Transformation of the cultivated mushroom,Agaricus bisporus, to hygromycin B resistance

Application of biotechnology to the cultivated mushroom,Agaricus bisporus, has been hampered thus far by the lack of a transformation system. Here, transformation of both a homo- and a heterokaryotic strain ofA. bisporus to hygromycin B resistance is described. Transforming DNA was integrated into theA. bisporus genome and stably maintained throughout vegetative growth. Transformants of the heterokaryotic strain formed transgenic fruiting bodies. Promoters derived from the unrelated ascomyceteAspergillus nidulans and fromA. bisporus itself, were able to drive expression of the hygromycin B resistance gene. Expression controlled by a fragment of 265 bp from theA. bisporus GPD promoter was sufficient to generate transformants. However, transformation efficiency was not enhanced by using this homologous promoter.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Helminthosporium turcicum</Emphasis>, the maize leaf-blight fungus

Agrobacterium tumefaciens has the ability to transfer its T-DNA to plants, yeast, filamentous fungi, and human cells and integrate it into their genome. Conidia of the maize pathogen Helminthosporium turcicum were transformed to hygromycin B resistance by a Agrobacterium-tumefaciens-mediated transformation system using a binary plasmid vector containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) genes controlled by the gpd promoter from Agaricus bisporus and the CaMV 35S terminator. Agrobacterium-tumefaciens-mediated transformation yielded stable transformants capable of growing on increased concentrations of hygromycin B. The presence of hph in the transformants was confirmed by PCR, and integration of the T-DNA at random sites in the genome was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis. Agrobacterium-tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Helminthosporium turcicum provides an opportunity for advancing studies of the molecular genetics of the fungus and of the molecular basis of its pathogenicity on maize.     

Stability and modulated expression of a hygromycin resistance gene integrated in Botrytis cinerea transformants

When transformation of Botrytis cinerea occurred in mononucleated protoplasts the hygromycin resistance phenotype was stable and integrated plasmid DNA although rearranged was transmitted through meiosis. We observed that transformants were often heterokaryotic and using serial conidial transfer, we showed failure of expression of the entire copies of integrated plasmids in some conidial isolates. A non-Mendelian segregation of the hygromycin resistance phenotype was observed in most crosses between these transformants and sensitive strains. However, a 1:1 segregation ratio of plasmid DNA hybridisation was observed. Mechanisms of gene silencing in B. cinerea, in both the asexual and the sexual cycle, are discussed.     

Shuttle vectors conferring hygromycin B resistance toE. coli and to mammalian cells

Shuttle vectors expressing resistance to hygromycin B in bothE. coli and in mammalian cells were constructed. A combination of the simian virus 40 early promoter upstream of the native bacterial promoter of theneo gene from transposon Tn5 was found to express hygromycin B resistance better in both types of host cells than a combination of the Tn5 promoter followed by the promoter of the Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene. Hygromycin phosphotransferase fusion proteins with extensions at the carboxyterminus were also tested and found to be marginally less effective as selection markers in eukaryotic cells but virtually inactive inE. coli.Abbreviations HM hygromycin - hpt hygromycin phosphotransferase gene - neo neomycin (geneticin) phosphotransferase gene - DHFR dihydrofolate reductase     

Transformation of the mushroom species Hypsizigus marmoreus,Flammulina velutipes,and Grifola frondosa by an Agrobacterium-mediated method using a universal transformation plasmid

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AMT) was successfully applied to mycelia of the 3 economically important mushrooms Hypsizigus marmoreus, Flammulina velutipes, and Grifola frondosa. We used the hygromycin B resistance gene (hph) under the control of the Cryptococcus neoformans actin promoter. Eighty-six resistant strains of H. marmoreus, 4 of F. velutipes, and 2 of G. frondosa were obtained. All transformants were highly resistant to hygromycin B, suggesting that the C. neoformans actin promoter has a potential universal promoter activity in basidiomycetes. Southern analysis revealed random but single integration of the hph gene.     

