Moonlighting proteins as virulence factors of pathogenic fungi, parasitic protozoa and multicellular parasites

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 270-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Karkowska-Kuleta ◽  
A. Kozik
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Parasitic Protozoa ◽  
Moonlighting Proteins

scholarly journals Proteomics of Plant Pathogenic Fungi

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel González-Fernández ◽  
Elena Prats ◽  
Jesús V. Jorrín-Novo
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Disease Diagnosis ◽  
Plant Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Proteomics Analysis ◽  
Protection Strategies ◽  
Crop Disease ◽  
Opening Up

Plant pathogenic fungi cause important yield losses in crops. In order to develop efficient and environmental friendly crop protection strategies, molecular studies of the fungal biological cycle, virulence factors, and interaction with its host are necessary. For that reason, several approaches have been performed using both classical genetic, cell biology, and biochemistry and the modern, holistic, and high-throughput, omic techniques. This work briefly overviews the tools available for studying Plant Pathogenic Fungi and is amply focused on MS-based Proteomics analysis, based on original papers published up to December 2009. At a methodological level, different steps in a proteomic workflow experiment are discussed. Separate sections are devoted to fungal descriptive (intracellular, subcellular, extracellular) and differential expression proteomics and interactomics. From the work published we can conclude that Proteomics, in combination with other techniques, constitutes a powerful tool for providing important information about pathogenicity and virulence factors, thus opening up new possibilities for crop disease diagnosis and crop protection.

scholarly journals Protein moonlighting in parasitic protists

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1734-1739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Ginger
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Evolutionary Divergence ◽  
Reductive Evolution ◽  
Niche Adaptation ◽  
Moonlighting Proteins ◽  
Parasite Biology

Reductive evolution during the adaptation to obligate parasitism and expansions of gene families encoding virulence factors are characteristics evident to greater or lesser degrees in all parasitic protists studied to date. Large evolutionary distances separate many parasitic protists from the yeast and animal models upon which classic views of eukaryotic biochemistry are often based. Thus a combination of evolutionary divergence, niche adaptation and reductive evolution means the biochemistry of parasitic protists is often very different from their hosts and to other eukaryotes generally, making parasites intriguing subjects for those interested in the phenomenon of moonlighting proteins. In common with other organisms, the contribution of protein moonlighting to parasite biology is only just emerging, and it is not without controversy. Here, an overview of recently identified moonlighting proteins in parasitic protists is provided, together with discussion of some of the controversies.

scholarly journals Caenorhabditis elegans as an Infection Model for Pathogenic Mold and Dimorphic Fungi: Applications and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuemeka Samson Ahamefule ◽  
Blessing C. Ezeuduji ◽  
James C. Ogbonna ◽  
Anene N. Moneke ◽  
Anthony C. Ike ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Dimorphic Fungi ◽  
C Elegans

The threat burden from pathogenic fungi is universal and increasing with alarming high mortality and morbidity rates from invasive fungal infections. Understanding the virulence factors of these fungi, screening effective antifungal agents and exploring appropriate treatment approaches in in vivo modeling organisms are vital research projects for controlling mycoses. Caenorhabditis elegans has been proven to be a valuable tool in studies of most clinically relevant dimorphic fungi, helping to identify a number of virulence factors and immune-regulators and screen effective antifungal agents without cytotoxic effects. However, little has been achieved and reported with regard to pathogenic filamentous fungi (molds) in the nematode model. In this review, we have summarized the enormous breakthrough of applying a C. elegans infection model for dimorphic fungi studies and the very few reports for filamentous fungi. We have also identified and discussed the challenges in C. elegans-mold modeling applications as well as the possible approaches to conquer these challenges from our practical knowledge in C. elegans-Aspergillus fumigatus model.

scholarly journals Deciphering the Dynamics of Signaling Cascades and Virulence Factors of B. cinerea during Tomato Cell Wall Degradation

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1837
Author(s):  
Almudena Escobar-Niño ◽  
Inés M. Morano Bermejo ◽  
Rafael Carrasco Reinado ◽  
Francisco Javier Fernandez-Acero
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Plant Defenses ◽  
Therapeutic Targets ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Toxin Production ◽  
Infection Process ◽  
Membrane Receptors ◽  
Phenotypic Characterization ◽  
Go Annotation

