A catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, PKAC-1, regulates asexual differentiation in Neurospora crassa

A cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase pathway has been shown to regulate growth, morphogenesis and virulence in filamentous fungi. However, the precise mechanisms of regulation through the pathway remain poorly understood. In Neurospora crassa, the cr-1 adenylate cyclase mutant exhibits colonial growth with short aerial hyphae bearing conidia, and the mcb mutant, a mutant of the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), shows the loss of growth polarity at the restrictive temperature. In the present study, we isolated mutants of the catalytic subunit of the PKA gene pkac-1 through the process of repeat-induced point mutation (RIP). PKA activity of the mutants obtained through RIP was undetectable. The genome sequence predicts two distinct catalytic subunit genes of PKA, named pkac-1 (NCU06240.1, AAF75276) and pkac-2 (NCU00682.1), as is the case in most filamentous fungi. The results suggest that PKAC-1 works as the major PKA in N. crassa. The phenotype of the pkac-1 mutants included colonial growth, short aerial hyphae, premature conidiation on solid medium, inappropriate conidiation in submerged culture, and increased thermotolerance. This phenotype of pkac-1 mutants resembled to that of cr-1 mutants, except that the addition of cAMP did not rescue the abnormal morphology of pkac-1 mutants. The loss of growth polarity at the restrictive temperature in the mcb mutant was suppressed by pkac-1 mutation. These results suggest that the signal transduction pathway mediated by PKAC-1 plays an important role in regulation of aerial hyphae formation, conidiation, and hyphal growth with polarity.     

脉孢菌lca-1基因调控无性产孢及类胡萝卜素的合成

类胡萝卜素是很多生物细胞内重要的抗氧化剂,具有保护细胞免受紫外线伤害的功能。粗糙脉孢菌是少数几个类胡萝卜素合成基因比较清楚的真菌之一,为了深入了解该菌类胡萝卜素合成调控机制,通过对粗糙脉孢菌基因突变体库中6,087株突变体进行筛选,新发现6个基因敲除突变体营养生长正常,但类胡萝卜素的合成降低,其中表型较好的1个突变体,其无性产孢量与类胡萝卜素合成量均明显降低。鉴定发现该突变体所缺失的基因编码一种依赖ATP的染色体重建复合体的ATP酶链ISW1,将该基因命名为lca-1。进一步测定发现lca-1基因的突变导     

The fluffy gene of Neurospora crassa is necessary and sufficient to induce conidiophore development

The fl (fluffy) gene of Neurospora crassa encodes a binuclear zinc cluster protein that regulates the production of asexual spores called macroconidia. Two other genes, acon-2 and acon-3, play major roles in controlling development. fl is induced specifically in differentiating tissue during conidiation and acon-2 plays a role in this induction. We examined the function of fl by manipulating its level of expression in wild-type and developmental mutant strains. Increasing expression of fl from a heterologous promoter in a wild-type genetic background is sufficient to induce conidiophore development. Elevated expression of fl leads to induction of development of the acon-2 mutant in nitrogen-starved cultures, but does not bypass the conidiation defect of the acon-3 mutant. These findings indicate that fl acts downstream of acon-2 and upstream of acon-3 in regulating gene expression during development. The eas, con-6, and con-10 genes are induced at different times during development. Morphological changes induced by artificially elevated fl expression in the absence of environmental cues were correlated with increased expression of eas, but not con-6 or con-10. Thus, although inappropriate expression of fl in vegetative hyphae is sufficient to induce conidial morphogenesis, complete reconstitution of development leading to the formation of mature conidia may require environmental signals to regulate fl activity and/or appropriate induction of fl expression in the developing conidiophore.     

Mutation of the Cys-9 Gene, Which Encodes Thioredoxin Reductase, Affects the Circadian Conidiation Rhythm in Neurospora Crassa

Ten cysteine auxotrophs of Neurospora crassa were examined with regard to the period lengths of their circadian conidiation rhythms. One of the these cysteine auxotrophs, cys-9, showed dramatic changes in the circadian conidiation rhythm. At 10 μM methionine, the cys-9 mutant had a period length that was 5 hr shorter than that of the wild-type strain during the first 3 days after transfer to continuous darkness. At this concentration of methionine, the period length was unstable after the fourth day and varied widely from 11 to 31 hr. In contrast, other cysteine auxotrophs did not show such instability of the period length at any of the concentrations of methionine tested. Furthermore, only the cys-9 mutant exhibited partial loss of the capacity for temperature compensation of the period length. With regard to cold-induced phase-shifting of the circadian conidiation rhythm, the cys-9 mutant was more sensitive than the wild-type strain to low temperature. The cys-9(+) gene was cloned and was found to encode NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase. These results indicate that mutation of the gene for thioredoxin reductase results in abnormal expression of the circadian conidiation rhythm in N. crassa.     

Tissue-Specific Repression of Starvation and Stress Responses of theNeurospora crassa con-10Gene Is Mediated by RCO1

TheNeurospora crassa con-10gene is weakly expressed in mycelia but is induced approximately 1000-fold during macroconidiation. Studies of the promoter elements andtrans-acting factors that regulatecon-10expression are needed to gain a detailed understanding of developmental regulation. Therco-1mutant displays a 10-fold elevated basal level of expression ofcon-10.In contrast to the wild type,con-10expression in mycelia of therco-1mutant was rapidly induced to high levels by starvation for carbon or nitrogen and by heat shock. Althoughcon-10is developmentally induced late in conidiation,con-10was inducible by heat shock shortly after exposure of the wild-type mycelium to air. These findings support the view that RCO1 is a cell type-specific repressor ofcon-10.We propose that inactivation of RCO1 allows developing conidiophores to adjust the timing ofcon-10induction in response to stress.     

