scholarly journals The fungal RABOME: RAB GTPases acting in the endocytic and exocytic pathways of Aspergillus nidulans (with excursions to other filamentous fungi)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Pinar ◽  
Miguel A. Peñalva
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Rab Gtpases

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.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Caspofungin against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus nidulans

2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 4202-4205 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Bowman ◽  
G. K. Abruzzo ◽  
A. M. Flattery ◽  
C. J. Gill ◽  
E. J. Hickey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Aspergillus Flavus ◽  
Aspergillus Terreus ◽  
Potent Inhibitor ◽  
Murine Models ◽  
Glucan Synthase ◽  
Fungal Burden

ABSTRACT The echinocandin caspofungin is a potent inhibitor of the activity of 1,3-β-d-glucan synthase from Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus nidulans. In murine models of disseminated infection, caspofungin prolonged survival and reduced the kidney fungal burden. Caspofungin was at least as effective as amphotericin B against these filamentous fungi in vivo.

scholarly journals Aspergillus nidulans ArfB Plays a Role in Endocytosis and Polarized Growth

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 1278-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soo Chan Lee ◽  
Sabrina N. Schmidtke ◽  
Lawrence J. Dangott ◽  
Brian D. Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Hyphal Growth ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Polarized Growth ◽  
Sequence Alignments ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT Filamentous fungi undergo polarized growth throughout most of their life cycles. The Spitzenkörper is an apical organelle composed primarily of vesicles that is unique to filamentous fungi and is likely to act as a vesicle supply center for tip growth. Vesicle assembly and trafficking are therefore important for hyphal growth. ADP ribosylation factors (Arfs), a group of small GTPase proteins, play an important role in nucleating vesicle assembly. Little is known about the role of Arfs in filamentous hyphal growth. We found that Aspergillus nidulans is predicted to encode six Arf family proteins. Analysis of protein sequence alignments suggests that A. nidulans ArfB shares similarity with ARF6 of Homo sapiens and Arf3p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An arfB null allele (arfB disrupted by a transposon [arfB::Tn]) was characterized by extended isotropic growth of germinating conidia followed by cell lysis or multiple, random germ tube emergence, consistent with a failure to establish polarity. The mutant germ tubes and hyphae that do form initially meander abnormally off of the axis of polarity and frequently exhibit dichotomous branching at cell apices, consistent with a defect in polarity maintenance. FM4-64 staining of the arfB::Tn strain revealed that another phenotypic characteristic seen for arfB::Tn is a reduction and delay in endocytosis. ArfB is myristoylated at its N terminus. Green fluorescent protein-tagged ArfB (ArfB::GFP) localizes to the plasma membrane and endomembranes and mutation (ArfBG2A::GFP) of the N-terminal myristoylation motif disperses the protein to the cytoplasm rather than to the membranes. These results demonstrate that ArfB functions in endocytosis to play important roles in polarity establishment during isotropic growth and polarity maintenance during hyphal extension.

Small heat shock proteins, phylogeny in filamentous fungi and expression analyses in Aspergillus nidulans

Gene ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 575 (2) ◽  
pp. 675-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianbing Wu ◽  
Mingshuang Wang ◽  
Liting Zhou ◽  
Dongliang Yu
Keyword(s):  
Heat Shock ◽  
Heat Shock Proteins ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Small Heat Shock Proteins ◽  
Shock Proteins

Heterologous gene expression by filamentous fungi: secretion of human interleukin-6 by Aspergillus nidulans

Gene ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Carrez ◽  
Wouter Janssens ◽  
Patrick Degrave ◽  
Cees A.M.J.J. van den Hondel ◽  
James R. Kinghorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Interleukin 6 ◽  
Heterologous Gene Expression ◽  
Heterologous Gene

scholarly journals Functional Analysis of Sterol Transporter Orthologues in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus nidulans

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 908-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Bühler ◽  
Daisuke Hagiwara ◽  
Norio Takeshita
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Gene Deletion ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fungal Growth ◽  
Hyphal Growth ◽  
Apical Plasma Membrane ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Polarized growth in filamentous fungi needs a continuous supply of proteins and lipids to the growing hyphal tip. One of the important membrane compounds in fungi is ergosterol. At the apical plasma membrane ergosterol accumulations, which are called sterol-rich plasma membrane domains (SRDs). The exact roles and formation mechanism of the SRDs remained unclear, although the importance has been recognized for hyphal growth. Transport of ergosterol to hyphal tips is thought to be important for the organization of the SRDs. Oxysterol binding proteins, which are conserved from yeast to human, are involved in nonvesicular sterol transport. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae seven oxysterol-binding protein homologues (OSH1 to -7) play a role in ergosterol distribution between closely located membranes independent of vesicle transport. We found five homologous genes ( oshA to oshE ) in the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans . The functions of OshA-E were characterized by gene deletion and subcellular localization. Each gene-deletion strain showed characteristic phenotypes and different sensitivities to ergosterol-associated drugs. Green fluorescent protein-tagged Osh proteins showed specific localization in the late Golgi compartments, puncta associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, or diffusely in the cytoplasm. The genes expression and regulation were investigated in a medically important species Aspergillus fumigatus , as well as A. nidulans . Our results suggest that each Osh protein plays a role in ergosterol distribution at distinct sites and contributes to proper fungal growth.

scholarly journals The Aspergillus nidulans Kinesin-3 UncA Motor Moves Vesicles along a Subpopulation of Microtubules

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 673-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Zekert ◽  
Reinhard Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Hyphal Growth ◽  
Cellular Transport ◽  
Mitotic Spindles ◽  
Cytoplasmic Microtubules ◽  
Conventional Kinesin ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Vesicle Movement

The extremely polarized growth form of filamentous fungi imposes a huge challenge on the cellular transport machinery, because proteins and lipids required for hyphal extension need to be continuously transported to the growing tip. Recently, it was shown that endocytosis is also important for hyphal growth. Here, we found that the Aspergillus nidulans kinesin-3 motor protein UncA transports vesicles and is required for fast hyphal extension. Most surprisingly, UncA-dependent vesicle movement occurred along a subpopulation of microtubules. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled UncArigor decorated a single microtubule, which remained intact during mitosis, whereas other cytoplasmic microtubules were depolymerized. Mitotic spindles were not labeled with GFP-UncArigor but reacted with a specific antibody against tyrosinated α-tubulin. Hence, UncA binds preferentially to detyrosinated microtubules. In contrast, kinesin-1 (conventional kinesin) and kinesin-7 (KipA) did not show a preference for certain microtubules. This is the first example for different microtubule subpopulations in filamentous fungi and the first example for the preference of a kinesin-3 motor for detyrosinated microtubules.

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