scholarly journals Defining the transcriptional responses of Aspergillus nidulans to cation/alkaline pH stress and the role of the transcription factor SltA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Picazo ◽  
Oier Etxebeste ◽  
Elena Requena ◽  
Aitor Garzia ◽  
Eduardo A. Espeso
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Saline Stress ◽  
Alkaline Ph ◽  
Regulatory Pathway ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Regulatory Pathways

AbstractFungi have developed the ability to overcome extreme growth conditions and thrive in hostile environments. The model fungus Aspergillus nidulans tolerates, for example, ambient alkalinity up to pH 10 or molar concentrations of multiple cations. The ability to grow under alkaline pH or saline stress depends on the effective function of, at least, three regulatory pathways mediated by high hierarchy zinc-finger transcription factors: PacC, which mediates the ambient pH regulatory pathway, the calcineurin-dependent CrzA and the cation-homeostasis responsive factor SltA. Using RNA sequencing, we determined the effect of external pH alkalinisation or sodium stress on gene expression. Data show that each condition triggers transcriptional responses with a low degree of overlap. By sequencing the transcriptomes of the null mutant, the role of SltA in the abovementioned homeostasis mechanisms was also studied. Results show that the transcriptional role of SltA is wider than initially expected and implies, for example, the positive control of the PacC-dependent ambient pH regulatory pathway. Overall, our data strongly suggest that the stress-response pathways in fungi include some common but mostly exclusive constituents, and that there is a hierarchy of authority among the main regulators of stress response, with SltA controlling pacC expression at least in A. nidulans.

scholarly journals Defining the transcriptional responses of Aspergillus nidulans to cation/alkaline pH stress and the role of the transcription factor SltA

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Picazo ◽  
Oier Etxebeste ◽  
Elena Requena ◽  
Aitor Garzia ◽  
Eduardo Antonio Espeso
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Saline Stress ◽  
Alkaline Ph ◽  
Regulatory Pathway ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Regulatory Pathways

Fungi have developed the ability to overcome extreme growth conditions and thrive in hostile environments. The model fungus Aspergillus nidulans tolerates, for example, ambient alkalinity up to pH 10 or molar concentrations of multiple cations. The ability to grow under alkaline pH or saline stress depends on the effective function of at least three regulatory pathways mediated by the zinc-finger transcription factor PacC, which mediates the ambient pH regulatory pathway, the calcineurin-dependent CrzA and the cation homeostasis responsive factor SltA. Using RNA sequencing, we determined the effect of external pH alkalinization or sodium stress on gene expression. The data show that each condition triggers transcriptional responses with a low degree of overlap. By sequencing the transcriptomes of the null mutant, the role of SltA in the above-mentioned homeostasis mechanisms was also studied. The results show that the transcriptional role of SltA is wider than initially expected and implies, for example, the positive control of the PacC-dependent ambient pH regulatory pathway. Overall, our data strongly suggest that the stress response pathways in fungi include some common but mostly exclusive constituents, and that there is a hierarchical relationship among the main regulators of stress response, with SltA controlling pacC expression, at least in A. nidulans.

scholarly journals Ref2, a regulatory subunit of the yeast protein phosphatase 1, is a novel component of cation homoeostasis

2010 ◽  
Vol 426 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jofre Ferrer-Dalmau ◽  
Asier González ◽  
Maria Platara ◽  
Clara Navarrete ◽  
José L. Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Phosphatase ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Calcium Sensitivity ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Protein Phosphatase 1 ◽  
Regulatory Subunit ◽  
Alkaline Ph ◽  
Yeast Protein ◽  
Increased Sensitivity

Maintenance of cation homoeostasis is a key process for any living organism. Specific mutations in Glc7, the essential catalytic subunit of yeast protein phosphatase 1, result in salt and alkaline pH sensitivity, suggesting a role for this protein in cation homoeostasis. We screened a collection of Glc7 regulatory subunit mutants for altered tolerance to diverse cations (sodium, lithium and calcium) and alkaline pH. Among 18 candidates, only deletion of REF2 (RNA end formation 2) yielded increased sensitivity to these conditions, as well as to diverse organic toxic cations. The Ref2F374A mutation, which renders it unable to bind Glc7, did not rescue the salt-related phenotypes of the ref2 strain, suggesting that Ref2 function in cation homoeostasis is mediated by Glc7. The ref2 deletion mutant displays a marked decrease in lithium efflux, which can be explained by the inability of these cells to fully induce the Na+-ATPase ENA1 gene. The effect of lack of Ref2 is additive to that of blockage of the calcineurin pathway and might disrupt multiple mechanisms controlling ENA1 expression. ref2 cells display a striking defect in vacuolar morphogenesis, which probably accounts for the increased calcium levels observed under standard growth conditions and the strong calcium sensitivity of this mutant. Remarkably, the evidence collected indicates that the role of Ref2 in cation homoeostasis may be unrelated to its previously identified function in the formation of mRNA via the APT (for associated with Pta1) complex.