Genetic transformation of Monascus purpureus DSM1379

Monascus purpureus was transformed into hygromycin B resistance with hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) fused to Aspergillus nidulans trpC or a putative Monascus purpureus gpd1 promoter by electroporation. Among five strains, only M. purpureus DSM1397 was a competent recipient. Normal growth and sporulation on media containing up to 500 mg hygromycin B l^–1 occurred up to five generations. Upon transformation of the strain with the green fluorescent protein gene (sgfp) as a model gene and hph as a selection marker, characteristic green fluorescence was observed under fluoromicroscopy indicating successful transformation.     

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Lolium rigidum Gaud.

Lolium rigidum Gaud. is an annual grass grown for forage but also an economically damaging crop weed. A single genotype somatic embryogenic callus line, VLR1-60, was identified from a herbicide susceptible L. rigidum population, VLR1, and proved to be amenable to Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Somatic embryogenic calli were continuously induced from the meristematic region of VLR1-60 plants multiplied in vitro and the basic tolerance level of VLR1-60 to hygromycin B was determined. A hygromycin phosphotransferase gene was used as a selectable marker for hygromycin B selection. Somatic embryogenic calli derived from in vitro grown vegetative tillers were co-cultivated with the A. tumefaciens strain EHA105 harbouring binary vector carrying reporter genes and selectable marker in the presence of acetosyringone for 3 days. Inoculated calli were recovered on callus proliferation medium containing Timentin? but lacking hygromycin and were then subcultured onto media with hygromycin concentrations increased progressively through time for selection of transformed plant cells. Putative transgenic plants were recovered and integration of transgenes was confirmed by Southern hybridization analysis and by detection of DsRed or GUS activity in transgenic plants. The frequency of plant transformation was 1.3 %. The ability to transform L. rigidum will provide opportunities for functional characterization of genes to improve forage quality and increase our understanding of the evolution of herbicide resistance and of the basic genetics underlying traits that make L. rigidum a damaging crop weed.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of the plant pathogenic fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosellinia necatrix</Emphasis>

Rosellinia necatrix is a soil-borne root pathogen affecting a wide range of commercially important plant species. The mycelium of R. necatrix was transformed to hygromycin B resistance by an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system using a binary plasmid vector containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene controlled by the heterologous fungal Aspergillus nidulans P-gpd (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) promoter and the trpC terminator. Co-cultivation of R. necatrix strain W1015 and A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 at 25°C using the binary vector pAN26-CB1300, which contained the hygromycin B resistance cassette based on pAN26 and pCAMBIA1300, resulted in high frequencies of transformation. The presence of the hph gene in the transformants was detected by PCR, and single-copy integration of the marker gene was demonstrated by Southern b lot analy s is. This report of an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method should allow the development of T-DNA tagging as a system for insertional mutagenesis in R. necatrix and provide a simple and reliable method for genetic manipulation.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of the violet root-rot fungus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobasidium mompa</Emphasis>, and the effect of activated carbon

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) has been successfully applied to the violet root-rot fungus Helicobasidium mompa, which is the causal agent of violet root-rot disease. The A. tumefaciens strains carried a binary plasmid vector containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (hph) controlled by the heterologous fungal Agaricus bisporus P-gpd (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) promoter and the trpC terminator. The transformation system was optimized using defined cocultivation conditions. When H. mompa strain V17 was cocultivated with A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 using 5% agar, we obtained more hygromycin-resistant colonies than with strains EHA105 or MAFF301222 using 2% agar. In addition, our results suggest that the activated carbon is necessary in ATMT to reduce background growth of H. mompa. The presence of the hph gene in transformants was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and single-copy integration of the marker gene was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis. Thus, the ATMT system can be considered a promising tool for insertional mutagenesis studies of H. mompa.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of the plant pathogenic fungus Rosellinia necatrix

Rosellinia necatrix is a soil-borne root pathogen affecting a wide range of commercially important plant species. The mycelium of R. necatrix was transformed to hygromycin B resistance by an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system using a binary plasmid vector containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene controlled by the heterologous fungal Aspergillus nidulans P-gpd (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) promoter and the trpC terminator. Co-cultivation of R. necatrix strain W1015 and A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 at 25 degrees C using the binary vector pAN26-CB1300, which contained the hygromycin B resistance cassette based on pAN26 and pCAMBIA1300, resulted in high frequencies of transformation. The presence of the hph gene in the transformants was detected by PCR, and single-copy integration of the marker gene was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis. This report of an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method should allow the development of T-DNA tagging as a system f or insertional mutagenesis in R necatrix and provide a simple and reliable method for genetic manipulation.     

