scholarly journals Hyperactive TORC1 sensitizes yeast cells to endoplasmic reticulum stress by compromising cell wall integrity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadija Ahmed ◽  
David E. Carter ◽  
Patrick Lajoie
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Stress Sensitivity ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity ◽  
Yeast Cells

ABSTRACTThe disruption of protein folding homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) results in an accumulation of toxic misfolded proteins and activates a network of signaling events collectively known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). While UPR activation upon ER stress is well characterized, how other signaling pathways integrate into the ER proteostasis network is unclear. Here, we sought to investigate how the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) signaling cascade acts in parallel with the UPR to regulate ER stress sensitivity. Using S. cerevisiae, we found that TORC1 signaling is attenuated during ER stress and constitutive activation of TORC1 increases sensitivity to ER stressors such as tunicamycin and inositol deprivation. This phenotype is independent of the UPR. Transcriptome analysis revealed that TORC1 hyperactivation results in cell wall remodelling. Conversely, hyperactive TORC1 sensitizes cells to cell wall stressors, including the antifungal caspofungin. Elucidating the crosstalk between the UPR, cell wall integrity, and TORC1 signaling may uncover new paradigms through which the response to protein misfolding is regulated, and thus have crucial implications for the development of novel therapeutics against pathogenic fungal infections.IMPORTANCEThe prevalence of pathogenic fungal infections, coupled with the emergence of new fungal pathogens, has brought these diseases to the forefront of global health problems. While antifungal treatments have advanced over the last decade, patient outcomes have not substantially improved. These shortcomings are largely attributed to the evolutionary similarity between fungi and humans, which limits the scope of drug development. As such, there is a pressing need to understand the unique cellular mechanisms that govern fungal viability. Given that Saccharomyces cerevisiae is evolutionarily related to a number of pathogenic fungi, and in particular to the Candida species, most genes from S. cerevisiae are highly conserved in pathogenic fungal strains. Here we show that hyperactivation of TORC1 signaling sensitizes S. cerevisiae cells to both endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell wall stressors by compromising cell wall integrity. Therefore, targeting TORC1 signaling and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways may be useful in developing novel targets for antifungal drugs.

The Regulatory Function of the Molecular Chaperone Hsp90 in the Cell Wall Integrity of Pathogenic Fungi

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53
Author(s):  
Marina Campos Rocha ◽  
Camilla Alves Santos ◽  
Iran Malavazi
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Antifungal Therapy ◽  
Molecular Chaperone ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity ◽  
Regulatory Function ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Hsp90 Inhibition

Different signaling cascades including the Cell Wall Integrity (CWI), the High Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) and the Ca2+/calcineurin pathways control the cell wall biosynthesis and remodeling in fungi. Pathogenic fungi, such as Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans, greatly rely on these signaling circuits to cope with different sources of stress, including the cell wall stress evoked by antifungal drugs and the host’s response during infection. Hsp90 has been proposed as an important regulatory protein and an attractive target for antifungal therapy since it stabilizes major effector proteins that act in the CWI, HOG and Ca2+/calcineurin pathways. Data from the human pathogen C. albicans have provided solid evidence that loss-of-function of Hsp90 impairs the evolution of resistance to azoles and echinocandin drugs. In A. fumigatus, Hsp90 is also required for cell wall integrity maintenance, reinforcing a coordinated function of the CWI pathway and this essential molecular chaperone. In this review, we focus on the current information about how Hsp90 impacts the aforementioned signaling pathways and consequently the homeostasis and maintenance of the cell wall, highlighting this cellular event as a key mechanism underlying antifungal therapy based on Hsp90 inhibition.

scholarly journals Cantharidin alters GPI-anchored protein sorting by targeting Cdc1 mediated remodeling in Endoplasmic Reticulum

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pushpendra Kumar Sahu ◽  
Raghuvir Singh Tomar
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Genetic Interaction ◽  
Protein Sorting ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Growth Media ◽  
Gpi Anchor ◽  
Associated Functions

