Characterisation of the Aspergillus nidulans frA1 mutant: hexose phosphorylation and apparent lack of involvement of hexokinase in glucose repression.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruijter, G.J.G.; Panneman, H.; Broeck, van den H.C.; Bennett, J.M.; Visser, J.

1996-01-01

Hexose phosphorylation was studied in Aspergillus nidulans wild-type and in a fructose non-utilising mutant (frA). The data indicate the presence of at least one hexokinase and one glucokinase in wild-type A. nidulans, while the frA1 mutant lacks hexokinase activity. The A. nidulans gene encoding

A quick method for testing recessive lethal damage with a diploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morpurgo, G.; Puppo, S.; Gualandi, G.; Conti, L.

1978-01-01

A simple method capable of detecting recessive lethal damage in a diploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans is described. The method scores the recessive lethals on the 1st, the 3rd and the 5th chromosomes, which represent about 40% of the total map of A. nidulans. Two examples of induced lethals, with ultraviolet irradiation and methyl methanesulfonate are shown. The frequency of lethals may reach 36% of the total population with UV irradiation. (Auth.)

Molecular cloning and characterization of Aspergillus nidulans cyclophilin B.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, J D; Heitman, J; Means, A R

1999-06-01

Cyclophilins are an evolutionarily conserved family of proteins which serve as the intracellular receptors for the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin A. Here we report the characterization of the first cyclophilin cloned from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans (CYPB). Sequence analysis of the cypB gene predicts an encoded protein with highest homology to the murine cyclophilin B protein. The sequence similarity includes an N-terminal sequence predicted to target the protein to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as well as a C-terminal sequence predicted to retain the mature protein in the ER. The bacterially expressed hexa-histidine tagged protein displays peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity which is inhibited by cyclosporin A. In the presence of cyclosporin A, the expressed protein also inhibits purified calcineurin. When the endogenous cypB gene was disrupted and placed under the control of the regulatable alcohol dehydrogenase promoter, the strain demonstrated no detectable growth phenotype under conditions which induce or repress cypB transcription. Induction or repression of the cypB gene also did not effect sensitivity of A. nidulans to cyclosporin A. cypB mRNA levels were significantly elevated under severe heat shock conditions, indicating a possible role for the A. nidulans cyclophilin B protein during growth in high stress environments. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Correlation of mycelial growth rate with other characters in evolved genotypes of Aspergillus nidulans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schoustra, S.E.; Punzalan, D.

2012-01-01

Fungal populations can adapt to their environment by the generation and fixation of spontaneous beneficial mutations. In this study we examined whether adaptation, measured as an increased mycelial growth rate, has correlated responses in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans with several

An adaptive response to alkylating agents in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Hooley, P; Shawcross, S G; Strike, P

1988-11-01

A simple method is described for demonstrating adaptation to alkylation damage in Aspergillus nidulans. One wild type, two MNNG-sensitive, and one MNNG-resistant strain all showed improvement in colony growth when challenged with MNNG following appropriate inducing pretreatments. Other alkylating agents (MMS, EMS) could also adapt mycelium to later MNNG challenge, while 4NQO and UV could not. The inducible effect was not transmissible through conidia. A standard reversion assay based upon methG proved impractical for studying mutation frequencies during alkylation treatments owing to variations in MNNG resistance amongst revertants.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases and other oxidative enzymes are abundantly secreted by Aspergillus nidulans grown on different starches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nekiunaite, Laura; Arntzen, Magnus Ø.; Svensson, Birte

2016-01-01

of Aspergillus nidulans grown on cereal starches from wheat and high-amylose (HA) maize, as well as legume starch from pea for 5 days. Aspergillus nidulans grew efficiently on cereal starches, whereas growth on pea starch was poor. The secretomes at days 3-5 were starch-type dependent as also reflected...... by amylolytic activity measurements. Nearly half of the 312 proteins in the secretomes were carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), mostly glycoside hydrolases (GHs) and oxidative auxiliary activities (AAs). The abundance of the GH13 α-amylase (AmyB) decreased with time, as opposed to other starch...

Heterologous expression of the Aspergillus nidulans regulatory gene nirA in Fusarium oxysporum.

Science.gov (United States)

Daboussi, M J; Langin, T; Deschamps, F; Brygoo, Y; Scazzocchio, C; Burger, G

1991-12-20

We have isolated strains of Fusarium oxysporum carrying mutations conferring a phenotype characteristic of a loss of function in the regulatory gene of nitrate assimilation (nirA in Aspergillus nidulans, nit-4 in Neurospora crassa). One of these nir- mutants was successfully transformed with a plasmid containing the nirA gene of A. nidulans. The nitrate reductase of the transformants is still inducible, although the maximum activity is lower than in the wild type. Single and multiple integration events were found, as well as a strict correlation between the presence of the nirA gene and the Nir+ phenotype of the F. oxysporum transformants. We also investigated how the A. nidulans structural gene (niaD) is regulated in F. oxysporum. Enzyme assays and Northern experiments show that the niaD gene is subject to nitrate induction and that it responds to nitrogen metabolite repression in a F. oxysporum genetic background. This indicates that both the mechanisms of specific induction, mediated by a gene product isofunctional to nirA, and nitrogen metabolite repression, presumably mediated by a gene product isofunctional to the homologous gene of A. nidulans, are operative in F. oxysporum.

Screening of Aspergillus nidulans metabolites from habitat mimicking media using LC-DAD-TOFMS system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klitgaard, Andreas; Holm, Dorte Koefoed; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2012-01-01

Fungi are a valuable source of metabolites and other bioactive compounds. These compounds are essential for human society, and it is estimated that around 49% of the drugs used to treat cancer are natural products or derived therefrom. Six different wild types of Aspergillus nidulans have been cu...

Aspergillus nidulans as a platform for discovery and characterization of complex biosynthetic pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anyaogu, Diana Chinyere

in industrial applications for the productionof these bioactive compounds and other chemicals as well as for enzyme production. Especially Aspergillusniger and Aspergillus oryzae are used as industrial workhorses for the production of various enzymes. Manyof the secreted proteins are glycosylated, indicating...... aspharmaceuticals. Access to this unexploited reservoir is hampered as many of the clusters are silent orbarely expressed under laboratory conditions. Methods for activating these pathways are thereforeessential for pathway discovery and elucidation.  Filamentous fungi and Aspergillus species in particular are used...... that glycosylation plays an important role in thesecretory pathway. Thus, understanding the role and process of glycosylation will enable directedglycoengineering in Aspergilli to improve protein production and expand the repertoire of proteins, whichcan be produced by these fungi. Aspergillus nidulans has been used...

Physiological characterisation of recombinant Aspergillus nidulans strains with different creA genotypes expressing A-oryzae alpha-amylase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agger, Teit; Petersen, J.B.; O'Connor, S.M.

2002-01-01

The physiology of three strains of Aspergillus nidulans was examined-a creA deletion strain, a wild type creA genotype and a strain containing extra copies of the creA gene, all producing Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase. The strains were cultured in batch and continuous cultivations and the biom......The physiology of three strains of Aspergillus nidulans was examined-a creA deletion strain, a wild type creA genotype and a strain containing extra copies of the creA gene, all producing Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase. The strains were cultured in batch and continuous cultivations...... and the biomass formation and alpha-amylase production was characterised. Overexpression of the creA gene resulted in a lower maximum specific growth rate and a slightly higher repression of the alpha-amylase production during conditions with high glucose concentration. No expression of creA also resulted...... in a decreased maximum specific growth rate, but also in drastic changes in morphology. Furthermore, the expression of alpha-amylase was completely derepressed and creA thus seems to be the only regulatory protein responsible for glucose repression of alpha-amylase expression. The effect of different carbon...

ABC transporters from Aspergillus nidulans are involved in protection against cytotoxic agents and antibiotic production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Andrade, A.C.; Nistelrooy, van J.G.M.; Peery, R.B.; Skatrud, P.L.; Waard, de M.A.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the characterization of atrC and atrD (ABC transporters C and D), two novel ABC transporter-encoding genes from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, and provides evidence for the involvement of atrD in multidrug transport and antibiotic production. BLAST analysis of the

The nucleation of microtubules in Aspergillus nidulans germlings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina de Andrade-Monteiro

1999-09-01

Full Text Available Microtubules are filaments composed of dimers of alpha- and beta-tubulins, which have a variety of functions in living cells. In fungi, the spindle pole bodies usually have been considered to be microtubule-organizing centers. We used the antimicrotubule drug Benomyl in block/release experiments to depolymerize and repolymerize microtubules in Aspergillus nidulans germlings to learn more about the microtubule nucleation process in this filamentous fungus. Twenty seconds after release from Benomyl short microtubules were formed from several bright (immunofluorescent dots distributed along the germlings, suggesting that microtubule nucleation is randomly distributed in A. nidulans germlings. Since nuclear movement is dependent on microtubules in A. nidulans we analyzed whether mutants defective in nuclear distribution along the growing hyphae (nud mutants have some obvious microtubule defect. Cytoplasmic, astral and spindle microtubules were present and appeared to be normal in all nud mutants. However, significant changes in the percentage of short versus long mitotic spindles were observed in nud mutants. This suggests that some of the nuclei of nud mutants do not reach the late stage of cell division at normal temperatures.Microtúbulos são filamentos compostos por dímeros das tubulinas a e b e têm uma variedade de funções nas células vivas. Em fungos, os corpúsculos polares dos fusos são geralmente considerados os centros organizadores dos microtúbulos. Com o objetivo de contribuir para uma melhor compreensão dos processos de nucleação dos microtúbulos no fungo filamentoso A. nidulans, nós utilizamos a droga antimicrotúbulo Benomil em experimentos de bloqueio e liberação para depolimerizar e repolimerizar os microtúbulos. Após 20 segundos de reincubação em meio sem Benomil, pequenos microtúbulos foram formados a partir de pontos distribuídos pela célula, sugerindo que os pontos de nucleação de microtúbulos s

The effect of CreA in glucose and xylose catabolism in Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prathumpai, Wai; Mcintyre, Mhairi; Nielsen, Jens

2004-01-01

The catabolism of glucose and xylose was studied in a wild type and creA deleted (carbon catabolite de-repressed) strain of Aspergillus nidulans. Both strains were cultivated in bioreactors with either glucose or xylose as the sole carbon source, or in the presence of both sugars. In the cultivat......The catabolism of glucose and xylose was studied in a wild type and creA deleted (carbon catabolite de-repressed) strain of Aspergillus nidulans. Both strains were cultivated in bioreactors with either glucose or xylose as the sole carbon source, or in the presence of both sugars...... on the sugar mixture, glucose repression of xylose utilisation was observed; with xylose utilisation occurring only after glucose was depleted. This phenomenon was not seen in the creA deleted strain, where glucose and xylose were catabolised simultaneously. Measurement of key metabolites and the activities...... of key enzymes in the xylose utilisation pathway revealed that xylose metabolism was occurring in the creA deleted strain, even at high glucose concentrations. Conversely, in the wild type strain, activities of the key enzymes for xylose metabolism increased only when the effects of glucose repression...

Qualitative ubiquitome unveils the potential significances of protein lysine ubiquitination in hyphal growth of Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Xin-Ling; Feng, Ming-Guang; Ying, Sheng-Hua

2016-02-01

Protein ubiquitination is an evolutionarily conserved post-translational modification process in eukaryotes, and it plays an important role in many biological processes. Aspergillus nidulans, a model filamentous fungus, contributes to our understanding of cellular physiology, metabolism and genetics, but its ubiquitination is not completely revealed. In this study, the ubiquitination sites in the proteome of A. nidulans were identified using a highly sensitive mass spectrometry combined with immuno-affinity enrichment of the ubiquitinated peptides. The 4816 ubiquitination sites were identified in 1913 ubiquitinated proteins, accounting for 18.1% of total proteins in A. nidulans. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that the ubiquitinated proteins associated with a number of biological functions and displayed various sub-cellular localisations. Meanwhile, seven motifs were revealed from the ubiquitinated peptides, and significantly over-presented in the different pathways. Comparison of the enriched functional catalogues indicated that the ubiquitination functions divergently during growth of A. nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Additionally, the proteins in A. nidulans-specific sub-category (cell growth/morphogenesis) were subjected to the protein interaction analysis which demonstrated that ubiquitination is involved in the comprehensive protein interactions. This study presents a first proteomic view of ubiquitination in the filamentous fungus, and provides an initial framework for exploring the physiological roles of ubiquitination in A. nidulans.

A family of DNA repeats in Aspergillus nidulans has assimilated degenerated retrotransposons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, M.L.; Hermansen, T.D.; Aleksenko, Alexei Y.

2001-01-01

In the course of a chromosomal walk towards the centromere of chromosome IV of Aspergillus nidulans, several cross- hybridizing genomic cosmid clones were isolated. Restriction mapping of two such clones revealed that their restriction patterns were similar in a region of at least 15 kb, indicati......) phenomenon, first described in Neurospora crassa, may have operated in A. nidulans. The data indicate that this family of repeats has assimilated mobile elements that subsequently degenerated but then underwent further duplications as a part of the host repeats....... the presence of a large repeat. The nature of the repeat was further investigated by sequencing and Southern analysis. The study revealed a family of long dispersed repeats with a high degree of sequence similarity. The number and location of the repeats vary between wild isolates. Two copies of the repeat...

Functional analysis of TamA, a coactivator of nitrogen-regulated gene expression in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, A J; Todd, R B; Zanker, M C; Delimitrou, S; Hynes, M J; Davis, M A

2001-06-01

The tam A gene of Aspergillus nidulans encodes a 739-amino acid protein with similarity to Uga35p/Dal81p/DurLp of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It has been proposed that TamA functions as a co-activator of AreA, the major nitrogen regulatory protein in A. nidulans. Because AreA functions as a transcriptional activator under nitrogen-limiting conditions, we investigated whether TamA was also present in the nucleus. We found that a GFP-TamA fusion protein was predominantly localised to the nucleus in the presence and absence of ammonium, and that AreA was not required for this distribution. As the predicted DNA-binding domain of TamA is not essential for function, we have used a number of approaches to further define functionally important regions. We have cloned the tamA gene of A. oryzae and compared its functional and sequence characteristics with those of A. nidulans tamA and S. cerevisiae UGA35/DAL81/DURL. The Aspergillus homologues are highly conserved and functionally interchangeable, whereas the S. cerevisiae gene does not complement a tamA mutant when expressed in A. nidulans. Uga35p/Dal81p/DurLp was also found to be unable to recruit AreA. The sequence changes in a number of tamA mutant alleles were determined, and altered versions of TamA were tested for tamA complementation and interaction with AreA. Changes in most regions of TamA appeared to destroy its function, suggesting that the overall conformation of the protein may be critical for its activity.

Asexual sporulation signalling regulates autolysis of Aspergillus nidulans via modulating the chitinase ChiB production.

Science.gov (United States)

Pócsi, I; Leiter, E; Kwon, N-J; Shin, K-S; Kwon, G-S; Pusztahelyi, T; Emri, T; Abuknesha, R A; Price, R G; Yu, J-H

2009-08-01

Elucidation of the regulation of ChiB production in Aspergillus nidulans. Mutational inactivation of the A. nidulans chiB gene resulted in a nonautolytic phenotype. To better understand the mechanisms controlling both developmental progression and fungal autolysis, we examined a range of autolysis-associated parameters in A. nidulans developmental and/or autolytic mutants. Investigation of disorganization of mycelial pellets, loss of biomass, extra-/intracellular chitinase activities, ChiB production and chiB mRNA levels in various cultures revealed that, in submerged cultures, initialization of autolysis and stationary phase-induced ChiB production are intimately coupled, and that both processes are controlled by the FluG-BrlA asexual sporulation regulatory pathway. ChiB production does not affect the progression of apoptotic cell death in the aging A. nidulans cultures. The endochitinase ChiB plays an important role in autolysis of A. nidulans, and its production is initiated by FluG-BrlA signalling. Despite the fact that apoptosis is an inseparable part of fungal autolysis, its regulation is independent to FluG-initiated sporulation signalling. Deletion of chiB and fluG homologues in industrial filamentous fungal strains may stabilize the hyphal structures in the autolytic phase of growth and limit the release of autolytic hydrolases into the culture medium.

Identification and functional analysis of two Golgi-localized UDP-galactofuranose transporters with overlapping functions in Aspergillus niger.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Joohae; Tefsen, Boris; Heemskerk, Marc J; Lagendijk, Ellen L; van den Hondel, Cees A M J J; van Die, Irma; Ram, Arthur F J

2015-11-02

Galactofuranose (Galf)-containing glycoconjugates are present in numerous microbes, including filamentous fungi where they are important for morphology, virulence and maintaining cell wall integrity. The incorporation of Galf-residues into galactomannan, galactomannoproteins and glycolipids is carried out by Golgi-localized Galf transferases. The nucleotide sugar donor used by these transferases (UDP-Galf) is produced in the cytoplasm and has to be transported to the lumen of the Golgi by a dedicated nucleotide sugar transporter. Based on homology with recently identified UDP-Galf-transporters in A. fumigatus and A. nidulans, two putative UDP-Galf-transporters in A. niger were found. Their function and localization was determined by gene deletions and GFP-tagging studies, respectively. The two putative UDP-Galf-transporters in A. niger are homologous to each other and are predicted to contain eleven transmembrane domains (UgtA) or ten transmembrane domains (UgtB) due to a reduced length of the C-terminal part of the UgtB protein. The presence of two putative UDP-Galf-transporters in the genome was not unique for A. niger. From the twenty Aspergillus species analysed, nine species contained two additional putative UDP-Galf-transporters. Three of the nine species were outside the Aspergillus section nigri, indication an early duplication of UDP-Galf-transporters and subsequent loss of the UgtB copy in several aspergilli. Deletion analysis of the single and double mutants in A. niger indicated that the two putative UDP-Galf-transporters (named UgtA and UgtB) have a redundant function in UDP-Galf-transport as only the double mutant displayed a Galf-negative phenotype. The Galf-negative phenotype of the double mutant could be complemented by expressing either CFP-UgtA or CFP-UgtB fusion proteins from their endogenous promoters, indicating that both CFP-tagged proteins are functional. Both Ugt proteins co-localize with each other as well as with the GDP

Mapping of polyketide biosynthesis pathways in Aspergillus nidulans using a genome wide PKS gene deletion library

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Rank, Christian; Klejnstrup, Marie Louise

In order to map new links between PKS genes and their products in Aspergillus nidulans we have systematically deleted all thirty-two individual genes predicted to encode polyketide synthases in this model organism. This number greatly exceeds the number of currently known PKs calling for new appr...

Cloning of the DNA Repair Gene, Uvsf, by Transformation of Aspergillus Nidulans

OpenAIRE

Oza, K.; Kafer, E.

1990-01-01

As a first step in the cloning of the DNA repair gene uvsF of Aspergillus nidulans, uvsF pyrG double mutant strains were transformed with a genomic library which carried the complementing Neurospora pyr-4 gene in the vector. Rare pyr(+) uvs(+) cotransformants were obtained on media lacking pyrimidines, overlayed with MMS (methyl-methane sulfonate) to which uvsF is hypersensitive. Among MMS-resistant transformants, Southerns revealed two types which showed single bands of different sizes when ...

Modifying action of DNA synthesis precursors on Aspergillus nidulans conidium irradiated by ultraviolet and X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muronets, E.M.; Kameneva, S.V.

1975-01-01

Modification of inactivation action of radiation on conidia Aspergillus nidulans, UVS + and UVS strains, by desoxynucleosides, purine and pyrimidine bases is shown. The modification manifested in increased conidia survival is revealed when the precursor of DNA synthesis is added to the suspension before exposure to ultraviolet or X-rays. In the case of postradiation application of the substance no modification is observed. The modifying effect of different precursors becomes equally apparent with equimolar solutions and increases at higher concentration of the latter. An increase in thymidine endogenic pool in the exposed conidia does not affect their survival. When conidia are exposed to ultraviolet rays through a thymidine filter the survival rate increases to the same extent as in the case when they are exposed to irradiation in thymidine solution. The authors suggest that modification of the inactivating radiation action by DNA precursors at exposure of conidia Aspergillus nidulans is caused by the radioprotective effect of precursors not related to reparation [ru

Proteome map of Aspergillus nidulans during osmoadaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yonghyun; Nandakumar, M P; Marten, Mark R

2007-09-01

The model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, when grown in a moderate level of osmolyte (+0.6M KCl), was previously found to have a significantly reduced cell wall elasticity (Biotech Prog, 21:292, 2005). In this study, comparative proteomic analysis via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2de) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry was used to assess molecular level events associated with this phenomenon. Thirty of 90 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Sequence homology and conserved domains were used to assign probable function to twenty-one proteins currently annotated as "hypothetical." In osmoadapted cells, there was an increased expression of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, as well as a decreased expression of enolase, suggesting an increased glycerol biosynthesis and decreased use of the TCA cycle. There also was an increased expression of heat shock proteins and Shp1-like protein degradation protein, implicating increased protein turnover. Five novel osmoadaptation proteins of unknown functions were also identified.

Genetics of Polyketide Metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie L. Klejnstrup

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Secondary metabolites are small molecules that show large structural diversity and a broad range of bioactivities. Some metabolites are attractive as drugs or pigments while others act as harmful mycotoxins. Filamentous fungi have the capacity to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites including polyketides. The majority of genes required for production of these metabolites are mostly organized in gene clusters, which often are silent or barely expressed under laboratory conditions, making discovery and analysis difficult. Fortunately, the genome sequences of several filamentous fungi are publicly available, greatly facilitating the establishment of links between genes and metabolites. This review covers the attempts being made to trigger the activation of polyketide metabolism in the fungal model organism Aspergillus nidulans. Moreover, it will provide an overview of the pathways where ten polyketide synthase genes have been coupled to polyketide products. Therefore, the proposed biosynthesis of the following metabolites will be presented; naphthopyrone, sterigmatocystin, aspyridones, emericellamides, asperthecin, asperfuranone, monodictyphenone/emodin, orsellinic acid, and the austinols.

The fluG-BrlA pathway contributes to the initialisation of autolysis in submerged Aspergillus nidulans cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Emri, Tamás; Molnár, Zsolt; Pusztahelyi, Tünde; Varecza, Zoltán; Pócsi, István

2005-07-01

The fluG gene proved to be essential in the initialisation of autolysis in Aspergillus nidulans (teleomorph Emericella nidulans) cultures, while a loss-of-function mutation in only one out of the flbB-E genes had only minor effects on autolysis. In contrast to its important role in sporulation, brlA regulated only some, but not all, elements of the autolytic process. The tightly coupled autolytic events (chitinase and proteinase production, hyphal fragmentation, disorganisation of pellets, autolytic loss of biomass) observable in ageing cultures of A. nidulans were disconnected by loss-of-function mutations in some genes of the FluG-BrlA regulatory network. The tight correlation between pellet morphology and size and hydrolase production was also erased by these mutations. On the other hand, the mutations studied did not affect the glutathione metabolism of the fungus.

Different roles of the Mre11 complex in the DNA damage response in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Semighini, Camile P; von Zeska Kress Fagundes, Márcia Regina; Ferreira, Joseane Cristina; Pascon, Renata Castiglioni; de Souza Goldman, Maria Helena; Goldman, Gustavo Henrique

2003-06-01

The Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 protein complex has emerged as a central player in the cellular DNA damage response. Mutations in scaANBS1, which encodes the apparent homologue of human Nbs1 in Aspergillus nidulans, inhibit growth in the presence of the anti-topoisomerase I drug camptothecin. We have used the scaANBS1 cDNA as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screening and report the identification of the A. nidulans Mre11 homologue (mreA). The inactivated mreA strain was more sensitive to several DNA damaging and oxidative stress agents. Septation in A. nidulans is dependent not only on the uvsBATR gene, but also on the mre11 complex. scaANBS1 and mreA genes are both involved in the DNA replication checkpoint whereas mreA is specifically involved in the intra-S-phase checkpoint. ScaANBS1 also participates in G2-M checkpoint control upon DNA damage caused by MMS. In addition, the scaANBS1 gene is also important for ascospore viability, whereas mreA is required for successful meiosis in A. nidulans. Consistent with this view, the Mre11 complex and the uvsCRAD51 gene are highly expressed at the mRNA level during the sexual development.

VelC positively controls sexual development in Aspergillus nidulans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hee-Soo Park

Full Text Available Fungal development and secondary metabolism is intimately associated via activities of the fungi-specific velvet family proteins including VeA, VosA, VelB and VelC. Among these, VelC has not been characterized in Aspergillus nidulans. In this study, we characterize the role of VelC in asexual and sexual development in A. nidulans. The velC mRNA specifically accumulates during the early phase of sexual development. The deletion of velC leads to increased number of conidia and reduced production of sexual fruiting bodies (cleistothecia. In the velC deletion mutant, mRNA levels of the brlA, abaA, wetA and vosA genes that control sequential activation of asexual sporulation increase. Overexpression of velC causes increased formation of cleistothecia. These results suggest that VelC functions as a positive regulator of sexual development. VelC is one of the five proteins that physically interact with VosA in yeast two-hybrid and GST pull down analyses. The ΔvelC ΔvosA double mutant produced fewer cleistothecia and behaved similar to the ΔvosA mutant, suggesting that VosA is epistatic to VelC in sexual development, and that VelC might mediate control of sex through interacting with VosA at specific life stages for sexual fruiting.

How many 5S rRNA genes and pseudogenes are there in ''Aspergillus nidulans''?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelczar, P.; Fiett, J.; Bartnik, E.

1994-01-01

We have estimated the number of 5S rRNA genes in ''Aspergillus nidulans'' using two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis and hybridization to appropriate probes, representing the 5'-halves, the 3'-halves of the 5S rRNA sequence and a sequence found at the 3'-end of all known. ''A. nidulans'' pseudogenes (block C). We have found 23 5S rRNA genes, 15 pseudogenes consisting of the 5'-half of the 5S rRNA sequence (of which 3 are flanked by block C) and 12 copies of block C which do not seem to be in the vicinity of 5S rRNA sequences. This number of genes is much lower than our earlier estimates, and makes our previously analyzed sample of 9 sequenced genes and 3 pseudogenes much more representative. (author). 7 refs, 1 fig

Trehalose is required for the acquisition of tolerance to a variety of stresses in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fillinger, S.; Chaveroche, M.; Vries, de R.; Dijck, van P.; Ruijter, G.; Thevelien, J.; Enfert, d' C.

2001-01-01

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide found at high concentrations in Aspergillus nidulans conidia and rapidly degraded upon induction of conidial germination. Furthermore, trehalose is accumulated in response to a heat shock or to an oxidative shock. The authors have characterized the A.

Analysis of the ionic interaction between the hydrophobin RodA and two cutinases of Aspergillus nidulans obtained via an Aspergillus oryzae expression system.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Takumi; Nakayama, Mayumi; Takahashi, Toru; Nanatani, Kei; Yamagata, Youhei; Abe, Keietsu

2017-03-01

Hydrophobins are amphipathic secretory proteins with eight conserved cysteine residues and are ubiquitous among filamentous fungi. In the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, the hydrophobin RolA and the polyesterase CutL1 are co-expressed when the sole available carbon source is the biodegradable polyester polybutylene succinate-co-adipate (PBSA). RolA promotes the degradation of PBSA by attaching to the particle surface, changing its structure and interacting with CutL1 to concentrate CutL1 on the PBSA surface. We previously reported that positively charged residues in RolA and negatively charged residues in CutL1 are cooperatively involved in the ionic interaction between RolA and CutL1. We also reported that hydrophobin RodA of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans, which was obtained via an A. oryzae expression system, interacted via ionic interactions with CutL1. In the present study, phylogenetic and alignment analyses revealed that the N-terminal regions of several RolA orthologs contained positively charged residues and that the corresponding negatively charged residues on the surface of CutL1 that were essential for the RolA-CutL1 interaction were highly conserved in several CutL1 orthologs. A PBSA microparticle degradation assay, a pull-down assay using a dispersion of Teflon particles, and a kinetic analysis using a quartz crystal microbalance revealed that recombinant A. nidulans RodA interacted via ionic interactions with two recombinant A. nidulans cutinases. Together, these results imply that ionic interactions between hydrophobins and cutinases may be common among aspergilli and other filamentous fungi.

Structure and activity of Aspergillus nidulans copper amine oxidase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McGrath, Aaron P; Mithieux, Suzanne M; Collyer, Charles A

2011-01-01

Aspergillus nidulans amine oxidase (ANAO) has the unusual ability among the family of copper and trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone-containing amine oxidases of being able to oxidize the amine side chains of lysine residues in large peptides and proteins. We show here that in common with the related...... enzyme from the yeast Pichia pastoris, ANAO can promote the cross-linking of tropoelastin and oxidize the lysine residues in α-casein proteins and tropoelastin. The crystal structure of ANAO, the first for a fungal enzyme in this family, has been determined to a resolution of 2.4 Å. The enzyme is a dimer...... with the archetypal fold of a copper-containing amine oxidase. The active site is the most open of any of those of the structurally characterized enzymes in the family and provides a ready explanation for its lysine oxidase-like activity....

An Aspergillus nidulans GH26 endo-β-mannanase with a novel degradation pattern on highly substituted galactomannans

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von Freiesleben, Pernille; Spodsberg, Nikolaj; Holberg Blicher, Thomas

2016-01-01

The activity and substrate degradation pattern of a novel Aspergillus nidulans GH26 endo-β-mannanase (AnMan26A) was investigated using two galactomannan substrates with varying amounts of galactopyranosyl residues. The AnMan26A was characterized in parallel with the GH26 endomannanase from Podosp...

Different test systems in Aspergillus nidulans for the evaluation of mitotic gene conversion, crossing-over and non-disjunction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Bertoldi, M.; Griselli, M.; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa; Barale, R.

1980-01-01

The wide variety of the genetic alterations produced by environmental mutagens has increased the necessity of using experimental microorganisms to reveal the induction of such genetic events with short-term tests. Aspergillus nidulans, because of its well-developed genetic system and the availability of morphological markers seay to score, can be profitably used in mutagen testing. The constitution of particular diploid strains of A. nidulans able to detect the induction of mitotic gene conversion, mitotic crossing-over and mitotic non-disjunction with selective procedures are described and validated with standard mutagens: methyl methanesulphonate and UV radiation (lacking a specific genetic activity), benomyl and p-fluorophenylalanine (with a specific genetic activity). The possibility of using mammalian metabolic activation of promutagens in A. nidulans in vitro was tested with cyclophosphamide, with positive results in all the tested genetic systems. A method that increases the sensitivity of conidia to mutagenic treatments is described; its application appeared to be particularly useful in experiments on crossing-over and non-disjunction. (orig.)

Radiation induced genetic damage in Aspergillus nidulans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgiou, J.T.

1984-01-01

The mechanism by which ionizing radiation induces genetic damage in haploid and diploid conidia of Aspergillus nidulans was investigated. Although the linear dose-response curves obtained following low LET irradiation implied a 'single-hit' action of radiation, high LET radiations were much more efficient than low LET radiations, which suggests the involvement of a multiple target system. It was found that the RBE values for non-disjunction and mitotic crossing-over were very different. Unlike mitotic crossing-over, the RBE values for non-disjunction were much greater than for cell killing. This suggests that non-disjunction is a particularly sensitive genetical endpoint that is brought about by damage to a small, probably non-DNA target. Radiosensitisers were used to study whether radiation acts at the level of the DNA or some other cellular component. The sensitisation to electrons and/or X-rays by oxygen, and two nitroimidazoles (metronidazole and misonidazole) was examined for radiation induced non-disjunction, mitotic crossing-over, gene conversion, point mutation and cell killing. It was found that these compounds sensitised the cells considerably more to genetic damage than to cell killing. (author)

Branching is coordinated with mitosis in growing hyphae of Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dynesen, Jens Østergaard; Nielsen, Jens

2003-01-01

Filamentous fungi like Aspergillus nidulans can effectively colonize their surroundings by the formation of new branches along the existing hyphae. While growth conditions, chemical perturbations, and mutations affecting branch formation have received great attention during the last decades......, the mechanisms that regulates branching is still poorly understood. In this study, a possible relation between cell cycle progression and branching was studied by testing the effect of a nuclei distribution mutation, cell cycle inhibitors. and conditional cell cycle mutations in combination with tip......-growth inhibitors and varying substrate concentrations on branch initiation. Formation of branches was blocked after inhibition of nuclear division, which was not caused by a reduced growth rate. In hyphae of a nuclei distribution mutant branching was severely reduced in anucleated hyphae whereas the number...

Neurospora crassa ASM-1 complements the conidiation defect in a stuA mutant of Aspergillus nidulans.

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Chung, Dawoon; Upadhyay, Srijana; Bomer, Brigitte; Wilkinson, Heather H; Ebbole, Daniel J; Shaw, Brian D

2015-01-01

Aspergillus nidulans StuA and Neurospora crassa ASM-1 are orthologous APSES (ASM-1, PHD1, SOK2, Efg1, StuA) transcription factors conserved across a diverse group of fungi. StuA and ASM-1 have roles in asexual (conidiation) and sexual (ascospore formation) development in both organisms. To address the hypothesis that the last common ancestor of these diverse fungi regulated conidiation with similar genes, asm-1 was introduced into the stuA1 mutant of A. nidulans. Expression of asm-1 complemented defective conidiophore morphology and restored conidia production to wild type levels in stuA1. Expression of asm-1 in the stuA1 strain did not rescue the defect in sexual development. When the conidiation regulator AbaA was tagged at its C-terminus with GFP in A. nidulans, it localized to nuclei in phialides. When expressed in the stuA1 mutant, AbaA::GFP localized to nuclei in conidiophores but no longer was confined to phialides, suggesting that expression of AbaA in specific cell types of the conidiophore was conditioned by StuA. Our data suggest that the function in conidiation of StuA and ASM-1 is conserved and support the view that, despite the great morphological and ontogenic diversity of their condiphores, the last common ancestor of A. nidulans and N. crassa produced an ortholog of StuA that was involved in conidiophore development. © 2015 by The Mycological Society of America.

Elucidation of substrate specificity in Aspergillus nidulans UDP-galactose-4-epimerase.

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Sean A Dalrymple

Full Text Available The frequency of invasive fungal infections has rapidly increased in recent years. Current clinical treatments are experiencing decreased potency due to severe host toxicity and the emergence of fungal drug resistance. As such, new targets and their corresponding synthetic pathways need to be explored for drug development purposes. In this context, galactofuranose residues, which are employed in fungal cell wall construction, but are notably absent in animals, represent an appealing target. Herein we present the structural and biochemical characterization of UDP-galactose-4-epimerase from Aspergillus nidulans which produces the precursor UDP-galactopyranose required for galactofuranose synthesis. Examination of the structural model revealed both NAD(+ and UDP-glucopyranose were bound within the active site cleft in a near identical fashion to that found in the Human epimerase. Mutational studies on the conserved catalytic motif support a similar mechanism to that established for the Human counterpart is likely operational within the A. nidulans epimerase. While the K m and k cat for the enzyme were determined to be 0.11 mM and 12.8 s(-1, respectively, a single point mutation, namely L320C, activated the enzyme towards larger N-acetylated substrates. Docking studies designed to probe active site affinity corroborate the experimentally determined activity profiles and support the kinetic inhibition results.

Mutants of Aspergillus nidulans with increased resistance to the alkylating agent, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

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Hooley, P; Shawcross, S G; Strike, P

1988-05-01

The isolation and characterisation of mutants of Aspergillus nidulans showing resistance to MNNG is described. Such isolates were stable through prolonged subculture in the absence of the selective agent, and resistance segregated as an allele of a single gene in meiotic and mitotic analysis. MNNG-resistant strains showed an increase in resistance to EMS and UV irradiation but no cross-resistance to MMS was detected. Possible mechanisms of resistance to alkylating agents are discussed.

A time course analysis of the extracellular proteome of Aspergillus nidulans growing on sorghum stover

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Saykhedkar Sayali

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fungi are important players in the turnover of plant biomass because they produce a broad range of degradative enzymes. Aspergillus nidulans, a well-studied saprophyte and close homologue to industrially important species such as A. niger and A. oryzae, was selected for this study. Results A. nidulans was grown on sorghum stover under solid-state culture conditions for 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days. Based on analysis of chitin content, A. nidulans grew to be 4-5% of the total biomass in the culture after 2 days and then maintained a steady state of 4% of the total biomass for the next 12 days. A hyphal mat developed on the surface of the sorghum by day one and as seen by scanning electron microscopy the hyphae enmeshed the sorghum particles by day 5. After 14 days hyphae had penetrated the entire sorghum slurry. Analysis (1-D PAGE LC-MS/MS of the secretome of A. nidulans, and analysis of the breakdown products from the sorghum stover showed a wide range of enzymes secreted. A total of 294 extracellular proteins were identified with hemicellulases, cellulases, polygalacturonases, chitinases, esterases and lipases predominating the secretome. Time course analysis revealed a total of 196, 166, 172 and 182 proteins on day 1, 3, 7 and 14 respectively. The fungus used 20% of the xylan and cellulose by day 7 and 30% by day 14. Cellobiose dehydrogenase, feruloyl esterases, and CAZy family 61 endoglucanases, all of which are thought to reduce the recalcitrance of biomass to hydrolysis, were found in high abundance. Conclusions Our results show that A. nidulans secretes a wide array of enzymes to degrade the major polysaccharides and lipids (but probably not lignin by 1 day of growth on sorghum. The data suggests simultaneous breakdown of hemicellulose, cellulose and pectin. Despite secretion of most of the enzymes on day 1, changes in the relative abundances of enzymes over the time course indicates that the set of enzymes

Transcriptome-Based Modeling Reveals that Oxidative Stress Induces Modulation of the AtfA-Dependent Signaling Networks in Aspergillus nidulans

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Erzsébet Orosz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available To better understand the molecular functions of the master stress-response regulator AtfA in Aspergillus nidulans, transcriptomic analyses of the atfA null mutant and the appropriate control strains exposed to menadione sodium bisulfite- (MSB-, t-butylhydroperoxide- and diamide-induced oxidative stresses were performed. Several elements of oxidative stress response were differentially expressed. Many of them, including the downregulation of the mitotic cell cycle, as the MSB stress-specific upregulation of FeS cluster assembly and the MSB stress-specific downregulation of nitrate reduction, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and ER to Golgi vesicle-mediated transport, showed AtfA dependence. To elucidate the potential global regulatory role of AtfA governing expression of a high number of genes with very versatile biological functions, we devised a model based on the comprehensive transcriptomic data. Our model suggests that an important function of AtfA is to modulate the transduction of stress signals. Although it may regulate directly only a limited number of genes, these include elements of the signaling network, for example, members of the two-component signal transduction systems. AtfA acts in a stress-specific manner, which may increase further the number and diversity of AtfA-dependent genes. Our model sheds light on the versatility of the physiological functions of AtfA and its orthologs in fungi.

Aspergillus nidulans Natural Product Biosynthesis Is Regulated by MpkB, a Putative Pheromone Response Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atoui, A.; Bao, D.; Kaur, N.; Grayburn, W.S.; Calvo, A.M.

2008-01-01

The Aspergillus nidulans putative mitogen-activated protein kinase encoded by mpkB has a role in natural product biosynthesis. An mpkB mutant exhibited a decrease in sterigmatocystin gene expression and low mycotoxin levels. The mutation also affected the expression of genes involved in penicillin and terrequinone A synthesis. mpkB was necessary for normal expression of laeA, which has been found to regulate secondary metabolism gene clusters. (author)

PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISATION AND GENETIC ANALYSIS OF MUTANTS OF ASPERGILLUS NIDULANS RESISTANT TO THE FUNGICIDE TOLCLOFOS-METHYL

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A CHIBANI

2000-12-01

Full Text Available Spontaneous mutants of Aspergillus nidulans were recovered from 0,55.10+7  conidia incubated on synthetic medium supplemented with 100 mg tolclofos-methyl/ml. They differed considerably in morphology, growth rate, and level of resistance to two other fungicides. All mutants tested were cross-resistant to quintozene and vinclozolin; they produced fewer conidia than their wild-type parent. Some mutants required fungicides for maximum growth. Genetic analysis revealed that the mutants carried mutations in one gene located on linkage group III.

Investigating Aspergillus nidulans secretome during colonisation of cork cell walls.

