真菌二型态环境因子及信号转导途径研究进展

真菌二型态是指某些真菌在环境因子的影响下而具有在酵母型和菌丝型两种形态间发生互变的能力.二型态致病真菌因其形态转换的过程常与致病性有密切关系而引起了人们的广泛关注.真菌二型态转换过程与其培养环境中的物理、化学和营养等环境因子有关,内部则主要与cAMP-PKA、MAPK和Rim101等信号转导途径有关.现对影响真菌二型态的外界环境影响因子和内部信号转导途径等方面的研究进展进行综述.     

真菌有性生殖调控与进化

以真菌为对象的有性生殖机制研究揭示了普遍存在于真核生物中的生物学现象及规律,包括染色体倍性变化、减数分裂形成配子、交配对象识别及细胞一细胞融合形成合子等．真菌的有性生殖由交配型位点控制,除了类似其他真核生物两性生殖的异宗配合外,还包括同宗配合和次级同宗配合,部分物种的单倍体还具有交配型互换的能力．互补交配型的单倍体通过荷尔蒙及其受体进行相互识别,再经过G蛋白偶联受体介导的信号途径调控有性生殖过程及子实体发育,这一过程受多种胞内调控因子及外界环境条件的影响．不同真菌类群生殖方式的演化与物种进化仍缺少统一的规律．进一步研究揭示,真菌有性生殖的调控机制及环境诱导因子,不仅具有重要的理论意义,也有利于促进不同经济真菌子实体的人工培养及高效利用．     

丝状真菌形态控制及其在发酵过程优化中的应用

丝状真菌广泛用于发酵产业,在液体深层发酵过程中,其生长形态与产物种类及产量间存在重要关联,成为发酵过程调控的热点。采用数学模型解释丝状真菌的形态发育与调控机制,是近年来工程学界颇为关注的研究手段。本文结合自己的工作着重解释丝状真菌各种生长形态的生长机理及形态发育的数学描述方式,以及如何采用数学模型描述丝状真菌发酵过程中产物、形态及环境的关联,最终实现形态的控制,完成生物发酵过程优化。具体包括:1)丝状真菌的生长机制;2)形态发育数学模型在发酵过程优化中的应用;3)控制丝状真菌形态的策略。     

白念珠菌形态转换及其调控机制的研究进展

白念珠菌是人体内正常的共生微生物,也是最常见的机会性致病真菌。该菌最重要的生物学特征是其形态的多样性,不同形态细胞之间可频繁地相互转换。这种形态的可塑性与白念珠菌在宿主体内的定植能力、侵染性以及有性生殖等方面均有密切关系,也是该菌对外界环境变化的适应策略。酵母–菌丝相和white-opaque形态转换是白念珠菌中两种典型形态转换系统。宿主相关的环境因子和白念珠菌内源基因共同参与这些形态转换的调控。该文将综述近年来白念珠菌形态转换及其调控机制方面的进展,重点介绍参与菌丝发育和white-opaque形态转换的关键因子和调控通路。     

植物叶缘形态的发育调控机理

生物多样性研究的关键问题之一是表型多样性的形成和演化机制, 因为表型多样性与物种多样性密切相关, 同时又承载着遗传和环境的变异信息。植物的叶具有丰富的形态多样性, 而叶形多样性很大程度上体现在叶边缘形态的变异。叶边缘的形态可从全缘、锯齿状到具有不同程度(深浅)和不同式样(羽状或掌状、回数等)的裂片(在发育研究中复叶的小叶也描述为裂片)。关于叶缘齿/裂的发育调控机制, 在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)、碎米荠(Cardamine hirsuta)、番茄(Solanum lycopersicum)等模式植物中已有较深入的探讨。研究发现, 很多转录因子、小分子RNA及植物激素对叶齿/裂或小叶的形成具有调控作用, 其中生长素输出途径中的转录因子NAM/CUC、miR164以及高浓度生长素的反馈调控可能起到核心作用, 而且该调控模块在真双子叶植物中较为保守; TCP类、SPL类转录因子和其他一些miRNA也在生长素输出途径中发挥作用; 关于KNOX家族转录因子的作用, 虽然多数研究是围绕复叶的形态建成, 但也有数据显示其在叶裂发育中发挥作用。此外, 对拟南芥和碎米荠等十字花科植物的研究还发现, 调控基因RCO通过抑制小叶/裂片之间的细胞增殖而对小叶/叶裂的发育发挥作用。本文综述上述多角度的研究进展, 并尝试概括叶边缘形态的发育调控网络, 为关于叶缘形态多样性形成机制的研究提供可参考的切入点。     

