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Marin-Dett FH, Campanella JEM, Trovatti E, Bertolini MC, Vergani CE, Barbugli PA. Extracellular lipids of Candida albicans biofilm induce lipid droplet formation and decreased response to a topoisomerase I inhibitor in dysplastic and neoplastic oral cells. J Appl Oral Sci 2023; 30:e20220319. [PMID: 36753070 DOI: 10.1590/1678-7757-2022-0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Some microorganisms, i.e., Candida albicans, have been associated with cancer onset and development, although whether the fungus promotes cancer or whether cancer facilitates the growth of C. albicans is unclear. In this context, microbial-derived molecules can modulate the growth and resistance of cancer cells. This study isolated extracellular lipids (ECL) from a 36-h Candida albicans biofilm incubated with oral dysplastic (DOK) and neoplastic (SCC 25) cells, which were further challenged with the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin (CPT), a lipophilic anti-tumoral molecule. METHODOLOGY ECL were extracted from a 36-h Candida albicans biofilm with the methanol/chloroform precipitation method and identified with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR). The MTT tetrazolium assay measured ECL cytotoxicity in DOK and SCC 25 cells, alamarBlue™ assessed cell metabolism, flow cytometry measured cell cycle, and confocal microscopy determined intracellular features. RESULTS Three major classes of ECL of C. albicans biofilm were found: phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). The ECL of C. albicans biofilm had no cytotoxic effect on neither cell after 24 hours, with a tendency to disturb the SCC 25 cell cycle profile (without statistical significance). The ECL-induced intracellular lipid droplet (LD) formation on both cell lines after 72 hours. In this context, ECL enhanced cell metabolism, decreased the response to CPT, and modified intracellular drug distribution. CONCLUSION The ECL (PI, PC, and PG) of 36-h Candida albicans biofilm directly interacts with dysplastic and neoplastic oral cells, highlighting the relevance of better understanding C. albicans biofilm signaling in the microenvironment of tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddy Humberto Marin-Dett
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Araraquara, Brasil
| | | | - Eliane Trovatti
- Universidade de Araraquara (UNIARA), Departamento de Saúde e Ciências Biológicas, Araraquara, Brasil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Araraquara, Brasil
| | - Carlos Eduardo Vergani
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Odontologia, Departamento de Materiais Dentários e Prótese, Araraquara, Brasil
| | - Paula Aboud Barbugli
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Araraquara, Brasil.,Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Odontologia, Departamento de Materiais Dentários e Prótese, Araraquara, Brasil
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Campanella JEM, Candido TDS, Barbosa LCB, Gomes AAS, Leite CA, Higashi ES, Barbugli PA, Fontes MRDM, Bertolini MC. The Neurospora crassa PCL-1 cyclin is a PHO85-1 (PGOV) kinase partner that directs the complex to glycogen metabolism and is involved in calcium metabolism regulation. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1078972. [PMID: 36620034 PMCID: PMC9815767 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1078972] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclins are a family of proteins characterized by possessing a cyclin box domain that mediates binding to cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) partners. In this study, the search for a partner cyclin of the PHO85-1 CDK retrieved PCL-1 an ortholog of yeast Pcls (for Pho85 cyclins) that performs functions common to Pcls belonging to different cyclin families. We show here that PCL-1, as a typical cyclin, is involved in cell cycle control and cell progression. In addition, PCL-1 regulates glycogen metabolism; Δpcl-1 cells accumulate higher glycogen levels than wild-type cells and the glycogen synthase (GSN) enzyme is less phosphorylated and, therefore, more active in the mutant cells. Together with PHO85-1, PCL-1 phosphorylates in vitro GSN at the Ser636 amino acid residue. Modeling studies identified PHO85-1 and PCL-1 as a CDK/cyclin complex, with a conserved intermolecular region stabilized by hydrophobic and polar interactions. PCL-1 is also involved in calcium and NaCl stress response. Δpcl-1 cells are sensitive to high NaCl concentration; on the contrary, they grow better and overexpress calcium responsive genes under high calcium chloride concentration compared to the wild-type strain. The expression of the calcium-responsive CRZ-1 transcription factor is modulated by PCL-1, and this transcription factor seems to be less phosphorylated in Δpcl-1 cells since exhibits nuclear location in these cells in the absence of calcium. Our results show that PCL-1 locates at different cell regions suggesting that it may determine its activity by controlling its intracellular location and reveal an interesting functional divergence between yeast and filamentous fungus cyclins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonatas Erick Maimoni Campanella
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago de Souza Candido
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luiz Carlos Bertucci Barbosa
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antoniel Augusto Severo Gomes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carla Andréa Leite
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Erika Silva Higashi
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula Aboud Barbugli
- Departamento de Materiais Dentários e Prótese, Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Roberto de Matos Fontes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
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Maimoni Campanella JE, Ramos Junior SL, Rodrigues Kiraly VT, Severo Gomes AA, de Barros AC, Mateos PA, Freitas FZ, de Mattos Fontes MR, Borges JC, Bertolini MC. Biochemical and biophysical characterization of the RVB-1/RVB-2 protein complex, the RuvBL/RVB homologues in Neurospora crassa. Biochimie 2021; 191:11-26. [PMID: 34375717 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.08.002] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The RVB proteins, composed of the conservative paralogs, RVB1 and RVB2, belong to the AAA+ (ATPases Associated with various cellular Activities) protein superfamily and are present in archaea and eukaryotes. The most distinct structural features are their ability to interact with each other forming the RVB1/2 complex and their participation in several macromolecular protein complexes leading them to be involved in many biological processes. We report here the biochemical and biophysical characterization of the Neurospora crassa RVB-1/RVB-2 complex. Chromatographic analyses revealed that the complex (APO) predominantly exists as a dimer in solution although hexamers were also observed. Nucleotides influence the oligomerization state, while ATP favors hexamers formation, ADP favors the formation of multimeric states, likely dodecamers, and the Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations revealed the contribution of certain amino acid residues in the nucleotide stabilization. The complex binds to dsDNA fragments and exhibits ATPase activity, which is strongly enhanced in the presence of DNA. In addition, both GFP-fused proteins are predominantly nuclear, and their nuclear localization signals (NLS) interact with importin-α (NcIMPα). Our findings show that some properties are specific of the fungus proteins despite of their high identity to orthologous proteins. They are essential proteins in N. crassa, and the phenotypic defects exhibited by the heterokaryotic strains, mainly related to growth and development, indicate N. crassa as a promising organism to investigate additional biological and structural aspects of these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonatas Erick Maimoni Campanella
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Luiz Ramos Junior
- Departamento de Química e Física Molecular, Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, USP, 13.560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Thomaz Rodrigues Kiraly
- Departamento de Química e Física Molecular, Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, USP, 13.560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Antoniel Augusto Severo Gomes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 18.618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Andrea Coelho de Barros
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 18.618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Pablo Acera Mateos
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Zanolli Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Roberto de Mattos Fontes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 18.618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Júlio Cesar Borges
- Departamento de Química e Física Molecular, Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, USP, 13.560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
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Rocha MC, Fabri JHTM, Silva LP, Angolini CFF, Bertolini MC, da Cunha AF, Valiante V, Goldman GH, Fill TP, Malavazi I. Transcriptional Control of the Production of Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia-Borne Secondary Metabolite Fumiquinazoline C Important for Phagocytosis Protection. Genetics 2021; 218:6168429. [PMID: 33705521 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus produces diverse secondary metabolites whose biological functions and regulation remain to be understood. Despite the importance of the conidia for this fungus, the role of the conidia-born metabolite fumiquinazoline C (FqC) is unclear. Here, we describe a dual function of the cell-wall integrity pathway in regulating FqC biosynthesis dictated by the MAPK kinase MpkA, which phosphorylates one of the nonribosomal peptide synthetases enzymes of the cluster (FmqC), and the transcription factor RlmA, which directly regulates the expression of fmq genes. Another level of crosstalk between the FqC regulation and the cell physiology is described since the deletion of the stress-responsive transcription factor sebA provokes derepression of the fmq cluster and overproduction of FqC. Thus, we describe a mechanism by which A. fumigatus controls FqC biosynthesis orchestrated by MpkA-RlmA and SebA and hence enabling survival and adaptation to the environmental niche, given that FqC is a deterrent of ameba predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Campos Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Henrique Tadini Marilhano Fabri
