Project description:Diverse expression patterns for secondary metabolism gene clusters from Aspergillus flavus under different environmental conditions and in genetic mutants: Insights into regulation of cyclopiazonic acid along with aflatoxin Species of Aspergillus produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites, and recent genomic analysis predicts that these species have the capacity to synthesize many more compounds. It has been possible to infer the presence of 55 gene clusters associated with secondary metabolism in A. flavus. Presumably, secondary metabolites play important roles in the ecology of the producing species, but functions for most secondary metabolites remain unknown. Only three metabolic pathways have been associated with the predicted clusters in A. flavus. These include aflatoxin, cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), and aflatrem. To gain insight into the regulation of, and infer ecological significance for the 55 secondary metabolite gene clusters predicted in A. flavus, we examined their expression over 28 diverse conditions. Variables included culture media and temperature, fungal development, colonization of developing maize seeds, and misexpression of laeA, the global regulator of secondary metabolism. Hierarchical clustering analysis of expression profiles allowed us to categorize the gene clusters into four distinct clades. Gene clusters for the production of aflatoxins, CPA, and seven other unknown compound(s) were identified as belonging to one clade. To further explore the relationships found by gene expression analysis, aflatoxin and CPA production were quantified under five different cell culture environments known to be conducive or non-conducive for aflatoxin biosynthesis and during colonization of developing maize seeds. Results from these studies showed that secondary metabolism gene clusters have distinctive gene expression profiles. Aflatoxin and CPA were found to have unique regulation but similar enough that they would be expected to co-occur in commodities colonized with A. flavus.

Project description:Histone modifications have been shown to be crucial for secondary metabolism in various filamentous fungi. Here we studied the influence of histone acetylation on secondary metabolite production in the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi, a known producer of several secondary metabolites including pigments and mycotoxins. Deletion of the classical HDACs FfHdF1, FfHdF2 and FfHdF3 indicated that FfHdF1 and FfHdF2 are major regulators of secondary metabolism, whereas FfHdF3 is involved in developmental processes but dispensable for secondary metabolite production in F. fujikuroi. Microarray analysis with the major HDAC FfHdF2 revealed differential regulation of several secondary metabolite gene clusters, subsequently verified by a combination of chemical and biological approaches. These results indicate that HDACs are responsible for gene silencing but also gene activation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays with M-NM-^TffhdF2 revealed significant alterations regarding the acetylation state in the landscape of secondary metabolite gene clusters thereby providing insights into the regulatory mechanism. In addition, the class I HDAC FfHdF1 also has major impact on secondary metabolism in F. fujikuroi. Furthermore, deletion of both ffhdF1 and ffhdF2 resulted in de-repression of secondary metabolites under normally repressing conditions. Thus, manipulation of HDAC encoding genes might provide a powerful tool for the activation of cryptic secondary metabolites. Investigation of whole genome gene expression of the Fusarium fujikuroi wild type IMI58289, M-NM-^TffhdF2 mutant under nitrogen starvation and nitrogen sufficient conditions. In this study we hybridized in total 12 microarrays using total RNA recovered from a wild-type culture of F. fujikuroi IMI58289 and M-NM-^TffhdF2 mutant culture. All cultures were grown on a 6 mM Gln (10%) and a 60 mM Gln medium (100%). For each combination of culture and medium a biological replicate was created. Each chip measures the expression level of 14,397 genes from F. fujikuroi IMI58289 with eight 60-mer probes.

Project description:Fusarium fujikuroi is a biotechnologically important fungus due to its almost unique ability to produce gibberellic acids (GAs), a family of phytohormones. The fungus was described about 100 years ago as the causative agent of Bakanae (M-bM-^@M-^\foolish seedlingM-bM-^@M-^]) disease of rice. Apart from GAs, the fungus is known to produce pigments and mycotoxins, but the biosynthetic genes are known for only eight products. Here we present a high-quality genome sequence of the first member of the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex (GFC) that allowed de novo genome assembly with 12 scaffolds corresponding to the 12 chromosomes. In this work we focused on identification of all potential secondary metabolism-related gene clusters and their regulation in response to nitrogen availability by transcriptome, proteome, HPLC-FTMS and ChIP-seq analyses. We show that most of the cluster genes are regulated in a nitrogen-dependent manner, and that expression profiles fit to proteome and ChIP-seq data for some but not all clusters. Comparison with genomes of all available Fusarium species, including the recently sequenced F. mangiferae and F. circinatum, showed only a small number of common gene clusters and provides new insights into the divergence of secondary metabolism in the genus Fusarium. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that some gene clusters were acquired by horizontal gene transfer, while others were present in ancient Fusarim species and have evolved differently by gene duplications and losses. One polyketide synthase (PKS) and one non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene cluster are unique for F. fujikuroi. Their products were identified by combining overexpression of cluster genes with HPLC-FTMS-based analyses. In planta expression studies suggest a specific role of the PKS19 product in rice infection. Our results indicate that comparative genomics together with the used genome-wide experimental approaches is a powerful tool to uncover new secondary metabolites and to understand their regulation at the transcriptional, translational and epigenetic levels. Examination of 3 different histone modifications, with 2 growth conditions for one of the modifications (Total of 4 samples)