Proteome analysis of the farnesol-induced stress response in Aspergillus nidulans—The role of a putative dehydrin

2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (13) ◽  
pp. 4038-4049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Wartenberg ◽  
Martin Vödisch ◽  
Olaf Kniemeyer ◽  
Daniela Albrecht-Eckardt ◽  
Kirstin Scherlach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Proteome Analysis ◽  
Induced Stress

scholarly journals Genome Wide Analysis Reveals the Role of VadA in Stress Response, Germination, and Sterigmatocystin Production in Aspergillus nidulans Conidia

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye-Eun Son ◽  
Hee-Soo Park
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Secondary Metabolism ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Tube Formation ◽  
Spore Viability ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Trehalose Biosynthesis

In the Aspergillus species, conidia are asexual spores that are infectious particles responsible for propagation. Conidia contain various mycotoxins that can have detrimental effects in humans. Previous study demonstrated that VadA is required for fungal development and spore viability in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. In the present study, vadA transcriptomic analysis revealed that VadA affects the mRNA expression of a variety of genes in A. nidulans conidia. The genes that were primarily affected in conidia were associated with trehalose biosynthesis, cell-wall integrity, stress response, and secondary metabolism. Genetic changes caused by deletion of vadA were related to phenotypes of the vadA deletion mutant conidia. The deletion of vadA resulted in increased conidial sensitivity against ultraviolet stress and induced germ tube formation in the presence and absence of glucose. In addition, most genes in the secondary metabolism gene clusters of sterigmatocystin, asperfuranone, monodictyphenone, and asperthecin were upregulated in the mutant conidia with vadA deletion. The deletion of vadA led to an increase in the amount of sterigmatocystin in the conidia, suggesting that VadA is essential for the repression of sterigmatocystin production in conidia. These results suggest that VadA coordinates conidia maturation, stress response, and secondary metabolism in A. nidulans conidia.

scholarly journals Epigenetic Regulation of ABA-Induced Transcriptional Responses in Maize

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1727-1743
Author(s):  
Stefania Vendramin ◽  
Ji Huang ◽  
Peter A. Crisp ◽  
Thelma F. Madzima ◽  
Karen M. McGinnis
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Pairwise Comparisons ◽  
Stress Signaling ◽  
Regulatory Pathway ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Exogenous Aba ◽  
Transcriptional Changes ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Induced Changes

Plants are subjected to extreme environmental conditions and must adapt rapidly. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates during abiotic stress, signaling transcriptional changes that trigger physiological responses. Epigenetic modifications often facilitate transcription, particularly at genes exhibiting temporal, tissue-specific and environmentally-induced expression. In maize (Zea mays), MEDIATOR OF PARAMUTATION 1 (MOP1) is required for progression of an RNA-dependent epigenetic pathway that regulates transcriptional silencing of loci genomewide. MOP1 function has been previously correlated with genomic regions adjoining particular types of transposable elements and genic regions, suggesting that this regulatory pathway functions to maintain distinct transcriptional activities within genomic spaces, and that loss of MOP1 may modify the responsiveness of some loci to other regulatory pathways. As critical regulators of gene expression, MOP1 and ABA pathways each regulate specific genes. To determine whether loss of MOP1 impacts ABA-responsive gene expression in maize, mop1-1 and Mop1 homozygous seedlings were subjected to exogenous ABA and RNA-sequencing. A total of 3,242 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in four pairwise comparisons. Overall, ABA-induced changes in gene expression were enhanced in mop1-1 homozygous plants. The highest number of DEGs were identified in ABA-induced mop1-1 mutants, including many transcription factors; this suggests combinatorial regulatory scenarios including direct and indirect transcriptional responses to genetic disruption (mop1-1) and/or stimulus-induction of a hierarchical, cascading network of responsive genes. Additionally, a modest increase in CHH methylation at putative MOP1-RdDM loci in response to ABA was observed in some genotypes, suggesting that epigenetic variation might influence environmentally-induced transcriptional responses in maize.

scholarly journals Divergent Targets of Candida albicans Biofilm Regulator Bcr1In VitroandIn Vivo