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lilian Pereira Silva
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia, Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson Ferreira da Cunha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz Research Group Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Taicia Pacheco Fill
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Martins MP, Martinez-Rossi NM, Sanches PR, Gomes EV, Bertolini MC, Pedersoli WR, Silva RN, Rossi A. The pH Signaling Transcription Factor PAC-3 Regulates Metabolic and Developmental Processes in Pathogenic Fungi. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2076. [PMID: 31551996 PMCID: PMC6738131 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The zinc finger transcription factor PAC-3/RIM101/PacC has a defined role in the secretion of enzymes and proteins in response to ambient pH, and also contributes to the virulence of species. Herein we evaluated the role of PAC-3 in the regulation of Neurospora crassa genes, in a model that examined the plant-fungi interactions. N. crassa is a model fungal species capable of exhibiting dynamic responses to its environment by employing endophytic or phytopathogenic behavior according to a given circumstance. Since plant growth and productivity are highly affected by pH and phosphorus (P) acquisition, we sought to verify the impact that induction of a Δpac-3 mutation would have under limited and sufficient Pi availability, while ensuring that the targeted physiological adjustments mimicked ambient pH and nutritional conditions required for efficient fungal growth and development. Our results suggest direct regulatory functions for PAC-3 in cell wall biosynthesis, homeostasis, oxidation-reduction processes, hydrolase activity, transmembrane transport, and modulation of genes associated with fungal virulence. Pi-dependent modulation was observed mainly in genes encoding for transporter proteins or related to cell wall development, thereby advancing the current understanding regarding colonization and adaptation processes in response to challenging environments. We have also provided comprehensive evidence that suggests a role for PAC-3 as a global regulator in plant pathogenic fungi, thus presenting results that have the potential to be applied to various types of microbes, with diverse survival mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maíra Pompeu Martins
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Nilce M Martinez-Rossi
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Pablo R Sanches
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Department of Biochemistry and Technological Chemistry, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Institute of Chemistry, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Wellington R Pedersoli
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Roberto Nascimento Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Antonio Rossi
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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de Freitas EC, Ucci AP, Teixeira EC, Pedroso GA, Hilario E, Bertolazzi Zocca VF, de Paiva GB, Ferreira H, Pedrolli DB, Bertolini MC. The copper-inducible copAB operon in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri is regulated at transcriptional and translational levels. Microbiology (Reading) 2019; 165:355-365. [PMID: 30689540 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Upstream open reading frames (ORFs) are frequently found in the 5'-flanking regions of genes and may have a regulatory role in gene expression. A small ORF (named cohL here) was identified upstream from the copAB copper operon in Xanthomonascitri subsp. citri (Xac). We previously demonstrated that copAB expression was induced by copper and that gene inactivation produced a mutant strain that was unable to grow in the presence of copper. Here, we address the role of cohL in copAB expression control. We demonstrate that cohL expression is induced by copper in a copAB-independent manner. Although cohL is transcribed, the CohL protein is either not expressed in vivo or is synthesized at undetectable levels. Inactivation of cohL (X. citri cohL polar mutant strain) leads to an inability to synthesize cohL and copAB transcripts and consequently the inability to grow in the presence of copper. Bioinformatic tools predicted a stem-loop structure for the cohL-copAB intergenic region and revealed that this region may arrange itself in a secondary structure. Using in vitro gene expression, we found out that the structured 5'-UTR mRNA of copAB is responsible for sequestering the ribosome-binding site that drives the translation of copA. However, copper alone was not able to release the sequence. Based on the results, we speculate that cohL plays a role as a regulatory RNA rather than as a protein-coding gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Cristina de Freitas
- 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda Piovesan Ucci
- 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Elaine Cristina Teixeira
- 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Gisele Audrei Pedroso
- 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Hilario
- 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.,†Present address: Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521-0129, USA
| | - Vitória Fernanda Bertolazzi Zocca
- 2Departamento de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-903, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Barbosa de Paiva
- 2Departamento de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-903, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Henrique Ferreira
- 3Departamento de Bioquímica e Microbiologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Danielle Biscaro Pedrolli
- 2Departamento de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-903, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Boni AC, Ambrósio DL, Cupertino FB, Montenegro-Montero A, Virgilio S, Freitas FZ, Corrocher FA, Gonçalves RD, Yang A, Weirauch MT, Hughes TR, Larrondo LF, Bertolini MC. Neurospora crassa developmental control mediated by the FLB-3 transcription factor. Fungal Biol 2018; 122:570-582. [PMID: 29801802 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Here, we report that the Neurospora crassa FLB-3 protein, the ortholog of the Aspergillus nidulans FlbC transcription factor, is required for developmental control. Deletion of flb-3 leads to changes in hyphae morphology and affects sexual and asexual development. We identified, as putative FLB-3 targets, the N. crassa aba-1, wet-1 and vos-1 genes, orthologs of the ones involved in A. nidulans asexual development and that work downstream of FlbC (abaA, wetA and vosA). In N. crassa, these three genes require FLB-3 for proper expression; however, they appear not to be required for normal development, as demonstrated by gene expression analyses during vegetative growth and asexual development. Moreover, mutant strains in the three genes conidiate well and produce viable conidia. We also determined FLB-3 DNA-binding preferences via protein-binding microarrays (PBMs) and demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) that FLB-3 binds the aba-1, wet-1 and vos-1 promoters. Our data support an important role for FLB-3 in N. crassa development and highlight differences between the regulatory pathways controlled by this transcription factor in different fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Boni
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniela Luz Ambrósio
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Barbosa Cupertino
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Montenegro-Montero
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Systems and Synthetic Biology (MIISSB), Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Stela Virgilio
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Zanolli Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávia Adolfo Corrocher
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Duarte Gonçalves
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Ally Yang
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology (CAGE) and Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Timothy R Hughes
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Canadian Institutes for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Luis F Larrondo
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Systems and Synthetic Biology (MIISSB), Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
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Artier J, da Silva Zandonadi F, de Souza Carvalho FM, Pauletti BA, Leme AFP, Carnielli CM, Selistre‐de‐Araujo HS, Bertolini MC, Ferro JA, Belasque Júnior J, de Oliveira JCF, Novo‐Mansur MTM. Comparative proteomic analysis of Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri periplasmic proteins reveals changes in cellular envelope metabolism during in vitro pathogenicity induction. Mol Plant Pathol 2018; 19:143-157. [PMID: 27798950 PMCID: PMC6638008 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Citrus canker is a plant disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria from the genus Xanthomonas. The most virulent species is Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri (XAC), which attacks a wide range of citrus hosts. Differential proteomic analysis of the periplasm-enriched fraction was performed for XAC cells grown in pathogenicity-inducing (XAM-M) and pathogenicity-non-inducing (nutrient broth) media using two-dimensional electrophoresis combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Amongst the 40 proteins identified, transglycosylase was detected in a highly abundant spot in XAC cells grown under inducing condition. Additional up-regulated proteins related to cellular envelope metabolism included glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase, dTDP-4-dehydrorhamnose-3,5-epimerase and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans-isomerase. Phosphoglucomutase and superoxide dismutase proteins, known to be involved in pathogenicity in other Xanthomonas species or organisms, were also detected. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses for transglycosylase and superoxide dismutase confirmed that these proteins were up-regulated under inducing condition, consistent with the proteomic results. Multiple spots for the 60-kDa chaperonin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were identified, suggesting the presence of post-translational modifications. We propose that substantial alterations in cellular envelope metabolism occur during the XAC infectious process, which are related to several aspects, from defence against reactive oxygen species to exopolysaccharide synthesis. Our results provide new candidates for virulence-related proteins, whose abundance correlates with the induction of pathogenicity and virulence genes, such as hrpD6, hrpG, hrpB7, hpa1 and hrpX. The results present new potential targets against XAC to be investigated in further functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Artier