Transformation of a filamentous fungus<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryphonectria parasitica</Emphasis> using<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>

AsAgrobacterium tumefaciens, which has long been used to transform plants, is known to transfer T-DNA to budding yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a variety of fungi were subjected to theA. tumefaciens-mediated transformation to improve their transformation frequency and feasibility. TheA. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of chestnut blight fungus,Cryphonectria parasitica, is performed in this study as the first example of transformation of a hardwood fungal pathogen. The transfer of the binary vector pBIN9-Hg, containing the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene under the control of theAspergillus nidulans trpC promoter and terminator, as a selectable marker, led to the selection of more than 1,000 stable, hygromycin B-resistant transformants per 1×10⁶ conidia ofC. parasitica. The putative transformants appeared to be mitotically stable. The transformation efficiency appears to depend on the bacterial strain, age of the bacteria cell culture and ratio of fungal spores to bacterial cells. PCR and Southern blot analysis indicated that the marker gene was inserted at different chromosomal sites. Moreover, three transformants out of ten showed more than two hybridizing bands, suggesting more than two copies of the inserted marker gene are not uncommon.     

High expression of a neutral endo-β-glucanase gene from Humicola insolens in Trichoderma reesei

The neutral endo-β-glucanase gene cel5A from Humicola insolens was cloned and connected with the cellobiohydrolase 1 promoter from Trichoderma reesei to construct a recombinant plasmid pCB-hEG with the hygromycin B resistance marker. The plasmid was introduced into conidia of T. reesei using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation method. Eight transformants were obtained on screening plates with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as the sole carbon source. Stable integration of the cel5A gene into the chromosomal DNA of T. reesei was confirmed by PCR. An obvious protein band (approximately 52 kDa) was detected by SDS-PAGE from fermentation broth, which showed that the cel5A gene in recombinant T. reesei successfully fulfilled efficient expression and extracellular secretion. After 96 h shaking-flask fermentation, the endo-β-glucanase activity at pH 6.5 from recombinant T. reesei reached 3,068 U/ml, which was 11 times higher than that of the host strain. In a 2 m³ fermenter, the endo-β-glucanase activity could be further increased to 8,012 U/ml after 96 h fermentation. The results showed a good prospect for application of neutral endo-β-glucanase in the textile industry.     

NUT1, a major nitrogen regulatory gene inMagnaporthe grisea,is dispensable for pathogenicity

NUT1, a gene homologous to the major nitrogen regulatory genesnit-2 ofNeurospora crassa andareA ofAspergillus nidulans, was isolated from the rice blast fungus,Magnaporthe grisea. NUT1 encodes a protein of 956 amino acid residues and, likenit-2 andareA, has a single putative zinc finger DNA-binding domain. Functional equivalence ofNUT1 toareA was demonstrated by introducing theNUT1 gene by DNA-mediated transformation into anareA loss-of-function mutant ofA. nidulans. The introducedNUT1 gene fully complemented theareA null mutation, restoring to the mutant the ability to utilize a variety of nitrogen sources. In addition, the sensitivity ofAspergillus NUT1 transformants to ammonium repression of extracellular protease activity was comparable to that of wild-typeA. nidulans. Thus,NUT1 andareA encode functionally equivalent gene products that activate expression of nitrogen-regulated genes. A one-step gene disruption strategy was used to generatenutl ^? mutants ofM. grisea by transforming a rice-infecting strain with a disruption vector in which a gene for hygromycin B phosphotransferase (Hyg) replaced the zinc-finger DNA-binding motif ofNUT1. Of 31 hygromycin B (hyg B)-resistant transformants shown by Southern hybridization to contain a disruptedNUT1 gene (nut1::Hyg), 26 resulted from single-copy replacement events at theNUT1 locus. Althoughnut1 ^? transformants ofM. grisea failed to grown on a variety of nitrogen sources, glutamate, proline and alanine could still be utilized. This contrasts withA. nidulans where disruption of the zinc-finger region ofareA prevents utilization of nitrogen sources other than ammonium and glutamine. The role ofNUT1 and regulation of nitrogen metabolism in the disease process was evaluated by pathogenicity assays. The infection efficiency ofnut1 ^? transformants on susceptible rice plants was similar to that of the parental strain, although lesions were reduced in size. These studies demonstrate that theM. grisea NUT1 gene activates expression of nitrogen-regulated genes but is dispensable for pathogenicity.     