ABSTRACTCantharidin (CTD) is a potent anticancer small molecule produced by several species of blister beetle. It has been a traditional medicine for the treatment of warts and tumors for many decades. CTD suppresses the tumor growth by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage. It is a known inhibitor of PP2A and PP1. In this study, we identified new molecular targets of CTD usingSaccharomyces cerevisiaeas a model organism which expresses a Cantharidin Resistance Gene (CRG1).CRG1encodes a SAM-dependent methyltransferase that inactivates CTD by methylation. CTD alters lipid homeostasis, cell wall integrity, endocytosis, adhesion, and invasion in yeast cells. We found that CTD specifically affects the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) associated functions which can be rescued by supplementation of ethanolamine (ETA) in the growth media. CTD also perturbed ER homeostasis and cell wall integrity by altering the GPI-anchored protein sorting. The CTD dependent genetic interaction profile ofCRG1revealed that Cdc1 activity in GPI-anchor remodeling is the key target of CTD, which we found to be independent of PP2A and PP1. Furthermore, our experiments with human cells suggest that CTD functions through a conserved mechanism in higher eukaryotes as well. Altogether, we conclude that CTD induces cytotoxicity by targeting Cdc1 activity in GPI-anchor remodeling in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

Overview of the Interplay Between Cell Wall Integrity Signaling Pathways and Membrane Lipid Biosynthesis in Fungi: Perspectives forAspergillus fumigatus

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Henrique T.M. Fabri ◽  
Marina C. Rocha ◽  
Iran Malavazi
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity ◽  
Immune Recognition ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Low Efficiency

:The cell wall (CW) and plasma membrane are fundamental structures that define cell shape and support different cellular functions. In pathogenic fungi, such as Aspegillus fumigatus, they not only play structural roles but are also important for virulence and immune recognition. Both the CW and the plasma membrane remain as attractive drug targets to treat fungal infections, such as the Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (IPA), a disease associated with high morbimortality in immunocompromised individuals. The low efficiency of echinocandins that target the fungal CW biosynthesis, the occurrence of environmental isolates resistant to azoles such as voriconazole and the known drawbacks associated with amphotericin toxicity foster the urgent need for fungal-specific drugable targets and/or more efficient combinatorial therapeutic strategies. Reverse genetic approaches in fungi unveil that perturbations of the CW also render cells with increased susceptibility to membrane disrupting agents and vice-versa. However, how the fungal cells simultaneously cope with perturbation in CW polysaccharides and cell membrane proteins to allow morphogenesis is scarcely known. Here, we focus on current information on how the main signaling pathways that maintain fungal cell wall integrity, such as the Cell Wall Integrity and the High Osmolarity Glycerol pathways, in different species often cross-talk to regulate the synthesis of molecules that comprise the plasma membrane, especially sphingolipids, ergosterol and phospholipids to promote functioning of both structures concomitantly and thus, cell viability. We propose that the conclusions drawn from other organisms are the foundations to point out experimental lines that can be endeavored in A. fumigatus.

scholarly journals Crosstalk between calcineurin and the cell wall integrity pathways prevents chitin overexpression in Candida albicans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra da Silva Dantas ◽  
Filomena Nogueira ◽  
Keunsook K. Lee ◽  
Louise A. Walker ◽  
Matt Edmondson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Outer Cell ◽  
Chitin Synthesis ◽  
Simultaneous Activation ◽  
Glucan Synthesis ◽  
Calcineurin Pathway

Echinocandins such as caspofungin are front line antifungal drugs that compromise β-1,3 glucan synthesis in the cell wall. Recent reports have shown that fungal cells can resist killing by caspofungin by up-regulation of chitin synthesis, thereby sustaining cell wall integrity. When echinocandins are removed, the chitin content of cells quickly returns to basal levels, suggesting that there is a fitness cost associated with having elevated levels of chitin in the cell wall. We show here that simultaneous activation of the calcineurin and CWI pathways generates a sub-population of Candida albicans yeast cells that have supra-normal chitin levels interspersed throughout the inner and outer cell wall, and that these cells are non-viable, perhaps due to loss of wall elasticity required for cell expansion and growth. Mutations in the Ca2+-calcineurin pathway prevented the formation of these non-viable super high chitin cells by negatively regulating chitin synthesis driven by the CWI pathway. The Ca2+-calcineurin pathway may therefore act as an attenuator that prevents the overproduction of chitin by coordinating both chitin upregulation and negative regulation of the CWI signaling pathway.

scholarly journals Endoplasmic Reticulum α-Glycosidases of Candida albicans Are Required for N Glycosylation, Cell Wall Integrity, and Normal Host-Fungus Interaction

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 2184-2193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor M. Mora-Montes ◽  
Steven Bates ◽  
Mihai G. Netea ◽  
Diana F. Díaz-Jiménez ◽  
Everardo López-Romero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Chain Elongation ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity Pathway ◽  
Oligosaccharide Processing ◽  
Host Fungus

