Identification of loci and functional characterization of trichothecene biosynthesis genes in filamentous fungi of the genus Trichoderma

Trichothecenes are mycotoxins produced by Trichoderma, Fusarium, and at least four other genera in the fungal order Hypocreales. Fusarium has a trichothecene biosynthetic gene (TRI) cluster that encodes transport and regulatory proteins as well as most enzymes required for the formation of the mycotoxins. However, little is known about trichothecene biosynthesis in the other genera. Here, we identify and characterize TRI gene orthologues (tri) in Trichoderma arundinaceum and Trichoderma brevicompactum. Our results indicate that both Trichoderma species have a tri cluster that consists of orthologues of seven genes present in the Fusarium TRI cluster. Organization of genes in the cluster is the same in the two Trichoderma species but differs from the organization in Fusarium. Sequence and functional analysis revealed that the gene (tri5) responsible for the first committed step in trichothecene biosynthesis is located outside the cluster in both Trichoderma species rather than inside the cluster as it is in Fusarium. Heterologous expression analysis revealed that two T. arundinaceum cluster genes (tri4 and tri11) differ in function from their Fusarium orthologues. The Tatri4-encoded enzyme catalyzes only three of the four oxygenation reactions catalyzed by the orthologous enzyme in Fusarium. The Tatri11-encoded enzyme catalyzes a completely different reaction (trichothecene C-4 hydroxylation) than the Fusarium orthologue (trichothecene C-15 hydroxylation). The results of this study indicate that although some characteristics of the tri/TRI cluster have been conserved during evolution of Trichoderma and Fusarium, the cluster has undergone marked changes, including gene loss and/or gain, gene rearrangement, and divergence of gene function.     

抗灰葡萄孢霉菌乳酸菌的筛选

从80株乳酸菌中筛选出45株具有抗灰葡萄孢霉菌活性的乳酸菌菌株,其中10株具有较强抗灰葡萄孢霉菌活性。对这10株乳酸菌菌株的抗植物致病真菌谱进行了研究,这10株乳酸菌对番茄早疫病菌,甜瓜疫霉菌,甜瓜枯萎病菌,苹果炭疽病菌的生长均有较强的抑制作用。其中1株具有广谱抗植物致病真菌活性的乳酸菌菌株BX6-4为植物乳杆菌。经番茄离体叶片接种试验发现,植物乳杆菌BX6-4的发酵液能够在体外强烈地抑制灰葡萄孢霉菌的生长。     

毒死蜱降解木霉菌对几种重要植物病原真菌的生防活性

木霉菌既是广泛应用的防治植物病害的生防菌,又是一类很有应用潜力的环境污染修复菌。针对分离筛选出的6株高效降解毒死蜱的木霉菌株,进行了土传植物真菌病害的生防活性试验。结果表明,在对峙培养条件下,供试木霉菌株对几种病原真菌均具有较为显著的抑制率,发酵滤液对多数病原真菌具有明显的抑菌作用。所有供试木霉菌株能在立枯丝核菌、灰霉、终极腐霉菌落上着生,并逐渐覆盖全部菌落;但不能在茄腐镰孢菌、尖孢镰孢菌、大丽轮枝菌上生长。真菌重寄生现象观察结果表明,供试木霉菌仅对立枯丝核菌具有明显的重寄生现象。研究结果表明,筛选出的高效降解毒死蜱的木霉菌菌株可对多种土传植物病原真菌具有良好的生防潜力。     

Signal transduction by Tga3, a novel G protein alpha subunit of Trichoderma atroviride

