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A novel regulator couples sporogenesis and trehalose biogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans.

ABSTRACT: Trehalose is a compatible osmolyte produced by bacteria, fungi, insects and plants to protect the integrity of cells against various environmental stresses. Spores, the reproductive, survival and infection bodies of fungi require high amounts of trehalose for long-term survival. Here, via a gain-of-function genetic screen, we identify the novel regulator VosA that couples the formation of spores and focal trehalose biogenesis in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The vosA gene is expressed specifically during the formation of both sexual and asexual spores (conidia). Levels of vosA mRNA and protein are high in both types of spore. The deletion of vosA results in the lack of trehalose in spores, a rapid loss of the cytoplasm, organelles and viability of spores, and a dramatic reduction in tolerance of conidia to heat and oxidative stress. Moreover, the absence of vosA causes uncontrolled activation of asexual development, whereas the enhanced expression of vosA blocks sporulation, suggesting that VosA also functions in negative-feedback regulation of sporogenesis. VosA localizes in the nucleus of mature conidia and its C-terminal region contains a potential transcription activation domain, indicating that it may function as a transcription factor primarily controlling the late process of sporulation including trehalose biogenesis. VosA is conserved in most fungi and may define a new fungus-specific transcription factor family.

SUBMITTER: Ni M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1978537 | biostudies-literature | 2007

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A novel regulator couples sporogenesis and trehalose biogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans.

Ni Min M Yu Jae-Hyuk JH

PloS one 20071003 10

Trehalose is a compatible osmolyte produced by bacteria, fungi, insects and plants to protect the integrity of cells against various environmental stresses. Spores, the reproductive, survival and infection bodies of fungi require high amounts of trehalose for long-term survival. Here, via a gain-of-function genetic screen, we identify the novel regulator VosA that couples the formation of spores and focal trehalose biogenesis in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The vosA gene is expressed s ...[more]

PMID: 17912349

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Project description:An outstanding feature of filamentous fungi is their ability to produce a wide variety of small bioactive molecules that contribute to their survival, fitness, and pathogenicity. The vast collection of these so-called secondary metabolites (SMs) includes molecules that play a role in virulence, protect fungi from environmental damage, act as toxins or antibiotics that harm host tissues, or hinder microbial competitors for food sources. Many of these compounds are used in medical treatment; however, biosynthetic genes for the production of these natural products are arranged in compact clusters that are commonly silent under growth conditions routinely used in laboratories. Consequently, a wide arsenal of yet unknown fungal metabolites is waiting to be discovered. Here, we describe the effects of deletion of hosA, one of four classical histone deacetylase (HDAC) genes in Aspergillus nidulans; we show that HosA acts as a major regulator of SMs in Aspergillus with converse regulatory effects depending on the metabolite gene cluster examined. Co-inhibition of all classical enzymes by the pan HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A and the analysis of HDAC double mutants indicate that HosA is able to override known regulatory effects of other HDACs such as the class 2 type enzyme HdaA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed a direct correlation between hosA deletion, the acetylation status of H4 and the regulation of SM cluster genes, whereas H3 hyper-acetylation could not be detected in all the upregulated SM clusters examined. Our data suggest that HosA has inductive effects on SM production in addition to its classical role as a repressor via deacetylation of histones. Moreover, a genome wide transcriptome analysis revealed that in addition to SMs, expression of several other important protein categories such as enzymes of the carbohydrate metabolism or proteins involved in disease, virulence, and defense are significantly affected by the deletion of HosA.

Dataset Information

A novel regulator couples sporogenesis and trehalose biogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans.

Publications

A novel regulator couples sporogenesis and trehalose biogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans.

Similar Datasets

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