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Martins, Isabel; Garcia, Helga; Varela, Adélia; Núñez, Oscar; Planchon, Sébastien; Galceran, Maria Teresa; Renaut, Jenny; Rebelo, Luís P N; Silva Pereira, Cristina

2014-02-26

Cork, the outer bark of Quercus suber, shows a unique compositional structure, a set of remarkable properties, including high recalcitrance. Cork colonisation by Ascomycota remains largely overlooked. Herein, Aspergillus nidulans secretome on cork was analysed (2DE). Proteomic data were further complemented by microscopic (SEM) and spectroscopic (ATR-FTIR) evaluation of the colonised substrate and by targeted analysis of lignin degradation compounds (UPLC-HRMS). Data showed that the fungus formed an intricate network of hyphae around the cork cell walls, which enabled polysaccharides and lignin superficial degradation, but probably not of suberin. The degradation of polysaccharides was suggested by the identification of few polysaccharide degrading enzymes (β-glucosidases and endo-1,5-α-l-arabinosidase). Lignin degradation, which likely evolved throughout a Fenton-like mechanism relying on the activity of alcohol oxidases, was supported by the identification of small aromatic compounds (e.g. cinnamic acid and veratrylaldehyde) and of several putative high molecular weight lignin degradation products. In addition, cork recalcitrance was corroborated by the identification of several protein species which are associated with autolysis. Finally, stringent comparative proteomics revealed that A. nidulans colonisation of cork and wood share a common set of enzymatic mechanisms. However the higher polysaccharide accessibility in cork might explain the increase of β-glucosidase in cork secretome. Cork degradation by fungi remains largely overlook. Herein we aimed at understanding how A. nidulans colonise cork cell walls and how this relates to wood colonisation. To address this, the protein species consistently present in the secretome were analysed, as well as major alterations occurring in the substrate, including lignin degradation compounds being released. The obtained data demonstrate that this fungus has superficially attacked the cork cell walls apparently by

The extracellular β-1,3-endoglucanase EngA is involved in autolysis of Aspergillus nidulans.

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Szilágyi, M; Kwon, N-J; Dorogi, C; Pócsi, I; Yu, J-H; Emri, T

2010-11-01

To elucidate the roles of the β-1,3-endoglucanase EngA in autolysis of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans and to identify the common regulatory elements of autolytic hydrolases. A β-1,3-endoglucanase was purified from carbon-starving cultures of A. nidulans. This enzyme is found to be encoded by the engA gene (locus ID: AN0472.3). Functional and gene-expression studies demonstrated that EngA is involved in the autolytic cell wall degradation resulting from carbon starvation of the fungus. Moreover, regulation of engA is found to be dependent on the FluG/BrlA asexual sporulation signalling pathway in submerged culture. The deletion of either engA or chiB (encoding an endochitinase) caused highly reduced production of hydrolases in general. The β-1,3-endoglucanase EngA plays a pivotal role in fungal autolysis, and activities of both EngA and ChiB are necessary to orchestrate the expression of autolytic hydrolases. The production of cell wall-degrading enzymes was coordinately controlled in a highly sophisticated and complex manner. No information was available on the autolytic glucanase(s) of the euascomycete A. nidulans. This study demonstrates that EngA is a key element in fungal autolysis, and normal activities of both EngA and ChiB are crucial for balanced production of hydrolases. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Enzymatic synthesis of β-xylosyl-oligosaccharides by transxylosylation using two beta-xylosidases of glycoside hydrolase family 3 from Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dilokpimol, Adiphol; Nakai, Hiroyuki; Gotfredsen, Charlotte Held

2011-01-01

Two beta-xylosidases of glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH 3) from Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4, BxlA and BxlB were produced recombinantly in Pichia pastoris and secreted to the culture supernatants in yields of 16 and 118 mg/L, respectively. BxlA showed about sixfold higher catalytic efficiency (k...

Heterologous Reconstitution of the Intact Geodin Gene Cluster in Aspergillus nidulans through a Simple and Versatile PCR Based Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Morten Thrane; Nielsen, Jakob Blæsbjerg; Anyaogu, Dianna Chinyere

2013-01-01

was transferred in a two step procedure to an expression platform in A. nidulans. The individual cluster fragments were generated by PCR and assembled via efficient USER fusion prior to ransformation and integration via re-iterative gene targeting. A total of 13 open reading frames contained in 25 kb of DNA were...... of solid methodology for genetic manipulation of most species severely hampers pathway haracterization. Here we present a simple PCR based approach for heterologous reconstitution of intact gene clusters. Specifically, the putative gene cluster responsible for geodin production from Aspergillus terreus...... successfully transferred between the two species enabling geodin synthesis in A. nidulans. Subsequently, functions of three genes in the cluster were validated by genetic and chemical analyses. Specifically, ATEG_08451 (gedC) encodes a polyketide synthase, ATEG_08453 (gedR) encodes a transcription factor...

An efficient arabinoxylan-debranching α-l-arabinofuranosidase of family GH62 from Aspergillus nidulans contains a secondary carbohydrate binding site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilkens, Casper; Andersen, Susan; Petersen, Bent O.

2016-01-01

An α-l-arabinofuranosidase of GH62 from Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 (AnAbf62A-m2,3) has an unusually high activity towards wheat arabinoxylan (WAX) (67 U/mg; kcat = 178/s, Km = 4.90 mg/ml) and arabinoxylooligosaccharides (AXOS) with degrees of polymerisation (DP) 3–5 (37–80 U/mg), but about 50 t...

Analysis of Aspergillus nidulans metabolism at the genome-scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

David, Helga; Ozcelik, İlknur Ş; Hofmann, Gerald

2008-01-01

of relevant secondary metabolites, was reconstructed based on detailed metabolic reconstructions available for A. niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and information on the genetics, biochemistry and physiology of A. nidulans. Thereby, it was possible to identify metabolic functions without a gene associated...... a function. Results: In this work, we have manually assigned functions to 472 orphan genes in the metabolism of A. nidulans, by using a pathway-driven approach and by employing comparative genomics tools based on sequence similarity. The central metabolism of A. nidulans, as well as biosynthetic pathways......, in an objective and systematic manner. The functional assignments served as a basis to develop a mathematical model, linking 666 genes (both previously and newly annotated) to metabolic roles. The model was used to simulate metabolic behavior and additionally to integrate, analyze and interpret large-scale gene...

Quantifying the importance of galactofuranose in Aspergillus nidulans hyphal wall surface organization by atomic force microscopy.

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Paul, Biplab C; El-Ganiny, Amira M; Abbas, Mariam; Kaminskyj, Susan G W; Dahms, Tanya E S

2011-05-01

The fungal wall mediates cell-environment interactions. Galactofuranose (Galf), the five-member ring form of galactose, has a relatively low abundance in Aspergillus walls yet is important for fungal growth and fitness. Aspergillus nidulans strains deleted for Galf biosynthesis enzymes UgeA (UDP-glucose-4-epimerase) and UgmA (UDP-galactopyranose mutase) lacked immunolocalizable Galf, had growth and sporulation defects, and had abnormal wall architecture. We used atomic force microscopy and force spectroscopy to image and quantify cell wall viscoelasticity and surface adhesion of ugeAΔ and ugmAΔ strains. We compared the results for ugeAΔ and ugmAΔ strains with the results for a wild-type strain (AAE1) and the ugeB deletion strain, which has wild-type growth and sporulation. Our results suggest that UgeA and UgmA are important for cell wall surface subunit organization and wall viscoelasticity. The ugeAΔ and ugmAΔ strains had significantly larger surface subunits and lower cell wall viscoelastic moduli than those of AAE1 or ugeBΔ hyphae. Double deletion strains (ugeAΔ ugeBΔ and ugeAΔ ugmAΔ) had more-disorganized surface subunits than single deletion strains. Changes in wall surface structure correlated with changes in its viscoelastic modulus for both fixed and living hyphae. Wild-type walls had the largest viscoelastic modulus, while the walls of the double deletion strains had the smallest. The ugmAΔ strain and particularly the ugeAΔ ugmAΔ double deletion strain were more adhesive to hydrophilic surfaces than the wild type, consistent with changes in wall viscoelasticity and surface organization. We propose that Galf is necessary for full maturation of A. nidulans walls during hyphal extension.

Recombinant production and characterisation of two related GH5 endo-β-1,4-mannanases from Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 showing distinctly different transglycosylation capacity

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Dilokpimol, Adiphol; Nakai, Hiroyuki; Gotfredsen, Charlotte Held

2011-01-01

The glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5) endo-β-1,4-mannanases ManA and ManC from Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 were produced in Pichia pastoris X33 and purified in high yields of 120 and 145mg/L, respectively, from the culture supernatants. Both enzymes showed increasing catalytic efficiency (kcat...

Utilização de linhagens diplóides uvsH//uvsH de Aspergillus nidulans (Ascomycetes para a avaliação do potencial recombinagênico de agentes químicos e físicos uvsH//uvsH diploid strain favors an efficient method to evaluate the recombinagenic effect of chemical and physical agents in Aspergillus nidulans (Ascomycetes

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Francielle Baptista

2001-05-01

Full Text Available O ascomiceto Aspergillus nidulans apresenta-se como um excelente sistema para o estudo da recombinação somática, por passar grande parte de seu ciclo celular em G2 e por apresentar mutações uvs que promovem aumento das freqüências normais de recombinação mitótica (uvsF e uvsH. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo obter uma nova linhagem diplóide de A. nidulans, com características apropriadas para estudos da recombinagênese, tais como: hetererozigose para marcadores nutricionais e de coloração de conidios e homozigose para a mutação uvsH. A maior sensibilidade do diplóide uvsH//uvsH no monitoramento de eventos de recombinação mitótica foi demonstrada através dos mais altos índices de recombinação mitótica espontânea por ele apresentados, em comparação com o diplóide uvsH+//uvsH +. A nova linhagem apresenta-se como uma ferramenta versátil, podendo ser utilizada em diferentes estudos relacionados à recombinação mitótica em A. nidulansAscomycete Aspergillus nidulans is an excellent system for mitotic crossing-over studies. This is due to the fact that much of its cell cycle is passed in G2 and presents uvs mutations that increase frequencies of normal mitotic recombinations (uvsF and uvsH. The aim of this research was to obtain a new diploid strain of A. nidulans with proper characteristics for recombinagenesis investigations, or rather, heterozygous for nutritional markers and conidia coloration and homozygous for uvsH mutation. Higher sensitivity of diploid uvsH//uvsH in the monitoring of mitotic recombination events was shown by higher indexes of the diploid’s spontaneous mitotic recombination when compared with diploid uvsH+//uvsH +. New strain is a versatile tool that may be used in different studies on mitotic recombination in A. nidulans

Terbinafine Resistance Mediated by Salicylate 1-Monooxygenase in Aspergillus nidulans

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Graminha, Marcia A. S.; Rocha, Eleusa M. F.; Prade, Rolf A.; Martinez-Rossi, Nilce M.

2004-01-01

Resistance to antifungal agents is a recurring and growing problem among patients with systemic fungal infections. UV-induced Aspergillus nidulans mutants resistant to terbinafine have been identified, and we report here the characterization of one such gene. A sib-selected, 6.6-kb genomic DNA fragment encodes a salicylate 1-monooxygenase (salA), and a fatty acid synthase subunit (fasC) confers terbinafine resistance upon transformation of a sensitive strain. Subfragments carrying salA but not fasC confer terbinafine resistance. salA is present as a single-copy gene on chromosome VI and encodes a protein of 473 amino acids that is homologous to salicylate 1-monooxygenase, a well-characterized naphthalene-degrading enzyme in bacteria. salA transcript accumulation analysis showed terbinafine-dependent induction in the wild type and the UV-induced mutant Terb7, as well as overexpression in a strain containing the salA subgenomic DNA fragment, probably due to the multicopy effect caused by the transformation event. Additional naphthalene degradation enzyme-coding genes are present in fungal genomes, suggesting that resistance could follow degradation of the naphthalene ring contained in terbinafine. PMID:15328121

Cloning, sequencing, disruption and phenotypic analysis of uvsC, an Aspergillus nidulans homologue of yeast RAD51.

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van Heemst, D; Swart, K; Holub, E F; van Dijk, R; Offenberg, H H; Goosen, T; van den Broek, H W; Heyting, C

1997-05-01

We have cloned the uvsC gene of Aspergillus nidulans by complementation of the A. nidulans uvsC114 mutant. The predicted protein UVSC shows 67.4% sequence identity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51 protein and 27.4% sequence identity to the Escherichia coli RecA protein. Transcription of uvsC is induced by methyl-methane sulphonate (MMS), as is transcription of RAD51 of yeast. Similar levels of uvsC transcription were observed after MMS induction in a uvsC+ strain and the uvsC114 mutant. The coding sequence of the uvsC114 allele has a deletion of 6 bp, which results in deletion of two amino acids and replacement of one amino acid in the translation product. In order to gain more insight into the biological function of the uvsC gene, a uvsC null mutant was constructed, in which the entire uvsC coding sequence was replaced by a selectable marker gene. Meiotic and mitotic phenotypes of a uvsC+ strain, the uvsC114 mutant and the uvsC null mutant were compared. The uvsC null mutant was more sensitive to both UV and MMS than the uvsC114 mutant. The uvsC114 mutant arrested in meiotic prophase-I. The uvsC null mutant arrested at an earlier stage, before the onset of meiosis. One possible interpretation of these meiotic phenotypes is that the A. nidulans homologue of Rad51 of yeast has a role both in the specialized processes preceding meiosis and in meiotic prophase I.

Transcriptional regulation of fksA, a β-1,3-glucan synthase gene, by the APSES protein StuA during Aspergillus nidulans development.

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Park, Bum-Chan; Park, Yun-Hee; Yi, Soohyun; Choi, Yu Kyung; Kang, Eun-Hye; Park, Hee-Moon

2014-11-01

The temporal and spatial regulation of β-1,3-glucan synthesis plays an important role in morphogenesis during fungal growth and development. Northern blot analysis showed that the transcription of fksA, the gene encoding β-1,3-glucan synthase in Aspergillus nidulans, was cell-cycle-dependent and increased steadily over the duration of the vegetative period, but its overall expression during the asexual and sexual stages was fairly constant up until the time of transcription cessation. In an A. nidulans strain mutated in the eukaryotic bHLH-like APSES transcription factor stuA1, the transcriptional level of fksA, and consequently the content of alkali-insoluble cell wall β-glucan, significantly increased at the conidial chain formation and maturation stage. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that StuA was bound to StREs (StuA Response Elements) on the fksA promoter region. Promoter analysis with sGFP-fusion constructs also indicated the negative regulation of fksA expression by StuA, especially during asexual development. Taken together, these data suggest that StuA plays an important role in cell wall biogenesis during the development of A. nidulans, by controlling the transcription level of fksA.

Stress tolerances of nullmutants of function-unknown genes encoding menadione stress-responsive proteins in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Leiter, Éva; Bálint, Mihály; Miskei, Márton; Orosz, Erzsébet; Szabó, Zsuzsa; Pócsi, István

2016-07-01

A group of menadione stress-responsive function-unkown genes of Aspergillus nidulans (Locus IDs ANID_03987.1, ANID_06058.1, ANID_10219.1, and ANID_10260.1) was deleted and phenotypically characterized. Importantly, comparative and phylogenetic analyses of the tested A. nidulans genes and their orthologs shed light only on the presence of a TANGO2 domain with NRDE protein motif in the translated ANID_06058.1 gene but did not reveal any recognizable protein-encoding domains in other protein sequences. The gene deletion strains were subjected to oxidative, osmotic, and metal ion stress and, surprisingly, only the ΔANID_10219.1 mutant showed an increased sensitivity to 0.12 mmol l(-1) menadione sodium bisulfite. The gene deletions affected the stress sensitivities (tolerances) irregularly, for example, some strains grew more slowly when exposed to various oxidants and/or osmotic stress generating agents, meanwhile the ΔANID_10260.1 mutant possessed a wild-type tolerance to all stressors tested. Our results are in line with earlier studies demonstrating that the deletions of stress-responsive genes do not confer necessarily any stress-sensitivity phenotypes, which can be attributed to compensatory mechanisms based on other elements of the stress response system with overlapping functions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

EVALUATION OF CELL CYCLE OF Aspergillus nidulans EXPOSED TO THE EXTRACT OF Copaifera officinalis L PLANT

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Simone Jurema Ruggeri Chiuchetta, Uériton Dias de Oliveira e Josy Fraccaro de Marins

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The oil extracted from the Copaifera officinalis L plant has been used in popular medicine to the treatment of several diseases, like cancer. In eukaryotic cells, the process of cellular proliferation follows a standard cycle, named cellular cycle. The transformation of a normal cell in a malignant one requires several steps, in which genes that control normal cellular division or cellular death are modified. Aspergillus nidulans fungus is an excellent system for the study of the cellular differentiation. Its asexual cycle results in the formation of conidia, which are disposed like chains, constituting a structure named conidiophore. This structure consists in an aerial hifae, multinucleate vesicle and uninucleate cells. Current research evaluated the capacity of the C. officinalis L plant extract in promoting alterations in the cellular cycle of A. nidulans diploid strains, by observing macroscopic and microscopic alterations in cellular growth of this fungus. Results shown that no macroscopic alterations were observed in cellular growth of strains exposed to the extract, however, microscopic alterations of conidiophore have been observed in the different extract concentrations analyzed. In this way, the study of the action of C. officinalis L plant extract becomes important considering the fact that this substance is capable to promote alterations in cellular cycle of eukaryotic cells.

Production of crude enzyme from Aspergillus nidulans AKB-25 using black gram residue as the substrate and its industrial applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amit Kumar

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The production of crop residues in India is estimated to be about 500–550 million tons annually. It is estimated that about 93 million tons of crop residues is burnt annually which is not only wastage of valuable biomass resources but pollution of the environment with the production of green house gases also. Among different low cost crop residues, black gram residue as the substrate produced maximal endoglucanase, FPase, and β-glucosidase activities from Aspergillus nidulans AKB-25 under solid-state fermentation. During optimisation of cultural parameters A. nidulans AKB-25 produced maximal endoglucanase (152.14 IU/gds, FPase (3.42 FPU/gds and xylanase (2441.03 IU/gds activities. The crude enzyme was found effective for the saccharification of pearl millet stover and bio-deinking of mixed office waste paper. The crude enzyme from A. nidulans AKB-25 produced maximum fermentable sugars of 546.91 mg/g from alkali-pretreated pearl millet stover by saccharification process at a dose of 15 FPU/g of substrate. Pulp brightness and deinking efficiency of mixed office waste paper improved by 4.6% and 25.01% respectively and mitigated dirt counts by 74.70% after bio-deinking. Physical strength properties like burst index, tensile index and double fold number were also improved during bio-deinking of mixed office waste paper.

Mutants of Aspergillus nidulans affected in asexual development

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

A. nidulans mutants by inducing base transitions and transversions ... tone 2, yeast extract 2, hydrolysed casein 1, and (in /g/l) in- ositol 4000, choline .... carbon sources; flu, fluffy mutation; uvsH, sensitivity to UV radiation. Gene symbols ...

Characterization of a second physiologically relevant lactose permease gene (lacpB) in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Fekete, Erzsébet; Orosz, Anita; Kulcsár, László; Kavalecz, Napsugár; Flipphi, Michel; Karaffa, Levente

2016-05-01

In Aspergillus nidulans, uptake rather than hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step of lactose catabolism. Deletion of the lactose permease A-encoding gene (lacpA) reduces the growth rate on lactose, while its overexpression enables faster growth than wild-type strains are capable of. We have identified a second physiologically relevant lactose transporter, LacpB. Glycerol-grown mycelia from mutants deleted for lacpB appear to take up only minute amounts of lactose during the first 60 h after a medium transfer, while mycelia of double lacpA/lacpB-deletant strains are unable to produce new biomass from lactose. Although transcription of both lacp genes was strongly induced by lactose, their inducer profiles differ markedly. lacpA but not lacpB expression was high in d-galactose cultures. However, lacpB responded strongly also to β-linked glucopyranose dimers cellobiose and sophorose, while these inducers of the cellulolytic system did not provoke any lacpA response. Nevertheless, lacpB transcript was induced to higher levels on cellobiose in strains that lack the lacpA gene than in a wild-type background. Indeed, cellobiose uptake was faster and biomass formation accelerated in lacpA deletants. In contrast, in lacpB knockout strains, growth rate and cellobiose uptake were considerably reduced relative to wild-type, indicating that the cellulose and lactose catabolic systems employ common elements. Nevertheless, our permease mutants still grew on cellobiose, which suggests that its uptake in A. nidulans prominently involves hitherto unknown transport systems.

The G2/M DNA damage checkpoint inhibits mitosis through Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 in Aspergillus nidulans.

OpenAIRE

Ye, X S; Fincher, R R; Tang, A; Osmani, S A

1997-01-01

It is possible to cause G2 arrest in Aspergillus nidulans by inactivating either p34cdc2 or NIMA. We therefore investigated the negative control of these two mitosis-promoting kinases after DNA damage. DNA damage caused rapid Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 and transient cell cycle arrest but had little effect on the activity of NIMA. Dividing cells deficient in Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 were sensitive to both MMS and UV irradiation and entered lethal premature mitosis with damaged DN...

Mitotic catastrophe is the mechanism of lethality for mutations that confer mutagen sensitivity in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Denison, S H; May, G S

1994-01-16

We have examined the consequences of treatment with DNA-damaging agents of uvs mutants and the bimD6 mutant of Aspergillus nidulans. We first established that wild-type Aspergillus undergoes a cell cycle delay following treatment with the DNA-damaging agents methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) or ultraviolet light (UV). We have also determined that strains carrying the bimD6, uvsB110, uvsH77, uvsF201 and the uvsC114 mutations, all of which cause an increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents, undergo a cell-cycle delay following DNA damage. These mutations therefore do not represent nonfunctional checkpoints in Aspergillus. However, all of the mutant strains accumulated nuclear defects after a period of delay following mutagen treatment. The nuclear defects in the uvsB110 and bimD6 strains following MMS treatment were shown to be dependent on passage through mitosis after DNA damage, as the defects were prevented with benomyl. Checkpoint controls responding to DNA damage thus only temporarily halt cell-cycle progression in response to DNA damage. The conditional bimD6 mutation also results in a defective mitosis at restrictive temperatures. This mitotic defect is similar to that seen with MMS treatment at temperatures permissive for the mitotic defect. Thus the bimD gene product may perform dual roles, one in DNA repair and the other during the mitotic cell cycle in the absence of damage.

Effect of secretory pathway gene overexpression on secretion of a fluorescent reporter protein in Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schalén, Martin; Anyaogu, Diana Chinyere; Hoof, Jakob Blæsbjerg

2016-01-01

roles in the process have been identified through transcriptomics. The assignment of function to these genes has been enabled in combination with gene deletion studies. In this work, 14 genes known to play a role in protein secretion in filamentous fungi were overexpressed in Aspergillus nidulans....... The background strain was a fluorescent reporter secreting mRFP. The overall effect of the overexpressions could thus be easily monitored through fluorescence measurements, while the effects on physiology were determined in batch cultivations and surface growth studies. Results: Fourteen protein secretion...... pathway related genes were overexpressed with a tet-ON promoter in the RFP-secreting reporter strain and macromorphology, physiology and protein secretion were monitored when the secretory genes were induced. Overexpression of several of the chosen genes was shown to cause anomalies on growth, micro...

Allergens/Antigens, Toxins and Polyketides of Important Aspergillus Species

OpenAIRE

Bhetariya, Preetida J.; Madan, Taruna; Basir, Seemi Farhat; Varma, Anupam; Usha, Sarma P.

2011-01-01

The medical, agricultural and biotechnological importance of the primitive eukaryotic microorganisms, the Fungi was recognized way back in 1920. Among various groups of fungi, the Aspergillus species are studied in great detail using advances in genomics and proteomics to unravel biological and molecular mechanisms in these fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus terreus are some of the important specie...

8-Carbon oxylipins inhibit germination and growth, and stimulate aerial conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero-Garcia, Erika; Garzia, Aitor; Cordobés, Shandra; Espeso, Eduardo A; Ugalde, Unai

2011-01-01

Germination of Aspergillus nidulans conidia in liquid cultures was progressively inhibited at inoculum loads above 1×10(5)conidiamL(-1). High conidial densities also inhibited growth of neighbouring mycelia. The eight-carbon oxylipin 1-octen-3-ol was identified as the main inhibitor in a fraction also containing 3-octanone and 3-octanol. These three oxylipins also increased the conidiation rate of dark-grown surface cultures, but had no effect on liquid cultures. 3-octanone was the most conidiogenic compound. The action of 3-octanone required functional forms of developmental activators fluG, flbB-D and brlA, and was not additive to the conidiogenic effect of stress stimuli such as osmotic stress or carbon starvation. Oxylipins were produced shortly after hyphae made contact with the atmosphere and were most effective on aerial mycelia, indicating that they perform their signalling function in the gas phase. Copyright © 2011 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A glycoprotein with anti-inflammatory properties secreted by an Aspergillus nidulans modified strain

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J. C. F. Queiroz

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Total RNA from lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated rat macrophages used to treat protoplasts from an Aspergillus nidulans strain originated the RT2 regenerated strain, whose culture supernatant showed anti-inflammatory activity in Wistar rats. The protein fraction presenting such anti-inflammatory activity was purified and biochemically identified. The screening of the fraction responsible for such anti-inflammatory property was performed by evaluating the inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw edema in male Swiss mice. Biochemical analyses of the anti-inflammatory protein used chromatography, carbohydrates quantification of the protein sample, amino acids content analysis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE. Total sugar quantification revealed 32% glycosylation of the protein fraction. Amino acid analysis of such fraction showed a peculiar pattern presenting 29% valine. SDS-PAGE revealed that the protein sample is pure and its molecular weight is about 40kDa. Intravenous injection of the isolated substance into mice significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema. The isolated glycoprotein decreased carrageenan-induced paw edema in a prostaglandin-dependent phase, suggesting an inhibitory effect of the isolated glycoprotein on prostaglandin synthesis.

Enhancement of Echinocandin B Production by a UV- and Microwave-Induced Mutant of Aspergillus nidulans with Precursor- and Biotin-Supplying Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhong-Ce; Peng, Li-Yuan; Zheng, Yu-Guo

2016-08-01

Echinocandin B belongs to lipopeptide antifungal antibiotic bearing five types of direct precursor amino acids including proline, ornithine, tyrosine, threonine, and leucine. The objective of this study is to screen over-producing mutant in order to improve echinocandin B production; a stable mutant Aspergillus nidulans ZJB12073, which can use fructose as optimal carbon source instead of expensive mannitol, was selected from thousand isolates after several cycles of UV and microwave irradiation in turn. The results showed that mutant strain ZJB12073 exhibited 1.9-fold improvement in echinocandin B production to 1656.3 ± 40.3 mg/L when compared with the parent strain. Furthermore, the effects of precursor amino acids and some chemicals on echinocandin B biosynthesis in A. nidulans were investigated, respectively. Tyrosine, leucine, and biotin were selected as key factors to optimize the medium employing uniform design method. The results showed that the optimized fermentation medium provided another 63.1 % increase to 2701.6 ± 31.7 mg/L in final echinocandin B concentration compared to that of unoptimized medium.

Characterization of Aspergillus species associated with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

About 82 triphala powder samples were analyzed for the association of different fungi. Results reveal the predominance of Aspergillus as the major genera with six predominant species namely, A. niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. terreus, A. nidulans and A. amstelodami. Therefore, these six isolated Aspergillus species were ...

Cloning of the DNA repair gene, uvsF, by transformation of Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Oza, K; Käfer, E

1990-06-01

As a first step in the cloning of the DNA repair gene uvsF of Aspergillus nidulans, uvsF pyrG double mutant strains were transformed with a genomic library which carried the complementing Neurospora pyr-4 gene in the vector. Rare pyr+ uvs+ cotransformants were obtained on media lacking pyrimidines, overlayed with MMS (methyl-methane sulfonate) to which uvsF is hypersensitive. Among MMS-resistant transformants, Southerns revealed two types which showed single bands of different sizes when BglII-digested genomic DNA was probed with the vector. Both types produced uvsF- recombinants without vector sequences in homozygous crosses, but only those with the larger band also produced haploid uvs+ progeny. Using BglII-digested genomic DNA to transform Escherichia coli, plasmids of the corresponding two sizes could be rescued. Their inserts had a short internal region in common, giving evidence of rearrangement(s). In secondary transformation of uvsF mutants, only the plasmids with the larger insert showed complementation and these were used to screen Aspergillus libraries. Three types of genomic and two overlapping cDNA clones were identified. The cDNAs hybridized not only to each other, but also to the common region of the rescued plasmids. Therefore, cDNA subclones were used to map the putative uvsF sequences to a short segment in one genomic clone. In Northerns, the complementing large plasmid hybridized to three mRNAs, while the cDNA subclone identified one of these as the probable uvsF message.

Deletion of creB in Aspergillus oryzae increases secreted hydrolytic enzyme activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, A J; Morris, T A; Jin, B; Saint, C P; Kelly, J M

2013-09-01

Aspergillus oryzae has been used in the food and beverage industry for centuries, and industrial strains have been produced by multiple rounds of selection. Targeted gene deletion technology is particularly useful for strain improvement in such strains, particularly when they do not have a well-characterized meiotic cycle. Phenotypes of an Aspergillus nidulans strain null for the CreB deubiquitinating enzyme include effects on growth and repression, including increased activity levels of various enzymes. We show that Aspergillus oryzae contains a functional homologue of the CreB deubiquitinating enzyme and that a null strain shows increased activity levels of industrially important secreted enzymes, including cellulases, xylanases, amylases, and proteases, as well as alleviated inhibition of spore germination on glucose medium. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that the increased levels of enzyme activity in both Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus oryzae are mirrored at the transcript level, indicating transcriptional regulation. We report that Aspergillus oryzae DAR3699, originally isolated from soy fermentation, has a similar phenotype to that of a creB deletion mutant of the RIB40 strain, and it contains a mutation in the creB gene. Collectively, the results for Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus nidulans, Trichoderma reesei, and Penicillium decumbens show that deletion of creB may be broadly useful in diverse fungi for increasing production of a variety of enzymes.

Comprehensive annotation of secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes and gene clusters of Aspergillus nidulans, A. fumigatus, A. niger and A. oryzae

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Secondary metabolite production, a hallmark of filamentous fungi, is an expanding area of research for the Aspergilli. These compounds are potent chemicals, ranging from deadly toxins to therapeutic antibiotics to potential anti-cancer drugs. The genome sequences for multiple Aspergilli have been determined, and provide a wealth of predictive information about secondary metabolite production. Sequence analysis and gene overexpression strategies have enabled the discovery of novel secondary metabolites and the genes involved in their biosynthesis. The Aspergillus Genome Database (AspGD) provides a central repository for gene annotation and protein information for Aspergillus species. These annotations include Gene Ontology (GO) terms, phenotype data, gene names and descriptions and they are crucial for interpreting both small- and large-scale data and for aiding in the design of new experiments that further Aspergillus research. Results We have manually curated Biological Process GO annotations for all genes in AspGD with recorded functions in secondary metabolite production, adding new GO terms that specifically describe each secondary metabolite. We then leveraged these new annotations to predict roles in secondary metabolism for genes lacking experimental characterization. As a starting point for manually annotating Aspergillus secondary metabolite gene clusters, we used antiSMASH (antibiotics and Secondary Metabolite Analysis SHell) and SMURF (Secondary Metabolite Unknown Regions Finder) algorithms to identify potential clusters in A. nidulans, A. fumigatus, A. niger and A. oryzae, which we subsequently refined through manual curation. Conclusions This set of 266 manually curated secondary metabolite gene clusters will facilitate the investigation of novel Aspergillus secondary metabolites. PMID:23617571

Continuous xylanase production with Aspergillus nidulans under pyridoxine limitation using a trickle bed reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Michael; Prade, Rolf A; Segato, Fernando; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Wilkins, Mark R

2015-01-01

A trickle bed reactor (TBR) with recycle was designed and tested using Aspergillus nidulans with a pyridoxine marker and over-expressing/secreting recombinant client xylanase B (XynB). The pyridoxine marker prevented the fungus from synthesizing its own pyridoxine and fungus was unable to grow when no pyridoxine was present in the medium; however, enzyme production was unaffected. Uncontrolled mycelia growth that led to clogging of the TBR was observed when fungus without a pyridoxine marker was used for XynB production. Using the fungus with pyridoxine marker, the TBR was operated continuously for 18 days and achieved a XynB output of 41 U/ml with an influent and effluent flow rate of 0.5 ml/min and a recycle flow rate of 56 ml/min. Production yields in the TBR were 1.4 times greater than a static tray culture and between 1.1 and 67 times greater than yields for SSF enzyme production stated in the literature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Different action of MMS and EMS in UV-sensitive strains of Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Babudri, N; Politi, M G

1989-05-01

The repair of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) damages has been investigated in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. 4 UV-sensitive mutants, namely uvsB, uvsD, uvsF and uvsH have been tested for their sensitivity and mutability to the above-mentioned agents. The results obtained show that: (1) uvsB and uvsD mutants are no more sensitive than the wild-type strain to the lethal action of EMS. In contrast, they are more sensitive to MMS; (2) uvsF and uvsH mutants are more sensitive than the wild type to EMS at 37 degrees C but not at 20 degrees C. However, they are more sensitive than the wild type to MMS at 37 degrees C as well as at 20 degrees C; (3) the mutation frequencies after treatment with either MMS or EMS plotted against survival are not altered in the UV-sensitive strains compared to the wild-type strain. From these data it may be concluded that the repair of lethal lesions induced by ethylating and methylating agents is under the control of different pathways. Furthermore the mutants tested are not involved in the mutagenic process.

Dynamics of actin cables in polarized growth of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna eBergs

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Highly polarized growth of filamentous fungi requires a continuous supply of proteins and lipids to the hyphal tip. This transport is managed by vesicle trafficking via the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons and their associated motor proteins. Particularly, actin cables originating from the hyphal tip are essential for hyphal growth. Although specific marker proteins to visualize actin cables have been developed in filamentous fungi, the exact organization and dynamics of actin cables has remained elusive. Here we visualized actin cables using tropomyosin (TpmA and Lifeact fused to fluorescent proteins in Aspergillus nidulans and studied the dynamics and regulation. GFP tagged TpmA visualized dynamic actin cables formed from the hyphal tip with cycles of elongation and shrinkage. The elongation and shrinkage rates of actin cables were similar and approximately 0.6 μm/s. Comparison of actin markers revealed that high concentrations of Lifeact reduced actin dynamics. Simultaneous visualization of actin cables and microtubules suggests temporally and spatially coordinated polymerization and depolymerization between the two cytoskeletons. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of ordered polarized growth regulated by actin cables and microtubules.

Characterization of the AN6448 cluster in Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jakob Blæsbjerg; Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Khorsand-Jamal, Paiman

2012-01-01

With the aim of mapping the polyketome of A. nidulans we have made a library of strains, which individually overexpress PKS genes from an ectopic locus. A screen of this collection on different media demonstrated that AN6448 leads to production of 3-MOA. An inspection of the DNA sequence surround...

Cremophor EL stimulates mitotic recombination in uvsH//uvsH diploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans

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Cleverson Busso

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Cremophor EL is a solubilizer and emulsifier agent used in the pharmaceutical and foodstuff industries. The solvent is the principal constituent of paclitaxel's clinical formulation vehicle. Since mitotic recombination plays a crucial role in multistep carcinogenesis, the study of the recombinagenic potential of chemical compounds is of the utmost importance. In our research genotoxicity of cremophor EL has been studied by using an uvsH//uvsH diploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans. Since it spends a great part of its cell cycle in the G2period, this fungus is a special screening system for the study of mitotic recombination induced by chemical substances. Homozygotization Indexes (HI for paba and bi markers from heterozygous B211//A837 diploid strain were determined for the evaluation of the recombinagenic effect of cremophor EL. It has been shown that cremophor EL induces increase in mitotic crossing-over events at nontoxic concentrations (0.05 and 0.075% v/v.Cremofor EL (CEL é um solubilizante e emulsificante amplamente utilizado nas indústrias farmacêuticas e de gêneros alimentícios. É o principal veículo empregado nas formulações clínicas do antineoplásico paclitaxel. Considerando-se que a recombinação mitótica desempenha importante função no processo de carcinogênese, o estudo de substâncias químicas com potencial recombinagênico assume importância crucial, no sentido de se detectar aquelas que eventualmente possam atuar como promotoras de neoplasias. A genotoxicidade do cremofor EL foi estudada no presente trabalho, utilizando-se uma linhagem diplóide uvsH//uvsH de Aspergillus nidulans. Neste fungo as células vegetativas comumente repousam no período G2 do ciclo celular, facilitando a ocorrência da recombinação mitótica. O efeito recombinagênico do CEL foi avaliado através da determinação dos Índices de Homozigotização para os marcadores nutricionais paba e bi do diplóide heterozigoto B211//A837. Os

Application of a new dual localization-affinity purification tag reveals novel aspects of protein kinase biology in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

De Souza, Colin P; Hashmi, Shahr B; Osmani, Aysha H; Osmani, Stephen A

2014-01-01

Filamentous fungi occupy critical environmental niches and have numerous beneficial industrial applications but devastating effects as pathogens and agents of food spoilage. As regulators of essentially all biological processes protein kinases have been intensively studied but how they regulate the often unique biology of filamentous fungi is not completely understood. Significant understanding of filamentous fungal biology has come from the study of the model organism Aspergillus nidulans using a combination of molecular genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and genomic approaches. Here we describe dual localization-affinity purification (DLAP) tags enabling endogenous N or C-terminal protein tagging for localization and biochemical studies in A. nidulans. To establish DLAP tag utility we endogenously tagged 17 protein kinases for analysis by live cell imaging and affinity purification. Proteomic analysis of purifications by mass spectrometry confirmed association of the CotA and NimXCdk1 kinases with known binding partners and verified a predicted interaction of the SldABub1/R1 spindle assembly checkpoint kinase with SldBBub3. We demonstrate that the single TOR kinase of A. nidulans locates to vacuoles and vesicles, suggesting that the function of endomembranes as major TOR cellular hubs is conserved in filamentous fungi. Comparative analysis revealed 7 kinases with mitotic specific locations including An-Cdc7 which unexpectedly located to mitotic spindle pole bodies (SPBs), the first such localization described for this family of DNA replication kinases. We show that the SepH septation kinase locates to SPBs specifically in the basal region of apical cells in a biphasic manner during mitosis and again during septation. This results in gradients of SepH between G1 SPBs which shift along hyphae as each septum forms. We propose that SepH regulates the septation initiation network (SIN) specifically at SPBs in the basal region of G1 cells and that localized gradients

Aspergillus nidulans Synthesize Insect Juvenile Hormones upon Expression of a Heterologous Regulatory Protein and in Response to Grazing by Drosophila melanogaster Larvae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Morten Thrane; Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Rohlfs, Marko

2013-01-01

, indicating that fungal secondary metabolites remain an underexplored resource of bioactive molecules. In this study, we combine heterologous expression of regulatory proteins in Aspergillus nidulans with systematic variation of growth conditions and observe induced synthesis of insect juvenile hormone......-III and methyl farnesoate. Both compounds are sesquiterpenes belonging to the juvenile hormone class. Juvenile hormones regulate developmental and metabolic processes in insects and crustaceans, but have not previously been reported as fungal metabolites. We found that feeding by Drosophila melanogaster larvae...

Allergens/Antigens, toxins and polyketides of important Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhetariya, Preetida J; Madan, Taruna; Basir, Seemi Farhat; Varma, Anupam; Usha, Sarma P

2011-04-01

The medical, agricultural and biotechnological importance of the primitive eukaryotic microorganisms, the Fungi was recognized way back in 1920. Among various groups of fungi, the Aspergillus species are studied in great detail using advances in genomics and proteomics to unravel biological and molecular mechanisms in these fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus terreus are some of the important species relevant to human, agricultural and biotechnological applications. The potential of Aspergillus species to produce highly diversified complex biomolecules such as multifunctional proteins (allergens, antigens, enzymes) and polyketides is fascinating and demands greater insight into the understanding of these fungal species for application to human health. Recently a regulator gene for secondary metabolites, LaeA has been identified. Gene mining based on LaeA has facilitated new metabolites with antimicrobial activity such as emericellamides and antitumor activity such as terrequinone A from A. nidulans. Immunoproteomic approach was reported for identification of few novel allergens for A. fumigatus. In this context, the review is focused on recent developments in allergens, antigens, structural and functional diversity of the polyketide synthases that produce polyketides of pharmaceutical and biological importance. Possible antifungal drug targets for development of effective antifungal drugs and new strategies for development of molecular diagnostics are considered.