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。     

Identification of vib-1, a locus involved in vegetative incompatibility mediated by het-c in Neurospora crassa

A non-self-recognition system called vegetative incompatibility is ubiquitous in filamentous fungi and is genetically regulated by het loci. Different fungal individuals are unable to form viable heterokaryons if they differ in allelic specificity at a het locus. To identify components of vegetative incompatibility mediated by allelic differences at the het-c locus of Neurospora crassa, we isolated mutants that suppressed phenotypic aspects of het-c vegetative incompatibility. Three deletion mutants were identified; the deletions overlapped each other in an ORF named vib-1 (vegetative incompatibility blocked). Mutations in vib-1 fully relieved growth inhibition and repression of conidiation conferred by het-c vegetative incompatibility and significantly reduced hyphal compartmentation and death rates. The vib-1 mutants displayed a profuse conidiation pattern, suggesting that VIB-1 is a regulator of conidiation. VIB-1 shares a region of similarity to PHOG, a possible phosphate nonrepressible acid phosphatase in Aspergillus nidulans. Native gel analysis of wild-type strains and vib-1 mutants indicated that vib-1 is not the structural gene for nonrepressible acid phosphatase, but rather may regulate nonrepressible acid phosphatase activity.     

蛋白-O-岩藻糖基转移酶1基因CfPOFUT1在果生炭疽菌中的功能分析

【目的】蛋白-O-岩藻糖基转移酶1 (protein O-fucosyltransferase 1,POFUT1)是催化蛋白质O-岩藻糖基化的关键酶,在动物和人体内被证明调控一系列的生理病理过程,然而POFUT1基因在果生炭疽菌乃至真菌中还未见报道。本研究旨在克隆果生炭疽菌中CfPOFUT1基因,并分析其生物学功能。【方法】利用RT-PCR技术扩增CfPOFUT1的基因并进行生物信息学分析,构建了CfPOFUT1基因的沉默和过表达载体,通过PEG介导法将载体导入原生质体中获得CfPOFUT1基因的沉默和过表达突变体。测定了野生型菌株、CfPOFUT1沉默菌株和过表达菌株在PDA上的菌丝生长、分生孢子产生、萌发与附着胞形成、胁迫应答和致病力、杀菌剂敏感性等生物学表型。【结果】与野生型菌株相比,基因过表达突变体产孢量显著增加,致病力增强,对嘧菌酯敏感性降低,但对多菌灵和咪鲜胺敏感性增强。基因沉默突变体产孢量减少,细胞壁完整性、内质网应激敏感性提高,致病力减弱,对嘧菌酯敏感性提高,但对多菌灵和咪鲜胺敏感性降低。【结论】CfPOFUT1基因参与调控果生炭疽菌分生孢子产量,细胞壁完整性、内质网对应激和药剂敏感性,并对其致病性也具有一定的影响。     

基于RNA-Seq分析MpigE在红曲霉色素生物合成中的转录调控

[目的]分析MpigE的缺失在转录水平对红曲色素产生的影响.[方法]对实验室保存的野生型紫色红曲霉(Monascus purpureus) Mp-21和△MpigE菌株进行高通量转录组测序、注释、表达差异基因功能富集分析和基因通路富集分析,在转录水平揭示MpigE缺失后红曲霉色素产量变化的原因.[结果]通过RNA-Se...     

Effects of laeA deletion on Aspergillus flavus conidial development and hydrophobicity may contribute to loss of aflatoxin production

LaeA of Aspergillus nidulans is a putative methyltransferase and a component of the velvet complex; it is thought to mainly affect expression of genes required for the production of secondary metabolites. We found that although Aspergillus flavus CA14 laeA deletion mutants showed no aflatoxin production, expression of some of the early genes involved in aflatoxin formation, but not the later genes, could still be detected. The mutants grown in minimal medium supplemented with simple sugars and on some complex media exhibited altered conidial development. On potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium the deletion mutants showed reduced conidial chain elongation, increased production of conidiophores, and decreased colony hydrophobicity when compared to the parental strain. The loss of hydrophobicity and the other developmental changes in the laeA deletion mutants could affect the ability of the fungus to produce aflatoxins.     

暹罗炭疽菌同源异型盒转录因子CsHtf1的生物学功能

【背景】暹罗炭疽菌(Colletotrichum siamense)是橡胶炭疽病害的主要致病菌,严重制约着天然橡胶产量。在植物致病真菌中广泛存在同源异型盒转录因子,其参与调控真菌无性生殖、侵染和代谢等诸多方面。【目的】明确在暹罗炭疽菌中鉴定的一个同源异型盒转录因子CsHtf1的生物学功能。【方法】利用同源重组的方法获得Cshtf1基因的敲除突变株,并对其营养生长、孢子产生和致病性等表型进行分析。【结果】Cshtf1基因编码600个氨基酸且含有1个HOX结构域;与野生型相比,Cshtf1敲除突变株营养生长和致病性无显著差异,而突变株分生孢子产量显著降低且黑色素产量增加。【结论】CsHtf1参与调控暹罗炭疽菌的分生孢子及黑色素产生。