粗糙脉孢菌前纤维蛋白Y86和R88位点突变抑制菌丝生长

微丝骨架在真菌的生长发育过程中发挥着重要的作用,而动力学特性是其实现功能的关键.前纤维蛋白(profilin)是肌动蛋白动态组装的主要调控因子,对其功能研究有助于阐明微丝骨架在真菌生长发育中的机制.本文以丝状真菌模式生物粗糙脉孢菌(Neurospora crassa)为材料,利用定点突变技术和同源重组技术,分别将前纤维蛋白上肌动蛋白结合位点86位酪氨酸(Y86)和88位精氨酸(R88)进行了单突变和双突变,获得了Y86R、R88E和Y86RR86E前纤维蛋白点突变株.进一步利用平板培养和竞争性生长管培养对点突变株的表型进行分析后发现,与野生型相比,3个前纤维蛋白点突变株的菌丝生长均明显减慢.这些结果表明,前纤维蛋白与肌动蛋白的相互作用对于N.crassa的生长和发育至关重要.     

大丽轮枝菌微丝荧光标记载体构建及应用

微丝在真菌生长发育、胞质分裂等生命过程中具有重要功能。通过农杆菌介导遗传转化方法,将荧光mCherry标记微丝的表达载体pSULPH-Lifeact-mCherry转入大丽轮枝菌(Verticillium dahliae Kleb.)野生型V592,获得稳定的微丝荧光标记菌株V592/Lifeact-mCherry,并检测了其生物学表型和孢子萌发、菌丝生长等过程中的微丝荧光动态变化。结果表明:微丝荧光标记菌株的菌落形态、生长速率、产孢量、萌发率等表型与野生型没有显著差异;且可以观察到微丝荧光信号在分生孢子和菌丝的顶端及隔膜都有清晰定位,同时对该菌株隔膜形成过程微丝动态观察发现,微丝参与胞质分裂进程中肌动球蛋白收缩环CAR (Contractile actomyosin ring)的形成。微丝荧光标记菌株可用于微丝在真菌发育中的动力学研究,这为深入研究微丝在真菌发育及致病过程中的作用机制提供理论与实践支撑。     

C24(28)-甾醇还原酶参与粗糙脉孢菌极性生长及早期发育

麦角甾醇是真菌细胞膜的主要固醇类物质,其生物合成是一个复杂的酶促反应过程, 其中C24(28)-甾醇还原酶是麦角甾醇合成途径中的关键酶,对C24(28)-甾醇还原酶功能的研究有助于阐明麦角甾醇对真菌极性生长的影响.本文对粗糙脉胞菌C24(28)-甾醇还原酶蛋白（Erg-2基因编码）序列的同源性分析表明,在子囊菌门的3个物种中,C24(28)-甾醇还原酶具有很高的保守性.根据同源重组基因敲除原理,通过电转化、分生孢子过膜以及PCR鉴定的方法获得了Erg-2基因缺失突变株（Erg-2KO）,进一步利用斜面生长法并结合细胞壁染色进行突变株表型分析发现,与野生型相比,Erg-2KO(Ku70RIP背景)在生长初期菌丝生长缓慢,而后期与野生型无显著差异.这些结果表明,C24(28)-甾醇还原酶对N. crassa早期的生长和发育至关重要.     

前纤维蛋白点突变对粗糙脉孢菌生长的影响及其生化机制研究

【目的】为进一步了解前纤维蛋白(profilin,PFN)在丝状真菌中的功能,本文以粗糙脉孢菌(Neurospora crassa)为研究对象,进行了前纤维蛋白对其菌落生长和肌动蛋白(actin)聚合特性影响的探究。【方法】通过采用定点突变、同源重组、分生孢子过膜和PCR等技术,获得粗糙脉孢菌前纤维蛋白F78 (F78A和F78D)和V113 (V113E、V113R和V113W)的点突变体。利用平板生长法、竞争性生长管和显微镜观察检测表型变化,并结合多聚脯氨酸亲和层析纯化、荧光分光光度技术和高速共沉淀等技术分析点突变的前纤维蛋白对肌动蛋白聚合特性的影响。【结果】获得的粗糙脉孢菌前纤维蛋白点突变株F78A、F78D、V113E、V113R和V113W,与对照菌株ku70RIP相比,突变株生长均明显减慢(P<0.05),其中PFN (F78D)和PFN (V113W)的突变体在生长的12–48 h,菌落直径分别仅为对照的20.0%–75.7%和12.7%–39.2%。竞争性生长管分析表明,PFN (F78D)和PFN(V113W)突变株菌丝生长速度受到显著抑制,分生孢子形成的节律并...     