植物与内生真菌互作的生理与分子机制研究进展

在自然生态系统中,植物组织可作为许多微生物定居的生态位.内生真菌普遍存在于植物组织内,与宿主建立复杂的相互作用(互惠、拮抗和中性之间的相互转化),并且存在不同的传播方式(垂直和水平传播).内生真菌通过多样化途径来增强植物体的营养生理和抗性机能.但这种生理功能的实现有赖于双方精细的调控机制,表明宿主和真菌双方都进化形成特有的分子调控机制来维持这种互惠共生关系.环境因子(如气候、土壤性质等)、宿主种类和生理状态、真菌基因型的变化都将改变互作结果.此外,菌根真菌和真菌病毒等也可能普遍参与植物-内生真菌共生体,形成三重互作体系,最终影响宿主的表型.研究试图从形态、生理和分子水平阐述内生真菌与植物互作的基础.     

新生隐球菌细胞通讯研究进展

细胞通讯系统调控多细胞生物的细胞增殖与分化等多种基础生物学过程,也是调控单细胞生物群体或社会性行为的重要策略。新生隐球菌是一种重要的环境来源病原真菌,主要感染免疫缺陷人群,具有很高的致死率。作为环境致病真菌,新生隐球菌进化出丰富的环境适应性策略。新生隐球菌细胞呈现出高度的异质性和社会性,不同形态的细胞承载着不同生物学功能和病原学特征。越来越多的研究表明,通过细胞通讯系统调控其群体或社会性行为,既是新生隐球菌适应多变的外界环境和宿主环境的关键策略,也与其致病能力密切相关。本文介绍新生隐球菌中细胞通讯系统的研究进展及其在有性生殖、细胞形态转换、适应环境及宿主压力等社会性行为中的调控作用。     

丝孢真菌无性与有性进化分析

绝大多数丝孢真菌属、种主要以无性型存在,但该类真菌绝大多数属、种含有若干调控有性分化、发育及进化的基因信息,如交配型、信息素及G-蛋白α-亚基基因等,胁迫环境诱导这些真菌有性基因有效表达乃至发育为有性型,一直倍受真菌学界的关注。文中系统介绍了丝孢真菌无性型与有性型属种分类研究现状、进化分析及性别调控基因,1)分析属、种三类有性基因的多样性、异型交配基因比率、系统发育关系及有性进化潜力与趋势;2)分析属、种不同有性基因调控特性胁迫环境适应性,界定靶标基因及适宜生态因子,结合地球生境演化特性,预测属、种自然演化性别变化动态;3)分析靶标基因调控生态,阐明两性种有性基因调控生态遗传机制。综上有望解析绝大多数丝孢真菌属、种主要为无性型的本质原因,丰富丝孢真菌分类研究的理论,为真菌分类研究提供科学依据。     

稻田水氮氧环境因子对水稻生长发育、光合作用和氮利用的调控研究进展

水分和氮素是影响水稻生长发育的两个重要环境因子。适宜的水氮耦合模式可通过“以水调氮、以水控氧”调控稻田根际氮形态和溶氧量等环境因子,促进良好根系形态构建,提高叶片光合速率和光合产物“源-库”分配平衡,提高水稻群体质量和产量形成。同时,稻田水氮氧环境因子驱动的微生物调控机制在水稻-土壤系统氮高效利用方面也发挥重要作用。本文重点阐述了水氮耦合下水分、氮形态和溶氧量对水稻生长发育、光合作用、碳氮代谢、稻田氮转化过程及其微生物调控机制等方面的研究进展,展望并提出了未来亟待加强的研究方向:1)开展水氮耦合下水稻根际溶氧量时空动态分布特征及氧环境调控关键因子研究;2)明确不同基因型水稻根源信号增氧响应特征及其对水稻生长发育的影响调控机制;3)阐明根际氧环境驱动的关键微生物过程对稻田氮转化和氮素利用的影响。     

