Project description:Genetic and molecular evidence to support the hypothesis that fungal secondary metabolites play a significant role in protecting the fungi against fungivory is scarce. We investigated the impact of fungal secondary metabolites on transcript regulation of stress related expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of the Collembola Folsomia candida feeding on mixed vs. single diets. Aspergillus nidulans wildtype (WT; Ascomycota) able to produce secondary metabolites including sterigmatocystin (ST) and a knockout mutant with reduced secondary metabolism (A. nidulans ΔLaeA) were combined with the high quality fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides as mixed diets or offered as single diets. We hypothesized that (i) A. nidulans WT triggers more genes associated with stress responses compared to the A. nidulans ΔlaeA strain with suppressed secondary metabolism, (ii) C. cladosporioides causes significantly different transcript regulation than the A. nidulans strains ΔlaeA and WT, and (iii) mixed diets will cause significantly different transcript expression levels than single diets. All three hypotheses are generally supported despite the fact that many functions of the affected ESTs are unknown. The results bring molecular evidence for the existence of a link between fungal secondary metabolites and responses in springtails supporting the hypothesis that fungal secondary metabolites act as a shield against fungivory.
Project description:Genetic and molecular evidence to support the hypothesis that fungal secondary metabolites play a significant role in protecting the fungi against fungivory is scarce. We investigated the impact of fungal secondary metabolites on transcript regulation of stress related expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of the Collembola Folsomia candida feeding on mixed vs. single diets. Aspergillus nidulans wildtype (WT; Ascomycota) able to produce secondary metabolites including sterigmatocystin (ST) and a knockout mutant with reduced secondary metabolism (A. nidulans ?LaeA) were combined with the high quality fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides as mixed diets or offered as single diets. We hypothesized that (i) A. nidulans WT triggers more genes associated with stress responses compared to the A. nidulans ?laeA strain with suppressed secondary metabolism, (ii) C. cladosporioides causes significantly different transcript regulation than the A. nidulans strains ?laeA and WT, and (iii) mixed diets will cause significantly different transcript expression levels than single diets. All three hypotheses are generally supported despite the fact that many functions of the affected ESTs are unknown. The results bring molecular evidence for the existence of a link between fungal secondary metabolites and responses in springtails supporting the hypothesis that fungal secondary metabolites act as a shield against fungivory. Twenty-three day old Folsomia candida were fed ad libitum for five days to fungal cuts respectively Cladosporium cladosporoides, Aspergillus nidulans WT, Aspergillus nidulans ?LaeA and two mixed diets of C.cladosporoides/A. nidulans WT (mix 1) and C. cladosporoides/A. nudlans ?LaeA (mix2) respectively. Four biological replicates were used for every treatment and a dye swap was used with the Cy3/Cy5 labels. This resulted in 20 samples which were analysed in 10 hybridisations executed in an interwoven loop design. The C. cladosporoides diet was used as the reference in the data analysis.
Project description:Root exudates contain specialised metabolites that affect the plant’s root microbiome. How host-specific microbes cope with these bioactive compounds, and how this ability shapes root microbiomes, remains largely unknown. We investigated how maize root bacteria metabolise benzoxazinoids, the main specialised metabolites of maize. Diverse and abundant bacteria metabolised the major compound in the maize rhizosphere MBOA and formed AMPO. AMPO forming bacteria are enriched in the rhizosphere of benzoxazinoid-producing maize and can use MBOA as carbon source. We identified a novel gene cluster associated with AMPO formation in microbacteria. The first gene in this cluster, bxdA encodes a lactonase that converts MBOA to AMPO in vitro. A deletion mutant of the homologous bxdA genes in the genus Sphingobium, does not form AMPO nor is it able to use MBOA as a carbon source. BxdA was identified in different genera of maize root bacteria. Here we show that plant-specialised metabolites select for metabolisation-competent root bacteria. BxdA represents a novel benzoxazinoid metabolisation gene whose carriers successfully colonize the maize rhizosphere and thereby shape the plant’s chemical environmental footprint
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen and resistant to numerous clinically used antibiotics. The first antibiotic developed for S. aureus infections was the nonribosomal petide secondary metabolite penicillin. We discovered cryptic nonribosomal peptide secondary metabolites, the aureusimines, made by S. aureus itself that are not antibiotics, but function as small molecule regulators of virulence factor expression. Using established rules and codes for nonribosomal peptide assembly we predicted these nonribosomal peptides, and used these predictions to identify them from S. aureus culture broths. Functional studies using global microarray and mouse bacteremia models established that the aureusimines control virulence factor expression and are necessary for productive infections. This is the first report of the aureusimines and has important implications for the treatment of drug resistant S. aureus. Targeting aureusimine synthesis may provide novel anti-infectives. Commerically available S. aureus GeneChips (Affymetrix) were used to compare biological replicates of early and late exponential phase wild type (Newman) and aureusimine defective (ausA) organisms.
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen and resistant to numerous clinically used antibiotics. The first antibiotic developed for S. aureus infections was the nonribosomal petide secondary metabolite penicillin. We discovered cryptic nonribosomal peptide secondary metabolites, the aureusimines, made by S. aureus itself that are not antibiotics, but function as small molecule regulators of virulence factor expression. Using established rules and codes for nonribosomal peptide assembly we predicted these nonribosomal peptides, and used these predictions to identify them from S. aureus culture broths. Functional studies using global microarray and mouse bacteremia models established that the aureusimines control virulence factor expression and are necessary for productive infections. This is the first report of the aureusimines and has important implications for the treatment of drug resistant S. aureus. Targeting aureusimine synthesis may provide novel anti-infectives.
Project description:The goal was to study the dfactionation of different lignocelullose (glucose, wheat bran, wheat straw) by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) and the corresponding production of secondary metabolites. This was performed by multi-omic experiment such as transcriptomic/metabolomic and leads to the production of new metabolites. For that, the strain Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was subjected to two carbon sources in triplicate (wheat bran and glucose as control). Enzymatic activities were studied at different times and the expression of CAZYmes was studied by transcriptomic in order to detect which enzymes are needed for each carbon source
Project description:Lichens are a source of secondary metabolites with significant pharmacological potential. Data regarding their possible application in glioblastoma (GBM) treatment are, however scarce. The study aimed to analyze the mechanism of action of six lichen secondary metabolites: atranorin, caperatic acid, physodic acid, squamatic acid, salazinic acid, and lecanoric acid using two- and three-dimensional GBM cell line models. The Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeation Assay was used to predict the blood-brain barrier penetration ability of the tested compounds. Their cytotoxicity was analyzed using MTT test on A-172, T98G, and U-138 MG cells. Flow cytometry was applied for the analysis of oxidative stress, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis, whereas qPCR and microarrays detected the induced transcriptomic changes. Our data confirm the ability of lichen secondary metabolites to cross the blood-brain barrier and exert cytotoxicity against GBM cells. Moreover, the compounds generated oxidative stress, interfered with the cell cycle, and induced apoptosis in T98G cells. They also inhibited Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and this effect was even stronger in case of a co-treatment with temozolomide. Transcriptomic changes in cancer related genes induced by caperatic acid and temozolomide were the most pronounced. Lichen secondary metabolites, in particular caperatic acid should be further analyzed as potential anti-GBM agents.