ABSTRACT The cell surface of Candida albicans is enriched in highly glycosylated mannoproteins that are involved in the interaction with the host tissues. N glycosylation is a posttranslational modification that is initiated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where the Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 N-glycan is processed by α-glucosidases I and II and α1,2-mannosidase to generate Man8GlcNAc2. This N-oligosaccharide is then elaborated in the Golgi to form N-glycans with highly branched outer chains rich in mannose. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, CWH41, ROT2, and MNS1 encode for α-glucosidase I, α-glucosidase II catalytic subunit, and α1,2-mannosidase, respectively. We disrupted the C. albicans CWH41, ROT2, and MNS1 homologs to determine the importance of N-oligosaccharide processing on the N-glycan outer-chain elongation and the host-fungus interaction. Yeast cells of Cacwh41Δ, Carot2Δ, and Camns1Δ null mutants tended to aggregate, displayed reduced growth rates, had a lower content of cell wall phosphomannan and other changes in cell wall composition, underglycosylated β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, and had a constitutively activated PKC-Mkc1 cell wall integrity pathway. They were also attenuated in virulence in a murine model of systemic infection and stimulated an altered pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine profile from human monocytes. Therefore, N-oligosaccharide processing by ER glycosidases is required for cell wall integrity and for host-fungus interactions.

scholarly journals Aspergillus fumigatus Trehalose-Regulatory Subunit Homolog Moonlights To Mediate Cell Wall Homeostasis through Modulation of Chitin Synthase Activity

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsa Thammahong ◽  
Alayna K. Caffrey-Card ◽  
Sourabh Dhingra ◽  
Joshua J. Obar ◽  
Robert A. Cramer
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Chitin Synthase ◽  
Wall Structure ◽  
Biosynthesis Pathway ◽  
Trehalose Biosynthesis

ABSTRACT Trehalose biosynthesis is found in fungi but not humans. Proteins involved in trehalose biosynthesis are essential for fungal pathogen virulence in humans and plants through multiple mechanisms. Loss of canonical trehalose biosynthesis genes in the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus significantly alters cell wall structure and integrity, though the mechanistic link between these virulence-associated pathways remains enigmatic. Here we characterize genes, called tslA and tslB, which encode proteins that contain domains similar to those corresponding to trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase but lack critical catalytic residues for phosphatase activity. Loss of tslA reduces trehalose content in both conidia and mycelia, impairs cell wall integrity, and significantly alters cell wall structure. To gain mechanistic insights into the role that TslA plays in cell wall homeostasis, immunoprecipitation assays coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to reveal a direct interaction between TslA and CsmA, a type V chitin synthase enzyme. TslA regulates not only chitin synthase activity but also CsmA sub-cellular localization. Loss of TslA impacts the immunopathogenesis of murine invasive pulmonary aspergillosis through altering cytokine production and immune cell recruitment. In conclusion, our data provide a novel model whereby proteins in the trehalose pathway play a direct role in fungal cell wall homeostasis and consequently impact fungus-host interactions. IMPORTANCE Human fungal infections are increasing globally due to HIV infections and increased use of immunosuppressive therapies for many diseases. Therefore, new antifungal drugs with reduced side effects and increased efficacy are needed to improve treatment outcomes. Trehalose biosynthesis exists in pathogenic fungi and is absent in humans. Components of the trehalose biosynthesis pathway are important for the virulence of human-pathogenic fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus. Consequently, it has been proposed that components of this pathway are potential targets for antifungal drug development. However, how trehalose biosynthesis influences the fungus-host interaction remains enigmatic. One phenotype associated with fungal trehalose biosynthesis mutants that remains enigmatic is cell wall perturbation. Here we discovered a novel moonlighting role for a regulatory-like subunit of the trehalose biosynthesis pathway in A. fumigatus that regulates cell wall homeostasis through modulation of chitin synthase localization and activity. As the cell wall is a current and promising therapeutic target for fungal infections, understanding the role of trehalose biosynthesis in cell wall homeostasis and virulence is expected to help define new therapeutic opportunities. IMPORTANCE Human fungal infections are increasing globally due to HIV infections and increased use of immunosuppressive therapies for many diseases. Therefore, new antifungal drugs with reduced side effects and increased efficacy are needed to improve treatment outcomes. Trehalose biosynthesis exists in pathogenic fungi and is absent in humans. Components of the trehalose biosynthesis pathway are important for the virulence of human-pathogenic fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus. Consequently, it has been proposed that components of this pathway are potential targets for antifungal drug development. However, how trehalose biosynthesis influences the fungus-host interaction remains enigmatic. One phenotype associated with fungal trehalose biosynthesis mutants that remains enigmatic is cell wall perturbation. Here we discovered a novel moonlighting role for a regulatory-like subunit of the trehalose biosynthesis pathway in A. fumigatus that regulates cell wall homeostasis through modulation of chitin synthase localization and activity. As the cell wall is a current and promising therapeutic target for fungal infections, understanding the role of trehalose biosynthesis in cell wall homeostasis and virulence is expected to help define new therapeutic opportunities.