Expression of Aspergillus nidulans phy Gene in Nicotiana benthamiana Produces Active Phytase with Broad Specificities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tae-Kyun Oh

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A full-length phytase gene (phy of Aspergillus nidulans was amplified from the cDNA library by polymerase chain reaction (PCR, and it was introduced into a bacterial expression vector, pET-28a. The recombinant protein (rPhy-E, 56 kDa was overexpressed in the insoluble fraction of Escherichia coli culture, purified by Ni-NTA resin under denaturing conditions and injected into rats as an immunogen. To express A. nidulans phytase in a plant, the full-length of phy was cloned into a plant expression binary vector, pPZP212. The resultant construct was tested for its transient expression by Agrobacterium-infiltration into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Compared with a control, the agro-infiltrated leaf tissues showed the presence of phy mRNA and its high expression level in N. benthamiana. The recombinant phytase (rPhy-P, 62 kDa was strongly reacted with the polyclonal antibody against the nonglycosylated rPhy-E. The rPhy-P showed glycosylation, two pH optima (pH 4.5 and pH 5.5, an optimum temperature at 45~55 °C, thermostability and broad substrate specificities. After deglycosylation by peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase-F, the rPhy-P significantly lost the phytase activity and retained 1/9 of the original activity after 10 min of incubation at 45 °C. Therefore, the deglycosylation caused a significant reduction in enzyme thermostability. In animal experiments, oral administration of the rPhy-P at 1500 U/kg body weight/day for seven days caused a significant reduction of phosphorus excretion by 16% in rat feces. Besides, the rPhy-P did not result in any toxicological changes and clinical signs.

Expression of Aspergillus nidulans phy Gene in Nicotiana benthamiana Produces Active Phytase with Broad Specificities

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Tae-Kyun; Oh, Sung; Kim, Seongdae; Park, Jae Sung; Vinod, Nagarajan; Jang, Kyung Min; Kim, Sei Chang; Choi, Chang Won; Ko, Suk-Min; Jeong, Dong Kee; Udayakumar, Rajangam

2014-01-01

A full-length phytase gene (phy) of Aspergillus nidulans was amplified from the cDNA library by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and it was introduced into a bacterial expression vector, pET-28a. The recombinant protein (rPhy-E, 56 kDa) was overexpressed in the insoluble fraction of Escherichia coli culture, purified by Ni-NTA resin under denaturing conditions and injected into rats as an immunogen. To express A. nidulans phytase in a plant, the full-length of phy was cloned into a plant expression binary vector, pPZP212. The resultant construct was tested for its transient expression by Agrobacterium-infiltration into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Compared with a control, the agro-infiltrated leaf tissues showed the presence of phy mRNA and its high expression level in N. benthamiana. The recombinant phytase (rPhy-P, 62 kDa) was strongly reacted with the polyclonal antibody against the nonglycosylated rPhy-E. The rPhy-P showed glycosylation, two pH optima (pH 4.5 and pH 5.5), an optimum temperature at 45~55 °C, thermostability and broad substrate specificities. After deglycosylation by peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase-F), the rPhy-P significantly lost the phytase activity and retained 1/9 of the original activity after 10 min of incubation at 45 °C. Therefore, the deglycosylation caused a significant reduction in enzyme thermostability. In animal experiments, oral administration of the rPhy-P at 1500 U/kg body weight/day for seven days caused a significant reduction of phosphorus excretion by 16% in rat feces. Besides, the rPhy-P did not result in any toxicological changes and clinical signs. PMID:25192284

A trispecies Aspergillus microarray: Comparative transcriptomics of three Aspergillus species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikael Rørdam; Vongsangnak, Wanwipa; Panagiotou, Gianni

2008-01-01

The full-genome sequencing of the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus oryzae has opened possibilities for studying the cellular physiology of these fungi on a systemic level. As a tool to explore this, we are making available an Affymetrix GeneChip developed...... data identified 23 genes to be a conserved response across Aspergillus sp., including the xylose transcriptional activator XlnR. A promoter analysis of the up-regulated genes in all three species indicates the conserved XInR-binding site to be 5'-GGNTAAA-3'. The composition of the conserved gene......-set suggests that xylose acts as a molecule, indicating the presence of complex carbohydrates such as hemicellulose, and triggers an array of degrading enzymes. With this case example, we present a validated tool for transcriptome analysis of three Aspergillus species and a methodology for conducting cross...

Anaplerotic metabolism of Aspergillus nidulans and its effect on biomass synthesis in carbon limited chemostats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bushell, M E; Bull, A T

1981-01-01

Anaplerotic fixation of carbon dioxide by the fungus Aspergillus nidulans when grown under carbon-limited conditions was mediated by pyruvate carboxylase and a phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP)-metabolising enzyme which has been tentatively designated as PEP carboxylase. The activities of both enzymes were growth rate dependent and measurements of H/sup 14/CO/sub 3/ incorporation by growing mycelium indicated that they were responsible for almost all the assimilated carbon dioxide. In carbon-limited chemostats, the maximum rate of bicarbonate assimilation occurred at a dilution rate of 0.11 h/sup -1/, equivalent to 1/2 ..mu..sub(max). The affinity of the pyruvate carboxylase for bicarbonate was twice of the PEP carboxylase under the conditions of growth used. The effect of changing the bicarbonate concentration in carbon-limited chemostats was substantial: increasing the HCO/sup -//sub 3/ concentration over the range 0.7-2.8 mM enhanced biomass synthesis by 22%. Over-shoots in bicarbonate assimilation and carboxylase activity occurred when steady state chemostat cultures were subjected to a step down in dilution rate.

Aspergillus fumigatus and Related Species

Science.gov (United States)

Sugui, Janyce A.; Kwon-Chung, Kyung J.; Juvvadi, Praveen R.; Latgé, Jean-Paul; Steinbach, William J.

2015-01-01

The genus Aspergillus contains etiologic agents of aspergillosis. The clinical manifestations of the disease range from allergic reaction to invasive pulmonary infection. Among the pathogenic aspergilli, Aspergillus fumigatus is most ubiquitous in the environment and is the major cause of the disease, followed by Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, and several species in the section Fumigati that morphologically resemble A. fumigatus. Patients that are at risk for acquiring aspergillosis are those with an altered immune system. Early diagnosis, species identification, and adequate antifungal therapy are key elements for treatment of the disease, especially in cases of pulmonary invasive aspergillosis that often advance very rapidly. Incorporating knowledge of the basic biology of Aspergillus species to that of the diseases that they cause is fundamental for further progress in the field. PMID:25377144

Multiple nucleobase transporters contribute to boscalid sensitivity in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Kalampokis, Ioannis F; Kapetanakis, George C; Aliferis, Konstantinos A; Diallinas, George

2018-03-01

The development of fungicide-resistant fungal populations represents a major challenge for the agrochemical and agri-food sectors, which threatens food supply and security. The issue becomes complex for fungi that cause quantitative and qualitative losses due to mycotoxin biosynthesis. Nonetheless, currently, the molecular details underlying fungicide action and fungal resistance mechanisms are partially known. Here, we have investigated whether plasma membrane transporters contribute to specific fungicide uptake in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Independent physiological tests and toxicity screening of selected fungicides provided evidence that the antifungal activity of Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors (SDHIs) is associated with the expression of several nucleobase-related transporters. In particular, it was shown that a strain genetically inactivated in all seven nucleobase-related transporters is resistant to the fungicide boscalid, whereas none of the single null mutants exhibited significant resistance level. By constructing and testing isogenic strains that over-express each one of the seven transporters, we confirmed that five of them, namely, UapC, AzgA, FycB, CntA, and FurA, contribute to boscalid uptake. Additionally, by employing metabolomics we have examined the effect of boscalid on the metabolism of isogenic strains expressing or genetically lacking boscalid-related nucleobase transporters. The results confirmed the involvement of specific nucleobase transporters in fungicide uptake, leading to the discovery of corresponding metabolites-biomarkers. This work is the first report on the involvement of specific transporters in fungicide uptake and toxicity and their impact on fungal metabolism regulation and results might be further exploited towards the deeper understanding of fungal resistance to fungicides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cloning and characterisation of the sagA gene of Aspergillus nidulans: a gene which affects sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, G W; Hooley, P; Farrington, S M; Shawcross, S G; Iwanejko, L A; Strike, P

1999-03-01

Mutations within the sagA gene of Aspergillus nidulans cause sensitisation to DNA-damaging chemicals but have no effect upon spontaneous or damage-induced mutation frequency. The sagA gene was cloned on a 19-kb cosmid-derived fragment by functional complementation of a sagA1 sagC3 double mutant; subsequently, a fragment of the gene was also isolated on a 3.9-kb genomic subclone. Initial sequencing of a small section of the 19-kb fragment allowed the design of primers that were subsequently used in RTPCR experiments to show that this DNA is transcribed. A 277-bp fragment derived from the transcribed region was used to screen an A. nidulans cDNA library, resulting in the isolation of a 1.4-kb partial cDNA clone which had sequence overlap with the genomic sagA fragment. This partial cDNA was incomplete but appeared to contain the whole coding region of sagA. The sagA1 mutant was shown to possess two mutations; a G-T transversion and a+ 1 frameshift due to insertion of a T. causing disruption to the C-terminal region of the SagA protein. Translation of the sagA cDNA predicts a protein of 378 amino acids, which has homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae End3 protein and also to certain mammalian proteins capable of causing cell transformation.

Expression and characterization of an endo-1,4-β-galactanase from Emericella nidulans in Pichia pastoris for enzymatic design of potentially prebiotic oligosaccharides from potato galactans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michalak, Malwina; Thomassen, Lise Vestergaard; Roytio, Henna

2012-01-01

was to use potato β-1,4-galactan and the SPPP as substrates for enzymatic production of potentially prebiotic compounds of lower and narrower molecular weight. A novel endo-1,4-β-galactanase from Emericella nidulans (anamorph Aspergillus nidulans), GH family 53, was produced in a recombinant Pichia pastoris...

Heterologous reconstitution of the intact geodin gene cluster in Aspergillus nidulans through a simple and versatile PCR based approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten Thrane Nielsen

Full Text Available Fungal natural products are a rich resource for bioactive molecules. To fully exploit this potential it is necessary to link genes to metabolites. Genetic information for numerous putative biosynthetic pathways has become available in recent years through genome sequencing. However, the lack of solid methodology for genetic manipulation of most species severely hampers pathway characterization. Here we present a simple PCR based approach for heterologous reconstitution of intact gene clusters. Specifically, the putative gene cluster responsible for geodin production from Aspergillus terreus was transferred in a two step procedure to an expression platform in A. nidulans. The individual cluster fragments were generated by PCR and assembled via efficient USER fusion prior to transformation and integration via re-iterative gene targeting. A total of 13 open reading frames contained in 25 kb of DNA were successfully transferred between the two species enabling geodin synthesis in A. nidulans. Subsequently, functions of three genes in the cluster were validated by genetic and chemical analyses. Specifically, ATEG_08451 (gedC encodes a polyketide synthase, ATEG_08453 (gedR encodes a transcription factor responsible for activation of the geodin gene cluster and ATEG_08460 (gedL encodes a halogenase that catalyzes conversion of sulochrin to dihydrogeodin. We expect that our approach for transferring intact biosynthetic pathways to a fungus with a well developed genetic toolbox will be instrumental in characterizing the many exciting pathways for secondary metabolite production that are currently being uncovered by the fungal genome sequencing projects.

PCR-RFLP on β-tubulin gene for rapid identification of the most clinically important species of Aspergillus.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasri, Tuba; Hedayati, Mohammad Taghi; Abastabar, Mahdi; Pasqualotto, Alessandro C; Armaki, Mojtaba Taghizadeh; Hoseinnejad, Akbar; Nabili, Mojtaba

2015-10-01

Aspergillus species are important agents of life-threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. Proper speciation in the Aspergilli has been justified based on varied fungal virulence, clinical presentations, and antifungal resistance. Accurate identification of Aspergillus species usually relies on fungal DNA sequencing but this requires expensive equipment that is not available in most clinical laboratories. We developed and validated a discriminative low-cost PCR-based test to discriminate Aspergillus isolates at the species level. The Beta tubulin gene of various reference strains of Aspergillus species was amplified using the universal fungal primers Bt2a and Bt2b. The PCR products were subjected to digestion with a single restriction enzyme AlwI. All Aspergillus isolates were subjected to DNA sequencing for final species characterization. The PCR-RFLP test generated unique patterns for six clinically important Aspergillus species, including Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus clavatus and Aspergillus nidulans. The one-enzyme PCR-RFLP on Beta tubulin gene designed in this study is a low-cost tool for the reliable and rapid differentiation of the clinically important Aspergillus species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glucose-mediated repression of autolysis and conidiogenesis in Emericella nidulans.

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Emri, Tamás; Molnár, Zsolt; Veres, Tünde; Pusztahelyi, Tünde; Dudás, Gábor; Pócsi, István

2006-10-01

Glucose-mediated repression of autolysis and sporulation was studied in submerged Emericellanidulans (anam. Aspergillus nidulans) cultures. Null mutation of the creA gene, which encodes the major carbon catabolite repressor CreA in E. nidulans, resulted in a hyperautolytic phenotype characterized by increased extracellular hydrolase production and dry cell mass declination. Interestingly, glucose, as well as the glucose antimetabolite 2-deoxy-d-glucose, repressed autolysis and sporulation in both the control and the creA null mutant strains suggesting that these processes were also subjected to CreA-independent carbon regulation. For example, the glucose-mediated, but CreA-independent, repression of the sporulation transcription factor BrlA was likely to contribute to the negative regulation of conidiogenesis by glucose. Although CreA played a prominent role in the regulation of autolysis via the repression of genes encoding important autolytic hydrolases like ChiB chitinase and PrtA protease the age-related production of the chitinase activity was also negatively affected by the down-regulation of brlA expression. However, neither CreA-dependent nor CreA-independent elements of carbon regulation affected the initiation and regulation of cell death in E. nidulans under carbon starvation.

Blocking hexose entry into glycolysis activates alternative metabolic conversion of these sugars and upregulates pentose metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khosravi, Claire; Battaglia, Evy; Kun, Roland S.; Dalhuijsen, Sacha; Visser, Jaap; Aguilar-Pontes, Maria V.; Zhou, Miamiao; Heyman, Heino M.; Kim, Young-Mo; Baker, Scott E.; de Vries, Ronald P.

2018-03-22

Background: Plant biomass is the most abundant carbon source for many fungal species. In the biobased industry fungi are used to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes to degrade agricultural waste biomass. Here we evaluated if it would be possible to create an Aspergillus nidulans strain that releases but does not metabolize hexoses from plant biomass. For this purpose, metabolic mutants were generated that were impaired in glycolysis, by using hexokinase (hxkA) and glucokinase (glkA) negative strains. To prevent repression of enzyme production due to the hexose accumulation, strains were generated that combined these mutations with a deletion in creA, the repressor involved in regulating preferential use of different carbon catabolic pathways. Results: Phenotypic analysis revealed reduced growth for the hxkA1 glkA4 mutant on wheat bran. However, hexoses did not accumulate during growth of the mutants on wheat bran, suggesting that glucose metabolism is re-routed towards alternative carbon catabolic pathways. The creAΔ4 mutation in combination with preventing initial phosphorylation in glycolysis resulted in better growth than the hxkA/glkA mutant and an increased expression of pentose catabolic and pentose phosphate pathway genes. This indicates that the reduced ability to use hexoses as carbon sources created a shift towards the pentose fraction of wheat bran as a major carbon source to support growth. Conclusion: Blocking the direct entry of hexoses to glycolysis activates alternative metabolic conversion of these sugars in A. nidulans during growth on plant biomass, but also upregulates conversion of other sugars, such as pentoses.

Genome-scale analysis of the high-efficient protein secretion system of Aspergillus oryzae.

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Liu, Lifang; Feizi, Amir; Österlund, Tobias; Hjort, Carsten; Nielsen, Jens

2014-06-24

The koji mold, Aspergillus oryzae is widely used for the production of industrial enzymes due to its particularly high protein secretion capacity and ability to perform post-translational modifications. However, systemic analysis of its secretion system is lacking, generally due to the poorly annotated proteome. Here we defined a functional protein secretory component list of A. oryzae using a previously reported secretory model of S. cerevisiae as scaffold. Additional secretory components were obtained by blast search with the functional components reported in other closely related fungal species such as Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus niger. To evaluate the defined component list, we performed transcriptome analysis on three α-amylase over-producing strains with varying levels of secretion capacities. Specifically, secretory components involved in the ER-associated processes (including components involved in the regulation of transport between ER and Golgi) were significantly up-regulated, with many of them never been identified for A. oryzae before. Furthermore, we defined a complete list of the putative A. oryzae secretome and monitored how it was affected by overproducing amylase. In combination with the transcriptome data, the most complete secretory component list and the putative secretome, we improved the systemic understanding of the secretory machinery of A. oryzae in response to high levels of protein secretion. The roles of many newly predicted secretory components were experimentally validated and the enriched component list provides a better platform for driving more mechanistic studies of the protein secretory pathway in this industrially important fungus.

A combined genetic and multi medium approach revels new secondary metabolites in Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Nielsen, Morten Thrane; Frisvad, Jens Christian

Secondary metabolites are a diverse group of metabolites which serve as important natural sources of drugs for treating diseases. The availability of full genome sequences of several filamentous fungi has revealed a large genetic potential for production of secondary metabolites that are not obse......Secondary metabolites are a diverse group of metabolites which serve as important natural sources of drugs for treating diseases. The availability of full genome sequences of several filamentous fungi has revealed a large genetic potential for production of secondary metabolites...... that are not observed under standard laboratory conditions. Genetic approaches have proven a fruitfull strategy towards the production and identification of these unknown metabolites. Examples include deletion of the cclA1 and laeA2 genes in A. nidulans which affects the expression of secondary metabolites including...... monodictyphenone and terrequinone A respectively. We have deleted the cclA gene in A. nidulans and grown the mutants on several complex media to provoke the production of secondary metabolites. This resulted in the production of several metabolites not previously reported from A. nidulans. Some of these have been...

GalX regulates the d-galactose oxido-reductive pathway in Aspergillus niger

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gruben, B.S.; Zhou, M.; de Vries, R.P.

2012-01-01

Galactose catabolism in Aspergillus nidulans is regulated by at least two regulators, GalR and GalX. In Aspergillus niger only GalX is present, and its role in d-galactose catabolism in this fungus was investigated. Phenotypic and gene expression analysis of a wild type and a galX disruptant

Improvement of Aspergillus nidulans penicillin production by targeting AcvA to peroxisomes.

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Herr, Andreas; Fischer, Reinhard

2014-09-01

Aspergillus nidulans is able to synthesize penicillin and serves as a model to study the regulation of its biosynthesis. Only three enzymes are required to form the beta lactam ring tripeptide, which is comprised of l-cysteine, l-valine and l-aminoadipic acid. Whereas two enzymes, AcvA and IpnA localize to the cytoplasm, AatA resides in peroxisomes. Here, we tested a novel strategy to improve penicillin production, namely the change of the residence of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis. We tested if targeting of AcvA or IpnA (or both) to peroxisomes would increase the penicillin yield. Indeed, AcvA peroxisomal targeting led to a 3.2-fold increase. In contrast, targeting IpnA to peroxisomes caused a complete loss of penicillin production. Overexpression of acvA, ipnA or aatA resulted in 1.4, 2.8 and 3.1-fold more penicillin, respectively in comparison to wildtype. Simultaneous overexpression of all three enzymes resulted even in 6-fold more penicillin. Combination of acvA peroxisomal targeting and overexpression of the gene led to 5-fold increase of the penicillin titer. At last, the number of peroxisomes was increased through overexpression of pexK. A strain with the double number of peroxisomes produced 2.3 times more penicillin. These results show that penicillin production can be triggered at several levels of regulation, one of which is the subcellular localization of the enzymes. Copyright © 2014 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The phosphoproteome of Aspergillus nidulans reveals functional association with cellular processes involved in morphology and secretion.

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Ramsubramaniam, Nikhil; Harris, Steven D; Marten, Mark R

2014-11-01

We describe the first phosphoproteome of the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Phosphopeptides were enriched using titanium dioxide, separated using a convenient ultra-long reverse phase gradient, and identified using a "high-high" strategy (high mass accuracy on the parent and fragment ions) with higher-energy collisional dissociation. Using this approach 1801 phosphosites, from 1637 unique phosphopeptides, were identified. Functional classification revealed phosphoproteins were overrepresented under GO categories related to fungal morphogenesis: "sites of polar growth," "vesicle mediated transport," and "cytoskeleton organization." In these same GO categories, kinase-substrate analysis of phosphoproteins revealed the majority were target substrates of CDK and CK2 kinase families, indicating these kinase families play a prominent role in fungal morphogenesis. Kinase-substrate analysis also identified 57 substrates for kinases known to regulate secretion of hydrolytic enzymes (e.g. PkaA, SchA, and An-Snf1). Altogether this data will serve as a benchmark that can be used to elucidate regulatory networks functionally associated with fungal morphogenesis and secretion. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000715 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000715). © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterisation of Aspergillus niger prolyl aminopeptidase

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basten, E.J.W.; Moers, A.P.H.A.; Ooyen, van A.J.J.; Schaap, P.J.

2005-01-01

We have cloned a gene (papA) that encodes a prolyl aminopeptidase from Aspergillus niger. Homologous genes are present in the genomes of the Eurotiales A. nidulans, A. fumigatus and Talaromyces emersonii, but the gene is not present in the genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cell extracts

Prevention of melanin formation during aryl alcohol oxidase production under growth-limited conditions using an Aspergillus nidulans cell factory.

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Pardo-Planas, Oscar; Prade, Rolf A; Müller, Michael; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Wilkins, Mark R

2017-11-01

An Aspergillus nidulans cell factory was genetically engineered to produce an aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO). The cell factory initiated production of melanin when growth-limited conditions were established using stationary plates and shaken flasks. This phenomenon was more pronounced when the strain was cultured in a trickle bed reactor (TBR). This study investigated different approaches to reduce melanin formation in fungal mycelia and liquid medium in order to increase the enzyme production yield. Removal of copper from the medium recipe reduced melanin formation in agar cultures and increased enzyme activities by 48% in agitated liquid cultures. Copper has been reported as a key element for tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for melanin production. Ascorbic acid (0.44g/L) stopped melanin accumulation, did not affect growth parameters and resulted in AAO activity that was more than two-fold greater than a control treatment with no ascorbic acid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

X-ray induced degradation of DNA in Aspergillus nidulans cells comparative analysis of UV- and X-ray induced DNA degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinchenko, V.V.; Babykin, M.M.

1980-01-01

Irradiating cells of Aspergillus nidulans of the wild type in the logarythmical growth phase with X-rays leads to a certain retention in DNA synthesis. This period is characterized by an insignificant fermentative DNA degradation connected with a process of its repair. There is no direct dependence between the radiation dose and the level of DNA degradation. The investigation of X-ray induced DNA degradation in a number of UVS-mutants permits to show the existence of two branches of DNA degradation - dependent and independent of the exogenic energy source. The dependence of DNA degradation on albumen synthesis prior to irradiation and after it, is demonstrated. It is supposed that the level of X-ray induced DNA degradation is determined by two albumen systems, one of which initiates degradation and the other terminates it. The comparative analysis of UV and X-ray induced DNA degradation is carried out

Dose effect of the uvsA+ gene product in duplication strains of Aspergillus nidulans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majerfeld, I.H.; Roper, J.A.

1978-01-01

Strains of Aspergillus nidulans which carry a particular segment of chromosome I in duplicate - one segment in normal position, the other translocated to chromosome II - are more resistant to uv light than are strains with a balanced haploid genome. A double dose of the uvsA + allele, carried on the duplicate segment, determines this enhanced resistance; this is shown by the descending order of resistance of duplication haploids uvsA + /uvsA + , uvsA1/uvsA + and uvsA1/uvsA1. An unbalanced diploid with three doses of the uvsA + allele also shows greater resistance than a balanced uvsA + //uvsA + diploid. However, in balanced diploids the uvsA1 allele appears to be completely recessive; uvsA + //uvsA + and uvsA + //uvsA1 diploids produce indistinguishable survival curves after uv irradiation. Thus, the uvsA + gene product is not rate-limiting in repair processes in strains with a balanced genome. The rate-limiting effect observed in these unbalanced strains presumably reflects an interaction of the uvsA + product and other functions determined by the rest of the genome. Duplication haploids and normal haploids lose photorepairable lesions at similar rates. This observation may be interpreted to indicate that differences in survival are not due to differences in the efficiency of excision of uv-induced pyrimidime dimers

An aureobasidin A resistance gene isolated from Aspergillus is a homolog of yeast AUR1, a gene responsible for inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) synthase activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroda, M; Hashida-Okado, T; Yasumoto, R; Gomi, K; Kato, I; Takesako, K

1999-03-01

The AUR1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutations in which confer resistance to the antibiotic aureobasidin A, is necessary for inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) synthase activity. We report the molecular cloning and characterization of the Aspergillus nidulans aurA gene, which is homologous to AUR1. A single point mutation in the aurA gene of A. nidulans confers a high level of resistance to aureobasidin A. The A. nidulans aurA gene was used to identify its homologs in other Aspergillus species, including A. fumigatus, A. niger, and A. oryzae. The deduced amino acid sequence of an aurA homolog from the pathogenic fungus A. fumigatus showed 87% identity to that of A. nidulans. The AurA proteins of A. nidulans and A. fumigatus shared common characteristics in primary structure, including sequence, hydropathy profile, and N-glycosylation sites, with their S. cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Candida albicans counterparts. These results suggest that the aureobasidin resistance gene is conserved evolutionarily in various fungi.

Genetic analysis of conidiation regulatory pathways in koji-mold Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Masahiro; Tokuoka, Masafumi; Jin, Feng Jie; Takahashi, Tadashi; Koyama, Yasuji

2010-01-01

Conidia of koji-mold Aspergillus oryzae are often used as starters in the fermented food industry. However, little is known about conidiation regulation in A. oryzae. To improve the productivity of conidia in A. oryzae, it is necessary to understand conidiation regulation in the strain. Therefore, we analyzed the conidiation regulatory system in A. oryzae using 10 kinds of conidiation regulatory gene disruptants. The phenotypes of AorfluG, AorflbA, AorflbB, AorflbC, AorflbD, AorflbE, AorbrlA, AorabaA, AorwetA, and AorfadA mutants are almost identical to those of the corresponding mutants in Aspergillus nidulans. The results indicated that the functions of conidiation regulatory genes are almost conserved between A. oryzae and A. nidulans. However, the severely reduced conidiation phenotype of the AorfluG disruptant in A. oryzae differs from the phenotype of the corresponding mutant in Aspergillus fumigatus in air-exposed culture conditions. These results suggest that A. oryzae, A. nidulans, and A. fumigatus have a G-protein signaling pathway and brlA orthologs in common, and only A. fumigatus has particular brlA activation pathways that are independent of the fluG ortholog. Furthermore, the analyses of AorflbA disruptant and AorfadA dominant-active mutants implicated that AorFadA-mediated G-protein signaling suppresses vegetative growth of A. oryzae.

The Neurospora rca-1 gene complements an Aspergillus flbD sporulation mutant but has no identifiable role in Neurospora sporulation.

OpenAIRE

Shen, W C; Wieser, J; Adams, T H; Ebbole, D J

1998-01-01

The Aspergillus nidulans flbD gene encodes a protein with a Myb-like DNA-binding domain that is proposed to act in concert with other developmental regulators to control initiation of conidiophore development. We have identified a Neurospora crassa gene called rca-1 (regulator of conidiation in Aspergillus) based on its sequence similarity to flbD. We found that N. crassa rca-1 can complement the conidiation defect of an A. nidulans flbD mutant and that induced expression of rca-1 caused coni...

Analysis of mitotic nondisjunction with Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Morpurgo, G; Bellincampi, D; Gualandi, G; Baldinelli, L; Crescenzi, O S

1979-08-01

Two methods to detect the induction of nondisjunction with a diploid stable strain of A. nidulans are described. The first method gives only qualitative results, while the second method is quantitative and dose-effect curves can be done. Some physiological parameters affecting the induction of nondisjunction can also be studied, because either quiescent or germinating conidia can be treated with the drug under test. Some agents inducing nondisjunction were also tested for the induction of point mutation and somatic crossing-over with these comparative analysis. Two classes of agents inducing nondisjunction may be detected: the first causes all possible types of genetic damage either on quiescent or germinating conidia (a representative of this class is MMS) and acts presumably on the DNA level; the second acts only on germinating conidia and does not produce point mutation or crossing over. A representative of this class is Benomyl which interferes with spindle microtubules. A list of compounds tests is included.

Proteomic alterations induced by ionic liquids in Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Isabel; Hartmann, Diego O; Alves, Paula C; Planchon, Sébastien; Renaut, Jenny; Leitão, M Cristina; Rebelo, Luís P N; Silva Pereira, Cristina

2013-12-06

This study constitutes the first attempt to understand at the proteomic level the fungal response to ionic liquid stress. Ascomycota are able to grow in media supplemented with high concentrations of an ionic liquid, which, in turn, lead to major alterations in the fungal metabolic footprint. Herein, we analysed the differential accumulation of mycelial proteins in Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa after their exposure to two of the most commonly used ionic liquids: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride or cholinium chloride. Data obtained showed that numerous stress-responsive proteins (e.g. anti-ROS defence proteins) as well as several critical biological processes and/or pathways were affected by either ionic liquid. Amongst other changes, these compounds altered developmental programmes in both fungi (e.g. promoting the development of Hülle cells or conidiation) and led to accumulation of osmolytes, some of which may play an important role in multiple stress responses. In particular, in N. crassa, both ionic liquids increased the levels of proteins which are likely involved in the biosynthesis of unusual metabolites. These data potentially open new perspectives on ionic liquid research, furthering their conscious design and their use to trigger production of targeted metabolites. The present study emphasises the importance of understanding ionic liquid's stress responses, crucial to further their safe large-scale usage. Knowledge of the alterations prompted at a cellular and biochemical level gives also fresh perspectives on how to employ these "novel" compounds to manipulate proteins or pathways of biotechnological value. The results presented here provide meaningful insights into the understanding of fungi stress and adaptation responses to anthropogenic chemicals used in industry. © 2013.

A genomics based discovery of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus ustus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borui Pi

Full Text Available Secondary metabolites (SMs produced by Aspergillus have been extensively studied for their crucial roles in human health, medicine and industrial production. However, the resulting information is almost exclusively derived from a few model organisms, including A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, but little is known about rare pathogens. In this study, we performed a genomics based discovery of SM biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus ustus, a rare human pathogen. A total of 52 gene clusters were identified in the draft genome of A. ustus 3.3904, such as the sterigmatocystin biosynthesis pathway that was commonly found in Aspergillus species. In addition, several SM biosynthetic gene clusters were firstly identified in Aspergillus that were possibly acquired by horizontal gene transfer, including the vrt cluster that is responsible for viridicatumtoxin production. Comparative genomics revealed that A. ustus shared the largest number of SM biosynthetic gene clusters with A. nidulans, but much fewer with other Aspergilli like A. niger and A. oryzae. These findings would help to understand the diversity and evolution of SM biosynthesis pathways in genus Aspergillus, and we hope they will also promote the development of fungal identification methodology in clinic.

A Genomics Based Discovery of Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Aspergillus ustus

Science.gov (United States)

Pi, Borui; Yu, Dongliang; Dai, Fangwei; Song, Xiaoming; Zhu, Congyi; Li, Hongye; Yu, Yunsong

2015-01-01

Secondary metabolites (SMs) produced by Aspergillus have been extensively studied for their crucial roles in human health, medicine and industrial production. However, the resulting information is almost exclusively derived from a few model organisms, including A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, but little is known about rare pathogens. In this study, we performed a genomics based discovery of SM biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus ustus, a rare human pathogen. A total of 52 gene clusters were identified in the draft genome of A. ustus 3.3904, such as the sterigmatocystin biosynthesis pathway that was commonly found in Aspergillus species. In addition, several SM biosynthetic gene clusters were firstly identified in Aspergillus that were possibly acquired by horizontal gene transfer, including the vrt cluster that is responsible for viridicatumtoxin production. Comparative genomics revealed that A. ustus shared the largest number of SM biosynthetic gene clusters with A. nidulans, but much fewer with other Aspergilli like A. niger and A. oryzae. These findings would help to understand the diversity and evolution of SM biosynthesis pathways in genus Aspergillus, and we hope they will also promote the development of fungal identification methodology in clinic. PMID:25706180

Inativação fotodinâmica de conídios dos fungos Aspergillus nidulans, Colletotrichum acutatum e Colletotrichum gloeosporioides com fotossensibilizadores fenotiazínicos e cumarínicos

OpenAIRE

Henrique Dantas de Menezes

2012-01-01

O tratamento fotodinâmico antifúngico (APDT) é um método promissor que combina um fotossensibilizador não tóxico (FS), oxigênio e luz visível para provocar a morte seletiva das células microbianas. O desenvolvimento do APDT depende da identificação de FS que sejam eficazes para as diferentes espécies de patógenos. No presente estudo, as suscetibilidades, in vitro, de conídios de Colletotrichum acutatum, C. gloeosporioides (ambas são espécies fitopatogênicas) e Aspergillus nidulans ao APDT com...

The Aspergillus nidulans acuL gene encodes a mitochondrial carrier required for the utilization of carbon sources that are metabolized via the TCA cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Flipphi, Michel; Oestreicher, Nathalie; Nicolas, Valérie; Guitton, Audrey; Vélot, Christian

2014-07-01

In Aspergillus nidulans, the utilization of acetate as sole carbon source requires several genes (acu). Most of them are also required for the utilization of fatty acids. This is the case for acuD and acuE, which encode the two glyoxylate cycle-specific enzymes, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase, respectively, but also for acuL that we have identified as AN7287, and characterized in this study. Deletion of acuL resulted in the same phenotype as the original acuL217 mutant. acuL encodes a 322-amino acid protein which displays all the structural features of a mitochondrial membrane carrier, and shares 60% identity with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae succinate/fumarate mitochondrial antiporter Sfc1p (also named Acr1p). Consistently, the AcuL protein was shown to localize in mitochondria, and partial cross-complementation was observed between the S. cerevisiae and A. nidulans homologues. Extensive phenotypic characterization suggested that the acuL gene is involved in the utilization of carbon sources that are catabolized via the TCA cycle, and therefore require gluconeogenesis. In addition, acuL proves to be co-regulated with acuD and acuE. Overall, our data suggest that AcuL could link the glyoxylate cycle to gluconeogenesis by exchanging cytoplasmic succinate for mitochondrial fumarate. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An ortholog of farA of Aspergillus nidulans is implicated in the transcriptional activation of genes involved in fatty acid utilization in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poopanitpan, Napapol; Kobayashi, Satoshi; Fukuda, Ryouichi; Horiuchi, Hiroyuki; Ohta, Akinori

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → POR1 is a Yarrowia lipolytica ortholog of farA involved in fatty acid response in A. nidulans. → Deletion of POR1 caused growth defects on fatty acids. → Δpor1 strain exhibited defects in the induction of genes involved in fatty acid utilization. -- Abstract: The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica effectively utilizes hydrophobic substrates such as fatty acids and n-alkanes. To identify a gene(s) regulating fatty acid utilization in Y. lipolytica, we first studied homologous genes to OAF1 and PIP2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but their disruption did not change growth on oleic acid at all. We next characterized a Y. lipolytica gene, POR1 (primary oleate regulator 1), an ortholog of farA encoding a transcriptional activator that regulates fatty acid utilization in Aspergillus nidulans. The deletion mutant of POR1 was defective in the growth on various fatty acids, but not on glucose, glycerol, or n-hexadecane. It exhibited slight defect on n-decane. The transcriptional induction of genes involved in β-oxidation and peroxisome proliferation by oleate was distinctly diminished in the Δpor1 strains. These data suggest that POR1 encodes a transcriptional activator widely regulating fatty acid metabolism in Y. lipolytica.

The old 3-oxoadipate pathway revisited: new insights in the catabolism of aromatics in the saprophytic fungus Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Tiago M; Hartmann, Diego O; Planchon, Sébastien; Martins, Isabel; Renaut, Jenny; Silva Pereira, Cristina

2015-01-01

Aspergilli play major roles in the natural turnover of elements, especially through the decomposition of plant litter, but the end catabolism of lignin aromatic hydrocarbons remains largely unresolved. The 3-oxoadipate pathway of their degradation combines the catechol and the protocatechuate branches, each using a set of specific genes. However, annotation for most of these genes is lacking or attributed to poorly- or un-characterised families. Aspergillus nidulans can utilise as sole carbon/energy source either benzoate or salicylate (upstream aromatic metabolites of the protocatechuate and the catechol branches, respectively). Using this cultivation strategy and combined analyses of comparative proteomics, gene mining, gene expression and characterisation of particular gene-replacement mutants, we precisely assigned most of the steps of the 3-oxoadipate pathway to specific genes in this fungus. Our findings disclose the genetically encoded potential of saprophytic Ascomycota fungi to utilise this pathway and provide means to untie associated regulatory networks, which are vital to heightening their ecological significance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modulating Endoplasmic Reticulum-Golgi Cargo Receptors for Improving Secretion of Carrier-Fused Heterologous Proteins in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus oryzae

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, Huy-Dung; Maruyama, Jun-ichi

2014-01-01

Filamentous fungi are excellent hosts for industrial protein production due to their superior secretory capacity; however, the yield of heterologous eukaryotic proteins is generally lower than that of fungal or endogenous proteins. Although activating protein folding machinery in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) improves the yield, the importance of intracellular transport machinery for heterologous protein secretion is poorly understood. Here, using Aspergillus oryzae as a model filamentous fungus, we studied the involvement of two putative lectin-like cargo receptors, A. oryzae Vip36 (AoVip36) and AoEmp47, in the secretion of heterologous proteins expressed in fusion with the endogenous enzyme α-amylase as the carrier. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that mDsRed-tagged AoVip36 localized in the Golgi compartment, whereas AoEmp47 showed localization in both the ER and the Golgi compartment. Deletion of AoVip36 and AoEmp47 improved heterologous protein secretion, but only AoVip36 deletion had a negative effect on the secretion of α-amylase. Analysis of ER-enriched cell fractions revealed that AoVip36 and AoEmp47 were involved in the retention of heterologous proteins in the ER. However, the overexpression of each cargo receptor had a different effect on heterologous protein secretion: AoVip36 enhanced the secretion, whereas AoEmp47 promoted the intracellular retention. Taken together, our data suggest that AoVip36 and AoEmp47 hinder the secretion of heterologous proteins by promoting their retention in the ER but that AoVip36 also promotes the secretion of heterologous proteins. Moreover, we found that genetic deletion of these putative ER-Golgi cargo receptors significantly improves heterologous protein production. The present study is the first to propose that ER-Golgi transport is a bottleneck for heterologous protein production in filamentous fungi. PMID:25362068

L-rhamnose induction of Aspergillus nidulans α-L-rhamnosidase genes is glucose repressed via a CreA-independent mechanism acting at the level of inducer uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamayo-Ramos, Juan A; Flipphi, Michel; Pardo, Ester; Manzanares, Paloma; Orejas, Margarita

2012-02-21

Little is known about the structure and regulation of fungal α-L-rhamnosidase genes despite increasing interest in the biotechnological potential of the enzymes that they encode. Whilst the paradigmatic filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans growing on L-rhamnose produces an α-L-rhamnosidase suitable for oenological applications, at least eight genes encoding putative α-L-rhamnosidases have been found in its genome. In the current work we have identified the gene (rhaE) encoding the former activity, and characterization of its expression has revealed a novel regulatory mechanism. A shared pattern of expression has also been observed for a second α-L-rhamnosidase gene, (AN10277/rhaA). Amino acid sequence data for the oenological α-L-rhamnosidase were determined using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and correspond to the amino acid sequence deduced from AN7151 (rhaE). The cDNA of rhaE was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and yielded pNP-rhamnohydrolase activity. Phylogenetic analysis has revealed this eukaryotic α-L-rhamnosidase to be the first such enzyme found to be more closely related to bacterial rhamnosidases than other α-L-rhamnosidases of fungal origin. Northern analyses of diverse A. nidulans strains cultivated under different growth conditions indicate that rhaA and rhaE are induced by L-rhamnose and repressed by D-glucose as well as other carbon sources, some of which are considered to be non-repressive growth substrates. Interestingly, the transcriptional repression is independent of the wide domain carbon catabolite repressor CreA. Gene induction and glucose repression of these rha genes correlate with the uptake, or lack of it, of the inducing carbon source L-rhamnose, suggesting a prominent role for inducer exclusion in repression. The A. nidulans rhaE gene encodes an α-L-rhamnosidase phylogenetically distant to those described in filamentous fungi, and its expression is regulated by a novel CreA-independent mechanism. The identification of

Altering the expression of two chitin synthase genes differentially affects the growth and morphology of Aspergillus oryzae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller, Christian; Hjort, C.M.; Hansen, K.