Trichoderma species are used commercially as biocontrol agents against a number of phytopathogenic fungi due to their mycoparasitic characterisitics. The mycoparasitic response is induced when Trichoderma specifically recognizes the presence of the host fungus and transduces the host-derived signals to their respective regulatory targets. We made deletion mutants of the tga3 gene of Trichoderma atroviride, which encodes a novel G protein alpha subunit that belongs to subgroup III of fungal Galpha proteins. Deltatga3 mutants had changes in vegetative growth, conidiation, and conidial germination and reduced intracellular cyclic AMP levels. These mutants were avirulent in direct confrontation assays with Rhizoctonia solani or Botrytis cinerea, and mycoparasitism-related infection structures were not formed. When induced with colloidal chitin or N-acetylglucosamine in liquid culture, the mutants had reduced extracellular chitinase activity even though the chitinase-encoding genes ech42 and nag1 were transcribed at a significantly higher rate than they were in the wild type. Addition of exogenous cyclic AMP did not suppress the altered phenotype or restore mycoparasitic overgrowth, although it did restore the ability to produce the infection structures. Thus, T. atroviride Tga3 has a general role in vegetative growth and can alter mycoparasitism-related characteristics, such as infection structure formation and chitinase gene expression.     

Cladosporium fulvum Avr4 protects fungal cell walls against hydrolysis by plant chitinases accumulating during infection

Resistance against the leaf mold fungus Cladosporium fulvum is mediated by the tomato Cf proteins which belong to the class of receptor-like proteins and indirectly recognize extracellular avirulence proteins (Avrs) of the fungus. Apart from triggering disease resistance, Avrs are believed to play a role in pathogenicity or virulence of C. fulvum. Here, we report on the avirulence protein Avr4, which is a chitin-binding lectin containing an invertebrate chitin-binding domain (CBM14). This domain is found in many eukaryotes, but has not yet been described in fungal or plant genomes. We found that interaction of Avr4 with chitin is specific, because it does not interact with other cell wall polysaccharides. Avr4 binds to chitin oligomers with a minimal length of three N-acetyl glucosamine residues. In vitro, Avr4 protects chitin against hydrolysis by plant chitinases. Avr4 also binds to chitin in cell walls of the fungi Trichoderma viride and Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli and protects these fungi against normally deleterious concentrations of plant chitinases. In situ fluorescence studies showed that Avr4 also binds to cell walls of C. fulvum during infection of tomato, where it most likely protects the fungus against tomato chitinases, suggesting that Avr4 is a counter-defensive virulence factor.     

芦竹内生真菌F0238对植物病原菌的拮抗作用

从黄海海岸低盐药用植物芦竹(Arundo donax L．)中分离得到木霉属的内生真菌F0238,对其进行拮抗植物病原菌活性及作用机制的试验研究。结果表明F0238发酵液对Botrytis cinerea,Sclerotium rolfsii等8种植物病原菌有强的抑菌活性及抑制孢子萌发作用,且这种作用在发酵原液被稀释了160倍后仍然存在;对峙培养试验表明F0238菌对植物病原菌有很强的拮抗作用,拮抗机制主要为重寄生作用、营养竞争作用及抗生作用等。     

Effects of Trichothecene Production on the Plant Defense Response and Fungal Physiology: Overexpression of the Trichoderma arundinaceum tri4 Gene in T. harzianum

Trichothecenes are fungal sesquiterpenoid compounds, the majority of which have phytotoxic activity. They contaminate food and feed stocks, resulting in potential harm to animals and human beings. Trichoderma brevicompactum and T. arundinaceum produce trichodermin and harzianum A (HA), respectively, two trichothecenes that show different bioactive properties. Both compounds have remarkable antibiotic and cytotoxic activities, but in addition, trichodermin is highly phytotoxic, while HA lacks this activity when analyzed in vivo. Analysis of Fusarium trichothecene intermediates led to the conclusion that most of them, with the exception of the hydrocarbon precursor trichodiene (TD), have a detectable phytotoxic activity which is not directly related to the structural complexity of the intermediate. In the present work, the HA intermediate 12,13-epoxytrichothec-9-ene (EPT) was produced by expression of the T. arundinaceum tri4 gene in a transgenic T. harzianum strain that already produces TD after transformation with the T. arundinaceum tri5 gene. Purified EPT did not show antifungal or phytotoxic activity, while purified HA showed both antifungal and phytotoxic activities. However, the use of the transgenic T. harzianum tri4 strain induced a downregulation of defense-related genes in tomato plants and also downregulated plant genes involved in fungal root colonization. The production of EPT by the transgenic tri4 strain raised levels of erg1 expression and reduced squalene accumulation while not affecting levels of ergosterol. Together, these results indicate the complex interactions among trichothecene intermediates, fungal antagonists, and host plants.     