Testicular Injury Attenuated by Rapamycin Through Induction of Autophagy and Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Streptozotocin- Induced Diabetic Rats

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 665-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjiao Shi ◽  
Zhixin Guo ◽  
Ruixia Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
B Cell Lymphoma ◽  
Diabetic Rats ◽  
Pathological Changes ◽  
Rapamycin Treatment ◽  
Related Proteins

Background and Objective: This study investigated whether rapamycin has a protective effect on the testis of diabetic rats by regulating autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and oxidative stress. Methods: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, diabetic, and diabetic treated with rapamycin, which received gavage of rapamycin (2mg.kg-1.d-1) after induction of diabetes. Diabetic rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 65mg.Kg-1). All rats were sacrificed at the termination after 8 weeks of rapamycin treatment. The testicular pathological changes were determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The protein or mRNA expression of autophagy-related proteins (Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), p62), ER stress marked proteins (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP), caspase-12), oxidative stress-related proteins (p22phox, nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)) and apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)) were assayed by western blot or real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results: There were significant pathological changes in the testes of diabetic rats. The expression of Beclin1, LC3, Nrf2, Bcl-2 were significantly decreased and p62, CHOP, caspase12, p22phox, and Bax were notably increased in the testis of diabetic rats (P <0.05). However, rapamycin treatment for 8 weeks significantly reversed the above changes in the testis of diabetic rats (P <0.05). Conclusion: Rapamycin appears to produce a protective effect on the testes of diabetic rats by inducing the expression of autophagy and inhibiting the expression of ER-stress, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

scholarly journals Different Expression of Mitochondrial and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Genes in Epicardial Adipose Tissue Depends on Coronary Atherosclerosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4538
Author(s):  
Helena Kratochvílová ◽  
Miloš Mráz ◽  
Barbora J. Kasperová ◽  
Daniel Hlaváček ◽  
Jakub Mahrík ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Cardiac Surgery ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Coronary Atherosclerosis ◽  
Stress Genes ◽  
Valvular Surgery

The aim of our study was to analyze mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) gene expression profiles in subcutaneous (SAT) and epicardial (EAT) adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and myocardium in patients with and without CAD undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Thirty-eight patients, 27 with (CAD group) and 11 without CAD (noCAD group), undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and/or valvular surgery were included in the study. EAT, SAT, intercostal skeletal muscle, and right atrium tissue and blood samples were collected at the start and end of surgery; mRNA expression of selected mitochondrial and ER stress genes was assessed using qRT-PCR. The presence of CAD was associated with decreased mRNA expression of most of the investigated mitochondrial respiratory chain genes in EAT, while no such changes were seen in SAT or other tissues. In contrast, the expression of ER stress genes did not differ between the CAD and noCAD groups in almost any tissue. Cardiac surgery further augmented mitochondrial dysfunction in EAT. In our study, CAD was associated with decreased expression of mitochondrial, but not endoplasmic reticulum stress genes in EAT. These changes may contribute to the acceleration of coronary atherosclerosis.

scholarly journals RHBDL4 protects against endoplasmic reticulum stress by regulating the morphology and distribution of ER sheets

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viorica Liebe Lastun ◽  
Matthew Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Liver Steatosis ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Rhomboid Protease ◽  
Rapid Changes

In metazoans, the architecture of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) differs between cell types, and undergoes major changes through the cell cycle and according to physiological needs. Although much is known about how the different ER morphologies are generated and maintained, especially the ER tubules, how context dependent changes in ER shape and distribution are regulated and the factors involved are less characterized. Here, we show that RHBDL4, an ER-resident rhomboid protease, modulates the shape and distribution of the ER, especially under conditions that require rapid changes in the ER sheet distribution, including ER stress. RHBDL4 interacts with CLIMP-63, a protein involved in ER sheet stabilisation, and with the cytoskeleton. Mice lacking RHBDL4 are sensitive to ER stress and develop liver steatosis, a phenotype associated with unresolved ER stress. Our data introduce a new physiological role of RHBDL4 and also imply that this function does not require its enzymatic activity.

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