粗糙脉孢菌26 S蛋白酶体三个亚基缺失菌株的构建及表型分析

【目的】通过构建26S蛋白酶体的3个亚基RPN4、RPN7、RPN10的缺失突变菌株,研究这些缺失突变体的表型,进而探究这3个亚基在蛋白酶体中的作用。【方法】采用同源重组基因敲除技术、电转化、粗糙脉胞菌杂交、子囊孢子萌发及PCR鉴定等方法分别获得3个调节亚基的基因缺失突变体。利用racetube和平板生长法进行突变体表型检测。【结果】得到rpn4和rpn10的缺失突变纯合体及rpn7缺失突变异核体菌株。【结论】与野生型相比,rpn7KO(ku70RIP背景)突变体的菌丝生长及产生分生孢子的能力显著减弱;rpn4KO突变体在生长初期的菌丝生长缓慢,而后期的产孢能力与野生型无显著差异;rpn10KO突变菌株的表型介于上述两种突变体的表型之间。这些结果表明26S蛋白酶体的这3个亚基对脉胞菌的生长和发育至关重要。     

黄曲霉分生孢子色素合成基因pks1的鉴定及其对生长发育和侵染性的影响

【目的】分生孢子色素是真菌细胞壁的重要成分,对真菌的生长发育极为重要,并有助于真菌抵御各种环境胁迫。本研究鉴定了黄曲霉分生孢子色素合成基因,并研究了分生孢子色素对黄曲霉生长发育及其对抗紫外照射和侵染能力的影响。【方法】通过已知真菌孢子色素合成基因蛋白序列同源比对确定了黄曲霉分生孢子色素合成基因及其所在的基因簇,利用同源重组策略对目标基因进行敲除,获得了该色素合成基因缺失的突变菌株,并研究该基因敲除后对表型、产孢、菌核形成、黄曲霉毒素产生、抗紫外照射和侵染性等影响。【结果】与野生型菌株相比,黄曲霉pks1基因缺失菌株的分生孢子颜色变为白色,生长速度、孢子产量、菌核形成和黄曲霉毒素B_1的产生均没有显著性变化,但该基因的缺失导致孢子对紫外线照射的抵御能力明显减弱,降低了黄曲霉对玉米和花生种子的侵染能力。【结论】pks1(AFLA_006170)基因是黄曲霉分生孢子色素合成的关键基因,影响黄曲霉分生孢子对紫外线照射等不利环境因子的抵抗能力和对粮食种子的侵染能力。     

捕食线虫丝孢菌的菌寄生性测定

研究了节丛孢Arthrobotrys、单顶孢Monacrosporium和隔指孢Dactylella三个捕食线虫丝孢菌属16个菌株,对水稻立枯丝核菌RhizoctoniasolaniAG1、大豆核盘菌Sclerotiniasclerotiorum、茄科镰刀菌Fusariumsolani和恶疫霉Phytophthoracactorum四种常见土壤植物病原真菌的菌寄生性。结果表明供试菌可以通过弹簧式菌丝圈缠绕、类附着胞结构吸附、简单的菌丝缠绕或者贴附寄主菌丝生长四种方式寄生病原菌。其中,绝大多数菌株对立枯丝核病菌有寄生作用,一些供试真菌对其它三种病原真菌有寄生现象。利用孢子液浸泡法测定了其中5种捕食线虫真菌对核盘菌菌核的寄生能力,显示有较高寄生率。     