Disruption of the Eng18B ENGase gene in the fungal biocontrol agent Trichoderma atroviride affects growth, conidiation and antagonistic ability

The recently identified phylogenetic subgroup B5 of fungal glycoside hydrolase family 18 genes encodes enzymes with mannosyl glycoprotein endo-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (ENGase)-type activity. Intracellular ENGase activity is associated with the endoplasmic reticulum associated protein degradation pathway (ERAD) of misfolded glycoproteins, although the biological relevance in filamentous fungi is not known. Trichoderma atroviride is a mycoparasitic fungus that is used for biological control of plant pathogenic fungi. The present work is a functional study of the T. atroviride B5-group gene Eng18B, with emphasis on its role in fungal growth and antagonism. A homology model of T. atroviride Eng18B structure predicts a typical glycoside hydrolase family 18 (αβ)(8) barrel architecture. Gene expression analysis shows that Eng18B is induced in dual cultures with the fungal plant pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Rhizoctonia solani, although a basal expression is observed in all growth conditions tested. Eng18B disruption strains had significantly reduced growth rates but higher conidiation rates compared to the wild-type strain. However, growth rates on abiotic stress media were significantly higher in Eng18B disruption strains compared to the wild-type strain. No difference in spore germination, germ-tube morphology or in hyphal branching was detected. Disruption strains produced less biomass in liquid cultures than the wild-type strain when grown with chitin as the sole carbon source. In addition, we determined that Eng18B is required for the antagonistic ability of T. atroviride against the grey mould fungus B. cinerea in dual cultures and that this reduction in antagonistic ability is partly connected to a secreted factor. The phenotypes were recovered by re-introduction of an intact Eng18B gene fragment in mutant strains. A putative role of Eng18B ENGase activity in the endoplasmic reticulum associated protein degradation pathway of endogenous glycoproteins in T. atroviride is discussed in relation to the observed phenotypes.     

Improvement of the fungal biocontrol agent Trichoderma atroviride to enhance both antagonism and induction of plant systemic disease resistance

Biocontrol agents generally do not perform well enough under field conditions to compete with chemical fungicides. We determined whether transgenic strain SJ3-4 of Trichoderma atroviride, which expresses the Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase-encoding gene, goxA, under a homologous chitinase (nag1) promoter had increased capabilities as a fungal biocontrol agent. The transgenic strain differed only slightly from the wild-type in sporulation or the growth rate. goxA expression occurred immediately after contact with the plant pathogen, and the glucose oxidase formed was secreted. SJ3-4 had significantly less N-acetylglucosaminidase and endochitinase activities than its nontransformed parent. Glucose oxidase-containing culture filtrates exhibited threefold-greater inhibition of germination of spores of Botrytis cinerea. The transgenic strain also more quickly overgrew and lysed the plant pathogens Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium ultimum. In planta, SJ3-4 had no detectable improved effect against low inoculum levels of these pathogens. Beans planted in heavily infested soil and treated with conidia of the transgenic Trichoderma strain germinated, but beans treated with wild-type spores did not germinate. SJ3-4 also was more effective in inducing systemic resistance in plants. Beans with SJ3-4 root protection were highly resistant to leaf lesions caused by the foliar pathogen B. cinerea. This work demonstrates that heterologous genes driven by pathogen-inducible promoters can increase the biocontrol and systemic resistance-inducing properties of fungal biocontrol agents, such as Trichoderma spp., and that these microbes can be used as vectors to provide plants with useful molecules (e.g., glucose oxidase) that can increase their resistance to pathogens.     

