Article
Agronomy
Bentao Xiong, Linfang Wei, Yifan Wang, Jinyu Li, Xin Liu, Yunheng Zhou, Panpan Du, Hao Fang, Johannes Liesche, Yahong Wei, Jisheng Li, Shaolin Chen
Summary: Research on the model fungus Neurospora crassa reveals the important role of cellobiose in regulating the expression and secretion of lignocellulases, involving multiple levels such as proteome and phosphoproteome changes. It offers new insights and potential strategies for improving lignocellulase production.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Zheng Wang, Francesc Lopez-Giraldez, Jason Slot, Oded Yarden, Frances Trail, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Summary: This study investigates the gene expression patterns of secondary metabolite clusters (SMCs) in the fungal model N. crassa and reveals their life cycle-specific expression. It also demonstrates the divergent activity of SMCs between asexual and sexual development. The findings highlight the importance of studying the function of SMCs in developmental switches and their ecological associations.
Article
Microbiology
Andrew S. Urquhart, Donald M. Gardiner
Summary: Fungal spore killers are genetic elements that promote their own inheritance by killing non-inheriting gametes. However, little is known about how they kill other spores within the fungal ascus. In this study, we investigate the spore killer protein SPOK1 in Podospora anserina and demonstrate that it kills by targeting DNA. This finding provides insights into the mechanisms of spore killers and their potential applications.
Article
Microbiology
Nan-Nan Yu, Mayura Veerana, Wirinthip Ketya, Hu-Nan Sun, Gyungsoon Park
Summary: This study investigated the regulatory networks of nitric oxide (NO) in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Transcriptome analysis revealed the differential transcription of 424 genes after removing intracellular NO, which were mainly associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Protein-protein interaction network analysis identified eight hub genes, including mss-4 and gel-3, that may play major roles during NO scavenging and influence vegetative growth. The study also found that NO scavenging inhibited the transcription of genes related to ribosome biogenesis.
Article
Microbiology
Sylvain Brun, Hsiao-Che Kuo, Chris E. Jeffree, Darren D. Thomson, Nick Read
Summary: This study used live-cell fluorescence imaging to observe the dynamic behavior of male and female nuclei during sexual reproduction in the model fungus Neurospora crassa for the first time. The specific movement of resident female nuclei within the trichogyne and the extraordinary migration of male nuclei to the protoperithecium were revealed, with male nuclei exhibiting dramatic speed and deformation not previously observed in a living organism. This research opens up new possibilities for studying cell signaling during sexual reproduction in fungi and nuclear dynamics in eukaryotes more broadly.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ilva E. Cabrera, Yagna Oza, Alexander J. Carrillo, Logan A. Collier, Sara J. Wright, Liande Li, Katherine A. Borkovich
Summary: This study investigates the function of the important environmental sensing system, Heterotrimeric G protein signaling pathways, in the filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa. Knockout mutations in RGS genes were analyzed and found to significantly affect the growth, development, and extracellular enzyme production in the fungus.
Article
Microbiology
Yayong Yang, Xinyu Xu, Zhuohan Jing, Jun Ye, Hui Li, Xiaoyu Li, Lei Shi, Mengyu Chen, Tengyun Wang, Baogui Xie, Yongxin Tao
Summary: This study screened 6 novel internal control genes (ICGs) and tested their stability using two statistical algorithms. The results showed that RNB, V-ATP, and VAMP had the highest stability and great potential as ICGs for standardized calculation in filamentous fungi.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaojing Liu, Fengfeng Du, Linhe Sun, Jinfeng Li, Shaozhou Chen, Naiwei Li, Yajun Chang, Jian Cui, Wen Chen, Dongrui Yao
Summary: In this study, it was found that the natural mutant 'Da Sajin' in lotus may have originated from a red-flowered ancestor. Partial loss of anthocyanin pigments in white petals may result from metabolic disorder caused by light destruction. The translational and post-translational regulatory network plays an important role in anthocyanin metabolism in lotus.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gulru Bulkan, Gerarda Tania Yudhanti, Sitaresmi Sitaresmi, Ria Millati, Rachma Wikandari, Mohammad J. Taherzadeh