Project description:Histone posttranslational modifications (HPTMs) are involved in regulating the synthesis of fungal bioactive compounds. The exact molecular mechanisms of the silencing/activation of secondary metabolism (SM) clusters by these epigenetic events however are not yet fully understood. This work applies a combined approach of quantitative mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with massive parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify the chromatin landscape in two metabolic states: primary and secondary metabolism. Furthermore, to link the particular chromatin states to the expression of condition specific genes, genome wide transcriptome (RNA-seq) was performed. Strikingly, we found that silent A. nidulans SM clusters are free of repressive H3K9me3 though this heterochromatic mark forms distinguished peaks flanking the many SM clusters. In addition, silent SM clusters do not contain detectable levels of activating histone marks such as H3K4me3, H3K36me3 or H3Ac, which, to some extent, are established upon activation of the clusters. In order to investigate the function of dynamic H3K4 methylation/demethylation in transcription, we characterized the KdmB- Jarid1 family histone demethylase. The in vitro assay using heterologously expressed KdmB showed that it is an active demethylase; moreover, MS/MS as well ChIP-seq approaches revealed that it targets H3K4me3 in vivo mediating transcriptional repression. KdmB positively regulates the expression of 40% of A. nidulans SM genes and this function appears to be independent of its demethylase activity. Our bioinformatics approach revealed two states of H3K4me3 in A. nidulans genome: loci with low levels of this mark are more disposed to differential expression in response to environmental clues, while the genes marked by high H3K4me3 levels are constitutively transcribed in our experimental conditions. Taken together our data reveal important role of H3K4 methylation/demethylation in transcription regulation. Furthermore, this study presents the first genome-wide map of H3K4me3, H3K9me3, H3K36me3 and H3Ac in A. nidulans in different metabolic conditions. Two strains, wild type and kdmB deletion, at two conditions, growth at primary (17h) and secondary (48h), were analysed. Each sample was replicated.

Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression of the Fusarium fujikuroi wild type IMI58289 under gibberellin-inducing and -repressing conditions. Fusarium fujikuroi is a biotechnologically important fungus due to its almost unique ability to produce gibberellic acids (GAs), a family of phytohormones. The fungus was already described about 100 years ago as the causative agent of Bakanae (foolish seedling) disease of rice. Beside GAs, the fungus is known to produce some pigments and mycotoxins, but for only eight products the biosynthetic genes are known. Here we present a high-quality genome sequence of the first member of the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex (GFC), that allowed de novo genome assembly with 12 scaffolds corresponding to the 12 chromosomes. In this work, we focused on identification of all potential secondary metabolism-related gene clusters and their regulation in response to nitrogen availability by transcriptome, proteome, HPLC-FLPC and ChIP-seq analyses. We show that most of the cluster genes are regulated in a nitrogen-dependent manner, and that expression profiles fit to proteome and ChIP-seq data for some but not all clusters. Comparison with genomes of all available Fusarium species, including the recently sequenced F. mangiferae and F. circinatum, showed only a small number of common gene clusters and provides new insights into the divergence of secondary metabolism in the genus Fusarium. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that some gene clusters were acquired by horizontal gene transfer, while others were present in ancient Fusarim species and have evolved differently by gene duplications and losses. One PKS and one NRPS gene cluster are unique for F. fujikuroi. Their products were identified by combining overexpression of cluster genes with HPLC-FLPC -based product analyses. In planta, expression studies suggest a specific role of the PKS19 product in rice infection. Our results indicate that comparative genomics together with the used genome-wide experimental approaches is a powerful tool to uncover new secondary metabolites and to understand their regulation on the transcript, protein and epigenetic levels. In this study, we hybridized in total 15 microarrays using total RNA recovered from wild-type cultures of F. fujikuroi IMI58289. Two cultures were grown on a 6 mM Gln medium. Additionally, two technical replicates were created. Four cultures were grown on a 60 mM Gln medium. Again, two technical replicates were created. On a 6 mM NO3 medium, three cultures were grown, and two cultures on a 120 mM NO3 medium, with no technical replicates. Each chip measures the expression level of 14,397 genes from F. fujikuroi IMI58289 with eight 60-mer probes.

Project description:Fusarium fujikuroi is a biotechnologically important fungus due to its almost unique ability to produce gibberellic acids (GAs), a family of phytohormones. The fungus was described about 100 years ago as the causative agent of Bakanae (“foolish seedling”) disease of rice. Apart from GAs, the fungus is known to produce pigments and mycotoxins, but the biosynthetic genes are known for only eight products. Here we present a high-quality genome sequence of the first member of the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex (GFC) that allowed de novo genome assembly with 12 scaffolds corresponding to the 12 chromosomes. In this work we focused on identification of all potential secondary metabolism-related gene clusters and their regulation in response to nitrogen availability by transcriptome, proteome, HPLC-FTMS and ChIP-seq analyses. We show that most of the cluster genes are regulated in a nitrogen-dependent manner, and that expression profiles fit to proteome and ChIP-seq data for some but not all clusters. Comparison with genomes of all available Fusarium species, including the recently sequenced F. mangiferae and F. circinatum, showed only a small number of common gene clusters and provides new insights into the divergence of secondary metabolism in the genus Fusarium. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that some gene clusters were acquired by horizontal gene transfer, while others were present in ancient Fusarim species and have evolved differently by gene duplications and losses. One polyketide synthase (PKS) and one non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene cluster are unique for F. fujikuroi. Their products were identified by combining overexpression of cluster genes with HPLC-FTMS-based analyses. In planta expression studies suggest a specific role of the PKS19 product in rice infection. Our results indicate that comparative genomics together with the used genome-wide experimental approaches is a powerful tool to uncover new secondary metabolites and to understand their regulation at the transcriptional, translational and epigenetic levels.

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Diverse expression patterns for secondary metabolism gene clusters from Aspergillus

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