Silencing and heterologous expression of ppo-2 indicate a specific function of a single polyphenol oxidase isoform in resistance of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) possesses an unusually high degree of disease resistance. As this plant exhibits high polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and PPO have been implicated in resistance against pests and pathogens, we analyzed the potential involvement of five PPO isoenzymes in the resistance of dandelion against Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Only one PPO (ppo-2) was induced during infection, and ppo-2 promoter and β-glucuronidase marker gene fusions revealed strong induction of the gene surrounding lesions induced by B. cinerea. Specific RNAi silencing reduced ppo-2 expression only, and concomitantly increased plant susceptibility to P. syringae pv. tomato. At 4 days postinoculation, P. syringae pv. tomato populations were strongly increased in the ppo-2 RNAi lines compared with wild-type plants. When the dandelion ppo-2 gene was expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana, a plant having no PPO gene, active protein was formed and protein extracts of the transgenic plants exhibited substrate-dependent antimicrobial activity against P. syringae pv. tomato. These results clearly indicate a strong contribution of a specific, single PPO isoform to disease resistance. Therefore, we propose that specific PPO isoenzymes be included in a new family of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins.     

First report of a bifunctional chitinase/lysozyme produced by Bacillus pumilus SG2

Bacillus pumilus SG2 isolated from high salinity ecosystem in Iran produces two chitinases (ChiS and ChiL) and secretes them into the medium. In this study, chiS and chiL genes were cloned in pQE-30 expression vector and were expressed in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli strain M15. The recombinant proteins were purified using Ni-NTA column. The optimum pH and optimum temperature for enzyme activity of ChiS were pH 6, 50°C; those of ChiL were pH 6.5, 40°C. The purified chitinases showed antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum, Rhizoctonia solani, Magnaporthe grisea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Trichoderma reesei, Botrytis cinerea and Bipolaris sp. Moreover, purified ChiS was identified as chitinase/lysozyme, which are capable of degrading the chitin component of fungal cell walls and the peptidoglycan component of cell walls with many kinds of bacteria (Xanthomonas translucens pv. hordei, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, Bacillus licheniformis, E. coli C600, E. coli TOP10, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida). Strong homology was found between the three-dimensional structures of ChiS and a chitinase/lysozyme from Bacillus circulans WL-12. This is the first report of a bifunctional chitinase/lysozyme from B. pumilus.     

87 kDa tomato cystatin exhibits properties of a defense protein and forms protein crystals in prosystemin overexpressing transgenic plants

Transgenic tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) overexpressing the prosystemin transgene have been shown previously to accumulate a soluble 87 kDa cystatin constitutively. We report here that this protein can be found in a crystalline form which can be purified using a glycerol/sucrose gradient. Midgut homogenate of third-instar larvae of two coleopteran pest insects, Callosobruchus maculatus and Zabrotes subfasciatus, had their proteolytic activity content significantly inhibited by tomato cystatin (TC). In leaves of wild-type tomato plants, cystatin mRNA accumulated systemically in response to wounding, treatment with methyl jasmonate (MJ) and when supplied with systemin, corroborating the anti-herbivorous activity. Accumulation of cystatin mRNA occurred when plants were supplied with chitosan and oligogalacturonic acid fragments (OGA), suggesting an effect of TC against pathogens. Moreover, this protein reduced the growth of two fungi, Fusarium solani and Trichoderma viride in vitro. Taken together, the data reinforce a role for TC in defense response against pests or pathogens.     

The beneficial effect of Trichoderma spp. on tomato is modulated by the plant genotype

Rhizosphere-competent fungi of the genus Trichoderma are widely used as biofertilizers and biopesticides in commercial formulates because of the multiple beneficial effects on plant growth and disease resistance. In this work, we demonstrate that genetic variability among wild and cultivated tomato lines affects the outcome of the interaction with two 'elite' biocontrol strains of T. atroviride and T. harzianum. The beneficial response, which included enhanced growth and systemic resistance against Botrytis cinerea, was clearly evident for some, but not all, the tested lines. At least in one case (line M82), treatment with the biocontrol agents had no effect or was even detrimental. Expression studies on defence-related genes suggested that the fungus is able to trigger, in the responsive lines, a long-lasting up-regulation of the salicylic acid pathway in the absence of a pathogen, possibly activating a priming mechanism in the plant. Consequently, infection with B. cinerea on plants pretreated with Trichoderma is followed by enhanced activation of jasmonate-responsive genes, eventually boosting systemic resistance to the pathogen in a plant genotype-dependent manner. Our data indicate that, at least in tomato, the Trichoderma induced systemic resistance mechanism is much more complex than considered so far, and the ability of the plant to benefit from this symbiotic-like interaction can be genetically improved.     