白念珠菌生物被膜形成的遗传调控机制

白念珠菌是人体重要的条件性致病真菌。形态的多样性和可塑性是白念珠菌典型的生物学特征,这与它的致病性、宿主适应能力以及有性生殖过程密切相关。白念珠菌生物被膜(Biofilm)是由不同形态细胞(包括酵母型、菌丝和假菌丝)以及胞外基质组成的致密结构,也是毒性和耐药性形成的重要因子。生物被膜对抗真菌药物、宿主免疫系统和环境胁迫因子等都表现出较强的抵抗力和耐受性,是临床上病原真菌感染防治的重大挑战。随着基因表达谱和遗传操作技术的发展,白念珠菌生物被膜的形成及其耐药性的获得所依赖的遗传调控通路和分子调控机制越来越清楚。主要包括MAPK和cAMP介导的信号途径以及Bcr1和Tec1等因子介导的转录调控。此外,白念珠菌生物被膜的形成与形态转换和有性生殖之间存在密切的联系。文中综述了白念珠菌生物被膜形成的遗传调控机制,重点介绍了细胞壁相关蛋白、转录因子和交配型对该过程的调控以及生物被膜的耐药机制。     

Fungal tyrosinases: new prospects in molecular characteristics, bioengineering and biotechnological applications

Tyrosinases are type-3 copper proteins involved in the initial step of melanin synthesis. These enzymes catalyse both the o-hydroxylation of monophenols and the subsequent oxidation of the resulting o-diphenols into reactive o-quinones, which evolve spontaneously to produce intermediates, which associate in dark brown pigments. In fungi, tyrosinases are generally associated with the formation and stability of spores, in defence and virulence mechanisms, and in browning and pigmentation. First characterized from the edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus because of undesirable enzymatic browning problems during postharvest storage, tyrosinases were found, more recently, in several other fungi with relevant insights into molecular and genetic characteristics and into reaction mechanisms, highlighting their very promising properties for biotechnological applications. The limit of these applications remains in the fact that native fungal tyrosinases are generally intracellular and produced in low quantity. This review compiles the recent data on biochemical and molecular properties of fungal tyrosinases, underlining their importance in the biotechnological use of these enzymes. Next, their most promising applications in food, pharmaceutical and environmental fields are presented and the bioengineering approaches used for the development of tyrosinase-overproducing fungal strains are discussed.     

Role of fungal peroxidases in biological ligninolysis

The degradation of lignin by filamentous fungi is a major route for the recycling of photosynthetically fixed carbon, and the oxidative mechanisms employed have potential biotechnological applications. The lignin peroxidases (LiPs), manganese peroxidases (MnPs), and closely related enzymes of white rot basidiomycetes are likely contributors to fungal ligninolysis. Many of them cleave lignin model compounds to give products consistent with those found in residual white-rotted lignin, and at least some depolymerize synthetic lignins. However, none has yet been shown to delignify intact lignocellulose in vitro. The likely reason is that the peroxidases need to act in concert with small oxidants that can penetrate lignified tissues. Recent progress in the dissolution and NMR spectroscopy of plant cell walls may allow new inferences about the nature of the oxidants involved. Furthermore, increasing knowledge about the genomes of ligninolytic fungi may help us decide whether any of the peroxidases has an essential role.     

Are white-rot fungi a real biotechnological option for the improvement of environmental health?

The use of white-rot fungi as a biotechnological tool for cleaning the environment of recalcitrant pollutants has been under evaluation for several years. However, it is still not possible to find sufficiently detailed investigations of this subject to conclude that these fungi can decontaminate the environment. In the present review, we have summarized and discussed evidence about the potential of white-rot fungi to degrade such pollutants as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dyes or antibiotics as an example of the complex structures that these microorganisms can attack. This review also discusses field experiment results and limitations of white-rot fungi trials from contaminated sites. Moreover, the use of catabolic potential of white-rot fungi in biopurification systems (biobeds) is also discussed. The current status and future perspectives of white-rot fungi, as a viable biotechnological alternative for improvement of environmental health are noted.     

How sulphate-reducing microorganisms cope with stress: lessons from systems biology

Sulphate-reducing microorganisms (SRMs) are a phylogenetically diverse group of anaerobes encompassing distinct physiologies with a broad ecological distribution. As SRMs have important roles in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and various metals, an understanding of how these organisms respond to environmental stresses is of fundamental and practical importance. In this Review, we highlight recent applications of systems biology tools in studying the stress responses of SRMs, particularly Desulfovibrio spp., at the cell, population, community and ecosystem levels. The syntrophic lifestyle of SRMs is also discussed, with a focus on system-level analyses of adaptive mechanisms. Such information is important for understanding the microbiology of the global sulphur cycle and for developing biotechnological applications of SRMs for environmental remediation, energy production, biocorrosion control, wastewater treatment and mineral recovery.     

