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Castell A, Yan Q, Fawkner K, Bazzar W, Zhang F, Wickström M, Alzrigat M, Franco M, Krona C, Cameron DP, Dyberg C, Olsen TK, Verschut V, Schmidt L, Lim SY, Mahmoud L, Hydbring P, Lehmann S, Baranello L, Nelander S, Johnsen JI, Larsson LG. MYCMI-7: A Small MYC-Binding Compound that Inhibits MYC: MAX Interaction and Tumor Growth in a MYC-Dependent Manner. Cancer Res Commun 2022. [PMID: 36874405 DOI: 10.1158/27679764.crc-21-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Deregulated expression of MYC family oncogenes occurs frequently in human cancer and is often associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis. While MYC is a highly warranted target, it has been considered "undruggable," and no specific anti-MYC drugs are available in the clinic. We recently identified molecules named MYCMIs that inhibit the interaction between MYC and its essential partner MAX. Here we show that one of these molecules, MYCMI-7, efficiently and selectively inhibits MYC:MAX and MYCN:MAX interactions in cells, binds directly to recombinant MYC, and reduces MYC-driven transcription. In addition, MYCMI-7 induces degradation of MYC and MYCN proteins. MYCMI-7 potently induces growth arrest/apoptosis in tumor cells in a MYC/MYCN-dependent manner and downregulates the MYC pathway on a global level as determined by RNA sequencing. Sensitivity to MYCMI-7 correlates with MYC expression in a panel of 60 tumor cell lines and MYCMI-7 shows high efficacy toward a collection of patient-derived primary glioblastoma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) ex vivo cultures. Importantly, a variety of normal cells become G1 arrested without signs of apoptosis upon MYCMI-7 treatment. Finally, in mouse tumor models of MYC-driven AML, breast cancer, and MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, treatment with MYCMI-7 downregulates MYC/MYCN, inhibits tumor growth, and prolongs survival through apoptosis with few side effects. In conclusion, MYCMI-7 is a potent and selective MYC inhibitor that is highly relevant for the development into clinically useful drugs for the treatment of MYC-driven cancer. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings demonstrate that the small-molecule MYCMI-7 binds MYC and inhibits interaction between MYC and MAX, thereby hampering MYC-driven tumor cell growth in culture and in vivo while sparing normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Castell
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qinzi Yan
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Fawkner
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wesam Bazzar
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malin Wickström
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Alzrigat
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcela Franco
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Krona
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Donald P Cameron
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Dyberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thale Kristin Olsen
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vasiliki Verschut
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linnéa Schmidt
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sheryl Y Lim
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Loay Mahmoud
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Hydbring
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sören Lehmann
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Laura Baranello
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Nelander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John Inge Johnsen
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars-Gunnar Larsson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Castell A, Yan Q, Fawkner K, Bazzar W, Zhang F, Wickström M, Alzrigat M, Franco M, Krona C, Cameron DP, Dyberg C, Olsen TK, Verschut V, Schmidt L, Lim SY, Mahmoud L, Hydbring P, Lehmann S, Baranello L, Nelander S, Johnsen JI, Larsson LG. MYCMI-7: A Small MYC-Binding Compound that Inhibits MYC: MAX Interaction and Tumor Growth in a MYC-Dependent Manner. Cancer Res Commun 2022; 2:182-201. [PMID: 36874405 PMCID: PMC9980915 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-21-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Deregulated expression of MYC family oncogenes occurs frequently in human cancer and is often associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis. While MYC is a highly warranted target, it has been considered "undruggable," and no specific anti-MYC drugs are available in the clinic. We recently identified molecules named MYCMIs that inhibit the interaction between MYC and its essential partner MAX. Here we show that one of these molecules, MYCMI-7, efficiently and selectively inhibits MYC:MAX and MYCN:MAX interactions in cells, binds directly to recombinant MYC, and reduces MYC-driven transcription. In addition, MYCMI-7 induces degradation of MYC and MYCN proteins. MYCMI-7 potently induces growth arrest/apoptosis in tumor cells in a MYC/MYCN-dependent manner and downregulates the MYC pathway on a