粗糙脉孢菌中甾醇还原酶基因erg24对麦角甾醇合成的影响

粗糙脉孢菌为子囊菌中的高效纤维素降解菌,可以直接以纤维素为营养源进行生长。本研究以粗糙脉孢菌为实验对象,利用基因工程技术构建甾醇还原酶基因erg24的高表达菌株,分别以蔗糖、麦麸、玉米秸秆、小麦秸秆、杨树木屑、水稻秸秆6种物质的粉末为碳源培养野生型粗糙脉孢菌和erg24高表达菌株,利用半定量RT-PCR测定在不同培养条件下erg2、erg24和erg6 3个麦角甾醇合成相关基因的表达水平,采用HPLC方法测定不同培养条件下麦角甾醇的积累量。研究结果表明,分别以玉米秸秆、杨树木屑、水稻秸秆这3种粉末为碳源时,培养物中的erg2、erg24和erg6 3个基因表达量较高。在不同培养条件下erg24高表达菌株合成麦角甾醇量显著高于野生型粗糙脉孢菌的合成量,且以杨树木屑粉末为碳源培养时,所获得的麦角甾醇产量最高,为30.53μg/mg。结果表明erg24基因是粗糙脉孢菌合成麦角甾醇的关键基因之一,利用玉米秸秆、小麦秸秆、杨树木屑或水稻秸秆粉末为碳源培养粗糙脉孢菌时,可获得较高产量的麦角甾醇。研究结果为以农业废弃物为营养源,利用真菌生产麦角甾醇奠定了基础。     

亮氨酰氨肽酶基因的阻断对刺糖多孢菌生长及次级代谢产物合成的影响

【目的】构建亮氨酰氨肽酶基因(pep A)被阻断的刺糖多孢菌工程菌株,并鉴定该基因对刺糖多孢菌菌丝形态、生物量、菌体全蛋白表达水平及产多杀菌素能力的影响,探究该基因调控多杀菌素合成的可能机制。【方法】利用PCR扩增刺糖多孢菌中的pep A基因同源片段,经酶切连接技术构建敲除载体p OJ260-pep A;通过接合转移和单交换同源重组将该载体整合至刺糖多孢菌染色体中,获得工程菌株S.sp-△pep A;利用培养特征、形态学、高效液相色谱、SDS-PAGE等方法对菌株进行研究分析。【结果】工程菌株S.sp-△pep A菌丝片段化程度加剧,生长态势被延缓且生物量降低,但有效促进了多杀菌素的生物合成。阻断亮氨酰胺肽酶基因的表达使刺糖多孢菌菌体全蛋白表达情况发生明显改变,找到表达水平显著上调的差异蛋白核糖体蛋白亚基和醛基脱氢酶,核糖体蛋白亚基通过影响蛋白质代谢对菌体生长产生影响;醛基脱氢酶则可与乙醇脱氢酶、乙酰辅酶A的合成酶相互作用影响辅酶A合成,而辅酶A是合成多杀菌素的重要底物。【结论】在刺糖多孢菌合成多杀菌素的次级代谢过程中,pep A基因作为负调控因子发挥作用。     

萨克拉普奇尼亚菌串孢变种——北方根结线虫卵寄生真菌(英文)

分离自山东省牟平市塑料大棚种植的甜瓜根结线虫卵上的菌株CFCC84965,根据培养条件和形态特征鉴定为萨克拉普奇尼亚菌串孢变种Pochonia suchlasporia var.catenata,为中国新记录种。该菌生长较快,在CMA培养基培养15 d后菌落直径为27 ～43 mm,气生菌丝中等发达,白色至浅黄色,背面为黄色至淡褐色。分生孢子梗长,大多从菌丝上直立生长,多分支。分生孢子多串生,表面略粗糙。老熟菌丝上形成会聚的菌丝膨大细胞或形成少量的间生厚垣孢子。在琼脂培养基上可形成晶体。     

Coronin is a component of the endocytic collar of hyphae of Neurospora crassa and is necessary for normal growth and morphogenesis

Coronin plays a major role in the organization and dynamics of actin in yeast. To investigate the role of coronin in a filamentous fungus (Neurospora crassa), we examined its subcellular localization using fluorescent proteins and the phenotypic consequences of coronin gene (crn-1) deletion in hyphal morphogenesis, Spitzenk?rper behavior and endocytosis. Coronin-GFP was localized in patches, forming a subapical collar near the hyphal apex; significantly, it was absent from the apex. The subapical patches of coronin colocalized with fimbrin, Arp2/3 complex, and actin, altogether comprising the endocytic collar. Deletion of crn-1 resulted in reduced hyphal growth rates, distorted hyphal morphology, uneven wall thickness, and delayed establishment of polarity during germination; it also affected growth directionality and increased branching. The Spitzenk?rper of Δcrn-1 mutant was unstable; it appeared and disappeared intermittently giving rise to periods of hyphoid-like and isotropic growth respectively. Uptake of FM4-64 in Δcrn-1 mutant indicated a partial disruption in endocytosis. These observations underscore coronin as an important component of F-actin remodeling in N. crassa. Although coronin is not essential in this fungus, its deletion influenced negatively the operation of the actin cytoskeleton involved in the orderly deployment of the apical growth apparatus, thus preventing normal hyphal growth and morphogenesis.     