2002-01-01

In Aspergillus oryzae, one full-length chitin synthase (chsB) and fragments of two other chitin synthases (csmA and chsC) were identified. The deduced amino acid sequence of chsB was similar (87% identity) to chsB from Aspergillus nidulans, which encodes a class III chitin synthase. The sequence...

Proof-of-principle for SERS imaging of Aspergillus nidulans hyphae using in vivo synthesis of gold nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Prusinkiewicz, Martin A; Farazkhorasani, Fatemeh; Dynes, James J; Wang, Jian; Gough, Kathleen M; Kaminskyj, Susan G W

2012-11-07

High spatial resolution methods to assess the physiology of growing cells should permit analysis of fungal biochemical composition. Whole colony methods cannot capture the details of physiology and organism-environment interaction, in part because the structure, function and composition of fungal hyphae vary within individual cells depending on their distance from the growing apex. Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) can provide chemical information on materials that are in close contact with appropriate metal substrates, such as nanopatterned gold surfaces and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Since nanoparticles can be generated by living cells, we have created conditions for AuNP formation within and on the surface of Aspergillus nidulans hyphae in order to explore their potential for SERS analysis. AuNP distribution and composition have been assessed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy. AuNPs were often associated with hyphal walls, both in the peripheral cytoplasm and on the outer wall surface. Interpretation of SERS spectra is challenging, and will require validation for the diversity of organic molecules present. Here, we show proof-of-principle that it is possible to generate SERS spectra from nanoparticles grown in situ by living hyphae.

The MpkB MAP kinase plays a role in autolysis and conidiation of Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Ji Young; Chun, Jeesun; Jun, Sang-Cheol; Han, Dong-Min; Chae, Keon-Sang; Jahng, Kwang Yeop

2013-12-01

The mpkB gene of Aspergillus nidulans encodes a MAP kinase homologous to Fus3p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is involved in conjugation process. MpkB is required for completing the sexual development at the anastomosis and post-karyogamy stages. The mpkB deletion strain could produce conidia under the repression condition of conidiation such as sealing and even in the submerged culture concomitant with persistent brlA expression, implying that MpkB might have a role in timely regulation of brlA expression. The submerged culture of the deletion strain showed typical autolytic phenotypes including decrease in dry cell mass (DCM), disorganization of mycelial balls, and fragmentation of hyphae. The chiB, engA and pepJ genes which are encoding cell wall hydrolytic enzymes were transcribed highly in the submerged culture. Also, we observed that the enzyme activity of chitinase and glucanase in the submerged culture of mpkB deletion strain was much higher than that of wild type. The deletion of mpkB also caused a precocious germination of conidia and reduction of spore viability. The expression of the vosA gene, a member of velvet gene family, was not observed in the mpkB deletion strain. These results suggest that MpkB should have multiple roles in germination and viability of conidia, conidiation and autolysis through regulating the expression of vosA and brlA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-talk between light and glucose regulation controls toxin production and morphogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atoui, A.; Larey, C.; Thokala, R.; Calvo, A.M.; Kastner, C.; Fischer, R.; Etxebeste, O; Espeso, E.A.

2010-01-01

Light is a major environmental stimulus that has a broad effect on organisms, triggering a cellular response that results in an optimal adaptation enhancing fitness and survival. In fungi, light affects growth, and causes diverse morphological changes such as those leading to reproduction. Light can also affect fungal metabolism, including the biosynthesis of natural products. In this study we show that in Aspergillus nidulans the effect of light on the production of the sterigmatocystin (ST) toxin depends on the glucose concentration. In cultures grown with 1% glucose and exposed to light, ST production was lower than when grown in the dark. This lower ST production coincided with an elevated rate of cellular damage with partial loss of nuclear integrity and vacuolated cytoplasm. However, in cultures grown with 2% glucose these effects were reversed and light enhanced ST production. Glucose abundance also affected the light-dependent subcellular localization of the VeA (velvet) protein, a key regulator necessary for normal light-dependent morphogenesis and secondary metabolism in Aspergilli and other fungal gen- era. The role of other VeA-associated proteins, particularly the blue-light-sensing proteins LreA and LreB (WC-1 and WC-2 orthologs), on conidiation could also be modified by the abundance of glucose. We also show that LreA and LreB, as well as the phytochrome FphA, modulate not only the synthesis of sterigmat- ocystin, but also the production of the antibiotic penicillin. (author)

The mutagenic effect of near ultraviolet light on the nvs strains of Aspergillus nidulans in the presence of 8-metoxypsoralen or angelicin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muronets, E.M.; Kovtunenko, L.V.; Kameneva, S.V.

1980-01-01

The mutual mutagenic effect of long-wave ultraviolet radiation (EUV) with angelicin which forms monoadducts in DNA and 8-metoxypsoralen (8 MOP) which forms monoadducts and joints, on conidia of uvs- and uvs+ strains of Aspergillus nidulans, is studied. The two types of interaction are shown to induce mutations intensively. Mutation induction with angelicin shows the role of psoralen pyrimidine monoadducts in mutagenesis. The technique of fractionated EUV radiation and studying the effect of monoadduct repair effectiveness on mutation output permits to prove that interthread DNA joints induced by 8-MOP+EUV are also highly mutagenous. The products of UVS/2, 20b, 26 genes which take part in the excision of DNA damages do not take part in the formation of mutations induced in aspergil by furocoumarine + EUV. The products of uvs 19, 20a genes which take part in the postreplicative DNA reduction are neccessary for the repair of premutation damages induced by furocoumarine + EUV

Elusive Origins of the Extra Genes in Aspergillus oryzae

Science.gov (United States)

Khaldi, Nora; Wolfe, Kenneth H.

2008-01-01

The genome sequence of Aspergillus oryzae revealed unexpectedly that this species has approximately 20% more genes than its congeneric species A. nidulans and A. fumigatus. Where did these extra genes come from? Here, we evaluate several possible causes of the elevated gene number. Many gene families are expanded in A. oryzae relative to A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, but we find no evidence of ancient whole-genome duplication or other segmental duplications, either in A. oryzae or in the common ancestor of the genus Aspergillus. We show that the presence of divergent pairs of paralogs is a feature peculiar to A. oryzae and is not shared with A. nidulans or A. fumigatus. In phylogenetic trees that include paralog pairs from A. oryzae, we frequently find that one of the genes in a pair from A. oryzae has the expected orthologous relationship with A. nidulans, A. fumigatus and other species in the subphylum Eurotiomycetes, whereas the other A. oryzae gene falls outside this clade but still within the Ascomycota. We identified 456 such gene pairs in A. oryzae. Further phylogenetic analysis did not however indicate a single consistent evolutionary origin for the divergent members of these pairs. Approximately one-third of them showed phylogenies that are suggestive of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from Sordariomycete species, and these genes are closer together in the A. oryzae genome than expected by chance, but no unique Sordariomycete donor species was identifiable. The postulated HGTs from Sordariomycetes still leave the majority of extra A. oryzae genes unaccounted for. One possible explanation for our observations is that A. oryzae might have been the recipient of many separate HGT events from diverse donors. PMID:18725939

Elusive origins of the extra genes in Aspergillus oryzae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nora Khaldi

Full Text Available The genome sequence of Aspergillus oryzae revealed unexpectedly that this species has approximately 20% more genes than its congeneric species A. nidulans and A. fumigatus. Where did these extra genes come from? Here, we evaluate several possible causes of the elevated gene number. Many gene families are expanded in A. oryzae relative to A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, but we find no evidence of ancient whole-genome duplication or other segmental duplications, either in A. oryzae or in the common ancestor of the genus Aspergillus. We show that the presence of divergent pairs of paralogs is a feature peculiar to A. oryzae and is not shared with A. nidulans or A. fumigatus. In phylogenetic trees that include paralog pairs from A. oryzae, we frequently find that one of the genes in a pair from A. oryzae has the expected orthologous relationship with A. nidulans, A. fumigatus and other species in the subphylum Eurotiomycetes, whereas the other A. oryzae gene falls outside this clade but still within the Ascomycota. We identified 456 such gene pairs in A. oryzae. Further phylogenetic analysis did not however indicate a single consistent evolutionary origin for the divergent members of these pairs. Approximately one-third of them showed phylogenies that are suggestive of horizontal gene transfer (HGT from Sordariomycete species, and these genes are closer together in the A. oryzae genome than expected by chance, but no unique Sordariomycete donor species was identifiable. The postulated HGTs from Sordariomycetes still leave the majority of extra A. oryzae genes unaccounted for. One possible explanation for our observations is that A. oryzae might have been the recipient of many separate HGT events from diverse donors.

NapA Mediates a Redox Regulation of the Antioxidant Response, Carbon Utilization and Development in Aspergillus nidulans

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Ariann E. Mendoza-Martínez

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The redox-regulated transcription factors (TFs of the bZIP AP1 family, such as yeast Yap1 and fission yeast Pap1, are activated by peroxiredoxin proteins (Prxs to regulate the antioxidant response. Previously, Aspergillus nidulans mutants lacking the Yap1 ortholog NapA have been characterized as sensitive to H2O2 and menadione. Here we study NapA roles in relation to TFs SrrA and AtfA, also involved in oxidant detoxification, showing that these TFs play different roles in oxidative stress resistance, catalase gene regulation and development, during A. nidulans life cycle. We also uncover novel NapA roles in repression of sexual development, normal conidiation, conidial mRNA accumulation, and carbon utilization. The phenotypic characterization of ΔgpxA, ΔtpxA, and ΔtpxB single, double and triple peroxiredoxin mutants in wild type or ΔnapA backgrounds shows that none of these Prxs is required for NapA function in H2O2 and menadione resistance. However, these Prxs participate in a minor NapA-independent H2O2 resistance pathway and NapA and TpxA appear to regulate conidiation along the same route. Using transcriptomic analysis we show that during conidial development NapA-dependent gene expression pattern is different from canonical oxidative stress patterns. In the course of conidiation, NapA is required for regulation of at least 214 genes, including ethanol utilization genes alcR, alcA and aldA, and large sets of genes encoding proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, drug detoxification, carbohydrate utilization and secondary metabolism, comprising multiple oxidoreductases, membrane transporters and hydrolases. In agreement with this, ΔnapA mutants fail to grow or grow very poorly in ethanol, arabinose or fructose as sole carbon sources. Moreover, we show that NapA nuclear localization is induced not only by oxidative stress but also by growth in ethanol and by carbon starvation. Together with our previous work, these results show

Chemical analysis of a genome wide polyketide synthase gene deletion library in Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Nielsen, Jakob Blæsbjerg

. This may reflect that many PKs are either produced in small amounts, under special conditions or in developmental stages that are rarely observed under laboratory conditions. In order to trigger expression of “silent” genes we are currently pursuing several approaches; i) stimulation of A. nidulans wild...

Arabinase induction and carbon catabolite repression in Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus nidulans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veen, van der P.

1995-01-01

The first aim of this thesis was to get a better understanding of the properties and the induction features of arabinan degrading enzymes and enzymes involved in the intracellular L-arabinose catabolic pathway in Aspergillus niger. The second aim was to understand the

Development of a Candida glabrata dominant nutritional transformation marker utilizing the Aspergillus nidulans acetamidase gene (amdS).

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jianmin; Blaylock, Morganne; Wickes, Cameron F; Welte, William; Mehrtash, Adrian; Wiederhold, Nathan; Wickes, Brian L

2016-05-01

The gene encoding Aspergillus nidulans acetamidase (amdS) was placed under control of Candida albicans ACT1 promoter and terminator sequences and then cloned into a plasmid containing C. glabrata ARS10,CEN8 or ARS10+CEN8 sequences. All plasmids transformed C. glabrata wild-type cells to acetamide+, with the ARS-only containing plasmid transforming cells at the highest frequencies (>1.0 × 10(4) transformants μg(-1)). Plasmids were rapidly lost under non-selective conditions with the frequency dependent on chromosomal element, thus recycling the acetamide- phenotype. The amdS plasmid was used to transform a set of clinical isolates resistant to a variety of antifungal drugs. All strains were successfully transformed to the acetamide+ phenotype at high frequency, confirming that this plasmid construct could be used as a simple dominant marker on virtually any strain. Gap repair experiments demonstrated that just as in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, gap repair functions efficiently inC. glabrata, suggesting that C. glabrata has numerous similarities toS. cerevisiae with regard to ease of molecular manipulation. The amdS system is inexpensive and efficient, and combined with existing C. glabrata plasmid elements, confers a high transformation frequency for C. glabrata with a phenotype that can be easily recycled. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

L-Rhamnose induction of Aspergillus nidulans α-L-rhamnosidase genes is glucose repressed via a CreA-independent mechanism acting at the level of inducer uptake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamayo-Ramos Juan A

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known about the structure and regulation of fungal α-L-rhamnosidase genes despite increasing interest in the biotechnological potential of the enzymes that they encode. Whilst the paradigmatic filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans growing on L-rhamnose produces an α-L-rhamnosidase suitable for oenological applications, at least eight genes encoding putative α-L-rhamnosidases have been found in its genome. In the current work we have identified the gene (rhaE encoding the former activity, and characterization of its expression has revealed a novel regulatory mechanism. A shared pattern of expression has also been observed for a second α-L-rhamnosidase gene, (AN10277/rhaA. Results Amino acid sequence data for the oenological α-L-rhamnosidase were determined using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and correspond to the amino acid sequence deduced from AN7151 (rhaE. The cDNA of rhaE was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and yielded pNP-rhamnohydrolase activity. Phylogenetic analysis has revealed this eukaryotic α-L-rhamnosidase to be the first such enzyme found to be more closely related to bacterial rhamnosidases than other α-L-rhamnosidases of fungal origin. Northern analyses of diverse A. nidulans strains cultivated under different growth conditions indicate that rhaA and rhaE are induced by L-rhamnose and repressed by D-glucose as well as other carbon sources, some of which are considered to be non-repressive growth substrates. Interestingly, the transcriptional repression is independent of the wide domain carbon catabolite repressor CreA. Gene induction and glucose repression of these rha genes correlate with the uptake, or lack of it, of the inducing carbon source L-rhamnose, suggesting a prominent role for inducer exclusion in repression. Conclusions The A. nidulans rhaE gene encodes an α-L-rhamnosidase phylogenetically distant to those described in filamentous fungi, and its expression is regulated by a

Proteomics of eukaryotic microorganisms: The medically and biotechnologically important fungal genus Aspergillus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kniemeyer, Olaf

2011-08-01

Fungal species of the genus Aspergillus play significant roles as model organisms in basic research, as "cell factories" for the production of organic acids, pharmaceuticals or industrially important enzymes and as pathogens causing superficial and invasive infections in animals and humans. The release of the genome sequences of several Aspergillus sp. has paved the way for global analyses of protein expression in Aspergilli including the characterisation of proteins, which have not designated any function. With the application of proteomic methods, particularly 2-D gel and LC-MS/MS-based methods, first insights into the composition of the proteome of Aspergilli under different growth and stress conditions could be gained. Putative targets of global regulators led to the improvement of industrially relevant Aspergillus strains and so far not described Aspergillus antigens have already been discovered. Here, I review the recent proteome data generated for the species Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Genetic control of chromosome instability in Aspergillus nidulans as a means for gene amplification in eukaryotic microorganisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parag, Y.; Roper, J.A.

1975-01-01

A haploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans carrying I-II duplication homozygous for the leaky mutation adE20 shows improved growth on minimal medium. The duplication, though more stable than disomics, still shows instability. Several methods were used for detecting genetic control of improved stability. a) visual selection, using a duplicated strain which is very unstable due to UV sensitivity, (adE20, biAl/dp yA2; uvsB). One stable strain showed a deletion (or a lethal mutation) distal to biA on the segment at the original position (on chromosome I). This deletion reduces crossing-over frequency detween the two homologous segments. As the deletion of the non-translated segment (yellow sectors) must be preceded by crossing-over, the above reduces the frequency of yellow sectors. A deletion of the translocated segment (green sectors) results in non-viability due to the deletion, and such sectors do not appear. The net result is a stable duplication involving only 12 C.O. units carrying the gene in concern. b) Suppressors of UV sensitivity (su-uvsB) were attempted using the above uvs duplicated strain. Phenotypic revertants were easily obtained, but all were back mutations at the uvsB locus. c) Mutations for UV resistance higher than that of the wild type were not obtained, in spite of the strong selective pressure inserted. d) Recombination deficient mutations (rec), six altogether, all uvs + , did not have any effect on stability. (orig.) [de

The G2/M DNA damage checkpoint inhibits mitosis through Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, X S; Fincher, R R; Tang, A; Osmani, S A

1997-01-02

It is possible to cause G2 arrest in Aspergillus nidulans by inactivating either p34cdc2 or NIMA. We therefore investigated the negative control of these two mitosis-promoting kinases after DNA damage. DNA damage caused rapid Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 and transient cell cycle arrest but had little effect on the activity of NIMA. Dividing cells deficient in Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 were sensitive to both MMS and UV irradiation and entered lethal premature mitosis with damaged DNA. However, non-dividing quiescent conidiospores of the Tyr15 mutant strain were not sensitive to DNA damage. The UV and MMS sensitivity of cells unable to tyrosine phosphorylate p34cdc2 is therefore caused by defects in DNA damage checkpoint regulation over mitosis. Both the nimA5 and nimT23 temperature-sensitive mutations cause an arrest in G2 at 42 degrees C. Addition of MMS to nimT23 G2-arrested cells caused a marked delay in their entry into mitosis upon downshift to 32 degrees C and this delay was correlated with a long delay in the dephosphorylation and activation of p34cdc2. Addition of MMS to nimA5 G2-arrested cells caused inactivation of the H1 kinase activity of p34cdc2 due to an increase in its Tyr15 phosphorylation level and delayed entry into mitosis upon return to 32 degrees C. However, if Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 was prevented then its H1 kinase activity was not inactivated upon MMS addition to nimA5 G2-arrested cells and they rapidly progressed into a lethal mitosis upon release to 32 degrees C. Thus, Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 in G2 arrests initiation of mitosis after DNA damage in A. nidulans.

Elucidation of functional markers from Aspergillus nidulans developmental regulator FlbB and their phylogenetic distribution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc S Cortese

Full Text Available Aspergillus nidulans is a filamentous fungus widely used as a model for biotechnological and clinical research. It is also used as a platform for the study of basic eukaryotic developmental processes. Previous studies identified and partially characterized a set of proteins controlling cellular transformations in this ascomycete. Among these proteins, the bZip type transcription factor FlbB is a key regulator of reproduction, stress responses and cell-death. Our aim here was the prediction, through various bioinformatic methods, of key functional residues and motifs within FlbB in order to inform the design of future laboratory experiments and further the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control fungal development. A dataset of FlbB orthologs and those of its key interaction partner FlbE was assembled from 40 members of the Pezizomycotina. Unique features were identified in each of the three structural domains of FlbB. The N-terminal region encoded a bZip transcription factor domain with a novel histidine-containing DNA binding motif while the dimerization determinants exhibited two distinct profiles that segregated by class. The C-terminal region of FlbB showed high similarity with the AP-1 family of stress response regulators but with variable patterns of conserved cysteines that segregated by class and order. Motif conservation analysis revealed that nine FlbB orthologs belonging to the Eurotiales order contained a motif in the central region that could mediate interaction with FlbE. The key residues and motifs identified here provide a basis for the design of follow-up experimental investigations. Additionally, the presence or absence of these residues and motifs among the FlbB orthologs could help explain the differences in the developmental programs among fungal species as well as define putative complementation groups that could serve to extend known functional characterizations to other species.

The uvsI gene of Aspergillus nidulans required for UV-mutagenesis encodes a homolog to REV3, a subunit of the DNA polymerase zeta of yeast involved in translesion DNA synthesis.

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Han, K Y; Chae, S K; Han, D M

1998-07-01

Defects in the uvsI gene of Aspergillus nidulans resulted in high UV sensitivity and reductions of spontaneous and UV-induced reversion of certain alleles, uvsl;uvsA double mutants exhibited high methyl methane sulfonate (MMS)-sensitivity in contrast to the slight sensitivity of the component single mutants. Using such a double mutant as recipient, a clone complementing uvsI501 has been isolated from a chromosome III specific library. The deduced amino acid sequence from the 1.1-kb sequenced region, a part of the 5.2-kb DNA fragment showing uvsI-complementing activity, had a 62% identity with REV3 of yeast. Disruptants of the cloned gene demonstrated the same level of sensitivity to UV light as uvsI and failed to complement uvsI501 in heterozygous diploids.

Cloning of an E. coli RecA and yeast RAD51 homolog, radA, an allele of the uvsC in Aspergillus nidulans and its mutator effects.

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Seong, K Y; Chae, S K; Kang, H S

1997-04-30

An E. coli RecA and yeast RAD51 homolog from Aspergillus nidulans, radA, has been cloned by screening genomic and cDNA libraries with a PCR-amplified probe. This probe was generated using primers carrying the conserved sequences of eukaryotic RecA homologs. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed two conserved Walker-A and -B type nucleotide-binding domains and exhibited 88%, 60%, and 53% identity with Mei-3 of Neurospora crassa, rhp51+ of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Rad51 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. radA null mutants constructed by replacing the whole coding region with a selection marker showed high methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) sensitivity. Heterozygous diploids of radA disruptant with the uvsC114 mutant failed to complement with respect to MMS-sensitivity, indicating that radA is an allele of uvsC. In selecting spontaneous forward selenate resistant mutations, mutator effects were observed in radA null mutants similarly to those shown in uvsC114 mutant strains.

[Genetic control of the sensitivity of Aspergillus nidulans to mutagenic factors. VII. Inheritance of cross-sensitivity to different mutagenic factors by uvs-mutants].

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Evseeva, G V; Kameneva, S V

1977-01-01

To study the inheritance of the sensitivity to UV, X-rays, methylmethanesulphonate (MMS), nitrosoguanidine (NG) and nitrous acid (NA) in five uvs mutants of Aspergillus nidulans, having multiple sensitivity to these factors, the sensitivity of recombinants obtained from crossing uvs mutants with uvs+ strain, resistant to all the factors analysed, and uvs leads to uvs+ revertants is investigated. Four uvs mutants (15, 17, 19 and 26) are found to have a nomogenic control of sensitivity to different mutagens. In one mutant (uvs11) the sensitivity to five factors is controlled by two non-linked mutations, one of them determining the sensitivity to UV, NG, NA, and the other--to X-rays and MMC. Phenotypic manifestations of uvs mutations is modified by cell genotype, both chromosomal and cytoplasmic factors being responsible for the modification. Phenotypic modification of uvs mutation results in the change to some (but not to all) mutagenic factors. It suggests, that not the product of uvs gene, but some other components of the reparation complex are modified. Otherwise, reparation of different DNA damages can be carried out by a single enzyme acting in different reparation complexes.

A reappraisal of Aspergillus section Nidulantes with descriptions of two new sterigmatocystin-producing species

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hubka, Vít; Nováková, Alena; Peterson, S.W.; Frisvad, J.C.; Sklenář, František; Matsuzawa, T.; Kubátová, Alena; Kolařík, Miroslav

2016-01-01

Roč. 302, č. 9 (2016), s. 1267-1299 ISSN 0378-2697 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA ČR(CZ) GAP506/12/ 1064 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Aspergillus nidulans * Codon usage * Emericella Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.239, year: 2016

Genome-scale analysis of the high-efficient protein secretion system of Aspergillus oryzae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Lifang; Feizi, Amir; Osterlund, Tobias

2014-01-01

related fungal species such as Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus niger. To evaluate the defined component list, we performed transcriptome analysis on three a-amylase over-producing strains with varying levels of secretion capacities. Specifically, secretory components involved in the ER......Background: The koji mold, Aspergillus oryzae is widely used for the production of industrial enzymes due to its particularly high protein secretion capacity and ability to perform post-translational modifications. However, systemic analysis of its secretion system is lacking, generally due...... to the poorly annotated proteome. Results: Here we defined a functional protein secretory component list of A. oryzae using a previously reported secretory model of S. cerevisiae as scaffold. Additional secretory components were obtained by blast search with the functional components reported in other closely...

Biomass production and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes are influenced by the structural complexity of the nitrogen source in Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus nidulans.

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da Silva, M C; Bertolini, M C; Ernandes, J R

2001-01-01

The structural complexity of the nitrogen sources strongly affects biomass production and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes in filamentous fungi. Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus nidulans were grown in media containing glucose or starch, and supplemented with a nitrogen source varying from a single ammonium salt (ammonium sulfate) to free amino acids (casamino acids), peptides (peptone) and protein (gelatin). In glucose, when the initial pH was adjusted to 5.0, for both microorganisms, higher biomass production occurred upon supplementation with a nitrogen source in the peptide form (peptone and gelatin). With a close to neutrality pH, biomass accumulation was lower only in the presence of the ammonium salt. When grown in starch, biomass accumulation and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes (amylolytic and proteolytic) by Fusarium also depended on the nature of the nitrogen supplement and the pH. When the initial pH was adjusted to 5.0, higher growth and higher amylolytic activities were detected in the media supplemented with peptone, gelatin and casamino acids. However, at pH 7.0, higher biomass accumulation and higher amylolytic activities were observed upon supplementation with peptone or gelatin. Ammonium sulfate and casamino acids induced a lower production of biomass, and a different level of amylolytic enzyme secretion: high in ammonium sulfate and low in casamino acids. Secretion of proteolytic activity was always higher in the media supplemented with peptone and gelatin. Aspergillus, when grown in starch, was not as dependent as Fusarium on the nature of nitrogen source or the pH. The results described in this work indicate that the metabolism of fungi is regulated not only by pH, but also by the level of structural complexity of the nitrogen source in correlation to the carbon source.

A p53-like transcription factor similar to Ndt80 controls the response to nutrient stress in the filamentous fungus, Aspergillus nidulans [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/y2

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Margaret E Katz

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The Aspergillus nidulans xprG gene encodes a putative transcriptional activator that is a member of the Ndt80 family in the p53-like superfamily of proteins. Previous studies have shown that XprG controls the production of extracellular proteases in response to starvation. We undertook transcriptional profiling to investigate whether XprG has a wider role as a global regulator of the carbon nutrient stress response. Our microarray data showed that the expression of a large number of genes, including genes involved in secondary metabolism, development, high-affinity glucose uptake and autolysis, were altered in an xprGΔ null mutant. Many of these genes are known to be regulated in response to carbon starvation. We confirmed that sterigmatocystin and penicillin production is reduced in xprG- mutants. The loss of fungal mass and secretion of pigments that accompanies fungal autolysis in response to nutrient depletion was accelerated in an xprG1 gain-of-function mutant and decreased or absent in an xprG- mutant. The results support the hypothesis that XprG plays a major role in the response to carbon limitation and that nutrient sensing may represent one of the ancestral roles for the p53-like superfamily. Disruption of the AN6015 gene, which encodes a second Ndt80-like protein, showed that it is required for sexual reproduction in A. nidulans.

Transient disruption of non-homologous end-joining facilitates targeted genome manipulations in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jakob Blæsbjerg; Nielsen, Michael Lynge; Mortensen, Uffe Hasbro

2008-01-01

influences subsequent analyses of the manipulated strain. Our system will facilitate construction of large numbers of defined mutations in A. nidulans. Moreover, as the system can likely be adapted to other filamentous fungi, we expect it will be particularly beneficial in species where NHEJ cannot...... be restored by sexual crossing. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved....

IntraGolgi distribution of the Conserved Oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasile, Eliza; Oka, Toshihiko; Ericsson, Maria; Nakamura, Nobuhiro; Krieger, Monty

2006-01-01

The Conserved Oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex is an eight-subunit (Cog1-8) peripheral Golgi protein involved in membrane trafficking and glycoconjugate synthesis. COG appears to participate in retrograde vesicular transport and is required to maintain normal Golgi structure and function. COG mutations interfere with normal transport, distribution, and/or stability of Golgi proteins associated with glycoconjugate synthesis and trafficking, and lead to failure of spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster, misdirected migration of gonadal distal tip cells in Caenorhabditis elegans, and type II congenital disorders of glycosylation in humans. The mechanism by which COG influences Golgi structure and function is unclear. Immunogold electron microscopy was used to visualize the intraGolgi distribution of a functional, hemagglutinin epitope-labeled COG subunit, Cog1-HA, that complements the Cog1-deficiency in Cog1-null Chinese hamster ovary cells. COG was found to be localized primarily on or in close proximity to the tips and rims of the Golgi's cisternae and their associated vesicles and on vesicles and vesiculo-tubular structures seen on both the cis and trans-Golgi Network faces of the cisternal stacks, in some cases on COPI containing vesicles. These findings support the proposal that COG is directly involved in controlling vesicular retrograde transport of Golgi resident proteins throughout the Golgi apparatus

Microtubule plus end-tracking proteins play critical roles in directional growth of hyphae by regulating the dynamics of cytoplasmic microtubules in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Zeng, Cui J Tracy; Kim, Hye-Ryun; Vargas Arispuro, Irasema; Kim, Jung-Mi; Huang, An-Chi; Liu, Bo

2014-11-01

Cytoplasmic microtubules (MTs) serve as a rate-limiting factor for hyphal tip growth in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. We hypothesized that this function depended on the MT plus end-tracking proteins (+TIPs) including the EB1 family protein EBA that decorated the MT plus ends undergoing polymerization. The ebAΔ mutation reduced colony growth and the mutant hyphae appeared in an undulating pattern instead of exhibiting unidirectional growth in the control. These phenotypes were enhanced by a mutation in another +TIP gene clipA. EBA was required for plus end-tracking of CLIPA, the Kinesin-7 motor KipA, and the XMAP215 homologue AlpA. In addition, cytoplasmic dynein also depended on EBA to track on most polymerizing MT plus ends, but not for its conspicuous appearance at the MT ends near the hyphal apex. The loss of EBA reduced the number of cytoplasmic MTs and prolonged dwelling times for MTs after reaching the hyphal apex. Finally, we found that colonies were formed in the absence of EBA, CLIPA, and NUDA together, suggesting that they were dispensable for fundamental functions of MTs. This study provided a comprehensive delineation of the relationship among different +TIPs and their contributions to MT dynamics and unidirectional hyphal expansion in filamentous fungi. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Minos as a novel Tc1/mariner-type transposable element for functional genomic analysis in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Evangelinos, Minoas; Anagnostopoulos, Gerasimos; Karvela-Kalogeraki, Iliana; Stathopoulou, Panagiota M; Scazzocchio, Claudio; Diallinas, George

2015-08-01

Transposons constitute powerful genetic tools for gene inactivation, exon or promoter trapping and genome analyses. The Minos element from Drosophila hydei, a Tc1/mariner-like transposon, has proved as a very efficient tool for heterologous transposition in several metazoa. In filamentous fungi, only a handful of fungal-specific transposable elements have been exploited as genetic tools, with the impala Tc1/mariner element from Fusarium oxysporum being the most successful. Here, we developed a two-component transposition system to manipulate Minos transposition in Aspergillus nidulans (AnMinos). Our system allows direct selection of transposition events based on re-activation of niaD, a gene necessary for growth on nitrate as a nitrogen source. On average, among 10(8) conidiospores, we obtain up to ∼0.8×10(2) transposition events leading to the expected revertant phenotype (niaD(+)), while ∼16% of excision events lead to AnMinos loss. Characterized excision footprints consisted of the four terminal bases of the transposon flanked by the TA target duplication and led to no major DNA rearrangements. AnMinos transposition depends on the presence of its homologous transposase. Its frequency was not significantly affected by temperature, UV irradiation or the transcription status of the original integration locus (niaD). Importantly, transposition is dependent on nkuA, encoding an enzyme essential for non-homologous end joining of DNA in double-strand break repair. AnMinos proved to be an efficient tool for functional analysis as it seems to transpose in different genomic loci positions in all chromosomes, including a high proportion of integration events within or close to genes. We have used Minos to obtain morphological and toxic analogue resistant mutants. Interestingly, among morphological mutants some seem to be due to Minos-elicited over-expression of specific genes, rather than gene inactivation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arabidopsis and Brachypodium distachyon Transgenic Plants Expressing Aspergillus nidulans Acetylesterases Have Decreased Degree of Polysaccharide Acetylation and Increased Resistance to Pathogens1[C][W][OA

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Pogorelko, Gennady; Lionetti, Vincenzo; Fursova, Oksana; Sundaram, Raman M.; Qi, Mingsheng; Whitham, Steven A.; Bogdanove, Adam J.; Bellincampi, Daniela; Zabotina, Olga A.

2013-01-01

The plant cell wall has many significant structural and physiological roles, but the contributions of the various components to these roles remain unclear. Modification of cell wall properties can affect key agronomic traits such as disease resistance and plant growth. The plant cell wall is composed of diverse polysaccharides often decorated with methyl, acetyl, and feruloyl groups linked to the sugar subunits. In this study, we examined the effect of perturbing cell wall acetylation by making transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and Brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon) plants expressing hemicellulose- and pectin-specific fungal acetylesterases. All transgenic plants carried highly expressed active Aspergillus nidulans acetylesterases localized to the apoplast and had significant reduction of cell wall acetylation compared with wild-type plants. Partial deacetylation of polysaccharides caused compensatory up-regulation of three known acetyltransferases and increased polysaccharide accessibility to glycosyl hydrolases. Transgenic plants showed increased resistance to the fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Bipolaris sorokiniana but not to the bacterial pathogens Pseudomonas syringae and Xanthomonas oryzae. These results demonstrate a role, in both monocot and dicot plants, of hemicellulose and pectin acetylation in plant defense against fungal pathogens. PMID:23463782

Growth-Phase Sterigmatocystin Formation on Lactose Is Mediated via Low Specific Growth Rates in Aspergillus nidulans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoltán Németh

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Seed contamination with polyketide mycotoxins such as sterigmatocystin (ST produced by Aspergilli is a worldwide issue. The ST biosynthetic pathway is well-characterized in A. nidulans, but regulatory aspects related to the carbon source are still enigmatic. This is particularly true for lactose, inasmuch as some ST production mutant strains still synthesize ST on lactose but not on other carbon substrates. Here, kinetic data revealed that on d-glucose, ST forms only after the sugar is depleted from the medium, while on lactose, ST appears when most of the carbon source is still available. Biomass-specified ST production on lactose was significantly higher than on d-glucose, suggesting that ST formation may either be mediated by a carbon catabolite regulatory mechanism, or induced by low specific growth rates attainable on lactose. These hypotheses were tested by d-glucose limited chemostat-type continuous fermentations. No ST formed at a high growth rate, while a low growth rate led to the formation of 0.4 mg·L−1 ST. Similar results were obtained with a CreA mutant strain. We concluded that low specific growth rates may be the primary cause of mid-growth ST formation on lactose in A. nidulans, and that carbon utilization rates likely play a general regulatory role during biosynthesis.

uvsF RFC1, the large subunit of replication factor C in Aspergillus nidulans, is essential for DNA replication, functions in UV repair and is upregulated in response to MMS-induced DNA damage.

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Kafer, Etta; Chae, Suhn-Kee

2008-09-01

uvsF201 was the first highly UV-sensitive repair-defective mutation isolated in Aspergillus nidulans. It showed epistasis only with postreplication repair mutations, but caused lethal interactions with many other repair-defective strains. Unexpectedly, closest homology of uvsF was found to the large subunit of human DNA replication factor RFC that is essential for DNA replication. Sequencing of the uvsF201 region identified changes at two close base pairs and the corresponding amino acids in the 5'-region of uvsF(RFC1). This viable mutant represents a novel and possibly important type. Additional sequencing of the uvsF region confirmed a mitochondrial ribosomal protein gene, mrpA(L16), closely adjacent, head-to-head with a 0.2kb joint promoter region. MMS-induced transcription of both the genes, but especially uvsF(RFC1), providing evidence for a function in DNA damage response.

Genetic analysis of DNA repair in Aspergillus: evidence for different types of MMS-sensitive hyperrec mutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaefer, E.; Mayor, O.

1986-01-01

To identify genes which affect DNA repair and possibly recombination in Aspergillus nidulans, mutants hypersensitive to methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) were induced with ultraviolet light (UV) or γ-rays. To identify functional and epistatic groups, mutants from each uvs gene were tested for effects on recombination and mutation, and double mutant uvs strains were compared for UV survival to their component single mutant strains. (Auth.)

A second component of the SltA-dependent cation tolerance pathway in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Mellado, Laura; Calcagno-Pizarelli, Ana Maria; Lockington, Robin A; Cortese, Marc S; Kelly, Joan M; Arst, Herbert N; Espeso, Eduardo A

2015-09-01

The transcriptional response to alkali metal cation stress is mediated by the zinc finger transcription factor SltA in Aspergillus nidulans and probably in other fungi of the pezizomycotina subphylum. A second component of this pathway has been identified and characterized. SltB is a 1272 amino acid protein with at least two putative functional domains, a pseudo-kinase and a serine-endoprotease, involved in signaling to the transcription factor SltA. Absence of SltB activity results in nearly identical phenotypes to those observed for a null sltA mutant. Hypersensitivity to a variety of monovalent and divalent cations, and to medium alkalinization are among the phenotypes exhibited by a null sltB mutant. Calcium homeostasis is an exception and this cation improves growth of sltΔ mutants. Moreover, loss of kinase HalA in conjunction with loss-of-function sltA or sltB mutations leads to pronounced calcium auxotrophy. sltA sltB double null mutants display a cation stress sensitive phenotype indistinguishable from that of single slt mutants showing the close functional relationship between these two proteins. This functional relationship is reinforced by the fact that numerous mutations in both slt loci can be isolated as suppressors of poor colonial growth resulting from certain null vps (vacuolar protein sorting) mutations. In addition to allowing identification of sltB, our sltB missense mutations enabled prediction of functional regions in the SltB protein. Although the relationship between the Slt and Vps pathways remains enigmatic, absence of SltB, like that of SltA, leads to vacuolar hypertrophy. Importantly, the phenotypes of selected sltA and sltB mutations demonstrate that suppression of null vps mutations is not dependent on the inability to tolerate cation stress. Thus a specific role for both SltA and SltB in the VPS pathway seems likely. Finally, it is noteworthy that SltA and SltB have a similar, limited phylogenetic distribution, being restricted to

nuvA, an Aspergillus nidulans gene involved in DNA repair and recombination, is a homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD18 and Neurospora crassa uvs-2.

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Iwanejko, L; Cotton, C; Jones, G; Tomsett, B; Strike, P

1996-03-01

A 40 kb genomic clone and 2.3 kb EcoRI subclone that rescued the DNA repair and recombination defects of the Aspergillus nidulans nuvA11 mutant were isolated and the subclone sequenced. The subclone hybridized to a cosmid in a chromosome-specific library confirming the assignment of nuvA to linkage group IV and indicating its closeness to bimD. Amplification by PCR clarified the relative positions of nuvA and bimD. A region identified within the subclone, encoding a C3HC4 zinc finger motif, was used as a probe to retrieve a cDNA clone. Sequencing of this clone showed that the nuvA gene has an ORF of 1329 bp with two introns of 51 bp and 60 bp. Expression of nuvA appears to be extremely low. The putative NUVA polypeptide has two zinc finger motifs, a molecular mass of 48906 Da and has 39% identity with the Neurospora crassa uvs-2 and 25% identity with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD18 translation products. Although mutations in nuvA, uvs-2 and RAD18 produce similar phenotypes, only the nuvA11 mutation affects meiotic recombination. A role for nuvA in both DNA repair and genetic recombination is proposed.