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Departamento de Genética e EvoluçãoUniversidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCarSão CarlosSP13565‐905Brazil
| | - Flávia da Silva Zandonadi
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Departamento de Genética e EvoluçãoUniversidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCarSão CarlosSP13565‐905Brazil
| | - Flávia Maria de Souza Carvalho
- Departamento de Tecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias de Jaboticabal, UNESPUniversidade Estadual PaulistaJaboticabalSP14884‐900Brazil
| | - Bianca Alves Pauletti
- LNBio, CNPEMLaboratório de Espectrometria de Massas, Laboratório Nacional de BiociênciasCampinasSP13083‐970Brazil
| | - Adriana Franco Paes Leme
- LNBio, CNPEMLaboratório de Espectrometria de Massas, Laboratório Nacional de BiociênciasCampinasSP13083‐970Brazil
| | - Carolina Moretto Carnielli
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Departamento de Genética e EvoluçãoUniversidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCarSão CarlosSP13565‐905Brazil
| | | | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESPUniversidade Estadual PaulistaAraraquaraSP14800‐060Brazil
| | - Jesus Aparecido Ferro
- Departamento de Tecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias de Jaboticabal, UNESPUniversidade Estadual PaulistaJaboticabalSP14884‐900Brazil
| | - José Belasque Júnior
- Departamento de Fitopatologia e Nematologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’Universidade de São PauloPiracicabaSP13418‐900Brazil
| | - Julio Cezar Franco de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Interações Microbianas, Departamento de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESPDiademaSP09913‐030Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa Marques Novo‐Mansur
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Departamento de Genética e EvoluçãoUniversidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCarSão CarlosSP13565‐905Brazil
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Mauro AE, Cardoso AA, Benedetti AV, Bertolini MC, Furlan M. Instructions for Authors. Eclet Quim J 2017. [DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v42.1.2017.p4-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Alder-Rangel A, Bailão AM, da Cunha AF, Soares CMA, Wang C, Bonatto D, Dadachova E, Hakalehto E, Eleutherio ECA, Fernandes ÉKK, Gadd GM, Braus GH, Braga GUL, Goldman GH, Malavazi I, Hallsworth JE, Takemoto JY, Fuller KK, Selbmann L, Corrochano LM, von Zeska Kress MR, Bertolini MC, Schmoll M, Pedrini N, Loera O, Finlay RD, Peralta RM, Rangel DEN. The second International Symposium on Fungal Stress: ISFUS. Fungal Biol 2017; 122:386-399. [PMID: 29801782 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The topic of 'fungal stress' is central to many important disciplines, including medical mycology, chronobiology, plant and insect pathology, industrial microbiology, material sciences, and astrobiology. The International Symposium on Fungal Stress (ISFUS) brought together researchers, who study fungal stress in a variety of fields. The second ISFUS was held in May 8-11 2017 in Goiania, Goiás, Brazil and hosted by the Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública at the Universidade Federal de Goiás. It was supported by grants from CAPES and FAPEG. Twenty-seven speakers from 15 countries presented their research related to fungal stress biology. The Symposium was divided into seven topics: 1. Fungal biology in extreme environments; 2. Stress mechanisms and responses in fungi: molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and cellular biology; 3. Fungal photobiology in the context of stress; 4. Role of stress in fungal pathogenesis; 5. Fungal stress and bioremediation; 6. Fungal stress in agriculture and forestry; and 7. Fungal stress in industrial applications. This article provides an overview of the science presented and discussed at ISFUS-2017.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandre M Bailão
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 74690-900, GO, Brazil
| | - Anderson F da Cunha
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Genética Aplicada, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, 90040-060, SP, Brazil
| | - Célia M A Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 74690-900, GO, Brazil
| | - Chengshu Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Diego Bonatto
- Center for Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 13565-905, RS, Brazil
| | - Ekaterina Dadachova
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - Elias Hakalehto
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 27, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elis C A Eleutherio
- Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-901, RJ, Brazil
| | - Éverton K K Fernandes
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74605-050, Brazil
| | - Geoffrey M Gadd
- Geomicrobiology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD15EH, Scotland, UK
| | - Gerhard H Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, D-37077, Germany
| | - Gilberto U L Braga
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, 13565-905, SP, Brazil
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, MBC, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Jon Y Takemoto
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Kevin K Fuller
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Luis M Corrochano
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Marcia R von Zeska Kress
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Monika Schmoll
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Center for Health and Bioresources, Konrad-Lorenz Straße 24, 3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Nicolás Pedrini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CCT La Plata Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), calles 60 y 120, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
| | - Octavio Loera
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, C.P. 09340, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Roger D Finlay
- Uppsala Biocenter, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7026, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rosane M Peralta
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brazil
| | - Drauzio E N Rangel
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74605-050, Brazil.
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Virgilio S, Bertolini MC. Functional diversity in the pH signaling pathway: an overview of the pathway regulation in Neurospora crassa. Curr Genet 2017; 64:529-534. [DOI: 10.1007/s00294-017-0772-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Virgilio S, Cupertino FB, Ambrosio DL, Bertolini MC. Regulation of the reserve carbohydrate metabolism by alkaline pH and calcium in Neurospora crassa reveals a possible cross-regulation of both signaling pathways. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:457. [PMID: 28599643 PMCID: PMC5466789 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3832-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Glycogen and trehalose are storage carbohydrates and their levels in microorganisms vary according to environmental conditions. In Neurospora crassa, alkaline pH stress highly influences glycogen levels, and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the response to pH stress also involves the calcineurin signaling pathway mediated by the Crz1 transcription factor. Recently, in yeast, pH stress response genes were identified as targets of Crz1 including genes involved in glycogen and trehalose metabolism. In this work, we present evidence that in N. crassa the glycogen and trehalose metabolism is modulated by alkaline pH and calcium stresses. Results We demonstrated that the pH signaling pathway in N. crassa controls the accumulation of the reserve carbohydrates glycogen and trehalose via the PAC-3 transcription factor, which is the central regulator of the signaling pathway. The protein binds to the promoters of most of the genes encoding enzymes of glycogen and trehalose metabolism and regulates their expression. We also demonstrated that the reserve carbohydrate levels and gene expression are both modulated under calcium stress and that the response to calcium stress may involve the concerted action of PAC-3. Calcium activates growth of the Δpac-3 strain and influences its glycogen and trehalose accumulation. In addition, calcium stress differently regulates glycogen and trehalose metabolism in the mutant strain compared to the wild-type strain. While glycogen levels are decreased in both strains, the trehalose levels are significantly increased in the wild-type strain and not affected by calcium in the mutant strain when compared to mycelium not exposed to calcium. Conclusions We previously reported the role of PAC-3 as a transcription factor involved in glycogen metabolism regulation by controlling the expression of the gsn gene, which encodes an enzyme of glycogen synthesis. In this work, we extended the investigation by studying in greater detail the effects of pH on the metabolism of the reserve carbohydrate glycogen and trehalose. We also demonstrated that calcium stress affects the reserve carbohydrate levels and the response to calcium stress may require PAC-3. Considering that the reserve carbohydrate metabolism may be subjected to different signaling pathways control, our data contribute to the understanding of the N. crassa responses under pH and calcium stresses. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3832-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stela Virgilio
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Barbosa Cupertino
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil
| | - Daniela Luz Ambrosio
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil.