global level as determined by RNA sequencing. Sensitivity to MYCMI-7 correlates with MYC expression in a panel of 60 tumor cell lines and MYCMI-7 shows high efficacy toward a collection of patient-derived primary glioblastoma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) ex vivo cultures. Importantly, a variety of normal cells become G1 arrested without signs of apoptosis upon MYCMI-7 treatment. Finally, in mouse tumor models of MYC-driven AML, breast cancer, and MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, treatment with MYCMI-7 downregulates MYC/MYCN, inhibits tumor growth, and prolongs survival through apoptosis with few side effects. In conclusion, MYCMI-7 is a potent and selective MYC inhibitor that is highly relevant for the development into clinically useful drugs for the treatment of MYC-driven cancer. Significance Our findings demonstrate that the small-molecule MYCMI-7 binds MYC and inhibits interaction between MYC and MAX, thereby hampering MYC-driven tumor cell growth in culture and in vivo while sparing normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Castell
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qinzi Yan
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Fawkner
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wesam Bazzar
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malin Wickström
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Alzrigat
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcela Franco
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Krona
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Donald P Cameron
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Dyberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thale Kristin Olsen
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vasiliki Verschut
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linnéa Schmidt
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sheryl Y Lim
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Loay Mahmoud
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Hydbring
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sören Lehmann
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Laura Baranello
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Nelander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John Inge Johnsen
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars-Gunnar Larsson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Becher PG, Verschut V, Bibb MJ, Bush MJ, Molnár BP, Barane E, Al-Bassam MM, Chandra G, Song L, Challis GL, Buttner MJ, Flärdh K. Developmentally regulated volatiles geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol attract a soil arthropod to Streptomyces bacteria promoting spore dispersal. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:821-829. [DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0697-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Verschut V, Strandmark A, Esparza-Salas R, Hambäck PA. Seasonally varying marine influences on the coastal ecosystem detected through molecular gut analysis. Mol Ecol 2018; 28:307-317. [PMID: 30084518 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial predators on marine shores benefit from the inflow of organisms and matter from the marine ecosystem, often causing very high predator densities and indirectly affecting the abundance of other prey species on shores. This indirect effect may be particularly strong if predators shift diets between seasons. We therefore quantified the seasonal variation in diet of two wolf spider species that dominate the shoreline predator community, using molecular gut content analyses with general primers to detect the full prey range. Across the season, spider diets changed, with predominantly terrestrial prey from May until July and predominantly marine prey (mainly chironomids) from August until October. This pattern coincided with a change in the spider age and size structure, and prey abundance data and resource selection analyses suggest that the higher consumption of chironomids during autumn is due to an ontogenetic diet shift rather than to variation in prey abundance. The analyses suggested that small dipterans with a weak flight capacity, such as Chironomidae, Sphaeroceridae, Scatopsidae and Ephydridae, were overrepresented in the gut of small juvenile spiders during autumn, whereas larger, more robust prey, such as Lepidoptera, Anthomyidae and Dolichopodidae, were overrepresented in the diet of adult spiders during spring. The effect of the inflow may be that the survival and growth of juvenile spiders is higher in areas with high chironomid abundances, leading to higher densities of adult spiders and higher predation rates on the terrestrial prey next spring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Verschut
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alma Strandmark
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rodrigo Esparza-Salas
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter A Hambäck