Summary: This study investigated the resistance of two edible filamentous fungi to inhibitory bioactive compounds in fruit processing residuals. The results showed that some compounds stimulated fungal growth, while others showed antimicrobial effects on certain fungi.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ryosuke Tsumura, Kazumi Sawada, Emi Kunitake, Jun-ichi Sumitani, Takashi Kawaguchi, Shuji Tani
Summary: The study investigates the induction mechanisms in Aspergillus by screening for new regulators involved in cellulose-responsive induction from T-DNA-inserted mutants. A mutant with the AasepM locus disrupted showed reduced expression of cbhI in response to cellulose. This mutant also exhibited delayed septation and decreased conidium formation, indicating the involvement of AaSepM in multiple cellulose-responsive signaling pathways.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weronika Slizewska, Katarzyna Struszczyk-Swita, Olga Marchut-Mikolajczyk
Summary: Halophilic filamentous fungi are able to survive in extreme environments and counteract unfavorable conditions by producing multiple secondary metabolites.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xinyu Luo, Xiangqian Xu, Ruihua Cao, Qiqi Wan, Jingyi Wang, Huining Xu, Yingzi Lin, Gang Wen, Tinglin Huang
Summary: This study reported the biofilms formation kinetics of three genera of fungal spores isolated from groundwater, as well as the effects of water quality parameters. The results showed the stages and optimal conditions for fungal biofilms formation, as well as the efficiency of different chlorine-based disinfectants on controlling biofilms formation. Furthermore, the study evaluated the impact of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus on biofilms formation, and the resistance of fungal species to disinfectants.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Valentin Wernet, Satur Herrero, Reinhard Fischer
Summary: The study reveals the differences in growth mechanisms between fast-growing fungi and slow-growing fungi, indicating a tradeoff between hyphal plasticity and growth speed.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Raphael Gabriel, Rebecca Mueller, Lena Floerl, Cynthia Hopson, Simon Harth, Timo Schuerg, Andre Fleissner, Steven W. Singer
Summary: The study confirmed that l-arabinose and cellobiose can induce CAZyme expression in T. aurantiacus, along with d-xylose, providing a path to produce thermotolerant enzymes. The expression of a wide variety of CAZymes, AA enzymes, and CEs was strongly induced by d-xylose and l-arabinose, while cellobiose mainly facilitated lower expression of cellulase genes. Additionally, multiple unfolded protein response genes and C5 sugar assimilation pathways were up-regulated during C5 sugar feeding.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Joshua D. D. Kerkaert, Lori B. B. Huberman
Summary: Organisms need to accurately sense and respond to nutrients for survival. Fungi have evolved genetic networks to regulate metabolic pathways and distinguish between preferred and nonpreferred nutrients. Transcription factors and regulatory genes play important roles in this regulation.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Correction
Oncology
Charles S. Goldsmith, Sam Moon Kim, Nirmala Karunarathna, Nichole Neuendorff, L. Gerard Toussaint, David J. Earnest, Deborah Bell-Pedersen
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Katherine Brown, Ingrida Olendraite, Steven M. Valles, Andrew E. Firth, Yanping Chen, Diego M. A. Guerin, Yoshifumi Hashimoto, Salvador Herrero, Joachim R. de Miranda, Eugene Ryabov, Elliot J. Lefkowitz, Andrew J. Davison, Stuart G. Siddell, Peter Simmonds, Sead Sabanadzovic, Donald B. Smith, Richard J. Orton, Nick J. Knowles
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ingrida Olendraite, Katherine Brown, Steven M. Valles, Andrew E. Firth, Yanping Chen, Diego M. A. Guerin, Yoshifumi Hashimoto, Salvador Herrero, Joachim R. de Miranda, Eugene Ryabov, Elliot J. Lefkowitz, Andrew J. Davison, Stuart G. Siddell, Peter Simmonds, Sead Sabanadzovic, Donald B. Smith, Richard J. Orton, Nick J. Knowles
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sezen Meydan, James Marks, Dorota Klepacki, Virag Sharma, Pavel V. Baranov, Andrew E. Firth, Tonu Margus, Amira Kefi, Nora Vazquez-Laslop, Alexander S. Mankin
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiajie Wei, Rigel J. Kishton, Matthew Angel, Crystal S. Conn, Nicole Dalla-Venezia, Virginie Marcel, Anne Vincent, Frederic Catez, Sabrina Ferre, Lilia Ayadi, Virginie Marchand, Devin Dersh, James S. Gibbs, Ivaylo P. Ivanov, Nathan Fridlyand, Yohann Coute, Jean-Jacques Diaz, Shu-Bing Qian, Louis M. Staudt, Nicholas P. Restifo, Jonathan W. Yewdell
Article
Virology
Mattia Ficarelli, Irati Antzin-Anduetza, Rupert Hugh-White, Andrew E. Firth, Helin Sertkaya, Harry Wilson, Stuart J. D. Neil, Reiner Schulz, Chad M. Swanson