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Virgilio S, Cupertino FB, Bernardes NE, Freitas FZ, Takeda AAS, Fontes MRDM, Bertolini MC. Molecular Components of the Neurospora crassa pH Signaling Pathway and Their Regulation by pH and the PAC-3 Transcription Factor. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161659. [PMID: 27557053 PMCID: PMC4996508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental pH induces a stress response triggering a signaling pathway whose components have been identified and characterized in several fungi. Neurospora crassa shares all six components of the Aspergillus nidulans pH signaling pathway, and we investigate here their regulation during an alkaline pH stress response. We show that the N. crassa pal mutant strains, with the exception of Δpal-9, which is the A. nidulans palI homolog, exhibit low conidiation and are unable to grow at alkaline pH. Moreover, they accumulate the pigment melanin, most likely via regulation of the tyrosinase gene by the pH signaling components. The PAC-3 transcription factor binds to the tyrosinase promoter and negatively regulates its gene expression. PAC-3 also binds to all pal gene promoters, regulating their expression at normal growth pH and/or alkaline pH, which indicates a feedback regulation of PAC-3 in the pal gene expression. In addition, PAC-3 binds to the pac-3 promoter only at alkaline pH, most likely influencing the pac-3 expression at this pH suggesting that the activation of PAC-3 in N. crassa results from proteolytic processing and gene expression regulation by the pH signaling components. In N. crassa, PAC-3 is proteolytically processed in a single cleavage step predominately at alkaline pH; however, low levels of the processed protein can be observed at normal growth pH. We also demonstrate that PAC-3 preferentially localizes in the nucleus at alkaline pH stress and that the translocation may require the N. crassa importin-α since the PAC-3 nuclear localization signal (NLS) has a strong in vitro affinity with importin-α. The data presented here show that the pH signaling pathway in N. crassa shares all the components with the A. nidulans and S. cerevisiae pathways; however, it exhibits some properties not previously described in either organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stela Virgilio
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Barbosa Cupertino
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natália Elisa Bernardes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 18.618-970, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Zanolli Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Agnes Alessandra Sekijima Takeda
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 18.618-970, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Roberto de Mattos Fontes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 18.618-970, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14.800-060, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Bernardes NE, Takeda AAS, Dreyer TR, Freitas FZ, Bertolini MC, Fontes MRM. Structure of Importin-α from a Filamentous Fungus in Complex with a Classical Nuclear Localization Signal. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128687. [PMID: 26091498 PMCID: PMC4474859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurospora crassa is a filamentous fungus that has been extensively studied as a model organism for eukaryotic biology, providing fundamental insights into cellular processes such as cell signaling, growth and differentiation. To advance in the study of this multicellular organism, an understanding of the specific mechanisms for protein transport into the cell nucleus is essential. Importin-α (Imp-α) is the receptor for cargo proteins that contain specific nuclear localization signals (NLSs) that play a key role in the classical nuclear import pathway. Structures of Imp-α from different organisms (yeast, rice, mouse, and human) have been determined, revealing that this receptor possesses a conserved structural scaffold. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the Impα mechanism of action may vary significantly for different organisms or for different isoforms from the same organism. Therefore, structural, functional, and biophysical characterization of different Impα proteins is necessary to understand the selectivity of nuclear transport. Here, we determined the first crystal structure of an Impα from a filamentous fungus which is also the highest resolution Impα structure already solved to date (1.75 Å). In addition, we performed calorimetric analysis to determine the affinity and thermodynamic parameters of the interaction between Imp-α and the classical SV40 NLS peptide. The comparison of these data with previous studies on Impα proteins led us to demonstrate that N. crassa Imp-α possess specific features that are distinct from mammalian Imp-α but exhibit important similarities to rice Imp-α, particularly at the minor NLS binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia E. Bernardes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Agnes A. S. Takeda
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago R. Dreyer
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Z. Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos R. M. Fontes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Cupertino FB, Virgilio S, Freitas FZ, Candido TDS, Bertolini MC. Regulation of glycogen metabolism by the CRE-1, RCO-1 and RCM-1 proteins in Neurospora crassa. The role of CRE-1 as the central transcriptional regulator. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 77:82-94. [PMID: 25889113 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor CreA/Mig1/CRE-1 is a repressor protein that regulates the use of alternative carbon sources via a mechanism known as Carbon Catabolite Repression (CCR). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Mig1 recruits the complex Ssn6-Tup1, the Neurospora crassa RCM-1 and RCO-1 orthologous proteins, respectively, to bind to promoters of glucose-repressible genes. We have been studying the regulation of glycogen metabolism in N. crassa and the identification of the RCO-1 corepressor as a regulator led us to investigate the regulatory role of CRE-1 in this process. Glycogen content is misregulated in the rco-1(KO), rcm-1(RIP) and cre-1(KO) strains, and the glycogen synthase phosphorylation is decreased in all strains, showing that CRE-1, RCO-1 and RCM-1 proteins are involved in glycogen accumulation and in the regulation of GSN activity by phosphorylation. We also confirmed the regulatory role of CRE-1 in CCR and its nuclear localization under repressing condition in N. crassa. The expression of all glycogenic genes is misregulated in the cre-1(KO) strain, suggesting that CRE-1 also controls glycogen metabolism by regulating gene expression. The existence of a high number of the Aspergillus nidulans CreA motif (5'-SYGGRG-3') in the glycogenic gene promoters led us to analyze the binding of CRE-1 to some DNA motifs both in vitro by DNA gel shift and in vivo by ChIP-qPCR analysis. CRE-1 bound in vivo to all motifs analyzed demonstrating that it down-regulates glycogen metabolism by controlling gene expression and GSN phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Barbosa Cupertino
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-060 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Stela Virgilio
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-060 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Zanolli Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-060 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago de Souza Candido
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-060 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-060 Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
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Bernardes NE, Takeda AAS, Freitas FZ, Bertolini MC, Fontes MRM. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of importin-α from Neurospora crassa. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2014; 70:501-4. [PMID: 24699749 PMCID: PMC3976073 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x14005068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Importin-α recognizes cargo proteins that contain classical nuclear localization sequences (NLS) and, in complex with importin-β, is able to translocate nuclear proteins through the nuclear pore complex. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is a well studied organism that has been widely used as a model organism for fundamental aspects of eukaryotic biology, and is important for understanding the specific mechanisms of protein transport to the cell nucleus. In this work, the crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of importin-α from N. crassa (IMPα-Nc) complexed with a classical NLS peptide (SV40 NLS) are reported. IMPα-Nc-SV40 NLS crystals diffracted X-rays to 2.0 Å resolution and the structure was solved by molecular-replacement techniques, leading to a monomeric structure. The observation of the electron-density map indicated the presence of SV40 NLSs interacting at both the minor and major NLS-binding sites of the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia E. Bernardes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Agnes A. S. Takeda
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Z. Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos R. M. Fontes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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Takeda AAS, Freitas FZ, Magro AJ, Bernardes NE, Fernandes CAH, Gonçalves RD, Bertolini MC, Fontes MRM. Biophysical characterization of the recombinant importin-α from Neurospora crassa. Protein Pept Lett 2013; 20:8-16. [PMID: 22789101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Neurospora crassa has been widely used as a model organism and contributed to the development of biochemistry and molecular biology by allowing the identification of many metabolic pathways and mechanisms responsible for gene regulation. Nuclear proteins are synthesized in the cytoplasm and need to be translocated to the nucleus to exert their functions which the importin-α receptor has a key role for the classical nuclear import pathway. In an attempt to get structural information of the nuclear transport process in N. crassa, we present herein the cloning, expression, purification and structural studies with N-terminally truncated IMPα from N. crassa (IMPα-Nc). Circular dichroism analysis revealed that the IMPα-Nc obtained is correctly folded and presents a high structural conservation compared to other importins-α. Dynamic light scattering, analytical size-exclusion chromatography experiments and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the IMPα-Nc unbound to any ligand may present low stability in solution. The IMPα-Nc theoretical model displayed high similarity of its inner concave surface, which binds the cargo proteins containing the nuclear localization sequences, among IMPα from different species. However, the presence of non-conserved amino acids relatively close to the NLS binding region may influence the binding specificity of IMPα-Nc to cargo proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes A S Takeda