Efficacy of microorganisms selected from compost to control soil-borne pathogens

Suppression of soil-borne plant pathogens with compost has been widely studied. Compost has been found to be suppressive against several soil-borne pathogens in various cropping systems. However, an increase of some diseases due to compost usage has also been observed, since compost is a product that varies considerably in chemical, physical and biotic composition, and, consequently, also in ability to suppress soil borne diseases. New opportunities in disease management can be obtained by the selection of antagonists from suppressive composts. The objective of the present work was to isolate microorganisms from a suppressive compost and to test them for their activity against soil-borne pathogens. A compost from green wastes, organic domestic wastes and urban sludge's that showed a good suppressive activity in previous trials was used as source of microorganisms. Serial diluted suspensions of compost samples were plated on five different media: selective for Fusarium sp., selective for Trichoderma sp., selective for oomycetes, potato dextrose agar (PDA) for isolation of fungi, lysogeny broth (LB) for isolation of bacteria. In total, 101 colonies were isolated from plates and tested under laboratory conditions on tomato seedlings growing on perlite medium in Petri plates infected with Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici and compared to a commercial antagonist (Streptomyces griserovidis, Mycostop, Bioplanet). Among them, 28 showed a significant disease reduction and were assessed under greenhouse condition on three pathosystems: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. basilica/basil, Phytophthora nicotianae/tomato and Rhizoctonia solani/bean. Fusarium spp. selected from compost generally showed a good disease control against Fusarium wilts, while only bacteria significantly controlled P. nicotianae on tomato under greenhouse conditions. None of the microorganisms was able to control the three soil-borne pathogens together, in particular Rhizoctonia solani. Results confirmed the good suppressive activity of the compost under study against soil-borne pathogens. The selection of antagonists from compost is a promising strategy for the development of new biological control agents against soil-borne pathogens.     

木霉防治灰霉病的研究进展

植物病害的生物防治是降低化学农药用量、减少环境污染的一种有效方式,木霉是现在普遍应用且生防潜力巨大的灰霉病防治真菌。目前,已经对防治灰霉的木霉菌株的筛选、应用及生防机制进行了大量而深入的研究。木霉的生防机制分为直接生防机制和间接生防机制,前者主要指木霉与灰霉病菌直接作用过程中所涉及的重寄生、抗生和营养竞争,后者是木霉通过诱导植物产生系统抗性来防治灰霉。本文对木霉直接防治灰霉病以及诱导植物产生系统抗性防治灰霉病所涉及的互作模式、信号传导途径以及所引起的防御反应进行综述,旨在通过机制的深入研究能够找到进一步提高木霉生防效果的技术方案。     

Improved antifungal activity of a mutant of Trichoderma harzianum CECT 2413 which produces more extracellular proteins

Trichoderma harzianum is a well-known biological control agent against fungal plant diseases. In order to select improved biocontrol strains from Trichoderma harzianum CECT 2413, a mutant has been isolated for its ability to produce wider haloes than the wild type, when hydrolysing pustulan, a polymer of beta-1,6-glucan. The mutant possesses between two and four times more chitinase, beta-1,3- and beta-1,6-glucanase activities than the wild type, produces about three times more extracellular proteins and secretes higher amounts of a yellow pigment (alpha-pyrone). This mutant performed better than the wild type during in vitro experiments, overgrowing and sporulating on Rhizoctonia solani earlier, killing this pathogen faster and exerting better protection on grapes against Botrytis cinerea.