Loss of growth polarity and mislocalization of septa in a Neurospora mutant altered in the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

In filamentous fungi, growth polarity (i.e. hyphal extension) and formation of septa require polarized deposition of new cell wall material. To explore this process, we analyzed a conditional Neurospora crassa mutant, mcb, which showed a complete loss of growth polarity when incubated at the restrictive temperature. Cloning and DNA sequence analysis of the mcb gene revealed that it encodes a regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Unexpectedly, the mcb mutant still formed septa when grown at the restrictive temperature, indicating that polarized deposition of wall material during septation is a process that is, at least in part, independent of polarized deposition during hyphal tip extension. However, septa formed in the mcb mutant growing at the restrictive temperature are mislocalized. Both polarized growth and septation are actin-dependent processes, and a concentration of actin patches is observed at growing hyphal tips and sites where septa are being formed. In the mcb mutant growing at the restrictive temperature, actin patches are uniformly distributed over the cell cortex; however, actin patches are still concentrated at sites of septation. Our results suggest that the PKA pathway regulates hyphal growth polarity, possibly through organizing actin patches at the cell cortex.     

Biochemical and biophysical analysis of plasmid pMJ600-encoded tellurite [TeO32−] resistance

The actin of Neurospora crassa wild type Strain St. Lawrence has been purified, characterized and localized. A fungal 43 kDa protein was isolated by affinity chromatography on DNase I-Sepharose. This protein was identified as actin on immunoblots when an anti-actin monoclonal antibody raised against chicken gizzards was used as a probe. After two-dimensional gel electrophoresis three actin isoforms were detected. The distribution of actin in hyphae was examined by FITC-phalloidin staining of formaldehyde fixed hyphae. F-actin was found to be mainly concentrated in the hyphal tips in which it formed a uniform cap. Apical actin could be involved in hyphal morphogenesis, organelle motility and maintenance of polarity.     

A putative spectrin-containing membrane skeleton in hyphal tips of Neurospora crassa

The apical plasma membrane (PM) is important in hyphal tip growth, where it may regulate tip extensibility via its association with an appropriate membrane skeleton (MS). By cell fractionation and immunocytochemistry we show that proteins with characteristics of actin, spectrin, and integrin are associated in a MS-like manner with the PM of Neurospora crassa hyphae. The spectrin-like protein in particular is highly concentrated at the PM in the region of maximum apical expansion. This protein shares with other spectrins immunoreactivity, molecular weight, PM association, and actin binding capacity. Its distribution in hyphae suggests that it is a dominant component of the MS in true fungi and is critical to hyphal tip growth.     

The role of actin, fimbrin and endocytosis in growth of hyphae in Aspergillus nidulans

Filamentous fungi are ideal systems to study the process of polarized growth, as their life cycle is dominated by hyphal growth exclusively at the cell apex. The actin cytoskeleton plays an important role in this growth. Until now, there have been no tools to visualize actin or the actin-binding protein fimbrin in live cells of a filamentous fungus. We investigated the roles of actin (ActA) and fimbrin (FimA) in hyphal growth in Aspergillus nidulans . We examined the localization of ActA::GFP and FimA::GFP in live cells, and each displayed a similar localization pattern. In actively growing hyphae, cortical ActA::GFP and FimA::GFP patches were highly mobile throughout the hypha and were concentrated near hyphal apices. A patch-depleted zone occupied the apical 0.5 μm of growing hypha. Both FimA::GFP and Act::GFP also localize transiently to septa. Movement and later localization of both was compromised after cytochalasin treatment. Disruption of fimA resulted in delayed polarity establishment during conidium germination, abnormal hyphal growth and endocytosis defects in apolar cells. Endocytosis was severely impaired in apolar fimA disruption cells. Our data support a novel apical recycling model which indicates a critical role for actin patch-mediated endocytosis to maintain polarized growth at the apex.     