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Castell A, Yan Q, Fawkner K, Hydbring P, Zhang F, Verschut V, Franco M, Zakaria SM, Bazzar W, Goodwin J, Zinzalla G, Larsson LG. A selective high affinity MYC-binding compound inhibits MYC:MAX interaction and MYC-dependent tumor cell proliferation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10064. [PMID: 29968736 PMCID: PMC6030159 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28107-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [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: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MYC is a key player in tumor development, but unfortunately no specific MYC-targeting drugs are clinically available. MYC is strictly dependent on heterodimerization with MAX for transcription activation. Aiming at targeting this interaction, we identified MYCMI-6 in a cell-based protein interaction screen for small inhibitory molecules. MYCMI-6 exhibits strong selective inhibition of MYC:MAX interaction in cells and in vitro at single-digit micromolar concentrations, as validated by split Gaussia luciferase, in situ proximity ligation, microscale thermophoresis and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays. Further, MYCMI-6 blocks MYC-driven transcription and binds selectively to the MYC bHLHZip domain with a KD of 1.6 ± 0.5 μM as demonstrated by SPR. MYCMI-6 inhibits tumor cell growth in a MYC-dependent manner with IC50 concentrations as low as 0.5 μM, while sparing normal cells. The response to MYCMI-6 correlates with MYC expression based on data from 60 human tumor cell lines and is abrogated by MYC depletion. Further, it inhibits MYC:MAX interaction, reduces proliferation and induces massive apoptosis in tumor tissue from a MYC-driven xenograft tumor model without severe side effects. Since MYCMI-6 does not affect MYC expression, it is a unique molecular tool to specifically target MYC:MAX pharmacologically and it has good potential for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Castell
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qinzi Yan
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Fawkner
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
- TLV, Box 225 20, 104 22, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Hydbring
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vasiliki Verschut
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcela Franco
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Siti Mariam Zakaria
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wesam Bazzar
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jacob Goodwin
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giovanna Zinzalla
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars-Gunnar Larsson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Castell A, Yan Q, Fawkner K, Hydbring P, Zhang F, Verschut V, Franco M, Zinzalla G, Larsson LG. Abstract 3952: Selective high affinity MYC-binding compound inhibits MYC-MAX interaction and MYC-dependent tumor cell growth. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-3952] [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: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The MYC family oncoproteins/transcription factors MYC, MYCN and MYCL (here referred to as MYC) are key players in tumor development and are particularly associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis. Efficient and specific MYC-targeting drugs are therefore highly warranted, but no such drugs are available in the clinic at present. MYC is strictly dependent on heterodimerization with MAX for activation of transcription. In a cell-based Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation protein-protein interaction screen for small molecule inhibitors we identified a molecule that exhibits strong selective inhibition of MYC-MAX interaction in cells as validated by Gaussia luciferase protein complementation assay, coimmunoprecipitation and in situ proximity ligation (isPLA) assay, reaching an IC50 at single-digit micromolar concentrations. The molecule was shown to inhibit MYC-MAX interactions in a biochemical FRET assay and binds selectively to the MYC bHLHZip domain with affinity in the single digit micromolar range as demonstrated by Microscale Thermophoresis and Surface Plasmon Resonance. Further, within the same concentration range, this molecule blocks MYC-driven transcription and efficiently inhibits tumor cell growth in a MYC-dependent manner, but spares normal cells. Moreover, the growth inhibitory responses to the molecule correlated significantly with MYC expression levels in a cohort of 60 human tumor cell lines. Importantly, utilizing a mouse tumor model of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, treatment with the molecule resulted in significant inhibition of the MYC-MAX interaction in tumor tissue, as shown by isPLA, and massive induction of apoptosis in the tumors. Since this molecule, unlike many experimental MYC inhibitors, is selective, has high affinity for MYC, has high efficacy in cells, reaches its target in vivo and does not affect MYC expression levels, it can be used as a chemical tool to specifically study the role of the MYC-MAX complex in MYC biology in normal and cancerous cells, and it has potential for drug development.
