Farnesol-induced cell death in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 1544-1548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taísa Magnani Dinamarco ◽  
Maria Helena S. Goldman ◽  
Gustavo Henrique Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Filamentous Fungus ◽  
Model System ◽  
Farnesyl Pyrophosphate

FOH (farnesol), a non-sterol isoprenoid produced by dephosphorylation of farnesyl pyrophosphate, has been shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis. We have been using Aspergillus nidulans and FOH as a model system and cell death stimulus, respectively, aiming to understand by which means filamentous fungi are driven towards cell death. Here, we review some of our findings about FOH-induced cell death in A. nidulans.

scholarly journals The Aspergillus nidulansnucAEndoGHomologue Is Not Involved in Cell Death

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bárbara de Castro Pimentel Figueiredo ◽  
Patrícia Alves de Castro ◽  
Taísa Magnani Dinamarco ◽  
Maria Helena S. Goldman ◽  
Gustavo Henrique Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Dna Fragmentation ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Apoptosis Induction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Endonuclease G ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACTUpon apoptosis induction, translocation of mammalian mitochondrial endonuclease G (EndoG) to the nucleus coincides with large-scale DNA fragmentation. Here, we describe for the first time a homologue of EndoG in filamentous fungi by investigating if theAspergillus nidulanshomologue of the EndoG gene, namednucAEndoG, is being activated during farnesol-induced cell death. Our results suggest that NucA is not involved in cell death, but it plays a role in the DNA-damaging response inA. nidulans.

scholarly journals Transcriptome Analysis of Recombinant Protein Secretion by Aspergillus nidulans and the Unfolded-Protein Response In Vivo

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 2737-2747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew H. Sims ◽  
Manda E. Gent ◽  
Karin Lanthaler ◽  
Nigel S. Dunn-Coleman ◽  
Stephen G. Oliver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Recombinant Protein ◽  
Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Protein Secretion ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

ABSTRACT Filamentous fungi have a high capacity for producing large amounts of secreted proteins, a property that has been exploited for commercial production of recombinant proteins. However, the secretory pathway, which is key to the production of extracellular proteins, is rather poorly characterized in filamentous fungi compared to yeast. We report the effects of recombinant protein secretion on gene expression levels in Aspergillus nidulans by directly comparing a bovine chymosin-producing strain with its parental wild-type strain in continuous culture by using expressed sequence tag microarrays. This approach demonstrated more subtle and specific changes in gene expression than those observed when mimicking the effects of protein overproduction by using a secretion blocker. The impact of overexpressing a secreted recombinant protein more closely resembles the unfolded-protein response in vivo.

scholarly journals Transcriptomic, Protein-DNA Interaction, and Metabolomic Studies of VosA, VelB, and WetA in Aspergillus nidulans Asexual Spores

mBio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Yueh Wu ◽  
Matthew E. Mead ◽  
Mi-Kyung Lee ◽  
George F. Neuhaus ◽  
Donovon A. Adpressa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Secondary Metabolism ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Genetic Regulatory Networks ◽  
Asexual Development ◽  
Morphological Development ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Metabolic Remodeling

ABSTRACT In filamentous fungi, asexual development involves cellular differentiation and metabolic remodeling leading to the formation of intact asexual spores. The development of asexual spores (conidia) in Aspergillus is precisely coordinated by multiple transcription factors (TFs), including VosA, VelB, and WetA. Notably, these three TFs are essential for the structural and metabolic integrity, i.e., proper maturation, of conidia in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. To gain mechanistic insight into the complex regulatory and interdependent roles of these TFs in asexual sporogenesis, we carried out multi-omics studies on the transcriptome, protein-DNA interactions, and primary and secondary metabolism employing A. nidulans conidia. RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analyses have revealed that the three TFs directly or indirectly regulate the expression of genes associated with heterotrimeric G-protein signal transduction, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, spore wall formation and structural integrity, asexual development, and primary/secondary metabolism. In addition, metabolomics analyses of wild-type and individual mutant conidia indicate that these three TFs regulate a diverse array of primary metabolites, including those in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, certain amino acids, and trehalose, and secondary metabolites such as sterigmatocystin, emericellamide, austinol, and dehydroaustinol. In summary, WetA, VosA, and VelB play interdependent, overlapping, and distinct roles in governing morphological development and primary/secondary metabolic remodeling in Aspergillus conidia, leading to the production of vital conidia suitable for fungal proliferation and dissemination. IMPORTANCE Filamentous fungi produce a vast number of asexual spores that act as efficient propagules. Due to their infectious and/or allergenic nature, fungal spores affect our daily life. Aspergillus species produce asexual spores called conidia; their formation involves morphological development and metabolic changes, and the associated regulatory systems are coordinated by multiple transcription factors (TFs). To understand the underlying global regulatory programs and cellular outcomes associated with conidium formation, genomic and metabolomic analyses were performed in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Our results show that the fungus-specific WetA/VosA/VelB TFs govern the coordination of morphological and chemical developments during sporogenesis. The results of this study provide insights into the interdependent, overlapping, or distinct genetic regulatory networks necessary to produce intact asexual spores. The findings are relevant for other Aspergillus species such as the major human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus and the aflatoxin producer Aspergillus flavus.

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