Hygromycin B and Apramycin Antibiotic Resistance Cassettes for Use in Campylobacter jejuni

Campylobacter jejuni genetic manipulation is restricted by the limited number of antibiotic resistance cassettes available for use in this diarrheal pathogen. In this study, two antibiotic resistance cassettes were developed, encoding for hygromycin B and apramycin resistance, for use in mutagenesis or for selection of gene expression and complementation constructs in C. jejuni. First, the marker genes were successfully modified to allow for insertional mutagenesis or deletion of a gene-of-interest, and were bracketed with restriction sites for the facilitation of site-specific cloning. These hygromycin B and apramycin markers are encoded by plasmids pAC1H and pAC1A, respectively. We also modified an insertional gene-delivery vector to create pRRH and pRRA, containing the hygromycin B and apramycin resistance genes, and 3 unique restriction sites for the directional introduction of genes into the conserved multi-copy rRNA gene clusters of the C. jejuni chromosome. We determined the effective antibiotic concentrations required for selection, and established that no harmful effects or fitness costs were associated with carrying hygromycin B or apramycin resistance under standard C. jejuni laboratory conditions. Using these markers, the arylsulfatase reporter gene astA was deleted, and the ability to genetically complement the astA deletion using pRRH and pRRA for astA gene insertion was demonstrated. Furthermore, the relative levels of expression from the endogenous astA promoter were compared to that of polycistronic mRNA expression from the constitutive promoter upstream of the resistance gene. The development of additional antibiotic resistance cassettes for use in Campylobacter will enable multiple gene deletion and expression combinations as well as more in-depth study of multi-gene systems important for the survival and pathogenesis of this important bacterium.     

Gene inactivation in the plant pathogen Glomerella cingulata: three strategies for the disruption of the pectin lyase gene pnIA

The feasibility of performing routine transformation-mediated mutagenesis in Glomerella cingulata was analysed by adopting three one-step gene disruption strategies targeted at the pectin lyase gene pnIA. The efficiencies of disruption following transformation with gene replacement- or gene truncation-disruption vectors were compared. To effect replacement-disruption, G. cingulata was transformed with a vector carrying DNA from the pnlA locus in which the majority of the coding sequence had been replaced by the gene for hygromycin B resistance. Two of the five transformants investigated contained an inactivated pnlA gene (pnlA ^? );both also contained ectopically integrated vector sequences. The efficacy of gene disruption by transformation with two gene truncation-disruption vectors was also assessed. Both vectors carried a 5′and 3′truncated copy of the pnlA coding sequence, adjacent to the gene for hygromycin B resistance. The promoter sequences controlling the selectable marker differed in the two vectors. In one vector the homologous G. cingulata gpdA promoter controlled hygromycin B phosphotransferase expression (homologous truncation vector), whereas in the second vector promoter elements were from the Aspergillus nidulans gpdA gene (heterologous truncation vector). Following transformation with the homologous truncation vector, nine transformants were analysed by Southern hybridisation; no transformants contained a disrupted pnlA gene. Of nineteen heterologous truncation vector transformants, three contained a disrupted pnlA gene; Southern analysis revealed single integrations of vector sequence at pnlA in two of these transformants. pnlA mRNA was not detected by Northern hybridisation in pnlA-transformants. pnlA-transformants failed to produce a PNLA protein with a pI identical to one normally detected in wild-type isolates by silver and activity staining of isoelectric focussing gels. Pathogenesis on Capsicum and apple was unaffected by disruption of the pnlA gene, indicating that the corresponding gene product, PNLA, is not essential for pathogenicity. Gene disruption is a feasible method for selectively mutating defined loci in G. cingulata for functional analysis of the corresponding gene products.     