An overview of lipid metabolism in yeasts and its impact on biotechnological processes

High energy prices, depletion of crude oil supplies, and price imbalance created by the increasing demand of plant oils or animal fat for biodiesel and specific lipid derivatives such as lubricants, adhesives, and plastics have given rise to heated debates on land-use practices and to environmental concerns about oil production strategies. However, commercialization of microbial oils with similar composition and energy value to plant and animal oils could have many advantages, such as being non-competitive with food, having shorter process cycle and being independent of season and climate factors. This review focuses on the ongoing research on different oleaginous yeasts producing high added value lipids and on the prospects of such microbial oils to be used in different biotechnological processes and applications. It covers the basic biochemical mechanisms of lipid synthesis and accumulation in these organisms, along with the latest insights on the metabolic processes involved. The key elements of lipid accumulation, the mechanisms suspected to confer the oleaginous character of the cell, and the potential metabolic routes enhancing lipid production are also extensively discussed.     

Biotechnological potential of pectinolytic complexes of fungi

Plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, such as cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases, have been extensively studied because of their well documented biotechnological potential, mainly in the food industry. In particular, lytic enzymes from filamentous fungi have been the subject of a vast number of studies due both to their advantages as models for enzyme production and their characteristics. The demand for such enzymes is rapidly increasing, as are the efforts to improve their production and to implement their use in several industrial processes, with the goal of making them more efficient and environment-friendly. The present review focuses mainly on pectinolytic enzymes of filamentous fungi, which are responsible for degradation of pectin, one of the major components of the plant cell wall. Also discussed are the past and current strategies for the production of cell wall-degrading enzymes and their present applications in a number of biotechnological areas.     

Psychrophilic and psychrotrophic fungi: a comprehensive review

This article reviews the comparative diversity of psychrophilic and psychrotrophic fungi, their adaptability mechanisms for survival and potential applications in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Fungi are able to grow and survive at low temperature and exist widely in polar and non-polar habitats. These cold regions are known for very low temperature, high ultra violet-B radiation, frequent freeze and thaw cycles and low water and nutrient availability. Most of the fungi adapt to such harsh conditions by evolving various strategies in their metabolism and physiology. Psychrophilic and psychrotrophic fungi are of importance in biotechnological and pharmaceutical fields due to their diverse characteristics developed or evolved due to their adaptation and survival in extreme environments, like; production of cold-active enzymes, pharmaceutical or bioactive metabolites and exo-polysaccharides, have potential for bioremediation and can also be used as biofertilizer.     

Physiological roles of trehalose in bacteria and yeasts: a comparative analysis

The disaccharide trehalose is widely distributed in nature and can be found in many organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, invertebrates and mammals. Due to its particular physical features, trehalose is able to protect the integrity of the cell against a variety of environmental injuries and nutritional limitations. In addition, data available on several species of bacteria and yeast suggest specific functions for trehalose in these organisms. Bacteria can use exogenous trehalose as the sole source of carbon and energy as well as synthesize enormous amounts of the disaccharide as compatible solute. This ability to accumulate trehalose is the result of an elaborate genetic system, which is regulated by osmolarity. Some mycobacteria contain sterified trehalose as a structural component of the cell wall, whereas yeast cells are largely unable to grow on trehalose as carbon source. In these lower eukaryotes, trehalose appears to play a dual function: as a reserve compound, mainly stored in vegetative resting cells and reproductive structures, and as a stress metabolite. Recent findings also point to important biotechnological applications for trehalose.     

Biotechnological applications and potential of wood-degrading mushrooms of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleurotus</Emphasis>

The genus Pleurotus comprises a group of edible ligninolytic mushrooms with medicinal properties and important biotechnological and environmental applications. The cultivation of Pleurotus spp is an economically important food industry worldwide which has expanded in the past few years. P. ostreatus is the third most important cultivated mushroom for food purposes. Nutritionally, it has unique flavor and aromatic properties; and it is considered to be rich in protein, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Pleurotus spp are promising as medicinal mushrooms, exhibiting hematological, antiviral, antitumor, antibiotic, antibacterial, hypocholesterolic and immunomodulation activities. The bioactive molecules isolated from the different fungi are polysaccharides. One of the most important aspects of Pleurotus spp is related to the use of their ligninolytic system for a variety of applications, such as the bioconversion of agricultural wastes into valuable products for animal feed and other food products and the use of their ligninolytic enzymes for the biodegradation of organopollutants, xenobiotics and industrial contaminants. In this Mini-Review, we describe the properties of Pleurotus spp in relation to their biotechnological applications and potential.