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Tecnologia Quimica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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Cupertino FB, Freitas FZ, de Paula RM, Bertolini MC. Ambient pH controls glycogen levels by regulating glycogen synthase gene expression in Neurospora crassa. New insights into the pH signaling pathway. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44258. [PMID: 22952943 PMCID: PMC3432076 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 07/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycogen is a polysaccharide widely distributed in microorganisms and animal cells and its metabolism is under intricate regulation. Its accumulation in a specific situation results from the balance between glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase activities that control synthesis and degradation, respectively. These enzymes are highly regulated at transcriptional and post-translational levels. The existence of a DNA motif for the Aspergillus nidulans pH responsive transcription factor PacC in the promoter of the gene encoding glycogen synthase (gsn) in Neurospora crassa prompted us to investigate whether this transcription factor regulates glycogen accumulation. Transcription factors such as PacC in A. nidulans and Rim101p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae play a role in the signaling pathway that mediates adaptation to ambient pH by inducing the expression of alkaline genes and repressing acidic genes. We showed here that at pH 7.8 pacC was over-expressed and gsn was down-regulated in wild-type N. crassa coinciding with low glycogen accumulation. In the pacCKO strain the glycogen levels and gsn expression at alkaline pH were, respectively, similar to and higher than the wild-type strain at normal pH (5.8). These results characterize gsn as an acidic gene and suggest a regulatory role for PACC in gsn expression. The truncated recombinant protein, containing the DNA-binding domain specifically bound to a gsn DNA fragment containing the PacC motif. DNA-protein complexes were observed with extracts from cells grown at normal and alkaline pH and confirmed by ChIP-PCR analysis. The PACC present in these extracts showed equal molecular mass, indicating that the protein is already processed at normal pH, in contrast to A. nidulans. Together, these results show that the pH signaling pathway controls glycogen accumulation by regulating gsn expression and suggest the existence of a different mechanism for PACC activation in N. crassa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Barbosa Cupertino
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Zanolli Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Dinamarco TM, Freitas FZ, Almeida RS, Brown NA, dos Reis TF, Ramalho LNZ, Savoldi M, Goldman MHS, Bertolini MC, Goldman GH. Functional characterization of an Aspergillus fumigatus calcium transporter (PmcA) that is essential for fungal infection. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37591. [PMID: 22649543 PMCID: PMC3359301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/22/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a primary and opportunistic pathogen, as well as a major allergen, of mammals. The Ca(+2)-calcineurin pathway affects virulence, morphogenesis and antifungal drug action in A. fumigatus. Here, we investigated three components of the A. fumigatus Ca(+2)-calcineurin pathway, pmcA,-B, and -C, which encode calcium transporters. We demonstrated that CrzA can directly control the mRNA accumulation of the pmcA-C genes by binding to their promoter regions. CrzA-binding experiments suggested that the 5'-CACAGCCAC-3' and 5'-CCCTGCCCC-3' sequences upstream of pmcA and pmcC genes, respectively, are possible calcineurin-dependent response elements (CDREs)-like consensus motifs. Null mutants were constructed for pmcA and -B and a conditional mutant for pmcC demonstrating pmcC is an essential gene. The ΔpmcA and ΔpmcB mutants were more sensitive to calcium and resistant to manganese and cyclosporin was able to modulate the sensitivity or resistance of these mutants to these salts, supporting the interaction between calcineurin and the function of these transporters. The pmcA-C genes have decreased mRNA abundance into the alveoli in the ΔcalA and ΔcrzA mutant strains. However, only the A. fumigatus ΔpmcA was avirulent in the murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taísa Magnani Dinamarco
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo S. Almeida
- Department of Microbiology, University of Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Neil Andrew Brown
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thaila Fernanda dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Marcela Savoldi
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Helena S. Goldman
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol – CTBE, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Baldani CD, Hilario E, Nakaghi ACH, Bertolini MC, Machado RZ. Production of recombinant EMA-1 protein and its application for the diagnosis of Theileria equi using an enzyme immunoassay in horses from São Paulo State, Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 20:54-60. [PMID: 21439233 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612011000100011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2010] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The erythrocytic-stage surface protein, Equi Merozoite Antigen 1 (EMA-1), is a major candidate for the development of a diagnostic antigen for equine piroplasmosis. In order to establish an effective diagnostic method for practical use, the gene encoding the entire EMA-1 of Theileria equi Jaboticabal strain was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a histidine-tagged protein (His6-EMA1). The expressed EMA-1 reacted with specific antibodies in Western blot and had an apparent molecular mass of 34 kDa which was largely consistent with its theoretical value. The nucleotide sequence of the EMA-1 gene of Jaboticabal strain was comparatively analyzed with other published sequences. The results indicated a high degree of homology with EMA-1 genes of all other strains isolated from various countries. The recombinant purified His6-EMA1 protein was tested in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies anti-T. equi in horses. The ELISA clearly differentiated T. equi-infected from Babesia caballi-infected horse sera or normal horse sera. Field serum samples collected from horses in the State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, were examined for the diagnosis of T. equi infection by ELISA. Of 170 samples analyzed, 95.88% (163/170) were positive for T. equi infection. These results suggest that the His6-EMA1 protein expressed in E. coli could be a reliable immunodiagnostic antigen for ELISA test and that T. equi infection is a serious concern in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane Divan Baldani
- Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinaria, Instituto de Veterinaria, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Gonçalves RD, Cupertino FB, Freitas FZ, Luchessi AD, Bertolini MC. A genome-wide screen for Neurospora crassa transcription factors regulating glycogen metabolism. Mol Cell Proteomics 2011; 10:M111.007963. [PMID: 21768394 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m111.007963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors play a key role in transcription regulation as they recognize and directly bind to defined sites in promoter regions of target genes, and thus modulate differential expression. The overall process is extremely dynamic, as they have to move through the nucleus and transiently bind to chromatin in order to regulate gene transcription. To identify transcription factors that affect glycogen accumulation in Neurospora crassa, we performed a systematic screen of a deletion strains set generated by the Neurospora Knockout Project and available at the Fungal Genetics Stock Center. In a wild-type strain of N. crassa, glycogen content reaches a maximal level at the end of the exponential growth phase, but upon heat stress the glycogen content rapidly drops. The gene encoding glycogen synthase (gsn) is transcriptionally down-regulated when the mycelium is exposed to the same stress condition. We identified 17 deleted strains having glycogen accumulation profiles different from that of the wild-type strain under both normal growth and heat stress conditions. Most of the transcription factors identified were annotated as hypothetical protein, however some of them, such as the PacC, XlnR, and NIT2 proteins, were biochemically well-characterized either in N. crassa or in other fungi. The identification of some of the transcription factors was coincident with the presence of DNA-binding motifs specific for the transcription factors in the gsn 5'-flanking region, and some of these DNA-binding motifs were demonstrated to be functional by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) experiments. Strains knocked-out in these transcription factors presented impairment in the regulation of gsn expression, suggesting that the transcription factors regulate glycogen accumulation by directly regulating gsn gene expression. Five selected mutant strains showed defects in cell cycle progression, and two transcription factors were light-regulated. The results indicate that there are connections linking different cellular processes, such as metabolism control, biological clock, and cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Duarte Gonçalves
- Instituto de Química, UNESP, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Felício AP, de Oliveira E, Odena MA, Garcia O, Bertolini MC, Ferraz LFC, Ottoboni LMM, Novo MTM. Differential proteomic analysis of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cells maintained in contact with bornite or chalcopyrite: Proteins involved with the early bacterial response. Process Biochem 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2010.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Hilario E, Martin FJM, Bertolini MC, Fan L. Crystal structures of Xanthomonas small heat shock protein provide a structural basis for an active molecular chaperone oligomer. J Mol Biol 2011; 408:74-86. [PMID: 21315085 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2010] [Revised: 01/27/2011] [Accepted: 02/02/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are ubiquitous low-molecular-weight chaperones that prevent protein aggregation under cellular stresses. sHsps contain a structurally conserved α-crystallin domain (ACD) of about 100 amino acid residues flanked by varied N- and C-terminal extensions and usually exist as oligomers. Oligomerization is important for the biological functions of most sHsps. However, the active oligomeric states of sHsps are not defined yet. We present here crystal structures (up to 1.65 Å resolution) of the sHspA from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas (XaHspA). XaHspA forms closed or open trimers of dimers (hexamers) in crystals but exists predominantly as 36mers in solution as estimated by size-exclusion chromatography. The XaHspA monomer structures mainly consist of α-crystallin domain with disordered N- and C-terminal extensions, indicating that the extensions are flexible and not essential for the formation of dimers and 36mers. Under reducing conditions where α-lactalbumin (LA) unfolds and aggregates, XaHspA 36mers formed complexes with one LA per XaHspA dimer. Based on XaHspA dimer-dimer interactions observed in crystals, we propose that XaHspA 36mers have four possible conformations, but only XaHspA 36merB, which is formed by open hexamers in 12mer-6mer-6mer-12mer with protruding dimers accessible for substrate (unfolding protein) binding, can bind to 18 reduced LA molecules. Together, our results unravel the structural basis of an active sHsp oligomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Hilario
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, 2482B Boyce Hall, Riverside, CA 92521-0123, USA
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Freitas FZ, Chapeaurouge A, Perales J, Bertolini MC. A systematic approach to identify STRE-binding proteins of thegsn glycogen synthase gene promoter inNeurospora crassa. Proteomics 2008; 8:2052-61. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200700921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Teixeira EC, Franco de Oliveira JC, Marques Novo MT, Bertolini MC. The copper resistance operon copAB from Xanthomonas axonopodis pathovar citri: gene inactivation results in copper sensitivity. Microbiology (Reading) 2008; 154:402-412. [PMID: 18227244 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.2007/013821-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) causes citrus canker and the completion of the Xac genome sequence has opened up the possibility of investigating basic cellular mechanisms at the genomic level. Copper compounds have been extensively used in agriculture to control plant diseases. The copA and copB genes, identified by annotation of the Xac genome, encode homologues of proteins involved in copper resistance. A gene expression assay by Northern blotting revealed that copA and copB are expressed as a unique transcript specifically induced by copper. Synthesis of the gene products was also induced by copper, reaching a maximum level at 4 h after addition of copper to the culture medium. CopA was a cytosolic protein and CopB was detected in the cytoplasmic membrane. The gene encoding CopA was disrupted by the insertion of a transposon, leading to mutant strains that were unable to grow in culture medium containing copper, even at the lowest CuSO(4) concentration tested (0.25 mM), whereas the wild-type strain was able to grow in the presence of 1 mM copper. Cell suspensions of the wild-type and mutant strains in different copper concentrations were inoculated in lemon leaves to analyse their ability to induce citrus canker symptoms. Cells of mutant strains showed higher sensitivity than the wild-type strain in the presence of copper, i.e. they were not able to induce citrus canker symptoms at high copper concentrations and exhibited a more retarded growth in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Cristina Teixeira
