Dataset Information

Genomic clustering and co-regulation of transcriptional networks in the pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum.

ABSTRACT: Genes for the production of a broad range of fungal secondary metabolites are frequently colinear. The prevalence of such gene clusters was systematically examined across the genome of the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. The topological structure of transcriptional networks was also examined to investigate control mechanisms for mycotoxin biosynthesis and other processes.The genes associated with transcriptional processes were identified, and the genomic location of transcription-associated proteins (TAPs) analyzed in conjunction with the locations of genes exhibiting similar expression patterns. Highly conserved TAPs reside in regions of chromosomes with very low or no recombination, contrasting with putative regulator genes. Co-expression group profiles were used to define positionally clustered genes and a number of members of these clusters encode proteins participating in secondary metabolism. Gene expression profiles suggest there is an abundance of condition-specific transcriptional regulation. Analysis of the promoter regions of co-expressed genes showed enrichment for conserved DNA-sequence motifs. Potential global transcription factors recognising these motifs contain distinct sets of DNA-binding domains (DBDs) from those present in local regulators.Proteins associated with basal transcriptional functions are encoded by genes enriched in regions of the genome with low recombination. Systematic searches revealed dispersed and compact clusters of co-expressed genes, often containing a transcription factor, and typically containing genes involved in biosynthetic pathways. Transcriptional networks exhibit a layered structure in which the position in the hierarchy of a regulator is closely linked to the DBD structural class.

SUBMITTER: Lawler K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3703260 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genomic clustering and co-regulation of transcriptional networks in the pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum.

Lawler Katherine K Hammond-Kosack Kim K Brazma Alvis A Coulson Richard M R RM

BMC systems biology 20130627

<h4>Background</h4>Genes for the production of a broad range of fungal secondary metabolites are frequently colinear. The prevalence of such gene clusters was systematically examined across the genome of the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. The topological structure of transcriptional networks was also examined to investigate control mechanisms for mycotoxin biosynthesis and other processes.<h4>Results</h4>The genes associated with transcriptional processes were identified, and the genomic ...[more]

PMID: 23805903

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Project description:Lipases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of long-chain triglycerides, diglycerides, and monoglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol, participate in various biological pathways in fungi. In this study, we examined the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of fungal lipases via two approaches. First, we performed a systemic functional characterization of 86 putative lipase-encoding genes in the plant-pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. The phenotypes were assayed for vegetative growth, asexual and sexual reproduction, stress responses, pathogenicity, mycotoxin production, and lipase activity. Most mutants were normal in the assessed phenotypes, implying overlapping roles for lipases in F. graminearum. In particular, FgLip1 and Fgl1 were revealed as core extracellular lipases in F. graminearum. Second, we examined the lipase activity of previously constructed transcription factor (TF) mutants of F. graminearum and identified three TFs and one histone acetyltransferase that significantly affect lipase activity. The relative transcript levels of FgLIP1 and FGL1 were markedly reduced or enhanced in these TF mutants. Among them, Gzzc258 was identified as a key lipase regulator that is also involved in the induction of lipase activity during sexual reproduction. To our knowledge, this study is the first comprehensive functional analysis of fungal lipases and provides significant insights into the genetic and regulatory mechanisms underlying lipases in fungi. IMPORTANCE Fusarium graminearum is an economically important plant-pathogenic fungus that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) on wheat and barley. Here, we constructed a gene knockout mutant library of 86 putative lipase-encoding genes and established a comprehensive phenotypic database of the mutants. Among them, we found that FgLip1 and Fgl1 act as core extracellular lipases in this pathogen. Moreover, several putative transcription factors (TFs) that regulate the lipase activities in F. graminearum were identified. The disruption mutants of F. graminearum-lipase regulatory TFs all showed defects in sexual reproduction, which implies a strong relationship between sexual development and lipase activity in this fungus. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic mechanisms regulating lipase activity as well as its importance to the developmental stages of this plant-pathogenic fungus.

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Project description:BackgroundFusarium graminearum virus 1 strain-DK21 (FgV1-DK21) is a mycovirus that confers hypovirulence to F. graminearum, which is the primary phytopathogenic fungus that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in many cereals. Understanding the interaction between mycoviruses and plant pathogenic fungi is necessary for preventing damage caused by F. graminearum. Therefore, we investigated important cellular regulatory processes in a host containing FgV1-DK21 as compared to an uninfected parent using a transcriptional approach.ResultsUsing a 3'-tiling microarray covering all known F. graminearum genes, we carried out genome-wide expression analyses of F. graminearum at two different time points. At the early point of growth of an infected strain as compared to an uninfected strain, genes associated with protein synthesis, including ribosome assembly, nucleolus, and ribosomal RNA processing, were significantly up-regulated. In addition, genes required for transcription and signal transduction, including fungal-specific transcription factors and cAMP signaling, respectively, were actively up-regulated. In contrast, genes involved in various metabolic pathways, particularly in producing carboxylic acids, aromatic amino acids, nitrogen compounds, and polyamines, showed dramatic down-regulation at the early time point. Moreover, genes associated with transport systems localizing to transmembranes were down-regulated at both time points.ConclusionThis is the first report of global change in the prominent cellular pathways in the Fusarium host containing FgV1-DK21. The significant increase in transcripts for transcription and translation machinery in fungal host cells seems to be related to virus replication. In addition, significant down-regulation of genes required for metabolism and transporting systems in a fungal host containing the virus appears to be related to the host defense mechanism and fungal virulence. Taken together, our data aid in the understanding of how FgV1-DK21 regulates the transcriptional reprogramming of F. graminearum.

Dataset Information

Genomic clustering and co-regulation of transcriptional networks in the pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum.

Publications

Genomic clustering and co-regulation of transcriptional networks in the pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum.

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