The ascomycete Botrytis cinerea is one of the most relevant plant pathogenic fungi, affecting fruits, flowers, and greenhouse-grown crops. The infection strategy used by the fungus comprises a magnificent set of tools to penetrate and overcome plant defenses. In this context, the plant-pathogen communication through membrane receptors and signal transduction cascades is essential to trigger specific routes and the final success of the infection. In previous reports, proteomics approaches to B. cinerea signal transduction cascades changes in response to different carbon source and plant-based elicitors have been performed. Analyzing the secretome, membranome, phosphoproteome, and the phosphomembranome. Moreover, phenotypic changes in fungal biology was analyzed, specifically toxin production. To obtain the whole picture of the process and reveal the network from a system biology approach, this proteomic information has been merged with the phenotypic characterization, to be analyzed using several bioinformatics algorithms (GO, STRING, MCODE) in order to unravel key points in the signal transduction regulation crucial to overcome plant defenses, as well as new virulence/pathogenicity factors that could be used as therapeutic targets in the control of the gray mold rot disease. A total of 1721 and 663 exclusive or overexpressed proteins were identified under glucose (GLU) and deproteinized tomato cell walls (TCW), summarizing all of the protein identifications under phenotypic characterized stages. Under GO analysis, there are more biological process and molecular functions described in GLU, highlighting the increase in signaling related categories. These results agree with the high number of total identified proteins in GLU, probably indicating a more varied and active metabolism of the fungus. When analyzing only GO annotations related with signal transduction, it was revealed that there were proteins related to TOR signaling, the phosphorelay signal transduction system, and inositol lipid-mediated signaling, only under GLU conditions. On the contrary, calcium-mediated signaling GO annotation is only present between the proteins identified under TCW conditions. To establish a potential relationship between expressed proteins, cluster analyses showed 41 and 14 clusters under GLU and TCW conditions, confirming an increase in biological activity in GLU, where we identified a larger number of clusters related to transcription, translation, and cell division, between others. From these analyses, clusters related to signal transduction and clusters related to mycotoxin production were found, which correlated with the phenotypic characterization. The identification of the proteins encompassed in each condition and signal transduction cascade would provide the research community with new information about the B. cinerea infection process and potential candidates of pathogenicity/virulence factors, overcoming plant defenses, and new therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Virulence Factors IN Fungi OF Systemic Mycoses

1998 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cilmery Suemi KUROKAWA ◽  
Maria Fátima SUGIZAKI ◽  
Maria Terezinha Serrão PERAÇOLI
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Histoplasma Capsulatum ◽  
Paracoccidioides Brasiliensis ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Infection Process ◽  
Coccidioides Immitis ◽  
Adverse Conditions ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Hostile Environments

Pathogenic fungi that cause systemic mycoses retain several factors which allow their growth in adverse conditions provided by the host, leading to the establishment of the parasitic relationship and contributing to disease development. These factors are known as virulence factors which favor the infection process and the pathogenesis of the mycoses. The present study evaluates the virulence factors of pathogenic fungi such as Blastomyces dermatitidis, Coccidioides immitis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Histoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in terms of thermotolerance, dimorphism, capsule or cell wall components as well as enzyme production. Virulence factors favor fungal adhesion, colonization, dissemination and the ability to survive in hostile environments and elude the immune response mechanisms of the host. Both the virulence factors presented by different fungi and the defense mechanisms provided by the host require action and interaction of complex processes whose knowledge allows a better understanding of the pathogenesis of systemic mycoses.

scholarly journals Virulence Genes and the Evolution of Host Specificity in Plant-Pathogenic Fungi

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1175-1182 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Charlotte van der Does ◽  
Martijn Rep
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Sequence Variation ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Arms Races ◽  
Genomic Location ◽  
Evolution Of Virulence ◽  
Fungal Kingdom