Transformation of Aspergillus nidulans with the hygromycin-resistance gene, hph

Aspergillus nidulans strain G191 was transformed to hygromycin resistance using plasmid pDH25, which contains the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (hph) fused to promoter elements of the A. nidulans trpC gene. Southern hybridizations of transformants revealed multiple, integrated copies of the vector. A pleiotropic effect conferring increased hygromycin B sensitivity was found to be associated with the A. nidulans pyrG89 allele. Plasmid pDH25 features a ClaI site immediately preceding the hph start codon thus permitting convenient replacement of the trpC sequences with other eukaryotic promoters.     

Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of a high oil-producing fil a m en to us fungusUmbelopsis isabellina

TheAgrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation procedure was developed by using the hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (hph) as a selective marker for the oil-producing fungusUmbelopsis isabellina. Different conditions were combined to increase the transformation efficiency. The highest efficiency was obtained by usingA. rhizogenes strain R105 and a vector with zygomycete promoter. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that 71 % of transformants contained random integrations of T-DNA sequences under optimal conditions. We randomly selected 115 positive transformants resistant to hygromycin to analyze the amount of total fatty acid and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Six transformants produced a higher amount of total fatty acids than the wild strain, and one transformant also produced a higher level of GLA than the wild strain in gas chromatography analysis. This is the first report about usingA. rhizogenes strain R105 and germinated conidia to transform successfully the recalcitrant zygomycetes and to obtain transformants with a stable phenotype.     

Transformation frequencies are enhanced and vector DNA is targeted during retransformation of Leptosphaeria maculans, a fungal plant pathogen.

Summary Leptosphaeria maculans, a fungal pathogen of Brassica spp., was successfully transformed with the vector pAN8-1, encoding phleomycin resistance. Protoplasts of a vigorous Phleo^r transformant were then retransformed using the partially homologous vector, pAN7-1 which encodes hygromycin B resistance. Retransformation of this strain to hygromycin resistance occurred at frequencies that were consistently twofold higher than with the original recipient strain. Linearised pAN7-1 DNA transformed phleomycin-resistant protoplasts at higher frequencies still. All the transformants that were tested retained a phleomycin-resistant phenotype (20/20). Molecular analysis of five transformants generated with circular pAN7-1 DNA indicated that in four cases the pAN7-1 vector had integrated into pAN8-1 sequences. These results suggest that transformation frequencies in L. maculans are limited by the ability of vector DNA to integrate into the genome. Hence, construction of strains with target sites for integration may prove to be a generally useful method for improving transformation frequencies of poorly characterised filamentous fungi, particularly when using heterologous vectors. This would greatly facilitate the identification of genes by transfer of gene libraries and the standardisation of chromosomal location effects in studies of expression of nested promoter deletions.     

Absence of induced resistance in Agaricus bisporus against Lecanicillium fungicola

Lecanicillium fungicola causes dry bubble disease and is an important problem in the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus. Little is known about the defense of mushrooms against pathogens in general and L. fungicola in particular. In plants and animals, a first attack by a pathogen often induces a systemic response that results in an acquired resistance to subsequent attacks by the same pathogen. The development of functionally similar responses in these two eukaryotic kingdoms indicates that they are important to all multi-cellular organisms. We investigated if such responses also occur in the interaction between the white button mushroom and L. fungicola. A first infection of mushrooms of the commercial A. bisporus strain Sylvan A15 by L. fungicola did not induce systemic resistance against a subsequent infection. Similar results were obtained with the A. bisporus strain MES01497, which was demonstrated to be more resistant to dry bubble disease. Apparently, fruiting bodies of A. bisporus do not express induced resistance against L. fungicola.