- Instituto de Química, UNESP, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, 14800-900 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Teresa Marques Novo
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCar, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Instituto de Química, UNESP, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, 14800-900 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Rizzatti ACS, Freitas FZ, Bertolini MC, Peixoto-Nogueira SC, Terenzi HF, Jorge JA, Polizeli MDLTDM. Regulation of xylanase in Aspergillus phoenicis: a physiological and molecular approach. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2008; 35:237-44. [PMID: 18228069 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-007-0290-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2007] [Accepted: 12/10/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Microbial xylanolytic enzymes have a promising biotechnological potential, and are extensively applied in industries. In this study, induction of xylanolytic activity was examined in Aspergillus phoenicis. Xylanase activity induced by xylan, xylose or beta-methylxyloside was predominantly extracellular (93-97%). Addition of 1% glucose to media supplemented with xylan or xylose repressed xylanase production. Glucose repression was alleviated by addition of cAMP or dibutyryl-cAMP. These physiological observations were supported by a Northern analysis using part of the xylanase gene ApXLN as a probe. Gene transcription was shown to be induced by xylan, xylose, and beta-methylxyloside, and was repressed by the addition of 1% glucose. Glucose repression was partially relieved by addition of cAMP or dibutyryl cAMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Segato Rizzatti
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-901, Brazil
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Pistone G, Bertolini MC, Malaguarnera M, Musumeci S. Efficacy of interferon-based therapy in the treatment of thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C: a meta-analysis. BioDrugs 2007; 14:137-40. [PMID: 18034565 DOI: 10.2165/00063030-200014020-00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify the interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) treatment protocol most suitable for patients with thalassaemia major who have chronic hepatitis C. DESIGN AND SETTING This was a meta-analysis of studies in the international literature between 1990 and 1999. METHODS Studies were identified from a search of Medline and Embase, and analysed by the Mantel-Haenszel-Peto statistical method. RESULTS We identified 6 nonrandomised trials, 2 of which were controlled, that treated a total of 201 patients. Most studies used the lowest dose level (3 MIU/m(2)), all used a thrice-weekly regimen, and most used IFNalpha-2b, although the use of natural IFNalpha did not induce production of anti-interferon antibodies. The best sustained response and remission rates tended to be achieved with higher doses and longer cycles of IFNalpha. CONCLUSIONS The best interferon-based therapy to treat polytransfused thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C is represented by the use of natural IFNalpha or IFNalpha-2b, initially at high dosages (5 to 10 MIU/m(2) 3 times weekly) for 6 months, followed by lower dosages (3 MIU/m(2) 3 times weekly) for a further 6 to 9 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Pistone
- Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Catania, Italy
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Andreotti PF, Monteiro da Silva JL, Teixeira EC, Bertolini MC, Soares CP, Benard G, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Identification of a gene encoding adaptin-like protein in the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis genome by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. J Med Microbiol 2007; 56:884-887. [PMID: 17577051 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.47127-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates are not homogeneous in their patterns of pathogenicity in animals and adhesion to epithelial cells. During this investigation, genotypic differences were observed between two samples of P. brasiliensis strain 18 yeast phase (Pb18) previously cultured many times, one taken before (Pb18a) and the other after (Pb18b) animal inoculation. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using the primer OPJ4 distinguished Pb18b from Pb18a by one 308 bp DNA fragment, which after cloning and sequencing was shown to encode a polypeptide sequence homologous to the protein beta-adaptin. It is suggested, by comparison to other micro-organisms, that this protein might play an important role in the virulence of P. brasiliensis. This result demonstrates the influence of in vitro subculturing on the genotype of this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elaine Cristina Teixeira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Christiane Pienna Soares
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Gil Benard
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências, Departamento de Dermatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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Hilario E, Teixeira EC, Pedroso GA, Bertolini MC, Medrano FJ. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of XAC1151, a small heat-shock protein from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri belonging to the alpha-crystallin family. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2006; 62:446-8. [PMID: 16682772 PMCID: PMC2219972 DOI: 10.1107/s174430910601219x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 02/15/2006] [Accepted: 04/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The hspA gene (XAC1151) from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri encodes a protein of 158 amino acids that belongs to the small heat-shock protein (sHSP) family of proteins. These proteins function as molecular chaperones by preventing protein aggregation. The protein was crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method in the presence of ammonium phosphate. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.65 angstroms resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. The crystal belongs to the rhombohedral space group R3, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 128.7, c = 55.3 angstroms. The crystal structure was solved by molecular-replacement methods. Structure refinement is in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Hilario
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara-SP, Brazil
| | - Elaine Cristina Teixeira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara-SP, Brazil
| | - Gisele Audrei Pedroso
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara-SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara-SP, Brazil
| | - Francisco Javier Medrano
- Departamento de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Centro de Biologia Molecular Estrutural, Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron, Caixa Postal 6192, CEP 13084-971, Campinas-SP, Brazil
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de Paula RM, Wilson WA, Roach PJ, Terenzi HF, Bertolini MC. Biochemical characterization of Neurospora crassa glycogenin (GNN), the self-glucosylating initiator of glycogen synthesis. FEBS Lett 2005; 579:2208-14. [PMID: 15811343 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.02.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2005] [Revised: 02/01/2005] [Accepted: 02/21/2005] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Glycogenin acts in the initiation step of glycogen biosynthesis by catalyzing a self-glucosylation reaction. In a previous work [de Paula et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 435 (2005) 112-124], we described the isolation of the cDNA gnn, which encodes the protein glycogenin (GNN) in Neurospora crassa. This work presents a set of biochemical and functional studies confirming the GNN role in glycogen biosynthesis. Kinetic experiments showed a very low GNN K(m) (4.41 microM) for the substrate UDP-glucose. Recombinant GNN was produced in Escherichia coli and analysis by mass spectroscopy identified a peptide containing an oligosaccharide chain attached to Tyr196 residue. Site-directed mutagenesis and functional complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain confirmed the participation of this residue in the GNN self-glucosylation and indicated the Tyr198 residue as an additional, although less active, glucosylation site. The physical interaction between GNN and glycogen synthase (GSN) was analyzed by the two-hybrid assay. While the entire GSN was required for full interaction, the C-terminus in GNN was more important. Furthermore, mutation in the GNN glucosylation sites did not impair the interaction with GSN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato M de Paula
- Instituto de Química, UNESP, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, R. Professor Francisco Degni, s/n, 14800-900 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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de Paula RM, Wilson WA, Terenzi HF, Roach PJ, Bertolini MC. GNN is a self-glucosylating protein involved in the initiation step of glycogen biosynthesis in Neurospora crassa. Arch Biochem Biophys 2005; 435:112-24. [PMID: 15680913 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2004.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2004] [Revised: 12/02/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The initiation of glycogen synthesis requires the protein glycogenin, which incorporates glucose residues through a self-glucosylation reaction, and then acts as substrate for chain elongation by glycogen synthase and branching enzyme. Numerous sequences of glycogenin-like proteins are available in the databases but the enzymes from mammalian skeletal muscle and from Saccharomyces cerevisiae are the best characterized. We report the isolation of a cDNA from the fungus Neurospora crassa, which encodes a protein, GNN, which has properties characteristic of glycogenin. The protein is one of the largest glycogenins but shares several conserved domains common to other family members. Recombinant GNN produced in Escherichia coli was able to incorporate glucose in a self-glucosylation reaction, to trans-glucosylate exogenous substrates, and to act as substrate for chain elongation by glycogen synthase. Recombinant protein was sensitive to C-terminal proteolysis, leading to stable species of around 31kDa, which maintained all functional properties. The role of GNN as an initiator of glycogen metabolism was confirmed by its ability to complement the glycogen deficiency of a S. cerevisiae strain (glg1 glg2) lacking glycogenin and unable to accumulate glycogen. Disruption of the gnn gene of N. crassa by repeat induced point mutation (RIP) resulted in a strain that was unable to synthesize glycogen, even though the glycogen synthase activity was unchanged. Northern blot analysis showed that the gnn gene was induced during vegetative growth and was repressed upon carbon starvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Magalhães de Paula