Characterization of Neurospora crassa ��-Actinin

α-Actinin, an actin-binding protein of the spectrin superfamily, is present in most eukaryotes except plants. It is composed of three domains: N-terminal CH-domains, C-terminal calcium-binding domain (with EF-hand motifs), and a central rod domain. We have cloned and expressed Neurospora crassa α-actinin as GST and GFP fusion proteins for biochemical characterization and in vivo localization, respectively. The intracellular localization pattern of α-actinin suggests that this protein is intimately associated with actin filaments and plays an important role in the processes of germination, hyphal elongation, septum formation, and conidiation. These functions were confirmed by the experiments on the effect of α-actinin gene deletion in N. crassa.     

MesA, a novel fungal protein required for the stabilization of polarity axes in Aspergillus nidulans

The Aspergillus nidulans proteome possesses a single formin, SepA, which is required for actin ring formation at septation sites and also plays a role in polarized morphogenesis. Previous observations imply that complex regulatory mechanisms control the function of SepA and ensure its correct localization within hyphal tip cells. To characterize these mechanisms, we undertook a screen for mutations that enhance sepA defects. Of the mutants recovered, mesA1 causes the most dramatic defect in polarity establishment when SepA function is compromised. In a wild-type background, mesA1 mutants undergo aberrant hyphal morphogenesis, whereas septum formation remains unaffected. Molecular characterization revealed that MesA is a novel fungal protein that contains predicted transmembrane domains and localizes to hyphal tips. We show that MesA promotes the localized assembly of actin cables at polarization sites by facilitating the stable recruitment of SepA. We also provide evidence that MesA may regulate the formation or distribution of sterol-rich membrane domains. Our results suggest that these domains may be part of novel mechanism that directs SepA to hyphal tips.     

Lack of the GTPase RHO-4 in Neurospora crassa causes a reduction in numbers and aberrant stabilization of microtubules at hyphal tips

The multinucleate hyphae of the filamentous ascomycete fungus Neurospora crassa grow by polarized hyphal tip extension. Both the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton are required for maximum hyphal extension, in addition to other vital processes. Previously, we have shown that the monomeric GTPase encoded by the N. crassa rho-4 locus is required for actin ring formation during the process of septation; rho-4 mutants lack septa. However, other phenotypic aspects of the rho-4 mutant, such as slow growth and cytoplasmic bleeding, led us to examine the hypothesis that the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton of the rho-4 mutant was affected in morphology and dynamics. Unlike a wild-type strain, the rho-4 mutant had few MTs and these few MTs originated from nuclear spindle pole bodies. rho-4 mutants and rho-4 strains containing a GTP-locked (activated) rho-4 allele showed a reduction in numbers of cytoplasmic MTs and microtubule stabilization at hyphal tips. Strains containing a GDP-biased (negative) allele of rho-4 showed normal numbers of MTs and minor effects on microtubule stabilization. An examination of nuclear dynamics revealed that rho-4 mutants have large, and often, stretched or broken nuclei. These observations indicate that RHO-4 plays important roles in regulating both the actin and MT cytoskeleton, which are essential for optimal hyphal tip growth and in nuclear distribution and morphology.     

A Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein is involved in endocytosis in Aspergillus nidulans

Endocytosis is vital for hyphal tip growth in filamentous fungi and is involved in the tip localization of various membrane proteins. To investigate the function of a Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) in endocytosis of filamentous fungi, we identified a WASP ortholog-encoding gene, wspA, in Aspergillus nidulans and characterized it. The wspA product, WspA, localized to the tips of germ tubes during germination and actin rings in the subapical regions of mature hyphae. wspA is essential for the growth and functioned in the polarity establishment and maintenance during germination of conidia. We also investigated its function in endocytosis and revealed that endocytosis of SynA, a synaptobrevin ortholog that is known to be endocytosed at the subapical regions of hyphal tips in A. nidulans, did not occur when wspA expression was repressed. These results suggest that WspA plays roles in endocytosis at hyphal tips and polarity establishment during germination.