Manipulating DNA repair for improved genetic engineering in Aspergillus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nødvig, Christina Spuur

in a marker free strain of A. nidulans, and successfully tested and similarly a disruption of nkuA was made. Genome editing is not a new concept, but never has it been as accessible as it is now due to the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. In chapter 3, a versatile CRISPR-Cas9 system for use in various Aspergillus...... species was made, consisting of four vectors each with a different selection marker. To successfully express the two components of CRISPR-Cas9, Cas9 was codon-optimized to A. niger, and a ribozyme based strategy was used for gRNA expression. With a functional system in place, I demonstrated how it could...... homologs across multiple species was developed. While the initial experiments were made in A. nidulans and A. aculeatus, this was used to quickly demonstrate that the system could be used in more species, and mutagenesis was done in four additional species. In chapter 4 the focus stays on CRISPR-Cas9...

Modelling and mutational analysis of Aspergillus nidulans UreA, a member of the subfamily of urea/H+ transporters in fungi and plants

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Sanguinetti, Manuel; Amillis, Sotiris; Pantano, Sergio; Scazzocchio, Claudio; Ramón, Ana

2014-01-01

We present the first account of the structure–function relationships of a protein of the subfamily of urea/H+ membrane transporters of fungi and plants, using Aspergillus nidulans UreA as a study model. Based on the crystal structures of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus sodium/galactose symporter (vSGLT) and of the Nucleobase-Cation-Symport-1 benzylhydantoin transporter from Microbacterium liquefaciens (Mhp1), we constructed a three-dimensional model of UreA which, combined with site-directed and classical random mutagenesis, led to the identification of amino acids important for UreA function. Our approach allowed us to suggest roles for these residues in the binding, recognition and translocation of urea, and in the sorting of UreA to the membrane. Residues W82, Y106, A110, T133, N275, D286, Y388, Y437 and S446, located in transmembrane helixes 2, 3, 7 and 11, were found to be involved in the binding, recognition and/or translocation of urea and the sorting of UreA to the membrane. Y106, A110, T133 and Y437 seem to play a role in substrate selectivity, while S446 is necessary for proper sorting of UreA to the membrane. Other amino acids identified by random classical mutagenesis (G99, R141, A163, G168 and P639) may be important for the basic transporter's structure, its proper folding or its correct traffic to the membrane. PMID:24966243

Germination of Aspergillus niger conidia is triggered by nitrogen compounds related to L-amino acids.

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Hayer, Kimran; Stratford, Malcolm; Archer, David B

2014-10-01

Conidial germination is fundamentally important to the growth and dissemination of most fungi. It has been previously shown (K. Hayer, M. Stratford, and D. B. Archer, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 79:6924-6931, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02061-13), using sugar analogs, that germination is a 2-stage process involving triggering of germination and then nutrient uptake for hyphal outgrowth. In the present study, we tested this 2-stage germination process using a series of nitrogen-containing compounds for the ability to trigger the breaking of dormancy of Aspergillus niger conidia and then to support the formation of hyphae by acting as nitrogen sources. Triggering and germination were also compared between A. niger and Aspergillus nidulans using 2-deoxy-D-glucose (trigger), D-galactose (nontrigger in A. niger but trigger in A. nidulans), and an N source (required in A. niger but not in A. nidulans). Although most of the nitrogen compounds studied served as nitrogen sources for growth, only some nitrogen compounds could trigger germination of A. niger conidia, and all were related to L-amino acids. Using L-amino acid analogs without either the amine or the carboxylic acid group revealed that both the amine and carboxylic acid groups were essential for an L-amino acid to serve as a trigger molecule. Generally, conidia were able to sense and recognize nitrogen compounds that fitted into a specific size range. There was no evidence of uptake of either triggering or nontriggering compounds over the first 90 min of A. niger conidial germination, suggesting that the germination trigger sensors are not located within the spore. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

In vitro activity of the novel antifungal compound F901318 against difficult-to-treat Aspergillus isolates.

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Buil, J B; Rijs, A J M M; Meis, J F; Birch, M; Law, D; Melchers, W J G; Verweij, P E

2017-09-01

F901318 is a new antifungal agent with a novel mechanism of action with activity against Aspergillus species. We investigated the in vitro activity of F901318 against a collection of Aspergillus isolates. A total of 213 Aspergillus isolates were used in this study. A total of 143 Aspergillus fumigatus sensu stricto isolates were used, of which 133 were azole resistant [25 TR34/L98H; 25 TR46/Y121F/T289A; 33 A. fumigatus with cyp51A-associated point mutations (25 G54, 1 G432 and 7 M220); and 50 azole-resistant A. fumigatus without known resistance mechanisms]. Ten azole-susceptible A. fumigatus isolates were used as WT controls. The in vitro activity was also determined against Aspergillus calidoustus (25 isolates), Aspergillus flavus (10), Aspergillus nidulans (10) and Aspergillus tubingensis (25). F901318 activity was compared with that of itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole, amphotericin B and anidulafungin. Minimum effective concentrations and MICs were determined using the EUCAST broth microdilution method. F901318 was active against all tested isolates: A. fumigatus WT, MIC90 0.125 mg/L (range 0.031-0.125); TR34/L98H,TR46/Y121F/T289A and azole resistant without known resistance mechanisms, MIC90 0.125 mg/L (range 0.031-0.25); A. fumigatus with cyp51A-associated point mutations, MIC90 0.062 mg/L (range 0.015-0.125); and other species, A. calidoustus MIC90 0.5 mg/L (range 0.125-0.5), A. flavus MIC90 0.062 mg/L (range 0.015-0.62), A. nidulans MIC90 0.125 mg/L (range 0.062-0.25) and A. tubingensis MIC90 0.062 mg/L (range 0.015-0.25). F901318 showed potent and consistent in vitro activity against difficult-to-treat Aspergillus spp. with intrinsic and acquired antifungal resistance due to known and unknown resistance mechanisms, suggesting no significant implications of azole resistance mechanisms for the mode of action of F901318. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for

Physiological characterisation of acuB deletion in Aspergillus niger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meijer, Susan Lisette; De Jongh, Willem Adriaan; Olsson, Lisbeth

2009-01-01

The acuB gene of Aspergillus niger is an ortholog of facB in Aspergillus nidulans. Under carbon-repression conditions, facB is repressed, thereby preventing acetate metabolism when the repressing carbon source is present. Even though facB is reported to be repressed directly by CreA, it is believed...... that a basal level of FacB activity exists under glucose-repressive conditions. In the present study, the effect of deletion of acuB on the physiology of A. niger was assessed. Differences in organic acid and acetate production, enzyme activities and extracellular amino and non-amino organic acid production...... were determined under glucose-repressing and -derepressing conditions. Furthermore, consumption of alternative carbon sources (e.g. xylose, citrate, lactate and succinate) was investigated. It was shown that AcuB has pleiotropic effects on the physiology of A. niger. The results indicate that metabolic...

Low cytoplasmic pH reduces ER-Golgi trafficking and induces disassembly of the Golgi apparatus

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Soonthornsit, Jeerawat [Laboratory for Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita, Kyoto 603-8555 (Japan); Yamaguchi, Yoko; Tamura, Daisuke [Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan); Ishida, Ryuichi; Nakakoji, Yoko; Osako, Shiho [Laboratory for Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita, Kyoto 603-8555 (Japan); Yamamoto, Akitsugu [Department of Animal Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, 266 Tamura, Nagahama, Shiga, 526‐0829 (Japan); Nakamura, Nobuhiro, E-mail: osaru3@cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp [Laboratory for Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita, Kyoto 603-8555 (Japan); Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan)

2014-11-01

The Golgi apparatus was dramatically disassembled when cells were incubated in a low pH medium. The cis-Golgi disassembled quickly, extended tubules and spread to the periphery of cells within 30 min. In contrast, medial- and trans-Golgi were fragmented in significantly larger structures of smaller numbers at a slower rate and remained largely in structures distinct from the cis-Golgi. Electron microscopy revealed the complete disassembly of the Golgi stack in low pH treated cells. The effect of low pH was reversible; the Golgi apparatus reassembled to form a normal ribbon-like structure within 1–2 h after the addition of a control medium. The anterograde ER to Golgi transport and retrograde Golgi to ER transport were both reduced under low pH. Phospholipase A{sub 2} inhibitors (ONO, BEL) effectively suppressed the Golgi disassembly, suggesting that the phospholipase A{sub 2} was involved in the Golgi disassembly. Over-expression of Rab1, 2, 30, 33 and 41 also suppressed the Golgi disassembly under low pH, suggesting that they have protective role against Golgi disassembly. Low pH treatment reduced cytoplasmic pH, but not the luminal pH of the Golgi apparatus, strongly suggesting that reduction of the cytoplasmic pH triggered the Golgi disassembly. Because a lower cytoplasmic pH is induced in physiological or pathological conditions, disassembly of the Golgi apparatus and reduction of vesicular transport through the Golgi apparatus may play important roles in cell physiology and pathology. Furthermore, our findings indicated that low pH treatment can serve as an important tool to analyze the molecular mechanisms that support the structure and function of the Golgi apparatus. - Highlights: • The Golgi apparatus reversibly disassembles by low pH treatment. • The cis-Golgi disassembles quickly generating tubular structures. • Both anterograde and retrograde transport between the ER and the Golgi apparatus are reduced. • Phospholipase A{sub 2} inhibitors (ONO

Effect of cell wall integrity stress and RlmA transcription factor on asexual development and autolysis in Aspergillus nidulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovács, Zsuzsanna; Szarka, Máté; Kovács, Szilvia; Boczonádi, Imre; Emri, Tamás; Abe, Keietsu; Pócsi, István; Pusztahelyi, Tünde

2013-05-01

The cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway is responsible for cell wall remodeling and reinforcement upon cell wall stress, which is proposed to be universal in fungal cultures. In Aspergillus nidulans, both the deletion of rlmA encoding the RlmA transcription factor in CWI signaling and low concentrations of the cell wall polymer intercalating agent Congo Red caused significant physiological changes. The gene deletion mutant ΔrlmA strain showed decreased CWI and oxidative stress resistances, which indicated the connection between the CWI pathway and the oxidative stress response system. The Congo Red stress resulted in alterations in the cell wall polymer composition in submerged cultures due to the induction of the biosynthesis of the alkali soluble fraction as well as the hydrolysis of cell wall biopolymers. Both RlmA and RlmA-independent factors induced by Congo Red stress regulated the expression of glucanase (ANID_00245, engA) and chitinase (chiB, chiA) genes, which promoted the autolysis of the cultures and also modulated the pellet sizes. CWI stress and rlmA deletion affected the expression of brlA encoding the early conidiophore development regulator transcription factor BrlA and, as a consequence, the formation of conidiophores was significantly changed in submerged cultures. Interestingly, the number of conidiospores increased in surface cultures of the ΔrlmA strain. The in silico analysis of genes putatively regulated by RlmA and the CWI transcription factors AnSwi4/AnSwi6 in the SBF complex revealed only a few jointly regulated genes, including ugmA and srrA coding for UgmA UDP-galactopyranose mutase and SrrA stress response regulator, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low cytoplasmic pH reduces ER-Golgi trafficking and induces disassembly of the Golgi apparatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Soonthornsit, Jeerawat; Yamaguchi, Yoko; Tamura, Daisuke; Ishida, Ryuichi; Nakakoji, Yoko; Osako, Shiho; Yamamoto, Akitsugu; Nakamura, Nobuhiro

2014-11-01

The Golgi apparatus was dramatically disassembled when cells were incubated in a low pH medium. The cis-Golgi disassembled quickly, extended tubules and spread to the periphery of cells within 30 min. In contrast, medial- and trans-Golgi were fragmented in significantly larger structures of smaller numbers at a slower rate and remained largely in structures distinct from the cis-Golgi. Electron microscopy revealed the complete disassembly of the Golgi stack in low pH treated cells. The effect of low pH was reversible; the Golgi apparatus reassembled to form a normal ribbon-like structure within 1-2h after the addition of a control medium. The anterograde ER to Golgi transport and retrograde Golgi to ER transport were both reduced under low pH. Phospholipase A2 inhibitors (ONO, BEL) effectively suppressed the Golgi disassembly, suggesting that the phospholipase A2 was involved in the Golgi disassembly. Over-expression of Rab1, 2, 30, 33 and 41 also suppressed the Golgi disassembly under low pH, suggesting that they have protective role against Golgi disassembly. Low pH treatment reduced cytoplasmic pH, but not the luminal pH of the Golgi apparatus, strongly suggesting that reduction of the cytoplasmic pH triggered the Golgi disassembly. Because a lower cytoplasmic pH is induced in physiological or pathological conditions, disassembly of the Golgi apparatus and reduction of vesicular transport through the Golgi apparatus may play important roles in cell physiology and pathology. Furthermore, our findings indicated that low pH treatment can serve as an important tool to analyze the molecular mechanisms that support the structure and function of the Golgi apparatus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of gene expression signatures of diamide, H2O2 and menadione exposed Aspergillus nidulans cultures – linking genome-wide transcriptional changes to cellular physiology

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Pócsi, István; Miskei, Márton; Karányi, Zsolt; Emri, Tamás; Ayoubi, Patricia; Pusztahelyi, Tünde; Balla, György; Prade, Rolf A

2005-01-01

Background In addition to their cytotoxic nature, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are also signal molecules in diverse cellular processes in eukaryotic organisms. Linking genome-wide transcriptional changes to cellular physiology in oxidative stress-exposed Aspergillus nidulans cultures provides the opportunity to estimate the sizes of peroxide (O22-), superoxide (O2•-) and glutathione/glutathione disulphide (GSH/GSSG) redox imbalance responses. Results Genome-wide transcriptional changes triggered by diamide, H2O2 and menadione in A. nidulans vegetative tissues were recorded using DNA microarrays containing 3533 unique PCR-amplified probes. Evaluation of LOESS-normalized data indicated that 2499 gene probes were affected by at least one stress-inducing agent. The stress induced by diamide and H2O2 were pulse-like, with recovery after 1 h exposure time while no recovery was observed with menadione. The distribution of stress-responsive gene probes among major physiological functional categories was approximately the same for each agent. The gene group sizes solely responsive to changes in intracellular O22-, O2•- concentrations or to GSH/GSSG redox imbalance were estimated at 7.7, 32.6 and 13.0 %, respectively. Gene groups responsive to diamide, H2O2 and menadione treatments and gene groups influenced by GSH/GSSG, O22- and O2•- were only partly overlapping with distinct enrichment profiles within functional categories. Changes in the GSH/GSSG redox state influenced expression of genes coding for PBS2 like MAPK kinase homologue, PSK2 kinase homologue, AtfA transcription factor, and many elements of ubiquitin tagging, cell division cycle regulators, translation machinery proteins, defense and stress proteins, transport proteins as well as many enzymes of the primary and secondary metabolisms. Meanwhile, a separate set of genes encoding transport proteins, CpcA and JlbA amino acid starvation-responsive transcription factors, and some elements of sexual development

Comparative Genome Analysis Between Aspergillus oryzae Strains Reveals Close Relationship Between Sites of Mutation Localization and Regions of Highly Divergent Genes among Aspergillus Species

Science.gov (United States)

Umemura, Myco; Koike, Hideaki; Yamane, Noriko; Koyama, Yoshinori; Satou, Yuki; Kikuzato, Ikuya; Teruya, Morimi; Tsukahara, Masatoshi; Imada, Yumi; Wachi, Youji; Miwa, Yukino; Yano, Shuichi; Tamano, Koichi; Kawarabayasi, Yutaka; Fujimori, Kazuhiro E.; Machida, Masayuki; Hirano, Takashi

2012-01-01

Aspergillus oryzae has been utilized for over 1000 years in Japan for the production of various traditional foods, and a large number of A. oryzae strains have been isolated and/or selected for the effective fermentation of food ingredients. Characteristics of genetic alterations among the strains used are of particular interest in studies of A. oryzae. Here, we have sequenced the whole genome of an industrial fungal isolate, A. oryzae RIB326, by using a next-generation sequencing system and compared the data with those of A. oryzae RIB40, a wild-type strain sequenced in 2005. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mutation pressure on the non-syntenic blocks (NSBs) of the genome, which were previously identified through comparative genomic analysis of A. oryzae, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus nidulans. We found that genes within the NSBs of RIB326 accumulate mutations more frequently than those within the SBs, regardless of their distance from the telomeres or of their expression level. Our findings suggest that the high mutation frequency of NSBs might contribute to maintaining the diversity of the A. oryzae genome. PMID:22912434

Comparative genome analysis between Aspergillus oryzae strains reveals close relationship between sites of mutation localization and regions of highly divergent genes among Aspergillus species.

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Umemura, Myco; Koike, Hideaki; Yamane, Noriko; Koyama, Yoshinori; Satou, Yuki; Kikuzato, Ikuya; Teruya, Morimi; Tsukahara, Masatoshi; Imada, Yumi; Wachi, Youji; Miwa, Yukino; Yano, Shuichi; Tamano, Koichi; Kawarabayasi, Yutaka; Fujimori, Kazuhiro E; Machida, Masayuki; Hirano, Takashi

2012-10-01

Aspergillus oryzae has been utilized for over 1000 years in Japan for the production of various traditional foods, and a large number of A. oryzae strains have been isolated and/or selected for the effective fermentation of food ingredients. Characteristics of genetic alterations among the strains used are of particular interest in studies of A. oryzae. Here, we have sequenced the whole genome of an industrial fungal isolate, A. oryzae RIB326, by using a next-generation sequencing system and compared the data with those of A. oryzae RIB40, a wild-type strain sequenced in 2005. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mutation pressure on the non-syntenic blocks (NSBs) of the genome, which were previously identified through comparative genomic analysis of A. oryzae, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus nidulans. We found that genes within the NSBs of RIB326 accumulate mutations more frequently than those within the SBs, regardless of their distance from the telomeres or of their expression level. Our findings suggest that the high mutation frequency of NSBs might contribute to maintaining the diversity of the A. oryzae genome.

Aflatoxin B1-producing Aspergillus in sun-dried medicinal plant materials

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Chinaputi, A.

2001-10-01

Full Text Available Fifty sun-dried medicinal plants were obtained from fraditional drug stores in Songkhla Province, Thailand, and examined for Aspergillus and aflatoxin B1. 288 isolates of Aspergillus were obtaines by standard blotter plate and 25 species were identified. The most common species were A. niger with 99 isolates, A. Flavus 84 isolates, A. terreus 33 isolates, A. oryzae 25 isolates, A.nidulans (Emericella nidulans 10 isolates, A fumigatus 9 isolates and A. chevalieri (Eurotium chevalieri 8 isolates. The other species[A. alliaceus, A.auricomus, A. carbonarius, A. carneus, A. clavatus, A. fisheri(Sartorya fumigata, A. janus, A. melleus,A. ochraceus, A. phoencis, A. sparsus, A. terricola, A. thomii, A. versicolor, A. wentii and Aspergillus sp.1-3] each had 1-2 siolates. Ofthe 50 different plants examined,9 had no trace of Aspergillus, namely Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Illicium verum, Andrographis paniculate, Carthamus tinctorius, Eugenia caryophyllus, Elettaria cardomomum, Coriandrum sativum, Curcuma longa and Cassia garrettiana. The highest number of species(9 of Aspergillus was found on Rauvolfia serpentina.The ability of Aspergillus to form aflatoxin was determined in coconut milk agar by observing the intensity of blue fluorescence in agar surrounding the colonies under ultraviolet light and the yellow pigment under the colonies. The results showed the production of aflatoxin was limited to the one species, A. flavus, from which 84 isolates produced aflatoxin in 57 isolates(67.8%.Aflatoxin B1. production was confirmed by culturing fluorescencing isolates of A. flavus in coconut nilk broth and detecting by ELISA technique. Aflatoxin B1. showed increasing production after 2 days, stabilizing at 3-4 days, and the decreasing after 5-6 days. Aflatoxin B1. could not be detected from nonfluorescencing isolates.The morphological characteristics of the aflatoxin B1. -producing and non-producing strains of A. flavus were similar under light microscope and

Proteomic dissection of the Arabidopsis Golgi and trans-Golgi network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parsons, Harriet Tempé; Drakakaki, Georgia; Heazlewood, Joshua L.

2013-01-01

The plant Golgi apparatus and trans-Golgi network are major endomembrane trafficking hubs within the plant cell and are involved in a diverse and vital series of functions to maintain plant growth and development. Recently, a series of disparate technical approaches have been used to isolate...

Probing the effect of tip pressure on fungal growth: Application to Aspergillus nidulans

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González-Bermúdez, Blanca; Li, Qingxuan; Guinea, Gustavo V.; Peñalva, Miguel A.; Plaza, Gustavo R.

2017-08-01

The study of fungal cells is of great interest due to their importance as pathogens and as fermenting fungi and for their appropriateness as model organisms. The differential pressure between the hyphal cytoplasm and the bordering medium is essential for the growth process, because the pressure is correlated with the growth rate. Notably, during the invasion of tissues, the external pressure at the tip of the hypha may be different from the pressure in the surrounding medium. We report the use of a method, based on the micropipette-aspiration technique, to study the influence of this external pressure at the hyphal tip. Moreover, this technique makes it possible to study hyphal growth mechanics in the case of very thin hyphae, not accessible to turgor pressure probes. We found a correlation between the local pressure at the tip and the growth rate for the species Arpergillus nidulans. Importantly, the proposed method allows one to measure the pressure at the tip required to arrest the hyphal growth. Determining that pressure could be useful to develop new medical treatments for fungal infections. Finally, we provide a mechanical model for these experiments, taking into account the cytoplasm flow and the wall deformation.

Screening Senyawa Metabolit Sekunder Pada Fungi Laut Emericella Nidulans

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Irah Namirah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Investigation bioactive secondary metabolite previously, Research Center for Marine and Fisheries Product Processing and Biotechnology found anticancer properties to Emericella nidulans marine fungi strain MFW39 isolated from ascidia Aplidium longithorax collected from Wakatobi Marine National Park. Emestrin was a compound with an ETP (epipolithiodioxopiperazine group that found in Emericella nidulans marine fungi have cytotoxicity properties. Emestrin show cytotoxic activity to breast cancer cell line [T47D], cancer cervic cell line [HeLa], colon cancer cell line [WiDr] and liver cancer cell line (HepG2. The aim of the research to investigated other derivative of emestrin compound. The screening with UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography mass analysis q-TOF/MS (quadrupole-Time of Flight/Mass spectra positif mode (ES+.. Monoisotopic ion Derivative compound of emestrin that detected from (ES+ UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS spectrum are emestrin B, emestrin C. Another compound that detected are cytochalasin B dan C.Keywords: Emericella nidulans, Emestrin, Emestrin derivative, UPLC- q-TOF/MS spectrum Abstrak: Pada penelitian pencarian metabolit sekunder bioaktif sebelumnya, Balai Besar Riset Pengolahan Produk dan Bioteknologi Kelautan dan Perikanan menemukan fungi Emericella nidulans strain MFW39 yang diisolasi dari ascidia Aplidium longithorax dari Taman Nasional Laut Wakatobi, Sulawesi tenggara memiliki aktivitas sitotoksik terhadap beberapa sel kanker, diantaranya sel turunan kanker payudara (T47D, liver (HepG2, kanker usus (C28 dan serviks (HeLa. Senyawa yang berkontribusi terhadap sifat sitotoksik adalah senyawa emestrin yang memiliki gugus ETP (epipolithiodioxopiperazine. Hasil isolasi dan karakterisasi senyawa bioaktif yang ditemukan pada fungi Emericella nidulans strain MFW39 adalah senyawa emestrin. Penelitian ini bertujuan mencari derivat senyawa emestrin lain. Proses screening dilakukan dengan mencari puncak monoisotopik senyawa

The Set1/COMPASS histone H3 methyltransferase helps regulate mitosis with the CDK1 and NIMA mitotic kinases in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Govindaraghavan, Meera; Anglin, Sarah Lea; Osmani, Aysha H; Osmani, Stephen A

2014-08-01

Mitosis is promoted and regulated by reversible protein phosphorylation catalyzed by the essential NIMA and CDK1 kinases in the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Protein methylation mediated by the Set1/COMPASS methyltransferase complex has also been shown to regulate mitosis in budding yeast with the Aurora mitotic kinase. We uncover a genetic interaction between An-swd1, which encodes a subunit of the Set1 protein methyltransferase complex, with NIMA as partial inactivation of nimA is poorly tolerated in the absence of swd1. This genetic interaction is additionally seen without the Set1 methyltransferase catalytic subunit. Importantly partial inactivation of NIMT, a mitotic activator of the CDK1 kinase, also causes lethality in the absence of Set1 function, revealing a functional relationship between the Set1 complex and two pivotal mitotic kinases. The main target for Set1-mediated methylation is histone H3K4. Mutational analysis of histone H3 revealed that modifying the H3K4 target residue of Set1 methyltransferase activity phenocopied the lethality seen when either NIMA or CDK1 are partially functional. We probed the mechanistic basis of these genetic interactions and find that the Set1 complex performs functions with CDK1 for initiating mitosis and with NIMA during progression through mitosis. The studies uncover a joint requirement for the Set1 methyltransferase complex with the CDK1 and NIMA kinases for successful mitosis. The findings extend the roles of the Set1 complex to include the initiation of mitosis with CDK1 and mitotic progression with NIMA in addition to its previously identified interactions with Aurora and type 1 phosphatase in budding yeast. Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.

Mms Sensitivity of All Amino Acid-Requiring Mutants in Aspergillus and Its Suppression by Mutations in a Single Gene

OpenAIRE

Käfer, Etta

1987-01-01

All available amino acid-requiring mutants of Aspergillus nidulans were found to be hypersensitive to MMS (methyl methanesulfonate) to various degrees. On MMS media, secondary mutations could be selected which suppress this MMS sensitivity but do not affect the requirement. Many such mutations were analyzed and found to be alleles of one gene, smsA (= suppressor of MMS sensitivity), which mapped distal on the right arm of chromosome V. This gene is more likely to be involved in general regula...

Functional Analysis of the Nitrogen Metabolite Repression Regulator Gene nmrA in Aspergillus flavus

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Xiaoyun Han

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In Aspergillus nidulans, the nitrogen metabolite repression regulator NmrA plays a major role in regulating the activity of the GATA transcription factor AreA during nitrogen metabolism. However, the function of nmrA in Aspergillus flavus has notbeen previously studied. Here, we report the identification and functional analysis of nmrA in A. flavus. Our work showed that the amino acid sequences of NmrA are highly conserved among Aspergillus species and that A. flavus NmrA protein contains a canonical Rossmann fold motif. Deletion of nmrA slowed the growth of A. flavus but significantly increased conidiation and sclerotia production. Moreover, seed infection experiments indicated that nmrA is required for the invasive virulence of A. flavus. In addition, the ΔnmrA mutant showed increased sensitivity to rapamycin and methyl methanesulfonate, suggesting that nmrA could be responsive to target of rapamycin signaling and DNA damage. Furthermore, quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis suggested that nmrA might interact with other nitrogen regulatory and catabolic genes. Our study provides a better understanding of nitrogen metabolite repression and the nitrogen metabolism network in fungi.

Mutagenicity of monoadducts and cross-links induced in Aspergillus nidulans by 8-methoxypsoralen plus 365 nm radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, B.R.; Maley, M.A.

1981-01-01

8-Methoxypsoralen plus 365 nm radiation induces mutation at the methionine supressor loci of Aspergillus inhibitor-deficient conidia at low doses of near-UV radiation with one-hit kinetics and at higher near-UV radiation doses with two-hit kinetics. These results and others suggest that both monoadducts and cross-links, formed by 8-methoxypsoralen and DNA upon exposure to UV radiation, are capable of inducing mutation. Evidence is also presented that induced furocoumarin cross-links are responsible for the inactivation of the Aspergillus conidium. (author)

Disinfection efficacy of chlorine and peracetic acid alone or in combination against Aspergillus spp. and Candida albicans in drinking water.

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Sisti, Maurizio; Brandi, Giorgio; De Santi, Mauro; Rinaldi, Laura; Schiavano, Giuditta F

2012-03-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the fungicidal activity of chlorine and peracetic acid in drinking water against various pathogenic Aspergillus spp. and Candida albicans strains. A. nidulans exhibited the greatest resistance, requiring 10 ppm of chlorine for 30 min contact time for a complete inactivation. Under the same experimental conditions, peracetic acid was even less fungicidal. In this case, A. niger proved to be the most resistant species (50 ppm for 60 min for complete inactivation). All Aspergillus spp. were insensitive to 10 ppm even with extended exposure (>5 h). The combination of chlorine and peracetic acid against Aspergillus spp. did not show synergistic effects except in the case of A. flavus. Complete growth inhibition of C. albicans was observed after about 3 h contact time with 0.2 ppm. C. albicans was less sensitive to peracetic acid. Hence the concentrations of chlorine that are usually present in drinking water distribution systems are ineffective against several Aspergillus spp. and peracetic acid cannot be considered an alternative to chlorine for disinfecting drinking water. The combination of the two biocides is not very effective in eliminating filamentous fungi at the concentrations permitted for drinking water disinfection.

Characterization of the product of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase-like (NRPS-like) gene using the doxycycline dependent Tet-on system in Aspergillus terreus.

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Sun, Wei-Wen; Guo, Chun-Jun; Wang, Clay C C

2016-04-01

Genome sequencing of the fungus Aspergillus terreus uncovered a number of silent core structural biosynthetic genes encoding enzymes presumed to be involved in the production of cryptic secondary metabolites. There are five nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)-like genes with the predicted A-T-TE domain architecture within the A. terreus genome. Among the five genes, only the product of pgnA remains unknown. The Tet-on system is an inducible, tunable and metabolism-independent expression system originally developed for Aspergillus niger. Here we report the adoption of the Tet-on system as an effective gene activation tool in A. terreus. Application of this system in A. terreus allowed us to uncover the product of the cryptic NRPS-like gene, pgnA. Furthermore expression of pgnA in the heterologous Aspergillus nidulans host suggested that the pgnA gene alone is necessary for phenguignardic acid (1) biosynthesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aspergillus flavus aswA, a gene homolog of Aspergillus nidulans oefC, regulates sclerotial development and biosynthesis of sclerotium-associated secondary metabolites

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Aspergillus flavus aswA (AFLA_085170) is a gene encoding a Zn(II)2Cys6 DNA-binding domain. Partial deletion of aswA yielded strains that made a truncated gene transcript and generated a fungus that produced a greatly increased number of sclerotia. These sclerotia were odd-shaped and non-pigmented (w...

Self-excising Cre/mutant lox marker recycling system for multiple gene integrations and consecutive gene deletions in Aspergillus oryzae.

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Zhang, Silai; Ban, Akihiko; Ebara, Naoki; Mizutani, Osamu; Tanaka, Mizuki; Shintani, Takahiro; Gomi, Katsuya

2017-04-01

In this study, we developed a self-excising Cre/loxP-mediated marker recycling system with mutated lox sequences to introduce a number of biosynthetic genes into Aspergillus oryzae. To construct the self-excising marker cassette, both the selectable marker, the Aspergillus nidulans adeA gene, and the Cre recombinase gene (cre), conditionally expressed by the xylanase-encoding gene promoter, were designed to be located between the mutant lox sequences, lox66 and lox71. However, construction of the plasmid failed, possibly owing to a slight expression of cre downstream of the fungal gene promoter in Escherichia coli. Hence, to avoid the excision of the cassette in E. coli, a 71-bp intron of the A. oryzae xynG2 gene was inserted into the cre gene. The A. oryzae adeA deletion mutant was transformed with the resulting plasmid in the presence of glucose, and the transformants were cultured in medium containing xylose as the sole carbon source. PCR analysis of genomic DNA from resultant colonies revealed the excision of both the marker and Cre expression construct, indicating that the self-excising marker cassette was efficient at removing the selectable marker. Using the marker recycling system, hyperproduction of kojic acid could be achieved in A. oryzae by the introduction of two genes that encode oxidoreductase and transporter. Furthermore, we also constructed an alternative marker recycling cassette bearing the A. nidulans pyrithiamine resistant gene (ptrA) as a dominant selectable marker. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proteomics as a Tool to Identify New Targets Against Aspergillus and Scedosporium in the Context of Cystic Fibrosis.

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Ramirez-Garcia, Andoni; Pellon, Aize; Buldain, Idoia; Antoran, Aitziber; Arbizu-Delgado, Aitana; Guruceaga, Xabier; Rementeria, Aitor; Hernando, Fernando L

2018-02-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that increases the risk of suffering microbial, including fungal, infections. In this paper, proteomics-based information was collated relating to secreted and cell wall proteins with potential medical applications from the most common filamentous fungi in CF, i.e., Aspergillus and Scedosporium/Lomentospora species. Among the Aspergillus fumigatus secreted allergens, β-1,3-endoglucanase, the alkaline protease 1 (Alp1/oryzin), Asp f 2, Asp f 13/15, chitinase, chitosanase, dipeptidyl-peptidase V (DppV), the metalloprotease Asp f 5, mitogillin/Asp f 1, and thioredoxin reductase receive a special mention. In addition, the antigens β-glucosidase 1, catalase, glucan endo-1,3-β-glucosidase EglC, β-1,3-glucanosyltransferases Gel1 and Gel2, and glutaminase A were also identified in secretomes of other Aspergillus species associated with CF: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nidulans, and Aspergillus terreus. Regarding cell wall proteins, cytochrome P450 and eEF-3 were proposed as diagnostic targets, and alkaline protease 2 (Alp2), Asp f 3 (putative peroxiredoxin pmp20), probable glycosidases Asp f 9/Crf1 and Crf2, GPI-anchored protein Ecm33, β-1,3-glucanosyltransferase Gel4, conidial hydrophobin Hyp1/RodA, and secreted aspartyl protease Pep2 as protective vaccines in A. fumigatus. On the other hand, for Scedosporium/Lomentospora species, the heat shock protein Hsp70 stands out as a relevant secreted and cell wall antigen. Additionally, the secreted aspartyl proteinase and an ortholog of Asp f 13, as well as the cell wall endo-1,3-β-D-glucosidase and 1,3-β-glucanosyl transferase, were also found to be significant proteins. In conclusion, proteins mentioned in this review may be promising candidates for developing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools for fungal infections in CF patients.

MMS sensitivity of all amino acid-requiring mutants in aspergillus and its suppression by mutations in a single gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Käfer, E

1987-04-01

All available amino acid-requiring mutants of Aspergillus nidulans were found to be hypersensitive to MMS (methyl methanesulfonate) to various degrees. On MMS media, secondary mutations could be selected which suppress this MMS sensitivity but do not affect the requirement. Many such mutations were analyzed and found to be alleles of one gene, smsA (= suppressor of MMS sensitivity), which mapped distal on the right arm of chromosome V. This gene is more likely to be involved in general regulation of amino acid biosynthesis than MMS uptake, since a variety of pathway interactions were clearly modified by smsA suppressors in the absence of MMS.

Uncovering transcriptional regulation of glycerol metabolism in Aspergilli through genome-wide gene expression data anlysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salazar, Margarita Pena; Vongsangnak, Wanwipa; Panagiotou, Gianni

2009-01-01

Glycerol is catabolized by a wide range of microorganisms including Aspergillus species. To identify the transcriptional regulation of glycerol metabolism in Aspergillus, we analyzed data from triplicate batch fermentations of three different Aspergilli (Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus oryzae...... and Aspergillus niger) with glucose and glycerol as carbon sources. Protein comparisons and cross-analysis with gene expression data of all three species resulted in the identification of 88 genes having a conserved response across the three Aspergilli. A promoter analysis of the up-regulated genes led...... to the identification of a conserved binding site for a putative regulator to be 5′-TGCGGGGA-3′, a binding site that is similar to the binding site for Adr1 in yeast and humans. We show that this Adr1 consensus binding sequence was over-represented on promoter regions of several genes in A. nidulans, A. oryzae and A...

cis-Golgi proteins accumulate near the ER exit sites and act as the scaffold for Golgi regeneration after brefeldin A treatment in tobacco BY-2 cells.

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Ito, Yoko; Uemura, Tomohiro; Shoda, Keiko; Fujimoto, Masaru; Ueda, Takashi; Nakano, Akihiko

2012-08-01

The Golgi apparatus forms stacks of cisternae in many eukaryotic cells. However, little is known about how such a stacked structure is formed and maintained. To address this question, plant cells provide a system suitable for live-imaging approaches because individual Golgi stacks are well separated in the cytoplasm. We established tobacco BY-2 cell lines expressing multiple Golgi markers tagged by different fluorescent proteins and observed their responses to brefeldin A (BFA) treatment and BFA removal. BFA treatment disrupted cis, medial, and trans cisternae but caused distinct relocalization patterns depending on the proteins examined. Medial- and trans-Golgi proteins, as well as one cis-Golgi protein, were absorbed into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but two other cis-Golgi proteins formed small punctate structures. After BFA removal, these puncta coalesced first, and then the Golgi stacks regenerated from them in the cis-to-trans order. We suggest that these structures have a property similar to the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and function as the scaffold of Golgi regeneration.

Disruption of Trichoderma reesei cre2, encoding an ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase, results in increased cellulase activity

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina) is an important source of cellulases for use in the textile and alternative fuel industries. To fully understand the regulation of cellulase production in T. reesei, the role of a gene known to be involved in carbon regulation in Aspergillus nidulans, but unstudied in T. reesei, was investigated. Results The T. reesei orthologue of the A. nidulans creB gene, designated cre2, was identified and shown to be functional through heterologous complementation of a creB mutation in A. nidulans. A T. reesei strain was constructed using gene disruption techniques that contained a disrupted cre2 gene. This strain, JKTR2-6, exhibited phenotypes similar to the A. nidulans creB mutant strain both in carbon catabolite repressing, and in carbon catabolite derepressing conditions. Importantly, the disruption also led to elevated cellulase levels. Conclusions These results demonstrate that cre2 is involved in cellulase expression. Since the disruption of cre2 increases the amount of cellulase activity, without severe morphological affects, targeting creB orthologues for disruption in other industrially useful filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus oryzae, Trichoderma harzianum or Aspergillus niger may also lead to elevated hydrolytic enzyme activity in these species. PMID:22070776

Disruption of Trichoderma reesei cre2, encoding an ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase, results in increased cellulase activity

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Denton Jai A

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina is an important source of cellulases for use in the textile and alternative fuel industries. To fully understand the regulation of cellulase production in T. reesei, the role of a gene known to be involved in carbon regulation in Aspergillus nidulans, but unstudied in T. reesei, was investigated. Results The T. reesei orthologue of the A. nidulans creB gene, designated cre2, was identified and shown to be functional through heterologous complementation of a creB mutation in A. nidulans. A T. reesei strain was constructed using gene disruption techniques that contained a disrupted cre2 gene. This strain, JKTR2-6, exhibited phenotypes similar to the A. nidulans creB mutant strain both in carbon catabolite repressing, and in carbon catabolite derepressing conditions. Importantly, the disruption also led to elevated cellulase levels. Conclusions These results demonstrate that cre2 is involved in cellulase expression. Since the disruption of cre2 increases the amount of cellulase activity, without severe morphological affects, targeting creB orthologues for disruption in other industrially useful filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus oryzae, Trichoderma harzianum or Aspergillus niger may also lead to elevated hydrolytic enzyme activity in these species.

Antimicrobial properties of three spices used in the preparation of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-05-18

Xylopia aethiopica) for the fungitixicity of their essential oils against mycelial growth of 3 food-borne fungi; Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans and Mucor hiemalis. The essential oils from all the spices were fungi-toxic at ...

Definition and characterization of enzymes for maximal biocatalytic solubilization of prebiotic polysaccharides from potato pulp

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomassen, Lise Vestergaard; Larsen, Dorte Møller; Mikkelsen, Jørn Dalgaard

2011-01-01

of these polysaccharides from the potato pulp. The pH and temperature optima of two selected pectin lyases from Emericella nidulans (formerly known as Aspergillus nidulans) and Aspergillus niger were determined to 8.6 and 4.0, respectively, at ≥100°C within 1min of reaction. The optima for the two selected......Potato pulp is a high-volume co-processing product resulting from industrial potato starch manufacturing. Potato pulp is particularly rich in pectin, notably galactan branched rhamnogalacturonan I polysaccharides, which are highly bifidogenic when solubilized. The objective of the present study...