- Instituto de Química, UNESP, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, 14800-900 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Hilario E, da Silva SLF, Ramos CHI, Bertolini MC. Effects of cardiomyopathic mutations on the biochemical and biophysical properties of the human alpha-tropomyosin. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 271:4132-40. [PMID: 15479242 DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.2004.04351.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the protein alpha-tropomyosin (Tm) can cause a disease known as familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In order to understand how such mutations lead to protein dysfunction, three point mutations were introduced into cDNA encoding the human skeletal tropomyosin, and the recombinant Tms were produced at high levels in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Two mutations (A63V and K70T) were located in the N-terminal region of Tm and one (E180G) was located close to the calcium-dependent troponin T binding domain. The functional and structural properties of the mutant Tms were compared to those of the wild type protein. None of the mutations altered the head-to-tail polymerization, although slightly higher actin binding was observed in the mutant Tm K70T, as demonstrated in a cosedimentation assay. The mutations also did not change the cooperativity of the thin filament activation by increasing the concentrations of Ca2+. However, in the absence of troponin, all mutant Tms were less effective than the wild type in regulating the actomyosin subfragment 1 Mg2+ ATPase activity. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed no differences in the secondary structure of the Tms. However, the thermally induced unfolding, as monitored by circular dichroism or differential scanning calorimetry, demonstrated that the mutants were less stable than the wild type. These results indicate that the main effect of the mutations is related to the overall stability of Tm as a whole, and that the mutations have only minor effects on the cooperative interactions among proteins that constitute the thin filament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Hilario
- Instituto de Química, UNESP, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
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Freitas FZ, Bertolini MC. Genomic organization of the Neurospora crassa gsn gene: possible involvement of the STRE and HSE elements in the modulation of transcription during heat shock. Mol Genet Genomics 2004; 272:550-61. [PMID: 15558319 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-004-1086-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2004] [Accepted: 10/26/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Glycogen synthase, an enzyme involved in glycogen biosynthesis, is regulated by phosphorylation and by the allosteric ligand glucose-6-phosphate (G6P). In addition, enzyme levels can be regulated by changes in gene expression. We recently cloned a cDNA for glycogen synthase ( gsn) from Neurospora crassa, and showed that gsn transcription decreased when cells were exposed to heat shock (shifted from 30 degrees C to 45 degrees C). In order to understand the mechanisms that control gsn expression, we isolated the gene, including its 5' and 3' flanking regions, from the genome of N. crassa. An ORF of approximately 2.4 kb was identified, which is interrupted by four small introns (II-V). Intron I (482 bp) is located in the 5'UTR region. Three putative Transcription Initiation Sites (TISs) were mapped, one of which lies downstream of a canonical TATA-box sequence (5'-TGTATAAA-3'). Analysis of the 5'-flanking region revealed the presence of putative transcription factor-binding sites, including Heat Shock Elements (HSEs) and STress Responsive Elements (STREs). The possible involvement of these motifs in the negative regulation of gsn transcription was investigated using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assays (EMSA) with nuclear extracts of N. crassa mycelium obtained before and after heat shock, and DNA fragments encompassing HSE and STRE elements from the 5'-flanking region. While elements within the promoter region are involved in transcription under heat shock, elements in the 5'UTR intron may participate in transcription during vegetative growth. The results thus suggest that N. crassa possesses trans -acting elements that interact with the 5'-flanking region to regulate gsn transcription during heat shock and vegetative growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Zanolli Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, 14800-900 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Alegria MC, Lavarda SCS, Lataro RC, Hilario E, Ferro JA, Bertolini MC. Conditions affecting production of functional muscle recombinant alpha-tropomyosin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Protein Expr Purif 2003; 30:105-11. [PMID: 12821327 DOI: 10.1016/s1046-5928(03)00094-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Yeasts are attractive hosts for heterologous protein production as they follow the general eukaryotic post-translational modification pattern. The well-known Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used to produce a large variety of foreign proteins. The proper function of muscle tropomyosin depends on a specific modification at its N-terminus. Although tropomyosin has been produced in different expression systems, only the recombinant protein produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris has native-like functional properties. In this paper we describe the production of functional skeletal muscle tropomyosin in the yeast S. cerevisiae. The recombinant protein was produced in high amounts and production was strongly affected by genetic and environmental factors, including plasmid copy number, promoter strength, and growth media composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Castanheira Alegria
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, 14800-900, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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da Silva ACR, Ferro JA, Reinach FC, Farah CS, Furlan LR, Quaggio RB, Monteiro-Vitorello CB, Van Sluys MA, Almeida NF, Alves LMC, do Amaral AM, Bertolini MC, Camargo LEA, Camarotte G, Cannavan F, Cardozo J, Chambergo F, Ciapina LP, Cicarelli RMB, Coutinho LL, Cursino-Santos JR, El-Dorry H, Faria JB, Ferreira AJS, Ferreira RCC, Ferro MIT, Formighieri EF, Franco MC, Greggio CC, Gruber A, Katsuyama AM, Kishi LT, Leite RP, Lemos EGM, Lemos MVF, Locali EC, Machado MA, Madeira AMBN, Martinez-Rossi NM, Martins EC, Meidanis J, Menck CFM, Miyaki CY, Moon DH, Moreira LM, Novo MTM, Okura VK, Oliveira MC, Oliveira VR, Pereira HA, Rossi A, Sena JAD, Silva C, de Souza RF, Spinola LAF, Takita MA, Tamura RE, Teixeira EC, Tezza RID, Trindade dos Santos M, Truffi D, Tsai SM, White FF, Setubal JC, Kitajima JP. Comparison of the genomes of two Xanthomonas pathogens with differing host specificities. Nature 2002; 417:459-63. [PMID: 12024217 DOI: 10.1038/417459a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 782] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The genus Xanthomonas is a diverse and economically important group of bacterial phytopathogens, belonging to the gamma-subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) causes citrus canker, which affects most commercial citrus cultivars, resulting in significant losses worldwide. Symptoms include canker lesions, leading to abscission of fruit and leaves and general tree decline. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) causes black rot, which affects crucifers such as Brassica and Arabidopsis. Symptoms include marginal leaf chlorosis and darkening of vascular tissue, accompanied by extensive wilting and necrosis. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is grown commercially to produce the exopolysaccharide xanthan gum, which is used as a viscosifying and stabilizing agent in many industries. Here we report and compare the complete genome sequences of Xac and Xcc. Their distinct disease phenotypes and host ranges belie a high degree of similarity at the genomic level. More than 80% of genes are shared, and gene order is conserved along most of their respective chromosomes. We identified several groups of strain-specific genes, and on the basis of these groups we propose mechanisms that may explain the differing host specificities and pathogenic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C R da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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da Silva MC, Bertolini MC, Ernandes JR. Biomass production and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes are influenced by the structural complexity of the nitrogen source in Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus nidulans. J Basic Microbiol 2002; 41:269-80. [PMID: 11688213 DOI: 10.1002/1521-4028(200110)41:5<269::aid-jobm269>3.0.co;2-#] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The structural complexity of the nitrogen sources strongly affects biomass production and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes in filamentous fungi. Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus nidulans were grown in media containing glucose or starch, and supplemented with a nitrogen source varying from a single ammonium salt (ammonium sulfate) to free amino acids (casamino acids), peptides (peptone) and protein (gelatin). In glucose, when the initial pH was adjusted to 5.0, for both microorganisms, higher biomass production occurred upon supplementation with a nitrogen source in the peptide form (peptone and gelatin). With a close to neutrality pH, biomass accumulation was lower only in the presence of the ammonium salt. When grown in starch, biomass accumulation and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes (amylolytic and proteolytic) by Fusarium also depended on the nature of the nitrogen supplement and the pH. When the initial pH was adjusted to 5.0, higher growth and higher amylolytic activities were detected in the media supplemented with peptone, gelatin and casamino acids. However, at pH 7.0, higher biomass accumulation and higher amylolytic activities were observed upon supplementation with peptone or gelatin. Ammonium sulfate and casamino acids induced a lower production of biomass, and a different level of amylolytic enzyme secretion: high in ammonium sulfate and low in casamino acids. Secretion of proteolytic activity was always higher in the media supplemented with peptone and gelatin. Aspergillus, when grown in starch, was not as dependent as Fusarium on the nature of nitrogen source or the pH. The results described in this work indicate that the metabolism of fungi is regulated not only by pH, but also by the level of structural complexity of the nitrogen source in correlation to the carbon source.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), PO Box 335, 14801-970-Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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de Paula R, Azzariti de Pinho C, Terenzi HF, Bertolini MC. Molecular and biochemical characterization of the Neurospora crassa glycogen synthase encoded by the gsn cDNA. Mol Genet Genomics 2002; 267:241-53. [PMID: 11976968 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-002-0659-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2001] [Accepted: 02/07/2002] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Glycogen synthases catalyze the transfer of a glucosyl moiety from a nucleotide phosphosugar to a nascent glycogen chain via an alpha1-->4 linkage. Although many genes coding for glycogen synthases have been described, the enzymes from rabbit and yeast are the best characterized. The fungus Neurospora crassa accumulates glycogen during exponential growth, and mobilizes it at the onset of stationary phase, or when placed at high temperature or starved for carbon. Through a PCR methodology, the gsn cDNA coding for the N. crassa glycogen synthase was isolated, and the amino acid sequence of the protein was deduced. The product of the cDNA seems to be the only glycogen synthase present in N. crassa. Characterization of the gsn cDNA revealed that it codes for a 706-amino acids protein, which is very similar to mammalian and yeast glycogen synthases. Gene expression increased during exponential growth, reaching its maximal level at the end of the exponential growth phase, which is consistent with the pattern of glycogen synthase activity and glycogen level. Expression of the gsn is highly regulated at the transcriptional level. Under culture conditions that induce heat shock, conidiation, and carbon starvation, expression of the gsn gene was decreased, and glycogen synthase activity and glycogen content behaved similarly.