Citation Format: Alina Castell, Qinzi Yan, Karin Fawkner, Per Hydbring, Fan Zhang, Vasiliki Verschut, Marcela Franco, Giovanna Zinzalla, Lars-Gunnar Larsson. Selective high affinity MYC-binding compound inhibits MYC-MAX interaction and MYC-dependent tumor cell growth [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3952.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qinzi Yan
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Fan Zhang
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Becher PG, Hagman A, Verschut V, Chakraborty A, Rozpędowska E, Lebreton S, Bengtsson M, Flick G, Witzgall P, Piškur J. Chemical signaling and insect attraction is a conserved trait in yeasts. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2962-2974. [PMID: 29531709 PMCID: PMC5838033 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [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: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Yeast volatiles attract insects, which apparently is of mutual benefit, for both yeasts and insects. However, it is unknown whether biosynthesis of metabolites that attract insects is a basic and general trait, or if it is specific for yeasts that live in close association with insects. Our goal was to study chemical insect attractants produced by yeasts that span more than 250 million years of evolutionary history and vastly differ in their metabolism and lifestyle. We bioassayed attraction of the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster to odors of phylogenetically and ecologically distinct yeasts grown under controlled conditions. Baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the insect-associated species Candida californica, Pichia kluyveri and Metschnikowia andauensis, wine yeast Dekkera bruxellensis, milk yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, the vertebrate pathogens Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, and oleophilic Yarrowia lipolytica were screened for fly attraction in a wind tunnel. Yeast headspace was chemically analyzed, and co-occurrence of insect attractants in yeasts and flowering plants was investigated through a database search. In yeasts with known genomes, we investigated the occurrence of genes involved in the synthesis of key aroma compounds. Flies were attracted to all nine yeasts studied. The behavioral response to baker's yeast was independent of its growth stage. In addition to Drosophila, we tested the basal hexapod Folsomia candida (Collembola) in a Y-tube assay to the most ancient yeast, Y. lipolytica, which proved that early yeast signals also function on clades older than neopteran insects. Behavioral and chemical data and a search for selected genes of volatile metabolites underline that biosynthesis of chemical signals is found throughout the yeast clade and has been conserved during the evolution of yeast lifestyles. Literature and database reviews corroborate that yeast signals mediate mutualistic interactions between insects and yeasts. Moreover, volatiles emitted by yeasts are commonly found also in flowers and attract many insect species. The collective evidence suggests that the release of volatile signals by yeasts is a widespread and phylogenetically ancient trait, and that insect-yeast communication evolved prior to the emergence of flowering plants. Co-occurrence of the same attractant signals in yeast and flowers suggests that yeast-insect communication may have contributed to the evolution of insect-mediated pollination in flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul G. Becher
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Arne Hagman
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Vasiliki Verschut
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Amrita Chakraborty
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Elżbieta Rozpędowska
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Sébastien Lebreton
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Marie Bengtsson
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Gerhard Flick
- Department of Agriculture and Food ScienceUniversity of Applied SciencesNeubrandenburgGermany
| | - Peter Witzgall
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Jure Piškur
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
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Becher PG, Jensen RE, Natsopoulou ME, Verschut V, De Fine Licht HH. Infection of Drosophila suzukii with the obligate insect-pathogenic fungus Entomophthora muscae. J Pest Sci (2004) 2018; 91:781-787. [PMID: 29568251 PMCID: PMC5847158 DOI: 10.1007/s10340-017-0915-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Physiological constraints restrict specialist pathogens from infecting new hosts. From an applied perspective, a narrow host range makes specialist pathogens interesting for targeting specific pest insects since they have minimal direct effects on non-target species. Entomopathogenic fungi of the genus Entomophthora are dipteran-specific but have not been investigated for their ability to infect the spotted wing drosophila (SWD; Drosophila suzukii) a fruit-damaging pest invasive to Europe and America. Our main goal was to study whether SWD is in the physiological host range of the entomophthoralean species E. muscae. We investigated pathogenicity and virulence of E. muscae towards its main natural host, the housefly Musca domestica, and towards SWD. We found that E. muscae readily infected and significantly reduced survival of SWD by 27.3% with the majority of flies dying 4-8 days post-exposure. In comparison with SWD, infection of the natural host M. domestica resulted in an even higher mortality of 62.9% and larger conidial spores of E. muscae, reflecting the physiological constraints of the pathogen in the atypical host. We demonstrated that pathogens of the E. muscae species complex that typically have a narrow natural host range of one or few dipteran species are able to infect SWD, and we described a new method for in vivo transmission and infection of an entomophthoralean fungus to SWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul G. Becher
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Rasmus E. Jensen
- Section for Organismal Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Section for Entomology and Plant Pathology, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Forsøgsvej 1, 4200 Slagelse, Denmark
| | - Myrsini E. Natsopoulou
- Section for Organismal Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Vasiliki Verschut
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Henrik H. De Fine Licht
- Section for Organismal Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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