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 896-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saranna Fanning ◽  
Wenjie Xu ◽  
Norma Solis ◽  
Carol A. Woolford ◽  
Scott G. Filler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Gene Expression Measurement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Genes

ABSTRACTCandida albicansis a causative agent of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), a biofilm-like infection of the oral mucosa. Biofilm formation depends upon theC. albicanstranscription factor Bcr1, and previous studies indicate that Bcr1 is required for OPC in a mouse model of infection. Here we have used a nanoString gene expression measurement platform to elucidate the role of Bcr1 in OPC-related gene expression. We chose for assays a panel of 134 genes that represent a range of morphogenetic and cell cycle functions as well as environmental and stress response pathways. We assayed gene expression in whole infected tongue samples. The results sketch a portrait ofC. albicansgene expression in which numerous stress response pathways are activated during OPC. This one set of experiments identifies 64 new genes with significantly altered RNA levels during OPC, thus increasing substantially the number of known genes in this expression class. Thebcr1Δ/Δ mutant had a much more limited gene expression defect during OPC infection than previously reported forin vitrogrowth conditions. Among major functional Bcr1 targets, we observed thatALS3was Bcr1 dependentin vivowhileHWP1was not. We used null mutants and complemented strains to verify that Bcr1 and Hwp1 are required for OPC infection in this model. The role of Als3 is transient and mild, though significant. Our findings suggest that the versatility ofC. albicansas a pathogen may reflect its ability to persist in the face of multiple stresses and underscore that transcriptional circuitry during infection may be distinct from that detailed duringin vitrogrowth.

scholarly journals Aspergillus nidulans Ambient pH Signaling Does Not Require Endocytosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lucena-Agell ◽  
Antonio Galindo ◽  
Herbert N. Arst ◽  
Miguel A. Peñalva
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Hyphal Growth ◽  
Proteolytic Processing ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Incomplete Block ◽  
Alkaline Ph ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Aspergillus nidulans (Pal) ambient pH signaling takes place in cortical structures containing components of the ESCRT pathway, which are hijacked by the alkaline pH-activated, ubiquitin-modified version of the arrestin-like protein PalF and taken to the plasma membrane. There, ESCRTs scaffold the assembly of dedicated Pal proteins acting downstream. The molecular details of this pathway, which results in the two-step proteolytic processing of the transcription factor PacC, have received considerable attention due to the key role that it plays in fungal pathogenicity. While current evidence strongly indicates that the pH signaling role of ESCRT complexes is limited to plasma membrane-associated structures where PacC proteolysis would take place, the localization of the PalB protease, which almost certainly catalyzes the first and only pH-regulated proteolytic step, had not been investigated. In view of ESCRT participation, this formally leaves open the possibility that PalB activation requires endocytic internalization. As endocytosis is essential for hyphal growth, nonlethal endocytic mutations are predicted to cause an incomplete block. We used a SynA internalization assay to measure the extent to which any given mutation prevents endocytosis. We show that none of the tested mutations impairing endocytosis to different degrees, including slaB1 , conditionally causing a complete block, have any effect on the activation of the pathway. We further show that PalB, like PalA and PalC, localizes to cortical structures in an alkaline pH-dependent manner. Therefore, signaling through the Pal pathway does not involve endocytosis.

Role of the exosporial membrane in attachment and germination of C. sporogenes

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 38-39
Author(s):  
B.J. Panessa-Warren ◽  
G.T. Tortora ◽  
J.B. Warren
Keyword(s):  
Enzymatic Degradation ◽  
Light Transmission ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Clostridium Sporogenes ◽  
Radiation Chemical ◽  
Physical Trauma ◽  
Extended Contact ◽  
Cold Pressure

Some bacteria are capable of forming highly resistant spores when environmental conditions are not adequate for growth. Depending on the genus and species of the bacterium, these endospores are resistant in varying degrees to heat, cold, pressure, enzymatic degradation, ionizing radiation, chemical sterilants,physical trauma and organic solvents. The genus Clostridium, responsible for botulism poisoning, tetanus, gas gangrene and diarrhea in man, produces endospores which are highly resistant. Although some sporocides can kill Clostridial spores, the spores require extended contact with a sporocidal agent to achieve spore death. In most clinical situations, this extended period of treatment is not possible nor practical. This investigation examines Clostridium sporogenes endospores by light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy under various dormant and growth conditions, cataloging each stage in the germination and outgrowth process, and analyzing the role played by the exosporial membrane in the attachment and germination of the spore.

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