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junhong Choi, Sinead O'Loughlin, John F. Atkins, Joseph D. Puglisi
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gary Loughran, Alexander V. Zhdanov, Maria S. Mikhaylova, Fedor N. Rozov, Petr N. Datskevich, Sergey I. Kovalchuk, Marina V. Serebryakova, Stephen J. Kiniry, Audrey M. Michel, Patrick B. F. O'Connor, Dmitri B. Papkovsky, John F. Atkins, Pavel V. Baranov, Ivan N. Shatsky, Dmitry E. Andreev
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew M. Hudson, Gary Loughran, Nicholas L. Szabo, Norma M. Wills, John F. Atkins, Lynn Cooley
Summary: Translational stop codon readthrough allows for C-terminal extension of proteins encoded by certain genes. Efficiency of readthrough varies among different cell types, with the Drosophila CNS showing high levels of readthrough, particularly in neurons. Specific sequences downstream of the stop codon can stimulate readthrough efficiency.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anne-Xander van der Stel, Emily R. Gordon, Arnab Sengupta, Allyson K. Martinez, Dorota Klepacki, Thomas N. Perry, Alba Herrero del Valle, Nora Vazquez-Laslop, Matthew S. Sachs, Luis R. Cruz-Vera, C. Axel Innis
Summary: The study identifies a mechanism where the TnaC-ribosome complex captures L-Trp to initiate termination arrest, with nascent TnaC preventing release factor 2 from adopting an active conformation. The relative rates of L-Trp binding and peptidyl-tRNA cleavage determine the tryptophan sensitivity of each variant. This reveals a strategy whereby a nascent peptide assists the ribosome in detecting a small metabolite.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lunda Shen, Zhaoming Su, Kailu Yang, Cheng Wu, Thomas Becker, Deborah Bell-Pedersen, Junjie Zhang, Matthew S. Sachs
Summary: The study elucidated the mechanism of action of CHX in inhibiting protein synthesis by arresting the ribosome in the classical PRE translocation state, without interfering with A-site reactivity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yousuf A. Khan, Gary Loughran, Anna-Lena Steckelberg, Katherine Brown, Stephen J. Kiniry, Hazel Stewart, Pavel Baranov, Jeffrey S. Kieft, Andrew E. Firth, John F. Atkins
Article
Microbiology
Matthew R. Breuer, Ananya Dasgupta, Joseph G. Vasselli, Xiaorong Lin, Brian D. Shaw, Matthew S. Sachs
Summary: The prevalence and increasing incidence of fungal infections globally is a significant worldwide health problem. Cryptococcosis, primarily caused by the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, is responsible for approximatelyestimated deaths annually. The scarcity of treatments and the increasing resistance to current therapeutics highlight the need for the development of antifungal agents which have novel mechanisms of action and are suitable for clinical use. Repurposing existing FDA-approved compounds as antimycotic therapeutics is a promising strategy for the rapid development of such new treatments. Sertraline (SRT), a commonly prescribed antidepressant, is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent with particular efficacy against C. neoformans. However, the effect of SRT on fungal physiology is not understood. Here, we report that SRT induces the formation of supersized lipid droplets (SLDs) in C. neoformans, and in Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Aspergillus fumigatus. SLDs were not induced in C. neoformans by treatment with the antifungal fluconazole (FLC), consistent with SRT and FLC acting differently to perturb C. neoformans physiology. The formation of SLDs in response to SRT indicates that this compound alters the lipid metabolism of C. neoformans. Moreover, the SRT-induced enlargement of LDs in other fungal species may indicate a common fungal response to SRT.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Simon A. A. Fromm, Kate M. M. O'Connor, Michael Purdy, Pramod R. R. Bhatt, Gary Loughran, John F. F. Atkins, Ahmad Jomaa, Simone Mattei
Summary: The structure of the translating ribosome from Escherichia coli was determined at high resolution, allowing for identification of ribosome polymorphism sites and interpretation of ribosomal active and peripheral sites. This study improves our understanding of protein synthesis and enables more precise drug design to combat bacterial resistance.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Flaviane M. Galvao-Rocha, Carlos H. L. Rocha, Maira P. Martins, Pablo R. Sanches, Tamires A. Bitencourt, Matthew S. Sachs, Nilce M. Martinez-Rossi, Antonio Rossi
Summary: SRT alters gene expression related to fungal cell wall and plasma membrane stability, energy metabolism, detoxification, and defense against oxidative stress in T. rubrum, providing potential targets for its use in treating dermatophytosis.