Sequential phosphorylation of GRASP65 during mitotic Golgi disassembly

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Danming Tang

2012-09-01

GRASP65 phosphorylation during mitosis and dephosphorylation after mitosis are required for Golgi disassembly and reassembly during the cell cycle. At least eight phosphorylation sites on GRASP65 have been identified, but whether they are modified in a coordinated fashion during mitosis is so far unknown. In this study, we raised phospho-specific antibodies that recognize phosphorylated T220/T224, S277 and S376 residues of GRASP65, respectively. Biochemical analysis showed that cdc2 phosphorylates all three sites, while plk1 enhances the phosphorylation. Microscopic studies using these antibodies for double and triple labeling demonstrate sequential phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during the cell cycle. S277 and S376 are phosphorylated from late G2 phase through metaphase until telophase when the new Golgi is reassembled. T220/224 is not modified until prophase, but is highly modified from prometaphase to anaphase. In metaphase, phospho-T220/224 signal localizes on both Golgi haze and mitotic Golgi clusters that represent dispersed Golgi vesicles and Golgi remnants, respectively, while phospho-S277 and S376 labeling is more concentrated on mitotic Golgi clusters. Expression of a phosphorylation-resistant GRASP65 mutant T220A/T224A inhibited mitotic Golgi fragmentation to a much larger extent than the expression of the S277A and S376A mutants. In cytokinesis, T220/224 dephosphorylation occurs prior to that of S277, but after S376. This study provides evidence that GRASP65 is sequentially phosphorylated and dephosphorylated during mitosis at different sites to orchestrate Golgi disassembly and reassembly during cell division, with phosphorylation of the T220/224 site being most critical in the process.

Three extracellular dipeptidyl peptidases found in Aspergillus oryzae show varying substrate specificities.

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Hiroshi; Sakai, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Takuji; Morita, Hiroto; Okamoto, Ayako; Takeuchi, Michio; Kusumoto, Ken-Ichi; Amano, Hitoshi; Ishida, Hiroki; Yamagata, Youhei

2016-06-01

Three extracellular dipeptidyl peptidase genes, dppB, dppE, and dppF, were unveiled by sequence analysis of the Aspergillus oryzae genome. We investigated their differential enzymatic profiles, in order to gain an understanding of the diversity of these genes. The three dipeptidyl peptidases were expressed using Aspergillus nidulans as the host. Each recombinant enzyme was purified and subsequently characterized. The enzymes displayed similar optimum pH values, but optimum temperatures, pH stabilities, and substrate specificities varied. DppB was identified as a Xaa-Prolyl dipeptidyl peptidase, while DppE scissile substrates were similar to the substrates for Aspergillus fumigatus DPPV (AfDPPV). DppF was found to be a novel enzyme that could digest both substrates for A. fumigatus DPPIV and AfDPPV. Semi-quantitative PCR revealed that the transcription of dppB in A. oryzae was induced by protein substrates and repressed by the addition of an inorganic nitrogen source, despite the presence of protein substrates. The transcription of dppE depended on its growth time, while the transcription of dppF was not affected by the type of the nitrogen source in the medium, and it started during the early stage of the fungal growth. Based on these results, we conclude that these enzymes may represent the nutrition acquisition enzymes. Additionally, DppF may be one of the sensor peptidases responsible for the detection of the protein substrates in A. oryzae environment. DppB may be involved in nitrogen assimilation control, since the transcription of dppB was repressed by NaNO3, despite the presence of protein substrates.

Identification of possible targets of the Aspergillus fumigatus CRZ1 homologue, CrzA

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Goldman Gustavo H

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Calcineurin, a serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase, plays an important role in the control of cell morphology and virulence in fungi. Calcineurin regulates localization and activity of a transcription factor called CRZ1. Recently, we characterize Aspergillus fumigatus CRZ1 homologue, AfCrzA. Here, we investigate which pathways are influenced by A. fumigatus AfCrzA during a short pulse of calcium by comparatively determining the transcriptional profile of A. fumigatus wild type and ΔAfcrzA mutant strains. Results We were able to observe 3,622 genes modulated in at least one timepoint in the mutant when compared to the wild type strain (3,211 and 411 at 10 and 30 minutes, respectively. Decreased mRNA abundance in the ΔcrzA was seen for genes encoding calcium transporters, transcription factors and genes that could be directly or indirectly involved in calcium metabolism. Increased mRNA accumulation was observed for some genes encoding proteins involved in stress response. AfCrzA overexpression in A. fumigatus increases the expression of several of these genes. The deleted strain of one of these genes, AfRcnA, belonging to a class of endogenous calcineurin regulators, calcipressins, had more calcineurin activity after exposure to calcium and was less sensitive to menadione 30 μM, hydrogen peroxide 2.5 mM, EGTA 25 mM, and MnCl2 25 mM. We constructed deletion, overexpression, and GFP fusion protein for the closely related A. nidulans AnRcnA. GFP::RcnA was mostly detected along the germling, did not accumulate in the nuclei and its location is not affected by the cellular response to calcium chloride. Conclusion We have performed a transcriptional profiling analysis of the A. fumigatus ΔAfcrzA mutant strain exposed to calcium stress. This provided an excellent opportunity to identify genes and pathways that are under the influence of AfCrzA. AfRcnA, one of these selected genes, encodes a modulator of calcineurin

Mena–GRASP65 interaction couples actin polymerization to Golgi ribbon linking

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Danming; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Huang, Shijiao; Yuan, Hebao; Li, Jie; Wang, Yanzhuang

2016-01-01

In mammalian cells, the Golgi reassembly stacking protein 65 (GRASP65) has been implicated in both Golgi stacking and ribbon linking by forming trans-oligomers through the N-terminal GRASP domain. Because the GRASP domain is globular and relatively small, but the gaps between stacks are large and heterogeneous, it remains puzzling how GRASP65 physically links Golgi stacks into a ribbon. To explore the possibility that other proteins may help GRASP65 in ribbon linking, we used biochemical methods and identified the actin elongation factor Mena as a novel GRASP65-binding protein. Mena is recruited onto the Golgi membranes through interaction with GRASP65. Depleting Mena or disrupting actin polymerization resulted in Golgi fragmentation. In cells, Mena and actin were required for Golgi ribbon formation after nocodazole washout; in vitro, Mena and microfilaments enhanced GRASP65 oligomerization and Golgi membrane fusion. Thus Mena interacts with GRASP65 to promote local actin polymerization, which facilitates Golgi ribbon linking. PMID:26538023

An overproduction of astellolides induced by genetic disruption of chromatin-remodeling factors in Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Shinohara, Yasutomo; Kawatani, Makoto; Futamura, Yushi; Osada, Hiroyuki; Koyama, Yasuji

2016-01-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is an important industrial mold. Recent genomic analysis indicated that A. oryzae has a large number of biosynthetic genes for secondary metabolites (SMs), but many of the SMs they produce have not been identified. For better understanding of SMs production by A. oryzae, we screened a gene-disruption library of transcription factors including chromatin-remodeling factors and found two gene disruptions that show similarly altered SM production profiles. One is a homolog of Aspergillus nidulans cclA, a component of the histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complex of proteins associated with Set1 complex, and the other, sppA, is an ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SPP1, another component of a complex of proteins associated with Set1 complex. The cclA and sppA disruptions in A. oryzae are deficient in trimethylation of H3K4. Furthermore, one of the SMs that increased in the cclA disruptant was identified as astellolide F (14-deacetyl astellolide B). These data indicate that both cclA and sppA affect production of SMs including astellolides by affecting the methylation status of H3K4 in A. oryzae.

FluG affects secretion in colonies of Aspergillus niger.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fengfeng; Krijgsheld, Pauline; Hulsman, Marc; de Bekker, Charissa; Müller, Wally H; Reinders, Marcel; de Vries, Ronald P; Wösten, Han A B

2015-01-01

Colonies of Aspergillus niger are characterized by zonal heterogeneity in growth, sporulation, gene expression and secretion. For instance, the glucoamylase gene glaA is more highly expressed at the periphery of colonies when compared to the center. As a consequence, its encoded protein GlaA is mainly secreted at the outer part of the colony. Here, multiple copies of amyR were introduced in A. niger. Most transformants over-expressing this regulatory gene of amylolytic genes still displayed heterogeneous glaA expression and GlaA secretion. However, heterogeneity was abolished in transformant UU-A001.13 by expressing glaA and secreting GlaA throughout the mycelium. Sequencing the genome of UU-A001.13 revealed that transformation had been accompanied by deletion of part of the fluG gene and disrupting its 3' end by integration of a transformation vector. Inactivation of fluG in the wild-type background of A. niger also resulted in breakdown of starch under the whole colony. Asexual development of the ∆fluG strain was not affected, unlike what was previously shown in Aspergillus nidulans. Genes encoding proteins with a signal sequence for secretion, including part of the amylolytic genes, were more often downregulated in the central zone of maltose-grown ∆fluG colonies and upregulated in the intermediate part and periphery when compared to the wild-type. Together, these data indicate that FluG of A. niger is a repressor of secretion.

HisB as novel selection marker for gene targeting approaches in Aspergillus niger.

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Fiedler, Markus R M; Gensheimer, Tarek; Kubisch, Christin; Meyer, Vera

2017-03-08

For Aspergillus niger, a broad set of auxotrophic and dominant resistance markers is available. However, only few offer targeted modification of a gene of interest into or at a genomic locus of choice, which hampers functional genomics studies. We thus aimed to extend the available set by generating a histidine auxotrophic strain with a characterized hisB locus for targeted gene integration and deletion in A. niger. A histidine-auxotrophic strain was established via disruption of the A. niger hisB gene by using the counterselectable pyrG marker. After curing, a hisB - , pyrG - strain was obtained, which served as recipient strain for further studies. We show here that both hisB orthologs from A. nidulans and A. niger can be used to reestablish histidine prototrophy in this recipient strain. Whereas the hisB gene from A. nidulans was suitable for efficient gene targeting at different loci in A. niger, the hisB gene from A. niger allowed efficient integration of a Tet-on driven luciferase reporter construct at the endogenous non-functional hisB locus. Subsequent analysis of the luciferase activity revealed that the hisB locus is tight under non-inducing conditions and allows even higher luciferase expression levels compared to the pyrG integration locus. Taken together, we provide here an alternative selection marker for A. niger, hisB, which allows efficient homologous integration rates as well as high expression levels which compare favorably to the well-established pyrG selection marker.

The small G protein Arl5 contributes to endosome-to-Golgi traffic by aiding the recruitment of the GARP complex to the Golgi

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Cláudia Rosa-Ferreira

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The small G proteins of the Arf family play critical roles in membrane trafficking and cytoskeleton organization. However, the function of some members of the family remains poorly understood including Arl5 which is widely conserved in eukaryotes. Humans have two closely related Arl5 paralogues (Arl5a and Arl5b, and both Arl5a and Arl5b localize to the trans-Golgi with Arl5b being involved in retrograde traffic from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus. To investigate the function of Arl5, we have used Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. We find that the single Arl5 orthologue in Drosophila also localizes to the trans-Golgi, but flies lacking the Arl5 gene are viable and fertile. By using both liposome and column based affinity chromatography methods we find that Arl5 interacts with the Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP complex that acts in the tethering of vesicles moving from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network (TGN. In Drosophila tissues the GARP complex is partially displaced from the Golgi when Arl5 is absent, and the late endosomal compartment is enlarged. In addition, in HeLa cells GARP also becomes cytosolic upon depletion of Arl5b. These phenotypes are consistent with a role in endosome-to-Golgi traffic, but are less severe than loss of GARP itself. Thus it appears that Arl5 is one of the factors that directs the recruitment of the GARP complex to the trans-Golgi, and this function is conserved in both flies and humans.

Characterization of the N-linked glycosylation site of recombinant pectate lyase

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Colangelo, J.; Licon, V.; Benen, J.A.E.; Visser, J.; Bergmann, C.; Orlando, R.

1999-01-01

Recombinant pectate lyase from Aspergillus niger was overexpressed in Aspergillus nidulans. The two recombinant proteins produced differed in molecular mass by 1200 Da, which suggested that the larger molecular weight protein was glycosylated. The deduced amino acid sequence was searched for

Mapping the primary structure of copper/topaquinone-containing methylamine oxidase from Aspergillus niger.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenobel, R; Sebela, M; Frébort, I

2005-01-01

The amino acid sequence of methylamine oxidase (MeAO) from the fungus Aspergillus niger was analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS). First, MeAO was characterized by an accurate molar mass of 72.4 kDa of the monomer measured using MALDI-TOF-MS and by a pI value of 5.8 determined by isoelectric focusing. MALDI-TOF-MS revealed a clear peptide mass fingerprint after tryptic digestion, which did not provide any relevant hit when searched against a nonredundant protein database and was different from that of A. niger amine oxidase AO-I. Tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization coupled to liquid chromatography allowed unambiguous reading of six peptide sequences (11-19 amino acids) and seven sequence tags (4-15 amino acids), which were used for MS BLAST homology searching. MeAO was found to be largely homologous to a hypothetical protein AN7641.2 (EMBL/GenBank protein-accession code EAA61827) from Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 with a theoretical molar mass of 76.46 kDa and pI 6.14, which belongs to the superfamily of copper amine oxidases. The protein AN7641.2 is only little homologous to the amine oxidase AO-I (32% identity, 49 % similarity).

MMS induction of different types of genetic damage in Aspergillus nidulans: a comparative analysis in mutagenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gualandi, G; Bellincampi, D; Puppo, S

1979-09-01

Methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) was used to test the induction of gene mutation, somatic crossing-over and mitotic non-disjunction in A. nidulans. Gene mutation was tested by inducing mutants resistant to 8-azaguanine and revertants of methG1 in a haploid strain. Somatic crossing-over was tested in heterozygous diploids, both with a selective method, i.e. inducing homozygosis to FPA resistance in a heterozygous fpa A1/+ strain, and with a non-selective method, i.e. identifying the frequencies of colour sectors. This latter method was also used to estimate the induction of non-disjunction because additional markers were present which permitted us to distinguish the two types of colour segregant. Generally, 3 different experimental procedures were used, namely the "plate test", i.e. plating of conidia in agar media containing MMS, and two types of "liquid test", i.e. brief treatment of quiescent or pre-germinated conidia in MMS solution before they were plated on agar media. Point mutations were induced with about equal efficiency with each method, whereas crossing-over was induced preferentially when germinating conidia were exposed to MMS. On the other hand, non-disjunction was induced in germinating and quiescent spores with equal efficiency, but such segregants were not recovered with the selective (fpa) method. The results are discussed for both their practical use in the mutagenic testing procedure and their theoretical implication.

Golgi structure formation, function, and post-translational modifications in mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shijiao; Wang, Yanzhuang

2017-01-01

The Golgi apparatus is a central membrane organelle for trafficking and post-translational modifications of proteins and lipids in cells. In mammalian cells, it is organized in the form of stacks of tightly aligned flattened cisternae, and dozens of stacks are often linked laterally into a ribbon-like structure located in the perinuclear region of the cell. Proper Golgi functionality requires an intact architecture, yet Golgi structure is dynamically regulated during the cell cycle and under disease conditions. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the relationship between Golgi structure formation, function, and regulation, with focus on how post-translational modifications including phosphorylation and ubiquitination regulate Golgi structure and on how Golgi unstacking affects its functions, in particular, protein trafficking, glycosylation, and sorting in mammalian cells.

The role of Golgi reassembly and stacking protein 65 phosphorylation in H2O2-induced cell death and Golgi morphological changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Guang; Zhang, Weiwei; Quan, Moyuan; Chen, Yang; Qu, Hui; Hu, Zhiping

2016-12-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress on cell viability and survival, as well as changes in the distribution of Golgi apparatus and in the level of Golgi reassembly and stacking protein 65 (GRASP65). Cell viability of cultured N2a cells treated with H 2 O 2 was measured by the MTT assay. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry analyses. Cells labeled by indirect immunofluorescence were observed under confocal microscope to detect any Golgi morphological alterations; electron microscopy of Golgi apparatus was also done. Expression of GRASP65 and phospho-GRASP65 was examined by immunoblotting. H 2 O 2 treatment reduced the cell viability and raised the cell mortality of N2a cells in a time-dependent manner. Notable changes were only observed in the distribution and morphology of Golgi apparatus at 6 h after H 2 O 2 treatment. The expression of GRASP65 showed no significant changes at different time points; the phosphorylated GRASP65 level was significantly increased after H 2 O 2 treatment, peaked at 3 h, and finally dropped at 6 h. Taken together, GRASP65 phosphorylation may have a critical role in inducing cell death at the early stage after H 2 O 2 treatment, while its role in H 2 O 2 -induced Golgi morphological changes may be complex.

Phosphorylation of p37 is important for Golgi disassembly at mitosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneko, Yayoi; Tamura, Kaori; Totsukawa, Go; Kondo, Hisao

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → p37 is phosphorylated on Serine-56 and Threonine-59 by Cdc2 at mitosis. → Phosphorylated p37 does not bind to Golgi membranes. → p37 phosphorylation inhibits p97/p37-mediated Golgi membrane fusion. -- Abstract: In mammals, the Golgi apparatus is disassembled at early mitosis and reassembled at the end of mitosis. For Golgi disassembly, membrane fusion needs to be blocked. Golgi biogenesis requires two distinct p97ATPase-mediated membrane fusion, the p97/p47 and p97/p37 pathways. We previously reported that p47 phosphorylation on Serine-140 by Cdc2 results in mitotic inhibition of the p97/p47 pathway . In this study, we demonstrate that p37 is phosphorylated on Serine-56 and Threonine-59 by Cdc2 at mitosis, and this phosphorylated p37 does not bind to Golgi membranes. Using an in vitro Golgi reassembly assay, we show that mutated p37(S56D, T59D), which mimics mitotic phosphorylation, does not cause any cisternal regrowth, indicating that p37 phosphorylation inhibits the p97/p37 pathway. Our results demonstrate that p37 phosphorylation on Serine-56 and Threonine-59 is important for Golgi disassembly at mitosis.

Mena-GRASP65 interaction couples actin polymerization to Golgi ribbon linking.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Danming; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Huang, Shijiao; Yuan, Hebao; Li, Jie; Wang, Yanzhuang

2016-01-01

In mammalian cells, the Golgi reassembly stacking protein 65 (GRASP65) has been implicated in both Golgi stacking and ribbon linking by forming trans-oligomers through the N-terminal GRASP domain. Because the GRASP domain is globular and relatively small, but the gaps between stacks are large and heterogeneous, it remains puzzling how GRASP65 physically links Golgi stacks into a ribbon. To explore the possibility that other proteins may help GRASP65 in ribbon linking, we used biochemical methods and identified the actin elongation factor Mena as a novel GRASP65-binding protein. Mena is recruited onto the Golgi membranes through interaction with GRASP65. Depleting Mena or disrupting actin polymerization resulted in Golgi fragmentation. In cells, Mena and actin were required for Golgi ribbon formation after nocodazole washout; in vitro, Mena and microfilaments enhanced GRASP65 oligomerization and Golgi membrane fusion. Thus Mena interacts with GRASP65 to promote local actin polymerization, which facilitates Golgi ribbon linking. © 2016 Tang et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

In vitro susceptibility testing of Aspergillus spp. against voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jun-yan; Xu, Ying-chun; Shi, Yi; Lü, Huo-xiang; Liu, Yong; Zhao, Wang-sheng; Chen, Dong-mei; Xi, Li-yan; Zhou, Xin; Wang, He; Guo, Li-na

2010-10-01

During recent years, the incidence of serious infections caused by opportunistic fungi has increased dramatically due to alterations of the immune status of patients with hematological diseases, malignant tumors, transplantations and so forth. Unfortunately, the wide use of triazole antifungal agents to treat these infections has lead to the emergence of Aspergillus spp. resistant to triazoles. The present study was to assess the in vitro activities of five antifungal agents (voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin) against different kinds of Aspergillus spp. that are commonly encountered in the clinical setting. The agar-based Etest MIC method was employed. One hundred and seven strains of Aspergillus spp. (5 species) were collected and prepared according to Etest Technique Manuel. Etest MICs were determined with RPMI agar containing 2% glucose and were read after incubation for 48 hours at 35°C. MIC(50), MIC(90) and MIC range were acquired by Whonet 5.4 software. The MIC(90) of caspofungin against A. fumigatus, A. flavus and A. nidulans was 0.094 µg/ml whereas the MIC(90) against A. niger was 0.19 µg/ml. For these four species, the MIC(90) of caspofungin was the lowest among the five antifungal agents. For A. terrus, the MIC(90) of posaconazole was the lowest. For A. fumigatus and A. flavus, the MIC(90) in order of increasing was caspofungin, posaconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B. The MIC of amphotericin B against A. terrus was higher than 32 µg/ml in all 7 strains tested. The in vitro antifungal susceptibility test shows the new drug caspofungin, which is a kind of echinocandins, has good activity against the five species of Aspergillus spp. and all the triazoles tested have better in vitro activity than traditional amphotericin B.

The trans-Golgi Network and the Golgi Stacks Behave Independently During Regeneration After Brefeldin A Treatment in Tobacco BY-2 Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Yoko; Toyooka, Kiminori; Fujimoto, Masaru; Ueda, Takashi; Uemura, Tomohiro; Nakano, Akihiko

2017-04-01

The trans-Golgi network (TGN) plays an essential role in intracellular membrane trafficking. In plant cells, recent live-cell imaging studies have revealed the dynamic behavior of the TGN independent from the Golgi apparatus. In order to better understand the relationships between the two organelles, we examined their dynamic responses to the reagent brefeldin A (BFA) and their recovery after BFA removal. Golgi markers responded to BFA similarly over a range of concentrations, whereas the behavior of the TGN was BFA concentration dependent. The TGN formed aggregates at high concentrations of BFA; however, TGN proteins relocalized to numerous small vesicular structures dispersed throughout the cytoplasm at lower BFA concentrations. During recovery from weak BFA treatment, the TGN started to regenerate earlier than the completion of the Golgi. The regeneration of the two organelles proceeded independently of each other for a while, and eventually was completed by their association. Our data suggest that there is some degree of autonomy for the regeneration of the TGN and the Golgi in tobacco BY-2 cells. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Cirque du Soleil of Golgi membrane dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bankaitis, Vytas A

2009-07-27

The role of lipid metabolic enzymes in Golgi membrane remodeling is a subject of intense interest. Now, in this issue, Schmidt and Brown (2009. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.200904147) report that lysophosphatidic acid-specific acyltransferase, LPAAT3, contributes to Golgi membrane dynamics by suppressing tubule formation.

The Cirque du Soleil of Golgi membrane dynamics

OpenAIRE

Bankaitis, Vytas A.

2009-01-01

The role of lipid metabolic enzymes in Golgi membrane remodeling is a subject of intense interest. Now, in this issue, Schmidt and Brown (2009. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.200904147) report that lysophosphatidic acid?specific acyltransferase, LPAAT3, contributes to Golgi membrane dynamics by suppressing tubule formation.

Characterization of Emericella nidulans RodA and DewA hydrophobin mutants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Britt Guillaume; Nielsen, Jakob Blæsbjerg; Pedersen, Mona Højgaard

Hydrophobins are small amphiphilic proteins containing an eight cysteine pattern only found in filamentous fungi. They are involved in the attachment of hyphae to hydrophobic structures and the formation of aerial structures. Five Emericella nidulans mutant strains were examined to study the two...

Phenotypic and epistatic grouping of hypo- and hyper-rec mus mutants in Aspergillus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kafer, E; Chae, S K

1994-03-01

The mutants musK to musS of Aspergillus nidulans are sensitive to methyl-methanesulfonate (MMS) and several of them are meiotic-defective and alter mitotic recombination frequencies. All were found to be cross-sensitive to 4-nitro-quinoline-N-oxide (4-NQO) but unexpectedly none of them was hypersensitive to gamma-rays and few to UV light. Double mus; uvs mutants were constructed to test for interactions with uvs mutations of the four epistatic groups of Aspergillus, "UvsF", "UvsC", "UvsI", and "UvsB". All meiotic-defective mus mutations caused some lethal interactions, usually with uvsF. None of them showed epistasis with UvsF or UvsB group mutants and one, musO, may represent a new group. Three mus mutations that affect recombination were assigned to the UvsC group, namely musN and K, and also musL which is recombination-defective and closely resembles uvsC. While uvsC mutants are mutators and lack UV-mutagenesis, most mus mutants had no effects on mutation. Only musR, which appeared epistatic with uvsI, showed reduced UV-reversion frequencies similar to uvsI. The recombination-proficient mus mutants appeared to be epistatic with more than one group, but in several cases sensitivities were slight and overlaps insufficient to obtain corroborating results with MMS and 4-NQO.

Regulation of ER-Golgi Transport Dynamics by GTPases in Budding Yeast

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Yasuyuki Suda

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A large number of proteins are synthesized de novo in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER. They are transported through the Golgi apparatus and then delivered to their proper destinations. The ER and the Golgi play a central role in protein processing and sorting and show dynamic features in their forms. Ras super family small GTPases mediate the protein transport through and between these organelles. The ER-localized GTPase, Sar1, facilitates the formation of COPII transport carriers at the ER exit sites (ERES on the ER for the transport of cargo proteins from the ER to the Golgi. The Golgi-localized GTPase, Arf1, controls intra-Golgi, and Golgi-to-ER transport of cargo proteins by the formation of COPI carriers. Rab GTPases localized at the Golgi, which are responsible for fusion of membranes, are thought to establish the identities of compartments. Recent evidence suggests that these small GTPases regulate not only discrete sites for generation/fusion of transport carriers, but also membrane dynamics of the organelles where they locate to ensure the integrity of transport. Here we summarize the current understandings about the membrane traffic between these organelles and highlight the cutting-edge advances from super-resolution live imaging of budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Non-synaptic signaling from cerebellar climbing fibers modulates Golgi cell activity.

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Nietz, Angela K; Vaden, Jada H; Coddington, Luke T; Overstreet-Wadiche, Linda; Wadiche, Jacques I

2017-10-13

Golgi cells are the principal inhibitory neurons at the input stage of the cerebellum, providing feedforward and feedback inhibition through mossy fiber and parallel fiber synapses. In vivo studies have shown that Golgi cell activity is regulated by climbing fiber stimulation, yet there is little functional or anatomical evidence for synapses between climbing fibers and Golgi cells. Here, we show that glutamate released from climbing fibers activates ionotropic and metabotropic receptors on Golgi cells through spillover-mediated transmission. The interplay of excitatory and inhibitory conductances provides flexible control over Golgi cell spiking, allowing either excitation or a biphasic sequence of excitation and inhibition following single climbing fiber stimulation. Together with prior studies of spillover transmission to molecular layer interneurons, these results reveal that climbing fibers exert control over inhibition at both the input and output layers of the cerebellar cortex.

Post irradiative stimulation of the lipids synthesis in the cells of Anacystis nidulans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groshev, V.V.; Tiflova, O.A.

1982-01-01

Ultraviolet and X-ray irradiations stimulate postradiation synthesis of fatty acids of lipids in cells of Anacystis nidulans. Stimulation degree is proportional to the radiation dose and time of postradiation incubation of cells

Effects of mutagen-sensitive mus mutations on spontaneous mitotic recombination in Aspergillus.

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Zhao, P; Kafer, E

1992-04-01

Methyl methane-sulfonate (MMS)-sensitive, radiation-induced mutants of Aspergillus were shown to define nine new DNA repair genes, musK to musS. To test mus mutations for effects on mitotic recombination, intergenic crossing over was assayed between color markers and their centromeres, and intragenic recombination between two distinguishable adE alleles. Of eight mutants analyzed, four showed significant deviations from mus+ controls in both tests. Two mutations, musK and musL, reduced recombination, while musN and musQ caused increases. In contrast, musO diploids produced significantly higher levels only for intragenic recombination. Effects were relatively small, but averages between hypo- and hyperrec mus differed 15-20-fold. In musL diploids, most of the rare color segregants resulted from mitotic malsegregation rather than intergenic crossing over. This indicates that the musL gene product is required for recombination and that DNA lesions lead to chromosome loss when it is deficient. In addition, analysis of the genotypes of intragenic (ad+) recombinants showed that the musL mutation specifically reduced single allele conversion but increased complex conversion types (especially recombinants homozygous for ad+). Similar analysis revealed differences between the effects of two hyperrec mutations; musN apparently caused high levels solely of mitotic crossing over, while musQ increased various conversion types but not reciprocal crossovers. These results suggest that mitotic gene conversion and crossing over, while generally associated, are affected differentially in some of the mus strains of Aspergillus nidulans.

The Arf-GDP-regulated recruitment of GBF1 to Golgi membranes requires domains HDS1 and HDS2 and a Golgi-localized protein receptor.

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Quilty, Douglas; Chan, Calvin J; Yurkiw, Katherine; Bain, Alexandra; Babolmorad, Ghazal; Melançon, Paul

2018-04-19

We previously proposed a novel mechanism by which the enzyme Golgi-specific Brefeldin A resistance factor 1 (GBF1) is recruited to the membranes of the cis -Golgi, based on in vivo experiments. Here, we extended our in vivo analysis on the production of regulatory Arf-GDP and observed that ArfGAP2 and ArfGAP3 do not play a role in GBF1 recruitment. We confirm that Arf-GDP localization is critical, as a TGN-localized Arf-GDP mutant protein fails to promote GBF1 recruitment. We also reported the establishment of an in vitro GBF1 recruitment assay that supports the regulation of GBF1 recruitment by Arf-GDP. This in vitro assay yielded further evidence for the requirement of a Golgi-localized protein because heat denaturation or protease treatment of Golgi membranes abrogated GBF1 recruitment. Finally, combined in vivo and in vitro measurements indicated that the recruitment to Golgi membranes via a putative receptor requires only the HDS1 and HDS2 domains in the C-terminal half of GBF1. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Journeys through the Golgi--taking stock in a new era.

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Emr, Scott; Glick, Benjamin S; Linstedt, Adam D; Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer; Luini, Alberto; Malhotra, Vivek; Marsh, Brad J; Nakano, Akihiko; Pfeffer, Suzanne R; Rabouille, Catherine; Rothman, James E; Warren, Graham; Wieland, Felix T

2009-11-16

The Golgi apparatus is essential for protein sorting and transport. Many researchers have long been fascinated with the form and function of this organelle. Yet, despite decades of scrutiny, the mechanisms by which proteins are transported across the Golgi remain controversial. At a recent meeting, many prominent Golgi researchers assembled to critically evaluate the core issues in the field. This report presents the outcome of their discussions and highlights the key open questions that will help guide the field into a new era.

Inducer-independent production of pectinases in Aspergillus niger by overexpression of the D-galacturonic acid-responsive transcription factor gaaR.

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Alazi, Ebru; Knetsch, Tim; Di Falco, Marcos; Reid, Ian D; Arentshorst, Mark; Visser, Jaap; Tsang, Adrian; Ram, Arthur F J

2018-03-01

The transcription factor GaaR is needed for the expression of genes required for pectin degradation and transport and catabolism of the main degradation product, D-galacturonic acid (GA) in Aspergillus niger. In this study, we used the strong constitutive gpdA promoter of Aspergillus nidulans to overexpress gaaR in A. niger. Overexpression of gaaR resulted in an increased transcription of the genes encoding pectinases, (putative) GA transporters, and catabolic pathway enzymes even under non-inducing conditions, i.e., in the absence of GA. Exoproteome analysis of a strain overexpressing gaaR showed that this strain secretes highly elevated levels of pectinases when grown in fructose. The genes encoding exo-polygalacturonases were found to be subjected to CreA-mediated carbon catabolite repression, even in the presence of fructose. Deletion of creA in the strain overexpressing gaaR resulted in a further increase in pectinase production in fructose. We showed that GaaR localizes mainly in the nucleus regardless of the presence of an inducer, and that overexpression of gaaR leads to an increased concentration of GaaR in the nucleus.

Induced oligomerization targets Golgi proteins for degradation in lysosomes.

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Tewari, Ritika; Bachert, Collin; Linstedt, Adam D

2015-12-01

Manganese protects cells against forms of Shiga toxin by down-regulating the cycling Golgi protein GPP130. Down-regulation occurs when Mn binding causes GPP130 to oligomerize and traffic to lysosomes. To determine how GPP130 is redirected to lysosomes, we tested the role of GGA1 and clathrin, which mediate sorting in the canonical Golgi-to-lysosome pathway. GPP130 oligomerization was induced using either Mn or a self-interacting version of the FKBP domain. Inhibition of GGA1 or clathrin specifically blocked GPP130 redistribution, suggesting recognition of the aggregated GPP130 by the GGA1/clathrin-sorting complex. Unexpectedly, however, GPP130's cytoplasmic domain was not required, and redistribution also occurred after removal of GPP130 sequences needed for its normal cycling. Therefore, to test whether aggregate recognition might be a general phenomenon rather than one involving a specific GPP130 determinant, we induced homo-oligomerization of two unrelated Golgi-targeted constructs using the FKBP strategy. These were targeted to the cis- and trans-Golgi, respectively, using domains from mannosidase-1 and galactosyltransferase. Significantly, upon oligomerization, each redistributed to peripheral punctae and was degraded. This occurred in the absence of detectable UPR activation. These findings suggest the unexpected presence of quality control in the Golgi that recognizes aggregated Golgi proteins and targets them for degradation in lysosomes. © 2015 Tewari et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Golgi organization and the apical extension of fungal hyphae: an essential relationship.

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Harris, Steven D

2013-07-01

The Golgi apparatus performs crucial functions in the sorting and processing of proteins destined for secretion from eukaryotic cells. In filamentous fungi, organization of the Golgi apparatus reflects the unique challenges brought about by the highly polarized nature of hyphal growth. Recent results show that Golgi compartments are spatially segregated within hyphal tip cells in a manner that depends upon the integrity of the cytoskeleton. Moreover, loss of normal Golgi organization stops polarized hyphal extension and triggers de-polarization of the hyphal tip. These results emphasize the point that a spatially organized and dynamic Golgi apparatus represents an adaptation that is as important for hyphal extension as is the presence of a Spitzenkörper. In addition, they also identify regulatory mechanisms that could enable controlled de-polarization of hyphae during development or infection-related morphogenesis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of manganese and zinc on the growth of Anacystis nidulans

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Lee, L.H.; Lustigman, B.; Dandorf, D. (Montclair State College, Upper Montclair, NJ (United States))

1994-07-01

Anacystis nidulans is a unicellular member of the cyanobacteria, one of the largest groups of the Kingdom Monera. It is similar to other bacteria in the structure and chemistry of the cell wall, and its cell division and genetic recombination. Photoautotrophy is the main mode of nutrition and the photosynthetic apparatus is similar to that of other cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are excellent organisms to serve as environmental pollution indicators for the investigation of a wide variety of biological problems. There have been several studies on the effects of heavy metals on A. nidulans. Some of these elements, such as manganese, are known to be essential nutrients for cyanobacteria. Others, such as cadmium, are not known to be necessary for normal growth and metabolism. Large amounts of either essential or non-essential elements can be toxic. Manganese and zinc are essential elements for all living organisms. Manganese is a cofactor for a number of different enzymatic reactions particularly those involved in phosphorylation. Iron deficiency induced by a number of metals, cobalt and manganese in particular, inhibit chlorophyll biosynthesis. Zinc deficiency affects early mitotic events and the cells are large and aberrant in appearance. Light is essential for cells to take in zinc. As an industrial contaminant, zinc has been found to block photosynthesis by causing structural damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. In the presence of various pH ranges, high zinc concentrations can be associated with low pH. It has been indicated that pH value and EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid) have an influence on the effect of some metals. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of manganese and zinc on the growth of Anacystis nidulans, with and without EDTA.

Heterologous expression of laccase cDNA from Ceriporiopsis subvermispora yields copper-activated apoprotein and complex isoform patterns

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Luis F. Larrondo; Marcela Avila; Loreto Salas; Dan Cullen; Rafael Vicuna

2003-01-01

Analysis of genomic clones encoding a putative laccase in homokaryon strains of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora led to the identification of an allelic variant of the previously described lcs-1 gene. A cDNA clone corresponding to this gene was expressed in Aspergillus nidulans and in Aspergillus niger. Enzyme assays and Western blots showed that both hosts secreted active...

Synthesis of cell wall xylans and glucans by golgi membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibeaut, D.M.; Carpita, N.C.

1989-01-01

We investigated the biosynthesis of mixed-linkage β-D-glucan and glucuronoarabinoxylans which make up the hemicellulosic matrix of the primary cell walls of maize and other cereal grasses. The Golgi apparatus was enriched from plasma membrane and other organelles by flotation density gradient centrifugation. Glucan synthase I and II, which are established markers for Golgi and plasma membrane, respectively, displayed considerable overlap in conventional separations with sucrose density gradients. Flotation gradients improved separation of the membranes substantially, but the different synthases themselves also incorporated radioactivity from either 10 μM or 1 mM UDP-[ 14 C]-glucose into polymer. Relative incorporation of radioactivity into polymers from UDP-[ 14 C]-xylose by the various membrane fractions was nearly identical to relative IDPase activities, indicating that combined xylosyl transferase-xylan synthase represents a new, unequivocal marker for the Golgi apparatus. We also have developed techniques of gas-liquid chromatography and radiogas proportional counting to achieve capillary quality separation of partially methylated alditol acetates with simultaneous determination of radioactivity in the derivatives. Digestion of polymeric products by specific endo-glycanohydrolases to diagnostic oligosaccharides also reveal specific kinds of polysaccharides synthesized by the Golgi membranes. A combination of these techniques provides unequivocal determination of the linkage structure of specific polymers synthesized by the purified Golgi apparatus

Golgi-type I and Golgi-type II neurons in the ventral anterior thalamic nucleus of the adult human: morphological features and quantitative analysis.

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Al-Hussain Bani Hani, Saleh M; El-Dwairi, Qasim A; Bataineh, Ziad M; Al-Haidari, Mohammad S; Al-Alami, Jamil

2008-05-01

The morphological and quantitative features of neurons in the adult human ventral anterior thalamic nucleus were studied in Golgi preparations. Two neuronal types were found and their quantitative features were studied. Golgi-type I neurons were medium to large cells with dense dendritic trees and dendritic protrusions and short hair-like appendages. They have somatic mean diameter of 30.8 microm (+/-9.4, n = 85). They have an average 100.3 dendritic branches, 48.97 dendritic branching points, and 58.85 dendritic tips. The mean diameters of their primary, secondary, and tertiary dendrites were 3.1 microm (+/-1, n = 80), 1.85 microm (+/-0.8, n = 145), and 1.5 microm (+/-0.4, n = 160), respectively. Golgi-type II neurons were small to medium cells with few sparsely branching dendrites and dendritic stalked appendages with or without terminal swellings. They have somatic mean diameters of 22.2 microm (+/-5.8, n = 120). They have an average 33.76 dendritic branches, 16.49 dendritic branching points, and 21.97 dendritic tips. The mean diameters of their primary, secondary, and tertiary dendrites were 1.6 microm (+/-0.86, n = 70), 1.15 microm (+/-0.55, n = 118), and 1 microm (+/-0.70, n = 95), respectively. These quantitative data may form the basis for further quantitative studies involving aging or some degenerative diseases that may affect cell bodies and/or dendritic trees of the Golgi-type I and/or Golgi-type II thalamic neurons.

Genome mining and functional genomics for siderophore production in Aspergillus niger.

