary metabolism. Individual species may differ in their metabolic capacities, but they usually share the ability to synthesize carotenoids, a family of hydrophobic terpenoid pigments widely distributed in nature. Early studies on carotenoid biosynthesis in Fusariumaquaeductuum have been recently extended in Fusarium fujikuroi and Fusarium oxysporum, well-known biotechnological and phytopathogenic models, respectively. The major Fusarium carotenoid is neurosporaxanthin, a carboxylic xanthophyll synthesized from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate through the activity of four enzymes, encoded by the genes carRA, carB, carT and carD. These fungi produce also minor amounts of β-carotene, which may be cleaved by the CarX oxygenase to produce retinal, the rhodopsin's chromophore. The genes needed to produce retinal are organized in a gene cluster with a rhodopsin gene, while other carotenoid genes are not linked. In the investigated Fusarium species, the synthesis of carotenoids is induced by light through the transcriptional induction of the structural genes. In some species, deep-pigmented mutants with up-regulated expression of these genes are affected in the regulatory gene carS. The molecular mechanisms underlying the control by light and by the CarS protein are currently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Avalos
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Javier Pardo-Medina
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Obdulia Parra-Rivero
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Macarena Ruger-Herreros
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Roberto Rodríguez-Ortiz
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
- Present Address: CONACYT-Instituto de Neurobiología-UNAM, Juriquilla, Querétaro 076230, Mexico.
| | - Dámaso Hornero-Méndez
- Departamento de Fitoquímica de los Alimentos, Instituto de la Grasa, CSIC, Campus Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - María Carmen Limón
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
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Chiara M, Fanelli F, Mulè G, Logrieco AF, Pesole G, Leslie JF, Horner DS, Toomajian C. Genome Sequencing of Multiple Isolates Highlights Subtelomeric Genomic Diversity within Fusarium fujikuroi. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:3062-9. [PMID: 26475319 PMCID: PMC5635591 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparisons of draft genome sequences of three geographically distinct isolates of Fusarium fujikuroi with two recently published genome sequences from the same species suggest diverse profiles of secondary metabolite production within F. fujikuroi. Species- and lineage-specific genes, many of which appear to exhibit expression profiles that are consistent with roles in host–pathogen interactions and adaptation to environmental changes, are concentrated in subtelomeric regions. These genomic compartments also exhibit distinct gene densities and compositional characteristics with respect to other genomic partitions, and likely play a role in the generation of molecular diversity. Our data provide additional evidence that gene duplication, divergence, and differential loss play important roles in F. fujikuroi genome evolution and suggest that hundreds of lineage-specific genes might have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Chiara
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Italy Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesca Fanelli
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Mulè
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio F Logrieco
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Graziano Pesole
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, National Research Council, Bari, Italy Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Italy National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Rome, Italy Center of Excellence in Comparative Genomics, University of Bari, Italy
| | - John F Leslie
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan
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Castrillo M, Avalos J. The flavoproteins CryD and VvdA cooperate with the white collar protein WcoA in the control of photocarotenogenesis in Fusarium fujikuroi. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119785. [PMID: 25774802 PMCID: PMC4361483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Light stimulates carotenoid biosynthesis in the ascomycete fungus Fusarium fujikuroi through transcriptional activation of the structural genes of the pathway carRA, carB, and cart, but the molecular basis of this photoresponse is unknown. The F. fujikuroi genome contains genes for different predicted photoreceptors, including the WC protein WcoA, the DASH cryptochrome CryD and the Vivid-like flavoprotein VvdA. We formerly found that null mutants of wcoA, cryD or vvdA exhibit carotenoid photoinduction under continuous illumination. Here we show that the wild type exhibits a biphasic response in light induction kinetics experiments, with a rapid increase in carotenoid content in the first hours, a transient arrest and a subsequent slower increase. The mutants of the three photoreceptors show different kinetic responses: the wcoA mutants are defective in the rapid response, the cryD mutants are affected in the slower response, while the fast and slow responses were respectively enhanced and attenuated in the vvdA mutants. Transcriptional analyses of the car genes revealed a strong reduction of dark and light-induced transcript levels in the wcoA mutants, while minor or no reductions were found in the cryD mutants. Formerly, we found no change on carRA and carB photoinduction in vvdA mutants. Taken together, our data suggest a cooperative participation of WcoA and CryD in early and late stages of photoinduction of carotenoid biosynthesis in F. fujikuroi, and a possible modulation of WcoA activity by VvdA. An unexpected transcriptional induction by red light of vvdA, cryD and carRA genes suggest the participation of an additional red light-absorbing photoreceptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Castrillo
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Javier Avalos
- Department of Genetics, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
- * E-mail:
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