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Affiliation(s)
- R de Paula
- Instituto de Química, UNESP, Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, R. Professor Francisco Degni, s/n, 14800-900 Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Hilario E, Lataro RC, Alegria MC, Lavarda SC, Ferro JA, Bertolini MC. High-level production of functional muscle alpha-tropomyosin in Pichia pastoris. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2001; 284:955-60. [PMID: 11409886 DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.2001.5059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous studies have reported the production of skeletal muscle alpha-tropomyosin in E. coli, the protein needs to be modified at the amino terminus in order to be active. Without these modifications the protein does not bind to actin, does not exhibit head-to-tail polymerization, and does not inhibit the actomyosin Mg(2+)-ATPase in the absence of troponin. On the other hand, the protein produced in insect cells using baculovirus as an expression vector (Urbancikova, M., and Hitchcock-DeGregori, S. E., J. Biol. Chem., 269, 24310-24315, 1994) is only partially acetylated at its amino terminal and therefore is not totally functional. In an attempt to produce an unmodified functional recombinant muscle alpha-tropomyosin for structure-function correlation studies we have expressed the chicken skeletal alpha-tropomyosin cDNA in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Recombinant protein was produced at a high level (20 mg/L) and was similar to the wild type muscle protein in its ability to polymerize, to bind to actin and to regulate the actomyosin S1 Mg(2+)-ATPase.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Hilario
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química-UNESP, postal code 355, Araraquara, SP, 14800-900, Brazil
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Bertolini MC, Schrag JD, Cygler M, Ziomek E, Thomas DY, Vernet T. Expression and characterization of Geotrichum candidum lipase I gene. Comparison of specificity profile with lipase II. Eur J Biochem 1995; 228:863-9. [PMID: 7737187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Despite tremendous progress in the elucidation of three-dimensional structures of lipases, the molecular basis for their observed substrate preference is not well understood. In an effort to correlate the lipase structure with its substrate preference and to clarify the contradicting reports in the literature, we have compared the enzymic characteristics of two closely related recombinant lipases from the fungus Geotrichum candidum. These enzymes were expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as fusions with an N-terminal poly(His) tag and were purified in a single step by metal-affinity chromatography. Their specific activities against a series of triacylglycerol substrates were compared using a titrimetric assay. The substrates varied in fatty acyl chain length, number of double bonds and their position along the chain. G. candidum lipases I and II (GCL I and GLC II) are markedly different with respect to their substrate preferences. For unsaturated substrates having long fatty acyl chains (C18:2 cis-9, cis-12 and C18:3 cis-9, cis-12, cis-15), GCL I showed higher specific activity than GCL II, whereas GCL II showed higher specific activity against saturated substrates having short fatty acid chains (C8, C10, C12 and C14). We have constructed a hybrid molecule containing the N-terminal portion of GCL I (including the flap covering the active site) linked to the C-terminal portion of GCL II. The hybrid molecule showed a substrate preference pattern identical to that of GCL II. These results indicate that sequence variation within the N-terminal 194 amino acids of G. candidum lipases do not contribute to the observed variation in efficiency by which the lipases hydrolyze their substrates. Moreover, it also shows that the flap region in GCL is not directly involved in substrate differentiation, even though this region is thought to be involved in recognition of the interface and in the activation of the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Bertolini
- Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montréal, Québec
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Abstract
The fungus Geotrichum candidum produces extracellular lipases. Purification and characterization of different lipase isoforms from various G. candidum strains is difficult due to the close physical and biochemical properties of the isoforms. Consequently, the characterization of these enzymes and their substrate specificities has been difficult. We have determined the lipase genes present in four strains of G. candidum (ATCC 34614, NRCC 205002, NRRL Y-552 and NRRL Y-553) by molecular cloning and DNA sequencing. Each strain contains two genes similar to the previously identified lipase I and lipase II cDNAs. Our data suggest that no other related lipase genes are present in these strains. Each lipase-gene family shows sequence variation (polymorphism) that is confirmed by Southern-blot analysis. This polymorphism and the sequence differences between lipase I and lipase II have been localized within the previously determined three-dimensional structure of lipase II. Although most of the amino acid substitutions are located on the protein surface, some are present in structural features possibly involved in determining substrate specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Bertolini
- Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, Quebec
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Abstract
Yeast strains capable of fermenting starch and dextrin to ethanol were isolated from samples collected from Brazilian factories in which cassava flour is produced. Considerable alcohol production was observed for all the strains selected. One strain (DI-10) fermented starch rapidly and secreted 5 times as much amylolytic enzyme than that observed for
Schwanniomyces alluvius
UCD 54-83. This strain and three other similar isolates were classified as
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
var.
diastaticus
by morphological and physiological characteristics and molecular taxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Laluce
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Caixa Postal 174, 14.800-Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale, Università di Perugia, Borgo 20 Giugno 74, 1-06100 Perugia, Italy
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Bertolini MC, De Lucca FL. In vivo transfer of delayed hypersensitivity to Trypanosoma cruzi antigens with polysomal immune RNA. Trop Med Parasitol 1986; 37:107-9. [PMID: 2428088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The polysomal immune RNA (iRNA) was extracted from the spleens of mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The RNA isolated from normal (nRNA) animals served as control. We found that the polysomal iRNA is able to transfer delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in vivo to T. cruzi antigens as assessed by the inhibition of cell migration assay and skin test. We also demonstrated that this phenomenon is antigen specific. The polysomal iRNA preparations were fractionated by affinity chromatography on oligo (dT)-cellulose column. Our results suggest that the poly (A)-containing iRNA is the fraction responsible for transferring DTH in vivo to T. cruzi antigens.
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Bertolini MC, De Lucca FL. Poly(A)-containing RNA from the spleens of mice with Chagas' disease triggers in vitro macrophage resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi. J Protozool 1986; 33:81-4. [PMID: 2420985 DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1986.tb05562.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Mouse peritoneal macrophages exposed to the RNA from the spleens of mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (iRNA) exhibit enhanced resistance to this parasite. The poly(A)-containing iRNA was found to be the active fraction. No such activity was observed in macrophages incubated with RNA from normal mice (nRNA) or with synthetic poly A.
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Bertolini MC, De Lucca FL. The protective effect of the 4-5S immune RNA against Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice. Trop Med Parasitol 1985; 36:131-4. [PMID: 2417303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The immune RNA (iRNA) was extracted from the spleens of mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The 4-5S iRNA, obtained by sucrose gradient centrifugation, was effective in reducing the parasitemia and mortality of mice challenged with a virulent strain of T. cruzi. No such activity was found in the RNA fraction obtained from the spleens of normal (4-5S nRNA) animals. Mouse peritoneal macrophages exposed to the 4-5S iRNA were able to inhibit the growth of T. cruzi. These results suggest that the protective effect of the 4-5S iRNA against T. cruzi infection could be due to its ability in enhancing macrophage resistance to this parasite.
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De Lucca FL, Bertolini MC, Zini MN. In vitro transfer of reactivity to Trypanosoma cruzi antigens from rat cells to human cells with immune RNA. J Infect Dis 1982; 145:148-51. [PMID: 6172524 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/145.2.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The immunologic activity of polysomal RNA isolated from the spleens of rats infected with Trypanosoma cruzi was assessed by the leukocyte migration-inhibition assay as an in vitro correlate of delayed hypersensitivity. This RNA preparation transferred reactivity to T. cruzi antigens to nonsensitized human lymphocytes from peripheral blood. This transfer of reactivity was abolished by treatment of the RNA preparation with ribonuclease. The transfer of delayed hypersensitivity in vitro from rat cells to human cells was antigen-specific. Polysomal RNA also conferred significant protection against infection with T. cruzi in mice, as evaluated by the level of parasitemia and the survival rate of mice challenged with virulent strain of Y of T. cruzi.
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Abstract
Immune RNA was extracted from the spleens of mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The immunologic activity of crude immune RNA and the fractions that were obtained by sucrose density gradient centrifugation was assessed by the in vitro macrophage migration-inhibition assay. Crude immune RNA can convert nonsensitized mouse peritoneal cells to a state of specific immunologic reactivity to T. cruzi antigens. The transfer activity of crude immune RNA was abolished by treatment with pancreatic ribonuclease. The 4S-5S RNA was the only fraction active in transferring delayed hypersensitivity in experimental Chagas' disease; however, the 4S transfer RNA also isolated from the spleens of mice with Chagas' disease has no immunologic activity. Immune RNA in experimental Chagas' disease may be an informational RNA.
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