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Franken, Angelique C W; Lechner, Beatrix E; Werner, Ernst R; Haas, Hubertus; Lokman, B Christien; Ram, Arthur F J; van den Hondel, Cees A M J J; de Weert, Sandra; Punt, Peter J

2014-11-01

Iron is an essential metal for many organisms, but the biologically relevant form of iron is scarce because of rapid oxidation resulting in low solubility. Simultaneously, excessive accumulation of iron is toxic. Consequently, iron uptake is a highly controlled process. In most fungal species, siderophores play a central role in iron handling. Siderophores are small iron-specific chelators that can be secreted to scavenge environmental iron or bind intracellular iron with high affinity. A second high-affinity iron uptake mechanism is reductive iron assimilation (RIA). As shown in Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus nidulans, synthesis of siderophores in Aspergilli is predominantly under control of the transcription factors SreA and HapX, which are connected by a negative transcriptional feedback loop. Abolishing this fine-tuned regulation corroborates iron homeostasis, including heme biosynthesis, which could be biotechnologically of interest, e.g. the heterologous production of heme-dependent peroxidases. Aspergillus niger genome inspection identified orthologues of several genes relevant for RIA and siderophore metabolism, as well as sreA and hapX. Interestingly, genes related to synthesis of the common fungal extracellular siderophore triacetylfusarinine C were absent. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the absence of triacetylfusarinine C, and demonstrated that the major secreted siderophores of A. niger are coprogen B and ferrichrome, which is also the dominant intracellular siderophore. In A. niger wild type grown under iron-replete conditions, the expression of genes involved in coprogen biosynthesis and RIA was low in the exponential growth phase but significantly induced during ascospore germination. Deletion of sreA in A. niger resulted in elevated iron uptake and increased cellular ferrichrome accumulation. Increased sensitivity toward phleomycin and high iron concentration reflected the toxic effects of excessive

Proteomic characterization of golgi membranes enriched from Arabidopsis suspension cell cultures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Sara Fasmer; Ebert, Berit; Rautengarten, Carsten

2016-01-01

The plant Golgi apparatus has a central role in the secretory pathway and is the principal site within the cell for the assembly and processing of macromolecules. The stacked membrane structure of the Golgi apparatus along with its interactions with the cytoskeleton and endoplasmic reticulum has...... historically made the isolation and purification of this organelle difficult. Density centrifugation has typically been used to enrich Golgi membranes from plant microsomal preparations, and aside from minor adaptations, the approach is still widely employed. Here we outline the enrichment of Golgi membranes...... from an Arabidopsis cell suspension culture that can be used to investigate the proteome of this organelle. We also provide a useful workflow for the examination of proteomic data as the result of multiple analyses. Finally, we highlight a simple technique to validate the subcellular localization...

Golgi enrichment and proteomic analysis of developing Pinus radiata xylem by free-flow electrophoresis.

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Harriet T Parsons

Full Text Available Our understanding of the contribution of Golgi proteins to cell wall and wood formation in any woody plant species is limited. Currently, little Golgi proteomics data exists for wood-forming tissues. In this study, we attempted to address this issue by generating and analyzing Golgi-enriched membrane preparations from developing xylem of compression wood from the conifer Pinus radiata. Developing xylem samples from 3-year-old pine trees were harvested for this purpose at a time of active growth and subjected to a combination of density centrifugation followed by free flow electrophoresis, a surface charge separation technique used in the enrichment of Golgi membranes. This combination of techniques was successful in achieving an approximately 200-fold increase in the activity of the Golgi marker galactan synthase and represents a significant improvement for proteomic analyses of the Golgi from conifers. A total of thirty known Golgi proteins were identified by mass spectrometry including glycosyltransferases from gene families involved in glucomannan and glucuronoxylan biosynthesis. The free flow electrophoresis fractions of enriched Golgi were highly abundant in structural proteins (actin and tubulin indicating a role for the cytoskeleton during compression wood formation. The mass spectrometry proteomics data associated with this study have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000557.

The asymmetrical structure of Golgi apparatus membranes revealed by in situ atomic force microscope.

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Haijiao Xu

Full Text Available The Golgi apparatus has attracted intense attentions due to its fascinating morphology and vital role as the pivot of cellular secretory pathway since its discovery. However, its complex structure at the molecular level remains elusive due to limited approaches. In this study, the structure of Golgi apparatus, including the Golgi stack, cisternal structure, relevant tubules and vesicles, were directly visualized by high-resolution atomic force microscope. We imaged both sides of Golgi apparatus membranes and revealed that the outer leaflet of Golgi membranes is relatively smooth while the inner membrane leaflet is rough and covered by dense proteins. With the treatment of methyl-β-cyclodextrin and Triton X-100, we confirmed the existence of lipid rafts in Golgi apparatus membrane, which are mostly in the size of 20 nm -200 nm and appear irregular in shape. Our results may be of significance to reveal the structure-function relationship of the Golgi complex and pave the way for visualizing the endomembrane system in mammalian cells at the molecular level.

Characterization of the human GARP (Golgi associated retrograde protein) complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liewen, Heike; Meinhold-Heerlein, Ivo; Oliveira, Vasco; Schwarzenbacher, Robert; Luo Guorong; Wadle, Andreas; Jung, Martin; Pfreundschuh, Michael; Stenner-Liewen, Frank

2005-01-01

The Golgi associated retrograde protein complex (GARP) or Vps fifty-three (VFT) complex is part of cellular inter-compartmental transport systems. Here we report the identification of the VFT tethering factor complex and its interactions in mammalian cells. Subcellular fractionation shows that human Vps proteins are found in the smooth membrane/Golgi fraction but not in the cytosol. Immunostaining of human Vps proteins displays a vesicular distribution most concentrated at the perinuclear envelope. Co-staining experiments with endosomal markers imply an endosomal origin of these vesicles. Significant accumulation of VFT complex positive endosomes is found in the vicinity of the Trans Golgi Network area. This is in accordance with a putative role in Golgi associated transport processes. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, GARP is the main effector of the small GTPase Ypt6p and interacts with the SNARE Tlg1p to facilitate membrane fusion. Accordingly, the human homologue of Ypt6p, Rab6, specifically binds hVps52. In human cells, the 'orphan' SNARE Syntaxin 10 is the genuine binding partner of GARP mediated by hVps52. This reveals a previously unknown function of human Syntaxin 10 in membrane docking and fusion events at the Golgi. Taken together, GARP shows significant conservation between various species but diversification and specialization result in important differences in human cells

Simultaneous detection and identification of Aspergillus and mucorales species in tissues collected from patients with fungal rhinosinusitis.

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Zhao, Zuotao; Li, Lili; Wan, Zhe; Chen, Wei; Liu, Honggang; Li, Ruoyu

2011-04-01

Rapid detection and differentiation of Aspergillus and Mucorales species in fungal rhinosinusitis diagnosis are desirable, since the clinical management and prognosis associated with the two taxa are fundamentally different. We describe an assay based on a combination of broad-range PCR amplification and reverse line blot hybridization (PCR/RLB) to detect and differentiate the pathogens causing fungal rhinosinusitis, which include five Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, and A. nidulans) and seven Mucorales species (Mucor heimalis, Mucor racemosus, Mucor cercinelloidea, Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus microsporus, Rhizomucor pusillus, and Absidia corymbifera). The assay was validated with 98 well-characterized clinical isolates and 41 clinical tissue specimens. PCR/RLB showed high sensitivity and specificity, with 100% correct identifications of 98 clinical isolates and no cross-hybridization between the species-specific probes. Results for five control isolates, Candida albicans, Fusarium solani, Scedosporium apiospermum, Penicillium marneffei, and Exophiala verrucosa, were negative as judged by PCR/RLB. The analytical sensitivity of PCR/RLB was found to be 1.8 × 10(-3) ng/μl by 10-fold serial dilution of Aspergillus genomic DNA. The assay identified 35 of 41 (85.4%) clinical specimens, exhibiting a higher sensitivity than fungal culture (22 of 41; 53.7%) and direct sequencing (18 of 41; 43.9%). PCR/RLB similarly showed high specificity, with correct identification 16 of 18 specimens detected by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and 16 of 22 detected by fungal culture, but it also has the additional advantage of being able to detect mixed infection in a single clinical specimen. The PCR/RLB assay thus provides a rapid and reliable option for laboratory diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis.

Simultaneous Detection and Identification of Aspergillus and Mucorales Species in Tissues Collected from Patients with Fungal Rhinosinusitis▿

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Zhao, Zuotao; Li, Lili; Wan, Zhe; Chen, Wei; Liu, Honggang; Li, Ruoyu

2011-01-01

Rapid detection and differentiation of Aspergillus and Mucorales species in fungal rhinosinusitis diagnosis are desirable, since the clinical management and prognosis associated with the two taxa are fundamentally different. We describe an assay based on a combination of broad-range PCR amplification and reverse line blot hybridization (PCR/RLB) to detect and differentiate the pathogens causing fungal rhinosinusitis, which include five Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, and A. nidulans) and seven Mucorales species (Mucor heimalis, Mucor racemosus, Mucor cercinelloidea, Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus microsporus, Rhizomucor pusillus, and Absidia corymbifera). The assay was validated with 98 well-characterized clinical isolates and 41 clinical tissue specimens. PCR/RLB showed high sensitivity and specificity, with 100% correct identifications of 98 clinical isolates and no cross-hybridization between the species-specific probes. Results for five control isolates, Candida albicans, Fusarium solani, Scedosporium apiospermum, Penicillium marneffei, and Exophiala verrucosa, were negative as judged by PCR/RLB. The analytical sensitivity of PCR/RLB was found to be 1.8 × 10−3 ng/μl by 10-fold serial dilution of Aspergillus genomic DNA. The assay identified 35 of 41 (85.4%) clinical specimens, exhibiting a higher sensitivity than fungal culture (22 of 41; 53.7%) and direct sequencing (18 of 41; 43.9%). PCR/RLB similarly showed high specificity, with correct identification 16 of 18 specimens detected by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and 16 of 22 detected by fungal culture, but it also has the additional advantage of being able to detect mixed infection in a single clinical specimen. The PCR/RLB assay thus provides a rapid and reliable option for laboratory diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis. PMID:21325541

Physiological Roles of Plant Post-Golgi Transport Pathways in Membrane Trafficking.

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Uemura, Tomohiro

2016-10-01

Membrane trafficking is the fundamental system through which proteins are sorted to their correct destinations in eukaryotic cells. Key regulators of this system include RAB GTPases and soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs). Interestingly, the numbers of RAB GTPases and SNAREs involved in post-Golgi transport pathways in plant cells are larger than those in animal and yeast cells, suggesting that plants have evolved unique and complex post-Golgi transport pathways. The trans-Golgi network (TGN) is an important organelle that acts as a sorting station in the post-Golgi transport pathways of plant cells. The TGN also functions as the early endosome, which is the first compartment to receive endocytosed proteins. Several endocytosed proteins on the plasma membrane (PM) are initially targeted to the TGN/EE, then recycled back to the PM or transported to the vacuole for degradation. The recycling and degradation of the PM localized proteins is essential for the development and environmental responses in plant. The present review describes the post-Golgi transport pathways that show unique physiological functions in plants. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Inheritance of the Golgi Apparatus and Cytokinesis Are Controlled by Degradation of GBF1

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Roberto Magliozzi

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Summary: Although much is known about how chromosome segregation is coupled to cell division, how intracellular organelles partition during mitotic division is poorly understood. We report that the phosphorylation-dependent degradation of the ARFGEF GBF1 regulates organelle trafficking during cell division. We show that, in mitosis, GBF1 is phosphorylated on Ser292 and Ser297 by casein kinase-2 allowing recognition by the F-box protein βTrCP. GBF1 interaction with βTrCP recruits GBF1 to the SCFβTrCP ubiquitin ligase complex, triggering its degradation. Phosphorylation and degradation of GBF1 occur along microtubules at the intercellular bridge of telophase cells and are required for Golgi membrane positioning and postmitotic Golgi reformation. Indeed, expression of a non-degradable GBF1 mutant inhibits the transport of the Golgi cluster adjacent to the midbody toward the Golgi twin positioned next to the centrosome and results in defective Golgi reassembly and cytokinesis failure. These findings define a mechanism that controls postmitotic Golgi reassembly and inheritance. : Magliozzi et al. demonstrate that, in mitosis, the ARFGEF GBF1 is targeted for ubiquitin-dependent degradation by casein kinase-2 and the SCFβTrCP ubiquitin ligase and show that GBF1 proteolysis is required for Golgi inheritance and accurate cell division. Keywords: cell division, cytokinesis, mitosis, Golgi apparatus, GBF1, ubiquitin-proteasome system, protein degradation, Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase

Mitotic phosphorylation of VCIP135 blocks p97ATPase-mediated Golgi membrane fusion

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Totsukawa, Go; Matsuo, Ayaka; Kubota, Ayano; Taguchi, Yuya; Kondo, Hisao, E-mail: hk228@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

2013-04-05

Highlights: •VCIP135 is mitotically phosphorylated on Threonine-760 and Serine-767 by Cdc2. •Phosphorylated VCIP135 does not bind to p97ATPase. •The phosphorylation of VCIP135 inhibits p97ATPase-mediated Golgi membrane fusion. -- Abstract: In mammals, the Golgi apparatus is disassembled early mitosis and reassembled at the end of mitosis. For Golgi disassembly, membrane fusion needs to be blocked. Golgi biogenesis requires two distinct p97ATPase-mediated membrane fusion, the p97/p47 and p97/p37 pathways. We previously reported that p47 phosphorylation on Serine-140 and p37 phosphorylation on Serine-56 and Threonine-59 result in mitotic inhibition of the p97/p47 and the p97/p37 pathways, respectively [11,14]. In this study, we show another mechanism of mitotic inhibition of p97-mediated Golgi membrane fusion. We clarified that VCIP135, an essential factor in both p97 membrane fusion pathways, is phosphorylated on Threonine-760 and Serine-767 by Cdc2 at mitosis and that this phosphorylated VCIP135 does not bind to p97. An in vitro Golgi reassembly assay revealed that VCIP135(T760E, S767E), which mimics mitotic phosphorylation, caused no cisternal regrowth. Our results indicate that the phosphorylation of VCIP135 on Threonine-760 and Serine-767 inhibits p97-mediated Golgi membrane fusion at mitosis.

Depletion of the human N-terminal acetyltransferase hNaa30 disrupts Golgi integrity and ARFRP1 localization.

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Starheim, Kristian K; Kalvik, Thomas V; Bjørkøy, Geir; Arnesen, Thomas

2017-04-30

The organization of the Golgi apparatus (GA) is tightly regulated. Golgi stack scattering is observed in cellular processes such as apoptosis and mitosis, and has also been associated with disruption of cellular lipid metabolism and neurodegenerative diseases. Our studies show that depletion of the human N-α-acetyltransferase 30 (hNaa30) induces fragmentation of the Golgi stack in HeLa and CAL-62 cell lines. The GA associated GTPase ADP ribosylation factor related protein 1 (ARFRP1) was previously shown to require N-terminal acetylation for membrane association and based on its N-terminal sequence, it is likely to be a substrate of hNaa30. ARFRP1 is involved in endosome-to- trans -Golgi network (TGN) traffic. We observed that ARFRP1 shifted from a predominantly cis -Golgi and TGN localization to localizing both Golgi and non-Golgi vesicular structures in hNaa30-depleted cells. However, we did not observe loss of membrane association of ARFRP1. We conclude that hNaa30 depletion induces Golgi scattering and induces aberrant ARFRP1 Golgi localization. © 2017 The Author(s).

Study of ethanol-induced Golgi disorganization reveals the potential mechanism of alcohol-impaired N-glycosylation

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Casey, Carol A.; Bhat, Ganapati; Holzapfel, Melissa S.; Petrosyan, Armen

2016-01-01

Background It is known that ethanol (EtOH) and its metabolites have a negative effect on protein glycosylation. The fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus induced by alteration of the structure of largest Golgi matrix protein, giantin, is the major consequence of damaging effects of EtOH-metabolism on the Golgi, however, the link between this and abnormal glycosylation remains unknown. Because previously we have shown that Golgi morphology dictates glycosylation, we examined the effect EtOH administration has on function of Golgi residential enzymes involved in N-glycosylation. Methods HepG2 cells transfected with mouse ADH1 (VA-13 cells) were treated with 35 mM ethanol for 72 h. Male Wistar rats were pair-fed Lieber-DeCarli diets for 5 to 8 weeks. Characterization of Golgi-associated mannosyl (α-1,3-)-glycoprotein beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (MGAT1), α-1,2-mannosidase (Man-I) and α-mannosidase II (Man-II) were performed in VA-13 cells and rat hepatocytes followed by 3D Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM). Results First, we detected that EtOH administration results in the loss of sialylated N-glycans on asialoglycoprotein receptor, however the high mannose-type N-glycans are increased. Further analysis by 3D SIM microscopy revealed that EtOH treatment despite Golgi disorganization does not change cis-Golgi localization for Man-I, but does induce medial-to-cis relocation of MGAT1 and Man-II. Using different approaches, including electron microscopy, we revealed that EtOH treatment results in dysfunction of Arf1 GTPase followed by a deficiency in COPI vesicles at the Golgi. Silencing beta-COP or expression of GDP-bound mutant Arf1(T31N) mimics the EtOH effect on retaining MGAT1 and Man-II at the cis-Golgi, suggesting that (a) EtOH specifically blocks activation of Arf1, and (b) EtOH alters the proper localization of Golgi enzymes through impairment of COPI. Importantly, the level of MGAT1 was reduced, because likely MGAT1, contrary to Man-I and Man

Aspergillus: introduction

Science.gov (United States)

Species in the genus Aspergillus possess versatile metabolic activities that impact our daily life both positively and negatively. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae are closely related fungi. While the former is able to produce carcinogenic aflatoxins and is an etiological agent of aspergill...

A small-molecule switch for Golgi sulfotransferases.

Science.gov (United States)

de Graffenried, Christopher L; Laughlin, Scott T; Kohler, Jennifer J; Bertozzi, Carolyn R

2004-11-30

The study of glycan function is a major frontier in biology that could benefit from small molecules capable of perturbing carbohydrate structures on cells. The widespread role of sulfotransferases in modulating glycan function makes them prime targets for small-molecule modulators. Here, we report a system for conditional activation of Golgi-resident sulfotransferases using a chemical inducer of dimerization. Our approach capitalizes on two features shared by these enzymes: their requirement of Golgi localization for activity on cellular substrates and the modularity of their catalytic and localization domains. Fusion of these domains to the proteins FRB and FKBP enabled their induced assembly by the natural product rapamycin. We applied this strategy to the GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferases GlcNAc6ST-1 and GlcNAc6ST-2, which collaborate in the sulfation of L-selectin ligands. Both the activity and specificity of the inducible enzymes were indistinguishable from their WT counterparts. We further generated rapamycin-inducible chimeric enzymes comprising the localization domain of a sulfotransferase and the catalytic domain of a glycosyltransferase, demonstrating the generality of the system among other Golgi enzymes. The approach provides a means for studying sulfate-dependent processes in cellular systems and, potentially, in vivo.

BIODEGRADATION POTENTIALS OF AUTOMOBILE WORKSHOP SOIL MYCOFLORA ON FLOW STATION PETROLEUM SLUDGE WITH AN EXTRA CARBON SOURCE

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Nosa Omoregbe Obayagbona

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The biodegradation potentials of soil mycobiota isolated from six auto mechanic workshops and a farmland in Benin City on flow station crude oil sludge was investigated. Serial dilution and pour plate methods were utilized in the isolation and enumeration of the fungal bioload of the soil samples. The heterotrophic fungal counts ranged from 0.2×103 cfu/g to 3.2×103 cfu/g .Twenty (20 fungal species were identified from the soil samples; Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus versicolor, Emericella nidulans, Aspergillus tamarii, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sp., Moniliella sp., Pichia farinosa, Sporobolomyces sp., Candida sp., Rhodotorula sp., Curvularia sp., Mucor sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium sp. , Penicillium sp.2, Penicillium italicum, and Penicillium chrysogenum. A. flavus and A. nidulans had the highest percentage prevalence (85.7%. Physicochemical analyses revealed that the soil samples were acidic (pH 5.81-6.40 and sandy (50.3%-64.8%. Turbidimeteric screening revealed that A. flavus, A. terrus, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., consortium of yeasts and the filamentous fungal consortium were able to maximally utilize the sludge as the sole source of carbon and energy. The growth profile results obtained for A. flavus revealed a decrease in pH (6.34 – 5.06 and an increase in turbidity (38 FAU – 625 FAU during the 20 day incubation period. Amongst the growth profile cultures, A. flavuscaused the highest percentage reduction in the residual TPH (DRO content of the inoculated sludge (96%. Soils within the premises of automobile workshops can serve as a source of hydrocarbonclastic fungi.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for rapid identification of fungal rhinosinusitis pathogens.

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Huang, Yanfei; Wang, Jinglin; Zhang, Mingxin; Zhu, Min; Wang, Mei; Sun, Yufeng; Gu, Haitong; Cao, Jingjing; Li, Xue; Zhang, Shaoya; Lu, Xinxin

2017-03-01

Filamentous fungi are among the most important pathogens, causing fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS). Current laboratory diagnosis of FRS pathogens mainly relies on phenotypic identification by culture and microscopic examination, which is time consuming and expertise dependent. Although matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS has been employed to identify various fungi, its efficacy in the identification of FRS fungi is less clear. A total of 153 FRS isolates obtained from patients were analysed at the Clinical Laboratory at the Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated to the Capital Medical University, between January 2014 and December 2015. They were identified by traditional phenotypic methods and Bruker MALDI-TOF MS (Bruker, Biotyper version 3.1), respectively. Discrepancies between the two methods were further validated by sequencing. Among the 153 isolates, 151 had correct species identification using MALDI-TOF MS (Bruker, Biot 3.1, score ≥2.0 or 2.3). MALDI-TOF MS enabled identification of some very closely related species that were indistinguishable by conventional phenotypic methods, including 1/10 Aspergillus versicolor, 3/20 Aspergillus flavus, 2/30 Aspergillus fumigatus and 1/20 Aspergillus terreus, which were misidentified by conventional phenotypic methods as Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus japonicus and Aspergillus nidulans, respectively. In addition, 2/2 Rhizopus oryzae and 1/1 Rhizopus stolonifer that were identified only to the genus level by the phenotypic method were correctly identified by MALDI-TOF MS. MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid and accurate technique, and could replace the conventional phenotypic method for routine identification of FRS fungi in clinical microbiology laboratories.

Oxysterol-binding Protein Activation at Endoplasmic Reticulum-Golgi Contact Sites Reorganizes Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate Pools*

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Goto, Asako; Charman, Mark; Ridgway, Neale D.

2016-01-01

Oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) exchanges cholesterol and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI-4P) at contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the trans-Golgi/trans-Golgi network. 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25OH) competitively inhibits this exchange reaction in vitro and causes the constitutive localization of OSBP at the ER/Golgi interface and PI-4P-dependent recruitment of ceramide transfer protein (CERT) for sphingomyelin synthesis. We used PI-4P probes and mass analysis to determine how OSBP controls the availability of PI-4P for this metabolic pathway. Treatment of fibroblasts or Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with 25OH caused a 50–70% reduction in Golgi-associated immunoreactive PI-4P that correlated with Golgi localization of OSBP. In contrast, 25OH caused an OSBP-dependent enrichment in Golgi PI-4P that was detected with a pleckstrin homology domain probe. The cellular mass of phosphatidylinositol monophosphates and Golgi PI-4P measured with an unbiased PI-4P probe (P4M) was unaffected by 25OH and OSBP silencing, indicating that OSBP shifts the distribution of PI-4P upon localization to ER-Golgi contact sites. The PI-4P and sterol binding activities of OSBP were both required for 25OH activation of sphingomyelin synthesis, suggesting that 25OH must be exchanged for PI-4P to be concentrated at contact sites. We propose a model wherein 25OH activation of OSBP promotes the binding and retention of PI-4P at ER-Golgi contact sites. This pool of PI-4P specifically recruits pleckstrin homology domain-containing proteins involved in lipid transfer and metabolism, such as CERT. PMID:26601944

A novel Golgi retention signal RPWS for tumor suppressor UBIAD1.

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Xian Wang

Full Text Available UBIAD1 plays critical roles in physiology including vitamin K and CoQ10 biosynthesis as well as pathophysiology including dyslipimedia-induced SCD (Schnyder's corneal dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease and bladder carcinoma. Since the subcellular localization of UBIAD1 varies in different cell types, characterization of the exact subcellular localization of UBIAD1 in specific human disease is vital for understanding its molecular mechanism. As UBIAD1 suppresses bladder carcinoma, we studied its subcellular localization in human bladder carcinoma cell line T24. Since fluorescent images of UBIAD1-EGFP in T24, human prostate cancer cell line PC-3, human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293 and human hepatocyte cell line L02 are similar, these four cell lines were used for present study. Using a combination of fluorescent microscopy and immunohistochemistry, it was found that UBIAD1 localized on the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum (ER, but not on the plasma membrane, of T24 and HEK293 cells. Using scanning electron microscopy and western blot analysis, we found that UBIAD1 is enriched in the Golgi fraction extracted from the L02 cells, verifying the Golgi localization of UBAID1. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the RPWS motif, which forms an Arginine finger on the UBIAD1 N terminus, serves as the Golgi retention signal. With both cycloheximide and brefeldin A inhibition assays, it was shown that UBIAD1 may be transported from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER to the Golgi by a COPII-mediated mechanism. Based upon flow cytometry analysis, it is shown that mutation of the RPWS motif reduced the UBIAD1-induced apoptosis of T24 cells, indicating that the proper Golgi localization of UBIAD1 influences its tumor suppressant activity. This study paves the way for further understanding the molecular mechanism of UBIAD1 in human diseases.

Increased production of free fatty acids in Aspergillus oryzae by disruption of a predicted acyl-CoA synthetase gene.

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Tamano, Koichi; Bruno, Kenneth S; Koike, Hideaki; Ishii, Tomoko; Miura, Ai; Umemura, Myco; Culley, David E; Baker, Scott E; Machida, Masayuki

2015-04-01

Fatty acids are attractive molecules as source materials for the production of biodiesel fuel. Previously, we attained a 2.4-fold increase in fatty acid production by increasing the expression of fatty acid synthesis-related genes in Aspergillus oryzae. In this study, we achieved an additional increase in the production of fatty acids by disrupting a predicted acyl-CoA synthetase gene in A. oryzae. The A. oryzae genome is predicted to encode six acyl-CoA synthetase genes and disruption of AO090011000642, one of the six genes, resulted in a 9.2-fold higher accumulation (corresponding to an increased production of 0.23 mmol/g dry cell weight) of intracellular fatty acid in comparison to the wild-type strain. Furthermore, by introducing a niaD marker from Aspergillus nidulans to the disruptant, as well as changing the concentration of nitrogen in the culture medium from 10 to 350 mM, fatty acid productivity reached 0.54 mmol/g dry cell weight. Analysis of the relative composition of the major intracellular free fatty acids caused by disruption of AO090011000642 in comparison to the wild-type strain showed an increase in stearic acid (7 to 26 %), decrease in linoleic acid (50 to 27 %), and no significant changes in palmitic or oleic acid (each around 20-25 %).

A role for Sar1 and ARF1 GTPases during Golgi biogenesis in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei

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Yavuz, Sevil; Warren, Graham

2017-01-01

A single Golgi stack is duplicated and partitioned into two daughter cells during the cell cycle of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. The source of components required to generate the new Golgi and the mechanism by which it forms are poorly understood. Using photoactivatable GFP, we show that the existing Golgi supplies components directly to the newly forming Golgi in both intact and semipermeabilized cells. The movement of a putative glycosyltransferase, GntB, requires the Sar1 and ARF1 GTPases in intact cells. In addition, we show that transfer of GntB from the existing Golgi to the new Golgi can be recapitulated in semipermeabilized cells and is sensitive to the GTP analogue GTPγS. We suggest that the existing Golgi is a key source of components required to form the new Golgi and that this process is regulated by small GTPases. PMID:28495798

Aspergillus saccharolyticus sp. nov., a new black Aspergillus species isolated in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Annette; Lübeck, Peter S.; Lübeck, Mette

2011-01-01

A novel species, Aspergillus saccharolyticus sp. nov., belonging to the Aspergillus section Nigri group is described. This species was isolated in Denmark from treated hardwood. Its taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach including phenotypic (morphology and extrolite...... Aspergillus species that is morphologically similar to Aspergillus japonicus and Aspergillus aculeatus, but has a totally different extrolite profile compared to any known Aspergillus species. The type strain of A. saccharolyticus sp. nov. is CBS 127449T ( = IBT 28509T)....

Critical cellulase and hemicellulase activities for hydrolysis of ionic liquid pretreated biomass

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Critical cellulase and hemicellulase activities are identified for hydrolysis of ionic liquid (IL) pretreated poplar and switchgrass; hemicellulase rich substrates with amorphous cellulose. Enzymes from Aspergillus nidulans were expressed and purified: an endoglucanase (EG) a cellobiohydrolase (CBH)...

Nonrandom γ-TuNA-dependent spatial pattern of microtubule nucleation at the Golgi.

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Sanders, Anna A W M; Chang, Kevin; Zhu, Xiaodong; Thoppil, Roslin J; Holmes, William R; Kaverina, Irina

2017-11-07

Noncentrosomal microtubule (MT) nucleation at the Golgi generates MT network asymmetry in motile vertebrate cells. Investigating the Golgi-derived MT (GDMT) distribution, we find that MT asymmetry arises from nonrandom nucleation sites at the Golgi (hotspots). Using computational simulations, we propose two plausible mechanistic models of GDMT nucleation leading to this phenotype. In the "cooperativity" model, formation of a single GDMT promotes further nucleation at the same site. In the "heterogeneous Golgi" model, MT nucleation is dramatically up-regulated at discrete and sparse locations within the Golgi. While MT clustering in hotspots is equally well described by both models, simulating MT length distributions within the cooperativity model fits the data better. Investigating the molecular mechanism underlying hotspot formation, we have found that hotspots are significantly smaller than a Golgi subdomain positive for scaffolding protein AKAP450, which is thought to recruit GDMT nucleation factors. We have further probed potential roles of known GDMT-promoting molecules, including γ-TuRC-mediated nucleation activator (γ-TuNA) domain-containing proteins and MT stabilizer CLASPs. While both γ-TuNA inhibition and lack of CLASPs resulted in drastically decreased GDMT nucleation, computational modeling revealed that only γ-TuNA inhibition suppressed hotspot formation. We conclude that hotspots require γ-TuNA activity, which facilitates clustered GDMT nucleation at distinct Golgi sites. © 2017 Sanders et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

The cerebellar Golgi cell and spatiotemporal organization of granular layer activity

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Egidio eD‘Angelo

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The cerebellar granular layer has been suggested to perform a complex spatiotemporal reconfiguration of incoming mossy fiber signals. Central to this role is the inhibitory action exerted by Golgi cells over granule cells: Golgi cells inhibit granule cells through double feedforward and feedback inhibitory loops and generate a broad lateral inhibition that extends beyond the afferent synaptic field. This characteristic connectivity has recently been investigated in great detail and been correlated with specific functional properties of the neuron. These include theta-frequency pacemaking, network entrainment into coherent oscillations and phase resetting. Important advances have also been made in terms of determining the membrane and synaptic properties of the neuron, and clarifying the mechanisms of activation by input bursts. Moreover, voltage sensitive dye imaging and multi-electrode array recordings, combined with mathematical simulations based on realistic computational models, have improved our understanding of the impact of Golgi cell activity on granular layer circuit computations. These investigations have highlighted the critical role of Golgi cells in: generating dense clusters of granule cell activity organized in center-surround structures, implementing combinatorial operations on multiple mossy fiber inputs, regulating transmission gain and cut-off frequency, controlling spike timing and burst transmission, and determining the sign, intensity and extension of long-term synaptic plasticity at the mossy fiber-granule cell relay. This review considers recent advances in the field, highlighting the functional implications of Golgi cells for granular layer network computation and indicating new challenges for cerebellar research.

Oxysterol-binding Protein Activation at Endoplasmic Reticulum-Golgi Contact Sites Reorganizes Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate Pools.

Science.gov (United States)

Goto, Asako; Charman, Mark; Ridgway, Neale D

2016-01-15

Oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) exchanges cholesterol and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI-4P) at contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the trans-Golgi/trans-Golgi network. 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25OH) competitively inhibits this exchange reaction in vitro and causes the constitutive localization of OSBP at the ER/Golgi interface and PI-4P-dependent recruitment of ceramide transfer protein (CERT) for sphingomyelin synthesis. We used PI-4P probes and mass analysis to determine how OSBP controls the availability of PI-4P for this metabolic pathway. Treatment of fibroblasts or Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with 25OH caused a 50-70% reduction in Golgi-associated immunoreactive PI-4P that correlated with Golgi localization of OSBP. In contrast, 25OH caused an OSBP-dependent enrichment in Golgi PI-4P that was detected with a pleckstrin homology domain probe. The cellular mass of phosphatidylinositol monophosphates and Golgi PI-4P measured with an unbiased PI-4P probe (P4M) was unaffected by 25OH and OSBP silencing, indicating that OSBP shifts the distribution of PI-4P upon localization to ER-Golgi contact sites. The PI-4P and sterol binding activities of OSBP were both required for 25OH activation of sphingomyelin synthesis, suggesting that 25OH must be exchanged for PI-4P to be concentrated at contact sites. We propose a model wherein 25OH activation of OSBP promotes the binding and retention of PI-4P at ER-Golgi contact sites. This pool of PI-4P specifically recruits pleckstrin homology domain-containing proteins involved in lipid transfer and metabolism, such as CERT. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Secondary metabolite profiles and antifungal drug susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus and closely related species, Aspergillus lentulus, Aspergillus udagawae, and Aspergillus viridinutans.

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Tamiya, Hiroyuki; Ochiai, Eri; Kikuchi, Kazuyo; Yahiro, Maki; Toyotome, Takahito; Watanabe, Akira; Yaguchi, Takashi; Kamei, Katsuhiko

2015-05-01

The incidence of Aspergillus infection has been increasing in the past few years. Also, new Aspergillus fumigatus-related species, namely Aspergillus lentulus, Aspergillus udagawae, and Aspergillus viridinutans, were shown to infect humans. These fungi exhibit marked morphological similarities to A. fumigatus, albeit with different clinical courses and antifungal drug susceptibilities. The present study used liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry to identify the secondary metabolites secreted as virulence factors by these Aspergillus species and compared their antifungal susceptibility. The metabolite profiles varied widely among A. fumigatus, A. lentulus, A. udagawae, and A. viridinutans, producing 27, 13, 8, and 11 substances, respectively. Among the mycotoxins, fumifungin, fumiquinazoline A/B and D, fumitremorgin B, gliotoxin, sphingofungins, pseurotins, and verruculogen were only found in A. fumigatus, whereas auranthine was only found in A. lentulus. The amount of gliotoxin, one of the most abundant mycotoxins in A. fumigatus, was negligible in these related species. In addition, they had decreased susceptibility to antifungal agents such as itraconazole and voriconazole, even though metabolites that were shared in the isolates showing higher minimum inhibitory concentrations than epidemiological cutoff values were not detected. These strikingly different secondary metabolite profiles may lead to the development of more discriminative identification protocols for such closely related Aspergillus species as well as improved treatment outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COPI-mediated retrograde trafficking from the Golgi to the ER regulates EGFR nuclear transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ying-Nai; Wang, Hongmei; Yamaguchi, Hirohito; Lee, Hong-Jen; Lee, Heng-Huan; Hung, Mien-Chie

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → ARF1 activation is involved in the EGFR transport to the ER and the nucleus. → Assembly of γ-COP coatomer mediates EGFR transport to the ER and the nucleus. → Golgi-to-ER retrograde trafficking regulates nuclear transport of EGFR. -- Abstract: Emerging evidence indicates that cell surface receptors, such as the entire epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family, have been shown to localize in the nucleus. A retrograde route from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is postulated to be involved in the EGFR trafficking to the nucleus; however, the molecular mechanism in this proposed model remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that membrane-embedded vesicular trafficking is involved in the nuclear transport of EGFR. Confocal immunofluorescence reveals that in response to EGF, a portion of EGFR redistributes to the Golgi and the ER, where its NH 2 -terminus resides within the lumen of Golgi/ER and COOH-terminus is exposed to the cytoplasm. Blockage of the Golgi-to-ER retrograde trafficking by brefeldin A or dominant mutants of the small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor, which both resulted in the disassembly of the coat protein complex I (COPI) coat to the Golgi, inhibit EGFR transport to the ER and the nucleus. We further find that EGF-dependent nuclear transport of EGFR is regulated by retrograde trafficking from the Golgi to the ER involving an association of EGFR with γ-COP, one of the subunits of the COPI coatomer. Our findings experimentally provide a comprehensive pathway that nuclear transport of EGFR is regulated by COPI-mediated vesicular trafficking from the Golgi to the ER, and may serve as a general mechanism in regulating the nuclear transport of other cell surface receptors.

Novel mitogen-activated protein kinase MpkC of Aspergillus fumigatus is required for utilization of polyalcohol sugars.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, Guadalupe; Romans, Angela; Nguyen, C Kim; May, Gregory S

2006-11-01

The genome of Aspergillus fumigatus has four genes that encode mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), sakA/hogA, mpkA, mpkB, and mpkC. The functions of the MpkB and MpkC MAPKs are unknown for A. fumigatus and the closely related and genetically amenable species Aspergillus nidulans. mpkC deletion mutants of A. fumigatus were made and their phenotypes characterized. The mpkC deletion mutants were viable and had normal conidial germination and hyphal growth on minimal or complete media. This is in contrast to deletion mutants with deletions in the closely related MAPK gene sakA/hogA that we previously reported had a nitrogen source-dependent germination phenotype. Similarly, the growth of the mpkC deletion mutants was wild type on high-osmolarity medium. Consistent with these two MAP kinase genes regulating different cellular responses, we determined that the mpkC deletion mutants were unable to grow on minimal medium with sorbitol or mannitol as the sole carbon source. This result implicates MpkC signaling in carbon source utilization. Changes in mRNA levels for sakA and mpkC were measured in response to hypertonic stress, oxidative stress, and a shift from glucose to sorbitol to determine if there was overlap in the SakA and MpkC signaling pathways. These studies demonstrated that SakA- and MpkC-dependent patterns of change in mRNA levels are distinct and have minimal overlap in response to these environmental stresses.

The construction and use of versatile binary vectors carrying pyrG auxotrophic marker and fluorescent reporter genes for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Khuyen Thi; Ho, Quynh Ngoc; Pham, Thu Ha; Phan, Tuan-Nghia; Tran, Van-Tuan

2016-12-01

Aspergillus oryzae is a safe mold widely used in food industry. It is also considered as a microbial cell factory for production of recombinant proteins and enzymes. Currently, genetic manipulation of filamentous fungi is achieved via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation methods usually employing antibiotic resistance markers. These methods are hardly usable for A. oryzae due to its strong resistance to the common antifungal compounds used for fungal transformation. In this study, we have constructed two binary vectors carrying the pyrG gene from A. oryzae as a biochemical marker than an antibiotic resistance marker, and an expression cassette for GFP or DsRed reporter gene under control of the constitutive gpdA promoter from Aspergillus nidulans. All components of these vectors are changeable to generate new versions for specific research purposes. The developed vectors are fully functional for heterologous expression of the GFP and DsRed fluorescent proteins in the uridine/uracil auxotrophic A. oryzae strain. Our study provides a new approach for A. oryzae transformation using pyrG as the selectable auxotrophic marker, A. tumefaciens as the DNA transfer tool and fungal spores as the transformation material. The binary vectors constructed can be used for gene expression studies in this industrially important filamentous fungus.

CCDC115 Deficiency Causes a Disorder of Golgi Homeostasis with Abnormal Protein Glycosylation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, Jos C.; Cirak, Sebahattin; van Scherpenzeel, Monique; Timal, Sharita; Reunert, Janine; Rust, Stephan; Pérez, Belén; Vicogne, Dorothée; Krawitz, Peter; Wada, Yoshinao; Ashikov, Angel; Pérez-Cerdá, Celia; Medrano, Celia; Arnoldy, Andrea; Hoischen, Alexander; Huijben, Karin; Steenbergen, Gerry; Quelhas, Dulce; Diogo, Luisa; Rymen, Daisy; Jaeken, Jaak; Guffon, Nathalie; Cheillan, David; van den Heuvel, Lambertus P.; Maeda, Yusuke; Kaiser, Olaf; Schara, Ulrike; Gerner, Patrick; van den Boogert, Marjolein A. W.; Holleboom, Adriaan G.; Nassogne, Marie-Cécile; Sokal, Etienne; Salomon, Jody; van den Bogaart, Geert; Drenth, Joost P. H.; Huynen, Martijn A.; Veltman, Joris A.; Wevers, Ron A.; Morava, Eva; Matthijs, Gert; Foulquier, François; Marquardt, Thorsten; Lefeber, Dirk J.