In the fungal kingdom, the ability to cause disease in plants appears to have arisen multiple times during evolution. In many cases, the ability to infect particular plant species depends on specific genes that distinguish virulent fungi from their sometimes closely related nonvirulent relatives. These genes encode host-determining “virulence factors,” including small, secreted proteins and enzymes involved in the synthesis of toxins. These virulence factors typically are involved in evolutionary arms races between plants and pathogens. We briefly summarize current knowledge of these virulence factors from several fungal species in terms of function, phylogenetic distribution, sequence variation, and genomic location. Second, we address some issues that are relevant to the evolution of virulence in fungi toward plants; in particular, horizontal gene transfer and the genomic organization of virulence genes.

scholarly journals Actin Is Required for Cellular Development and Virulence of Botrytis cinerea via the Mediation of Secretory Proteins

mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Li ◽  
Zhanquan Zhang ◽  
Guozheng Qin ◽  
Chang He ◽  
Boqiang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Botrytis Cinerea ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Proteomic Analysis ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Extracellular Proteins ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes ◽  
Vital Component

ABSTRACT Actin is a vital component of the cytoskeleton of living cells and is involved in several complex processes. However, its functions in plant-pathogenic fungi are largely unknown. In this paper, we found that deletion of the Botrytis cinerea actin gene bcactA reduced growth and sporulation of B. cinerea and lowered virulence. Based on iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification)-based proteomic analysis, we compared changes of the secretome in ΔbcactA and wild-type strains. A total of 40 proteins exhibited significant differences in abundance in ΔbcactA mutants compared with the wild type. These proteins included 11 down-accumulated cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs). Among them, two CWDEs, cellobiohydrolase (BcCBH) and β-endoglucanase (BcEG), were found to contribute to the virulence of B. cinerea, indicating that bcactA plays a crucial role in regulating the secretion of extracellular virulence factors. These findings unveil previously unknown functions of BcactA to mediate the virulence of B. cinerea and provide new mechanistic insights into the role of BcactA in the complex pathogenesis of B. cinerea. IMPORTANCE The cytoskeleton is an important network that exists in cells of all domains of life. In eukaryotic cells, actin is a vital component of the cytoskeleton. Here, we report that BcactA, an actin protein in B. cinerea, can affect the growth, sporulation, and virulence of B. cinerea. Furthermore, iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis showed that BcactA affects the abundance of 40 extracellular proteins, including 11 down-accumulated CWDEs. Among them, two CWDEs, cellobiohydrolase (BcCBH) and β-endoglucanase (BcEG), contributed to the virulence of B. cinerea, indicating that bcactA plays a crucial role in regulating extracellular virulence factors. These findings unveil previously unknown functions of BcactA in mediating growth, sporulation, and virulence of B. cinerea.

scholarly journals Clathrin Is Important for Virulence Factors Delivery in the Necrotrophic Fungus Botrytis cinerea

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eytham Souibgui ◽  
Christophe Bruel ◽  
Mathias Choquer ◽  
Amélie de Vallée ◽  
Cindy Dieryckx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Botrytis Cinerea ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Pathogenic Fungus ◽  
Hydrolytic Enzymes ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Intracellular Vesicles

Fungi are the most prevalent plant pathogens, causing annually important damages. To infect and colonize their hosts, they secrete effectors including hydrolytic enzymes able to kill and macerate plant tissues. These secreted proteins are transported from the Endoplasmic Reticulum and the Golgi apparatus to the extracellular space through intracellular vesicles. In pathogenic fungi, intracellular vesicles were described but their biogenesis and their role in virulence remain unclear. In this study, we report the essential role of clathrin heavy chain (CHC) in the pathogenicity of Botrytis cinerea, the agent of gray mold disease. To investigate the importance of this protein involved in coat vesicles formation in eukaryotic cells, a T-DNA insertional mutant reduced in the expression of the CHC-encoding gene, and a mutant expressing a dominant-negative form of CHC were studied. Both mutants were strongly affected in pathogenicity. Characterization of the mutants revealed altered infection cushions and an important defect in protein secretion. This study demonstrates the essential role of clathrin in the infectious process of a plant pathogenic fungus and more particularly its role in virulence factors delivery.

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