2016-01-01

Disorders of Golgi homeostasis form an emerging group of genetic defects. The highly heterogeneous clinical spectrum is not explained by our current understanding of the underlying cell-biological processes in the Golgi. Therefore, uncovering genetic defects and annotating gene function are

Identification of biomarkers for genotyping Aspergilli using non-linear methods for clustering and classification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kouskoumvekaki, Irene; Yang, Zhiyong; Jonsdottir, Svava Osk

2008-01-01

Background: In the present investigation, we have used an exhaustive metabolite profiling approach to search for biomarkers in recombinant Aspergillus nidulans (mutants that produce the 6- methyl salicylic acid polyketide molecule) for application in metabolic engineering. Results: More than 450...

Identification of a Golgi apparatus protein complex important for the asexual erythrocytic cycle of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallée, Stéphanie; Thériault, Catherine; Gagnon, Dominic; Kehrer, Jessica; Frischknecht, Friedrich; Mair, Gunnar R; Richard, Dave

2018-03-26

Compared with other eukaryotic cell types, malaria parasites appear to possess a more rudimentary Golgi apparatus being composed of dispersed, unstacked cis and trans-cisternae. Despite playing a central role in the secretory pathway of the parasite, few Plasmodium Golgi resident proteins have been characterised. We had previously identified a new Golgi resident protein of unknown function, which we had named Golgi Protein 1, and now show that it forms a complex with a previously uncharacterised transmembrane protein (Golgi Protein 2, GP2). The Golgi Protein complex localises to the cis-Golgi throughout the erythrocytic cycle and potentially also during the mosquito stages. Analysis of parasite strains where GP1 expression is conditionally repressed and/or the GP2 gene is inactivated reveals that though the Golgi protein complex is not essential at any stage of the parasite life cycle, it is important for optimal asexual development in the blood stages. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Construction of a Shuttle Vector for Heterologous Expression of a Novel Fungal α-Amylase Gene in Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Yanchen; Mao, Youzhi; Yin, Xiaolie; Gao, Bei; Wei, Dongzhi

2015-07-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is a well-known expression host used to express homologous and heterologous proteins in a number of industrial applications. To facilitate higher yields of proteins of interest, we constructed the pAsOP vector to express heterologous proteins in A. oryzae. pAsOP carries a selectable marker, pyrG, derived from Aspergillus nidulans, and a strong promoter and a terminator of the amyB gene derived from A. oryzae. pAsOP transformed A. oryzae efficiently via the PEG-CaCl2-mediated transformation method. As proof of concept, green fluorescent protein (GFP) was successfully expressed in A. oryzae transformed by pAsOP-GFP. Additionally, we identified a novel fungal α-amylase (PcAmy) gene from Penicillium sp. and cloned the gene into the vector. After transformation by pAsOPPcAmy, the α-amylase PcAmy from Penicillium sp. was successfully expressed in a heterologous host system for the first time. The α-amylase activity in the A. oryzae transformant was increased by 62.3% compared with the untransformed A. oryzae control. The PcAmy protein produced in the system had an optimum pH of 5.0 and optimum temperature of 30°C. As a cold-adapted enzyme, PcAmy shows potential value in industrial applications because of its high catalytic activity at low temperature. Furthermore, the expression vector reported in this study provides promising utility for further scientific research and biotechnological applications.

Quantifying Golgi structure using EM: combining volume-SEM and stereology for higher throughput.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Sophie; Steyer, Anna M; Mayhew, Terry M; Schwab, Yannick; Lucocq, John Milton

2017-06-01

Investigating organelles such as the Golgi complex depends increasingly on high-throughput quantitative morphological analyses from multiple experimental or genetic conditions. Light microscopy (LM) has been an effective tool for screening but fails to reveal fine details of Golgi structures such as vesicles, tubules and cisternae. Electron microscopy (EM) has sufficient resolution but traditional transmission EM (TEM) methods are slow and inefficient. Newer volume scanning EM (volume-SEM) methods now have the potential to speed up 3D analysis by automated sectioning and imaging. However, they produce large arrays of sections and/or images, which require labour-intensive 3D reconstruction for quantitation on limited cell numbers. Here, we show that the information storage, digital waste and workload involved in using volume-SEM can be reduced substantially using sampling-based stereology. Using the Golgi as an example, we describe how Golgi populations can be sensed quantitatively using single random slices and how accurate quantitative structural data on Golgi organelles of individual cells can be obtained using only 5-10 sections/images taken from a volume-SEM series (thereby sensing population parameters and cell-cell variability). The approach will be useful in techniques such as correlative LM and EM (CLEM) where small samples of cells are treated and where there may be variable responses. For Golgi study, we outline a series of stereological estimators that are suited to these analyses and suggest workflows, which have the potential to enhance the speed and relevance of data acquisition in volume-SEM.

The Golgin GMAP210/TRIP11 anchors IFT20 to the Golgi complex.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John A Follit

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Eukaryotic cells often use proteins localized to the ciliary membrane to monitor the extracellular environment. The mechanism by which proteins are sorted, specifically to this subdomain of the plasma membrane, is almost completely unknown. Previously, we showed that the IFT20 subunit of the intraflagellar transport particle is localized to the Golgi complex, in addition to the cilium and centrosome, and hypothesized that the Golgi pool of IFT20 plays a role in sorting proteins to the ciliary membrane. Here, we show that IFT20 is anchored to the Golgi complex by the golgin protein GMAP210/Trip11. Mice lacking GMAP210 die at birth with a pleiotropic phenotype that includes growth restriction, ventricular septal defects of the heart, omphalocele, and lung hypoplasia. Cells lacking GMAP210 have normal Golgi structure, but IFT20 is no longer localized to this organelle. GMAP210 is not absolutely required for ciliary assembly, but cilia on GMAP210 mutant cells are shorter than normal and have reduced amounts of the membrane protein polycystin-2 localized to them. This work suggests that GMAP210 and IFT20 function together at the Golgi in the sorting or transport of proteins destined for the ciliary membrane.

Aspergillus asper sp. nov. and Aspergillus collinsii sp. nov., from Aspergillus section Usti.

Science.gov (United States)

Jurjevic, Zeljko; Peterson, Stephen W

2016-07-01

In sampling fungi from the built environment, two isolates that could not confidently be placed in described species were encountered. Phenotypic analysis suggested that they belonged in Aspergillus sect. Usti. In order to verify the sectional placement and to assure that they were undescribed rather than phenotypically aberrant isolates, DNA was isolated and sequenced at the beta-tubulin, calmodulin, internal transcribed spacer and RNA polymerase II loci and sequences compared with those from other species in the genus Aspergillus. At each locus, each new isolate was distant from existing species. Phylogenetic trees calculated from these data and GenBank data for species of the section Usti excluded the placement of these isolates in existing species, with statistical support. Because they were excluded from existing taxa, the distinct species Aspergillus asper (type strain NRRL 35910 T ) and Aspergillus collinsii (type strain NRRL 66196 T ) in sect. Usti are proposed to accommodate these strains.

Golgi coiled-coil proteins contain multiple binding sites for Rab family G proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sinka, Rita; Gillingham, Alison K.; Kondylis, Vangelis; Munro, Sean

2008-01-01

Vesicles and other carriers destined for the Golgi apparatus must be guided to the correct cisternae. Golgins, long coiled-coil proteins that localize to particular Golgi subdomains via their C termini, are candidate regulators of vesicle sorting. In this study, we report that the GRIP domain

Defects in the COG complex and COG-related trafficking regulators affect neuronal Golgi function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leslie K Climer

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The Conserved Oligomeric Golgi (COG complex is an evolutionarily conserved hetero-octameric protein complex that has been proposed to organize vesicle tethering at the Golgi apparatus. Defects in seven of the eight COG subunits are linked to Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG-type II, a family of rare diseases involving misregulation of protein glycosylation, alterations in Golgi structure, variations in retrograde trafficking through the Golgi and system-wide clinical pathologies. A troublesome aspect of these diseases are the neurological pathologies such as low IQ, microcephaly and cerebellar atrophy. The essential function of the COG complex is dependent upon interactions with other components of trafficking machinery, such as Rab-GTPases and SNAREs. COG-interacting Rabs and SNAREs have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Defects in Golgi maintenance disrupts trafficking and processing of essential proteins, frequently associated with and contributing to compromised neuron function and human disease. Despite the recent advances in molecular neuroscience, the subcellular bases for most neurodegenerative diseases are poorly understood. This article gives an overview of the potential contributions of the COG complex and its Rab and SNARE partners in the pathogenesis of different neurodegenerative disorders.

Transport of soluble proteins through the Golgi occurs by diffusion via continuities across cisternae

Science.gov (United States)

Beznoussenko, Galina V; Parashuraman, Seetharaman; Rizzo, Riccardo; Polishchuk, Roman; Martella, Oliviano; Di Giandomenico, Daniele; Fusella, Aurora; Spaar, Alexander; Sallese, Michele; Capestrano, Maria Grazia; Pavelka, Margit; Vos, Matthijn R; Rikers, Yuri GM; Helms, Volkhard; Mironov, Alexandre A; Luini, Alberto

2014-01-01

The mechanism of transport through the Golgi complex is not completely understood, insofar as no single transport mechanism appears to account for all of the observations. Here, we compare the transport of soluble secretory proteins (albumin and α1-antitrypsin) with that of supramolecular cargoes (e.g., procollagen) that are proposed to traverse the Golgi by compartment progression–maturation. We show that these soluble proteins traverse the Golgi much faster than procollagen while moving through the same stack. Moreover, we present kinetic and morphological observations that indicate that albumin transport occurs by diffusion via intercisternal continuities. These data provide evidence for a transport mechanism that applies to a major class of secretory proteins and indicate the co-existence of multiple intra-Golgi trafficking modes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02009.001 PMID:24867214

Proteomic identification of S-nitrosylated Golgi proteins: new insights into endothelial cell regulation by eNOS-derived NO.

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Panjamaporn Sangwung

Full Text Available Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS is primarily localized on the Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane caveolae in endothelial cells. Previously, we demonstrated that protein S-nitrosylation occurs preferentially where eNOS is localized. Thus, in endothelial cells, Golgi proteins are likely to be targets for S-nitrosylation. The aim of this study was to identify S-nitrosylated Golgi proteins and attribute their S-nitrosylation to eNOS-derived nitric oxide in endothelial cells.Golgi membranes were isolated from rat livers. S-nitrosylated Golgi proteins were determined by a modified biotin-switch assay coupled with mass spectrometry that allows the identification of the S-nitrosylated cysteine residue. The biotin switch assay followed by Western blot or immunoprecipitation using an S-nitrosocysteine antibody was also employed to validate S-nitrosylated proteins in endothelial cell lysates.Seventy-eight potential S-nitrosylated proteins and their target cysteine residues for S-nitrosylation were identified; 9 of them were Golgi-resident or Golgi/endoplasmic reticulum (ER-associated proteins. Among these 9 proteins, S-nitrosylation of EMMPRIN and Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3 was verified in endothelial cells. Furthermore, S-nitrosylation of these proteins was found at the basal levels and increased in response to eNOS stimulation by the calcium ionophore A23187. Immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoprecipitation showed that EMMPRIN and GOLPH3 are co-localized with eNOS at the Golgi apparatus in endothelial cells. S-nitrosylation of EMMPRIN was notably increased in the aorta of cirrhotic rats.Our data suggest that the selective S-nitrosylation of EMMPRIN and GOLPH3 at the Golgi apparatus in endothelial cells results from the physical proximity to eNOS-derived nitric oxide.

PERMANGANATE FIXATION OF THE GOLGI COMPLEX AND OTHER CYTOPLASMIC STRUCTURES OF MAMMALIAN TESTES

Science.gov (United States)

Mollenhauer, Hilton H.; Zebrun, William

1960-01-01

Observations on the fine structure of KMnO4-fixed testes of small mammals (guinea pig, rat, and mouse) reveal certain morphological differences between the spermatogenic and Sertoli cells which have not been demonstrated in the same tissue fixed with OsO4. Aggregates of minute circular profiles, much smaller than the spherical Golgi vesicles, are described in close association with the Golgi complex of developing spermatids. Groups of dense flattened vesicles, individually surrounded by a membrane of different dimensions than that which bounds most of the other cell organelles, appear dispersed within the cytoplasm of some spermatogenic cells. Flattened vesicles of greater density than those belonging to the Golgi complex are reported confined to the inner Golgi zone of developing guinea pig spermatids between the Golgi cisternae and the head cap. The profiles of endoplasmic reticulum within spermatocytes appear shorter, wider, and more tortuous than those of Sertoli cells. Minute cytoplasmic particles approximately 300 A in diameter and of high electron opacity appear randomly disposed in some Sertoli cells. Groups of irregular-shaped ovoid bodies within the developing spermatids are described as resembling portions of cytoplasm from closely adjacent spermatids. Interpretation is presented regarding the fine structure of KMnO4-fixed testes in view of what has already been reported for mammalian testes fixed in OsO4. PMID:13771855

Oxysterol-binding Protein Activation at Endoplasmic Reticulum-Golgi Contact Sites Reorganizes Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate Pools*

OpenAIRE

Goto, Asako; Charman, Mark; Ridgway, Neale D.

2015-01-01

Oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) exchanges cholesterol and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI-4P) at contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the trans-Golgi/trans-Golgi network. 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25OH) competitively inhibits this exchange reaction in vitro and causes the constitutive localization of OSBP at the ER/Golgi interface and PI-4P-dependent recruitment of ceramide transfer protein (CERT) for sphingomyelin synthesis. We used PI-4P probes and mass analysis to de...

Cutaneous Aspergillosis at the site of ulceration from radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuo, Fumiko; Okabe, Tomohiro.

1979-01-01

A 52-year-old woman with cutaneous aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus nidulans was observed. The infection developed at the site of ulceration from radiation, which occurred after operation and radiotherapy for breast cancer. In cases of cutaneous aspergillosis, saprophytic lesions can be seen. (Nishio, M.)

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Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

be required for macroconidiation in Aspergillus nidulans; so that the molecular machinery underlying macroconidiation may differ significantly in these two filamentous fungi. In short, the sequence enabled Neurospora researchers to quickly update their ignorance about the system they had been studying for over 70 years.

Vibration sensitivity of human muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallon, James B; Macefield, Vaughan G

2007-07-01

The responses of the various muscle receptors to vibration are more complicated than a naïve categorization into stretch (muscle spindle primary ending), length (muscle spindle secondary endings), and tension (Golgi tendon organs) receptors. To emphasize the similarity of responses to small length changes, we recorded from 58 individual muscle afferents subserving receptors in the ankle or toe dorsiflexors of awake human subjects (32 primary endings, 20 secondary endings, and six Golgi tendon organs). Transverse sinusoidal vibration was applied to the distal tendon of the receptor-bearing muscle, while subjects either remained completely relaxed or maintained a weak isometric contraction of the appropriate muscle. In relaxed muscle, few units responded in a 1:1 manner to vibration, and there was no evidence of a preferred frequency of activation. In active muscle the response profiles of all three receptor types overlapped, with no significant difference in threshold between receptor types. These results emphasize that when intramuscular tension increases during a voluntary contraction, Golgi tendon organs and muscle spindle secondary endings, not just muscle spindle primary endings, can effectively encode small imposed length changes.

Novel Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase MpkC of Aspergillus fumigatus Is Required for Utilization of Polyalcohol Sugars▿

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, Guadalupe; Romans, Angela; Nguyen, C. Kim; May, Gregory S.

2006-01-01

The genome of Aspergillus fumigatus has four genes that encode mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), sakA/hogA, mpkA, mpkB, and mpkC. The functions of the MpkB and MpkC MAPKs are unknown for A. fumigatus and the closely related and genetically amenable species Aspergillus nidulans. mpkC deletion mutants of A. fumigatus were made and their phenotypes characterized. The mpkC deletion mutants were viable and had normal conidial germination and hyphal growth on minimal or complete media. This is in contrast to deletion mutants with deletions in the closely related MAPK gene sakA/hogA that we previously reported had a nitrogen source-dependent germination phenotype. Similarly, the growth of the mpkC deletion mutants was wild type on high-osmolarity medium. Consistent with these two MAP kinase genes regulating different cellular responses, we determined that the mpkC deletion mutants were unable to grow on minimal medium with sorbitol or mannitol as the sole carbon source. This result implicates MpkC signaling in carbon source utilization. Changes in mRNA levels for sakA and mpkC were measured in response to hypertonic stress, oxidative stress, and a shift from glucose to sorbitol to determine if there was overlap in the SakA and MpkC signaling pathways. These studies demonstrated that SakA- and MpkC-dependent patterns of change in mRNA levels are distinct and have minimal overlap in response to these environmental stresses. PMID:16998074

Study of effect ultraviolet radiation on Aspergillus Flavus and Aspergillus Parasiticus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghafourian, H.; Kafaei, F.; Raouf, J.B.

2000-01-01

In this article the results of ultraviolet radiation effects on Aspergillus Flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus to reach the quality control standards are presented. The purpose was to test the effect of ultraviolet radiation in 254 nanometer wavelength for fungi decontamination with respect to the exposure time of radiation and the distance between samples and radiation source. The ultraviolet radiation effects on plates containing Aspergillus Flavus and Aspergillus Parasiticus fungi were studied in the exposure time duration of 30, to 360 seconds of a fixed distance, and also for variable distances from 10 to 40 cm at a given exposure time. It is shown that in the exposure time of more than 360 second the ultraviolet radiation exposure highly decreases the number of Aspergillus Flavus and Aspergillus Parasiticus fungi colonies. By reducing the distance, the number of colonies decreases and it is minimized at a 10 cm distance in the time exposure of 360 second. The above results show that the ultraviolet radiation is an effective method for food decontamination and can be used in industry

What Does Genetic Diversity of Aspergillus flavus Tell Us About Aspergillus oryzae?

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae belong to Aspergillus section Flavi. They are closely related and are of significant economic importance. The former species has the ability to produce harmful aflatoxins while the latter is widely used in food fermentation and industrial enzyme production. ...

Cholesterol depletion of enterocytes. Effect on the Golgi complex and apical membrane trafficking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Gert Helge; Niels-Christiansen, L L; Thorsen, Evy

2000-01-01

Intestinal brush border enzymes, including aminopeptidase N and sucrase-isomaltase, are associated with "rafts" (membrane microdomains rich in cholesterol and sphingoglycolipids). To assess the functional role of rafts in the present work, we studied the effect of cholesterol depletion on apical......, the rates of the Golgi-associated complex glycosylation and association with rafts of newly synthesized aminopeptidase N were reduced, and less of the enzyme had reached the brush border membrane after 2 h of labeling. In contrast, the basolateral Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase was neither missorted nor raft......-associated. Our results implicate the Golgi complex/trans-Golgi network in raft formation and suggest a close relationship between this event and apical membrane trafficking....

La técnica de impregnación argéntica de Golgi. Conmemoración del centenario del premio nobel de Medicina (1906 compartido por Camillo Golgi y Santiago Ramón y Cajal

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Orlando Torres-Fernández

2006-12-01

Full Text Available La técnica de Golgi es un sencillo procedimiento histológico que revela la morfología neuronal completa en tres dimensiones. Este método se fundamenta en la formación de depósitos opacos intracelulares de cromato argéntico, producto de la reacción entre el bicromato de potasio y el nitrato de plata (reacción negra. Camillo Golgi, su descubridor, y Santiago Ramón y Cajal, su principal exponente, recibieron el premio nobel de Medicina y Fisiología en 1906 por su contribución al conocimiento de la estructura del sistema nervioso. Gran parte de sus logros se obtuvieron a través de la aplicación del método de impregnación argéntica. Sin embargo, Golgi y Cajal tenían interpretaciones diferentes sobre la estructura del tejido nervioso. Golgi era defensor de la teoría reticular, la cual proponía que el sistema nervioso estaba conformado por una red de células fusionadas a través de los axones a manera de un sincitio. Por el contrario, la doctrina neuronal, defendida por Cajal, sostenía que las neuronas eran células independientes. También se debe a Golgi y su reazione nera el descubrimiento del organelo celular conocido como ‘aparato de Golgi'. La microscopía electrónica confirmó los postulados de la doctrina neuronal, así como la existencia del complejo de Golgi, y contribuyó al resurgimiento de la técnica de impregnación argéntica. Aunque existen métodos modernos de tinción intracelular que revelan imágenes excelentes de la morfología neuronal, la técnica de Golgi se mantiene vigente por ser un método más práctico y menos costoso para el estudio de la morfología normal y patológica de las neuronas.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus-induced RNA polymerase is associated with Golgi apparatus.

OpenAIRE

Polatnick, J; Wool, S H

1985-01-01

Electrophoretic analysis of the Golgi apparatus isolated by differential centrifugation from radiolabeled cells infected with foot-and-mouth disease virus showed about 10 protein bands. The virus-induced RNA polymerase was identified by immunoprecipitation and electron microscope staining procedures. Pulse-chase experiments indicated that the polymerase passed through the Golgi apparatus in less than 1 h.

Stathmin 1/2-triggered microtubule loss mediates Golgi fragmentation in mutant SOD1 motor neurons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bellouze, Sarah; Baillat, Gilbert; Buttigieg, Dorothée; de la Grange, Pierre; Rabouille, Catherine; Haase, Georg

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Pathological Golgi fragmentation represents a constant pre-clinical feature of many neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but its molecular mechanisms remain hitherto unclear. RESULTS: Here, we show that the severe Golgi fragmentation in transgenic

Inducible Inhibition of Gβγ Reveals Localization-dependent Functions at the Plasma Membrane and Golgi*

Science.gov (United States)

Klayman, Lauren M.; Wedegaertner, Philip B.

2017-01-01

Heterotrimeric G proteins signal at a variety of endomembrane locations, in addition to their canonical function at the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane (PM), where they are activated by cell surface G protein-coupled receptors. Here we focus on βγ signaling at the Golgi, where βγ activates a signaling cascade, ultimately resulting in vesicle fission from the trans-Golgi network (TGN). To develop a novel molecular tool for inhibiting endogenous βγ in a spatial-temporal manner, we take advantage of a lipid association mutant of the widely used βγ inhibitor GRK2ct (GRK2ct-KERE) and the FRB/FKBP heterodimerization system. We show that GRK2ct-KERE cannot inhibit βγ function when expressed in cells, but recruitment to a specific membrane location recovers the ability of GRK2ct-KERE to inhibit βγ signaling. PM-recruited GRK2ct-KERE inhibits lysophosphatidic acid-induced phosphorylation of Akt, whereas Golgi-recruited GRK2ct-KERE inhibits cargo transport from the TGN to the PM. Moreover, we show that Golgi-recruited GRK2ct-KERE inhibits model basolaterally targeted but not apically targeted cargo delivery, for both PM-destined and secretory cargo, providing the first evidence of selectivity in terms of cargo transport regulated by βγ. Last, we show that Golgi fragmentation induced by ilimaquinone and nocodazole is blocked by βγ inhibition, demonstrating that βγ is a key regulator of multiple pathways that impact Golgi morphology. Thus, we have developed a new molecular tool, recruitable GRK2ct-KERE, to modulate βγ signaling at specific subcellular locations, and we demonstrate novel cargo selectivity for βγ regulation of TGN to PM transport and a novel role for βγ in mediating Golgi fragmentation. PMID:27994056

Inducible Inhibition of Gβγ Reveals Localization-dependent Functions at the Plasma Membrane and Golgi.

Science.gov (United States)

Klayman, Lauren M; Wedegaertner, Philip B

2017-02-03

Heterotrimeric G proteins signal at a variety of endomembrane locations, in addition to their canonical function at the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane (PM), where they are activated by cell surface G protein-coupled receptors. Here we focus on βγ signaling at the Golgi, where βγ activates a signaling cascade, ultimately resulting in vesicle fission from the trans-Golgi network (TGN). To develop a novel molecular tool for inhibiting endogenous βγ in a spatial-temporal manner, we take advantage of a lipid association mutant of the widely used βγ inhibitor GRK2ct (GRK2ct-KERE) and the FRB/FKBP heterodimerization system. We show that GRK2ct-KERE cannot inhibit βγ function when expressed in cells, but recruitment to a specific membrane location recovers the ability of GRK2ct-KERE to inhibit βγ signaling. PM-recruited GRK2ct-KERE inhibits lysophosphatidic acid-induced phosphorylation of Akt, whereas Golgi-recruited GRK2ct-KERE inhibits cargo transport from the TGN to the PM. Moreover, we show that Golgi-recruited GRK2ct-KERE inhibits model basolaterally targeted but not apically targeted cargo delivery, for both PM-destined and secretory cargo, providing the first evidence of selectivity in terms of cargo transport regulated by βγ. Last, we show that Golgi fragmentation induced by ilimaquinone and nocodazole is blocked by βγ inhibition, demonstrating that βγ is a key regulator of multiple pathways that impact Golgi morphology. Thus, we have developed a new molecular tool, recruitable GRK2ct-KERE, to modulate βγ signaling at specific subcellular locations, and we demonstrate novel cargo selectivity for βγ regulation of TGN to PM transport and a novel role for βγ in mediating Golgi fragmentation. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The veA gene of the pine needle pathogen Dothistroma septosporum regulates sporulation and secondary metabolism

Science.gov (United States)

Fungi possess genetic systems to regulate the expression of genes involved in complex processes such as development and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The product of the velvet gene veA, first identified and characterized in Aspergillus nidulans, is a key player in the regulation of both of thes...

Development of a system for integrative and stable transformation of the zygomycete Rhizopus oryzae by Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michielse, C.B.; Salim, K.; Ragas, P.; Ram, A.F.J.; Kudla, B.; Jarry, B.; Punt, P.J.; Hondel, C.A.M.J.J. van den

2004-01-01

Two transformation systems, based on the use of CaCl2/PEG and Agrobacterium tumefaciens, respectively, were developed for the zygomycete Rhizopus oryzae. Irrespective of the selection marker used, a pyr4 marker derived from R. niveus or a dominant amdS+ marker from Aspergillus nidulans, and

Single-step affinity purification for fungal proteomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hui-Lin; Osmani, Aysha H; Ukil, Leena; Son, Sunghun; Markossian, Sarine; Shen, Kuo-Fang; Govindaraghavan, Meera; Varadaraj, Archana; Hashmi, Shahr B; De Souza, Colin P; Osmani, Stephen A

2010-05-01

A single-step protein affinity purification protocol using Aspergillus nidulans is described. Detailed protocols for cell breakage, affinity purification, and depending on the application, methods for protein release from affinity beads are provided. Examples defining the utility of the approaches, which should be widely applicable, are included.

Single-Step Affinity Purification for Fungal Proteomics ▿ †

OpenAIRE

Liu, Hui-Lin; Osmani, Aysha H.; Ukil, Leena; Son, Sunghun; Markossian, Sarine; Shen, Kuo-Fang; Govindaraghavan, Meera; Varadaraj, Archana; Hashmi, Shahr B.; De Souza, Colin P.; Osmani, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

A single-step protein affinity purification protocol using Aspergillus nidulans is described. Detailed protocols for cell breakage, affinity purification, and depending on the application, methods for protein release from affinity beads are provided. Examples defining the utility of the approaches, which should be widely applicable, are included.

Purification and characterization of a new cold active lipase, EnL A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Search of lipase engineering data base (LED) revealed that this protein belongs to a newly introduced super family of Candida antarctica lipase A like and to the homologous family of Aspergillus lipase like. Key words: Cold active lipase, Emericella nidulans, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, Candida antarctica ...

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Genetics. Josy Fraccaro Marins. Articles written in Journal of Genetics. Volume 85 Issue 1 April 2006 pp 77-81 Research Note. Mutants of Aspergillus nidulans affected in asexual development · Josy Fraccaro Marins Marialba Avezum Alves Castro-Prado · More Details Fulltext PDF ...

A Novel Zn2-Cys6 Transcription Factor AtrR Plays a Key Role in an Azole Resistance Mechanism of Aspergillus fumigatus by Co-regulating cyp51A and cdr1B Expressions

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Kiminori; Paul, Sanjoy; Ohba, Ayumi; Gonoi, Tohru; Watanabe, Akira; Gomi, Katsuya

2017-01-01

Successful treatment of aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus is threatened by an increasing incidence of drug resistance. This situation is further complicated by the finding that strains resistant to azoles, the major antifungal drugs for aspergillosis, have been widely disseminated across the globe. To elucidate mechanisms underlying azole resistance, we identified a novel transcription factor that is required for normal azole resistance in Aspergillus fungi including A. fumigatus, Aspergillus oryzae, and Aspergillus nidulans. This fungal-specific Zn2-Cys6 type transcription factor AtrR was found to regulate expression of the genes related to ergosterol biosynthesis, including cyp51A that encodes a target protein of azoles. The atrR deletion mutant showed impaired growth under hypoxic conditions and attenuation of virulence in murine infection model for aspergillosis. These results were similar to the phenotypes for a mutant strain lacking SrbA that is also a direct regulator for the cyp51A gene. Notably, AtrR was responsible for the expression of cdr1B that encodes an ABC transporter related to azole resistance, whereas SrbA was not involved in the regulation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that AtrR directly bound both the cyp51A and cdr1B promoters. In the clinically isolated itraconazole resistant strain that harbors a mutant Cyp51A (G54E), deletion of the atrR gene resulted in a hypersensitivity to the azole drugs. Together, our results revealed that AtrR plays a pivotal role in a novel azole resistance mechanism by co-regulating the drug target (Cyp51A) and putative drug efflux pump (Cdr1B). PMID:28052140

Palmitoylation of the Cysteine Residue in the DHHC Motif of a Palmitoyl Transferase Mediates Ca2+ Homeostasis in Aspergillus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanwei Zhang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Finely tuned changes in cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]c mediate numerous intracellular functions resulting in the activation or inactivation of a series of target proteins. Palmitoylation is a reversible post-translational modification involved in membrane protein trafficking between membranes and in their functional modulation. However, studies on the relationship between palmitoylation and calcium signaling have been limited. Here, we demonstrate that the yeast palmitoyl transferase ScAkr1p homolog, AkrA in Aspergillus nidulans, regulates [Ca2+]c homeostasis. Deletion of akrA showed marked defects in hyphal growth and conidiation under low calcium conditions which were similar to the effects of deleting components of the high-affinity calcium uptake system (HACS. The [Ca2+]c dynamics in living cells expressing the calcium reporter aequorin in different akrA mutant backgrounds were defective in their [Ca2+]c responses to high extracellular Ca2+ stress or drugs that cause ER or plasma membrane stress. All of these effects on the [Ca2+]c responses mediated by AkrA were closely associated with the cysteine residue of the AkrA DHHC motif, which is required for palmitoylation by AkrA. Using the acyl-biotin exchange chemistry assay combined with proteomic mass spectrometry, we identified protein substrates palmitoylated by AkrA including two new putative P-type ATPases (Pmc1 and Spf1 homologs, a putative proton V-type proton ATPase (Vma5 homolog and three putative proteins in A. nidulans, the transcripts of which have previously been shown to be induced by extracellular calcium stress in a CrzA-dependent manner. Thus, our findings provide strong evidence that the AkrA protein regulates [Ca2+]c homeostasis by palmitoylating these protein candidates and give new insights the role of palmitoylation in the regulation of calcium-mediated responses to extracellular, ER or plasma membrane stress.

The Arabidopsis Golgi-localized GDP-L-fucose transporter is required for plant development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rautengarten, Carsten; Ebert, Berit; Liu, Lifeng

2016-01-01

assays, we show that GFT preferentially transports GDP-L-fucose over other nucleotide sugars in vitro, while GFT1-silenced plants are almost devoid of L-fucose in cell wall-derived xyloglucan and rhamnogalacturonan II. Furthermore, these lines display reduced L-fucose content in N-glycan structures......Nucleotide sugar transport across Golgi membranes is essential for the luminal biosynthesis of glycan structures. Here we identify GDP-fucose transporter 1 (GFT1), an Arabidopsis nucleotide sugar transporter that translocates GDP-L-fucose into the Golgi lumen. Using proteo-liposome-based transport...... accompanied by severe developmental growth defects. We conclude that GFT1 is the major nucleotide sugar transporter for import of GDP-L-fucose into the Golgi and is required for proper plant growth and development....

The Arabidopsis Golgi-localized GDP-L-fucose transporter is required for plant development.

Science.gov (United States)

Rautengarten, Carsten; Ebert, Berit; Liu, Lifeng; Stonebloom, Solomon; Smith-Moritz, Andreia M; Pauly, Markus; Orellana, Ariel; Scheller, Henrik Vibe; Heazlewood, Joshua L

2016-07-06

Nucleotide sugar transport across Golgi membranes is essential for the luminal biosynthesis of glycan structures. Here we identify GDP-fucose transporter 1 (GFT1), an Arabidopsis nucleotide sugar transporter that translocates GDP-L-fucose into the Golgi lumen. Using proteo-liposome-based transport assays, we show that GFT preferentially transports GDP-L-fucose over other nucleotide sugars in vitro, while GFT1-silenced plants are almost devoid of L-fucose in cell wall-derived xyloglucan and rhamnogalacturonan II. Furthermore, these lines display reduced L-fucose content in N-glycan structures accompanied by severe developmental growth defects. We conclude that GFT1 is the major nucleotide sugar transporter for import of GDP-L-fucose into the Golgi and is required for proper plant growth and development.

Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger as the dominant black Aspergillus, use of simple PCR-RFLP for preliminary differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirhendi, H; Zarei, F; Motamedi, M; Nouripour-Sisakht, S

2016-03-01

This work aimed to identify the species distribution of common clinical and environmental isolates of black Aspergilli based on simple restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the β-tubulin gene. A total of 149 clinical and environmental strains of black Aspergilli were collected and subjected to preliminary morphological examination. Total genomic DNAs were extracted, and PCR was performed to amplify part of the β-tubulin gene. At first, 52 randomly selected samples were species-delineated by sequence analysis. In order to distinguish the most common species, PCR amplicons of 117 black Aspergillus strains were identified by simple PCR-RFLP analysis using the enzyme TasI. Among 52 sequenced isolates, 28 were Aspergillus tubingensis, 21 Aspergillus niger, and the three remaining isolates included Aspergillus uvarum, Aspergillus awamori, and Aspergillus acidus. All 100 environmental and 17 BAL samples subjected to TasI-RFLP analysis of the β-tubulin gene, fell into two groups, consisting of about 59% (n=69) A. tubingensis and 41% (n=48) A. niger. Therefore, the method successfully and rapidly distinguished A. tubingensis and A. niger as the most common species among the clinical and environmental isolates. Although tardy, the Ehrlich test was also able to differentiate A. tubingensis and A. niger according to the yellow color reaction specific to A. niger. A. tubingensis and A. niger are the most common black Aspergillus in both clinical and environmental isolates in Iran. PCR-RFLP using TasI digestion of β-tubulin DNA enables rapid screening for these common species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A novel, modernized Golgi-Cox stain optimized for CLARITY cleared tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassem, Mustafa S; Fok, Sandra Y Y; Smith, Kristie L; Kuligowski, Michael; Balleine, Bernard W

2018-01-15

High resolution neuronal information is extraordinarily useful in understanding the brain's functionality. The development of the Golgi-Cox stain allowed observation of the neuron in its entirety with unrivalled detail. Tissue clearing techniques, e.g., CLARITY and CUBIC, provide the potential to observe entire neuronal circuits intact within tissue and without previous restrictions with regard to section thickness. Here we describe an improved Golgi-Cox stain method, optimised for use with CLARITY and CUBIC that can be used in both fresh and fixed tissue. Using this method, we were able to observe neurons in their entirety within a fraction of the time traditionally taken to clear tissue (48h). We were also able to show for the first-time that Golgi stained tissue is fluorescent when visualized using a multi-photon microscope, allowing us to image synaptic spines with a detail previously unachievable. These novel methods provide cheap and easy to use techniques to investigate the morphology of cellular processes in the brain at a new-found depth, speed, utility and detail, without previous restrictions of time, tissue type and section thickness. This is the first application of a Golgi-Cox stain to cleared brain tissue, it is investigated and discussed in detail, describing different methodologies that may be used, a comparison between the different clearing techniques and lastly the novel interaction of these techniques with this ultra-rapid stain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The critical role of Golgi cells in regulating spatio-temporal integration and plasticity at the cerebellum input stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2008-07-01

Full Text Available After the discovery at the end of the 19th century (Golgi, 1883, the Golgi cell was precisely described by S.R. y Cajal (see Cajal, 1987, 1995 and functionally identified as an inhibitory interneuron 50 years later by J.C. Eccles and colleagues (Eccles e al., 1967. Then, its role has been casted by Marr (1969 within the Motor Learning Theory as a codon size regulator of granule cell activity. It was immediately clear that Golgi cells had to play a critical role, since they are the main inhibitory interneuron of the granular layer and control activity of as many as 100 millions granule cells. In vitro, Golgi cells show pacemaking, resonance, phase-reset and rebound-excitation in the theta-frequency band. These properties are likely to impact on their activity in vivo, which shows irregular spontaneous beating modulated by sensory inputs and burst responses to punctuate stimulation followed by a silent pause. Moreover, investigations have given insight into Golgi cells connectivity within the cerebellar network and on their impact on the spatio-temporal organization of activity. It turns out that Golgi cells can control both the temporal dynamics and the spatial distribution of information transmitted through the cerebellar network. Moreover, Golgi cells regulate the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity at the mossy fiber - granule cell synapse. Thus, the concept is emerging that Golgi cells are of critical importance for regulating granular layer network activity bearing important consequences for cerebellar computation as a whole.

Genetic diversity of Aspergillus species isolated from onychomycosis and Aspergillus hongkongensis sp. nov., with implications to antifungal susceptibility testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Chi-Ching; Hui, Teresa W S; Lee, Kim-Chung; Chen, Jonathan H K; Ngan, Antonio H Y; Tam, Emily W T; Chan, Jasper F W; Wu, Andrea L; Cheung, Mei; Tse, Brian P H; Wu, Alan K L; Lai, Christopher K C; Tsang, Dominic N C; Que, Tak-Lun; Lam, Ching-Wan; Yuen, Kwok-Yung; Lau, Susanna K P; Woo, Patrick C Y

2016-02-01

Thirteen Aspergillus isolates recovered from nails of 13 patients (fingernails, n=2; toenails, n=11) with onychomycosis were characterized. Twelve strains were identified by multilocus sequencing as Aspergillus spp. (Aspergillus sydowii [n=4], Aspergillus welwitschiae [n=3], Aspergillus terreus [n=2], Aspergillus flavus [n=1], Aspergillus tubingensis [n=1], and Aspergillus unguis [n=1]). Isolates of A. terreus, A. flavus, and A. unguis were also identifiable by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The 13th isolate (HKU49(T)) possessed unique morphological characteristics different from other Aspergillus spp. Molecular characterization also unambiguously showed that HKU49(T) was distinct from other Aspergillus spp. We propose the novel species Aspergillus hongkongensis to describe this previously unknown fungus. Antifungal susceptibility testing showed most Aspergillus isolates had low MICs against itraconazole and voriconazole, but all Aspergillus isolates had high MICs against fluconazole. A diverse spectrum of Aspergillus species is associated with onychomycosis. Itraconazole and voriconazole are probably better drug options for Aspergillus onychomycosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mycological deterioration of stored palm kernels recovered from oil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Palm kernels obtained from Pioneer Oil Mill Ltd. were stored for eight (8) weeks and examined for their microbiological quality and proximate composition. Seven (7) different fungal species were isolated by serial dilution plate technique. The fungal species included Aspergillus flavus Link; A nidulans Eidem; A niger ...

Functional roles of FgLaeA in controlling secondary metabolism, sexual development, and virulence in Fusarium graminearum

Science.gov (United States)

Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight in cereal crops, produces mycotoxins such as trichothecenes and zearalenone in infected plants. Here, we focused on the function of FgLaeA in F. graminearum, a homolog of Aspergillus nidulans LaeA encoding the global regulator for both s...

Localization of three human polypeptide GalNAc-transferases in HeLa cells suggests initiation of O-linked glycosylation throughout the Golgi apparatus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Röttger, S; White, J; Wandall, H H

1998-01-01

O-glycosylation of proteins is initiated by a family of UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine:polypeptide N-acetylgalactos-aminyltransferases (GalNAc-T). In this study, we have localized endogenous and epitope-tagged human GalNAc-T1, -T2 and -T3 to the Golgi apparatus in HeLa cells by subcellular fractionation......, immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. We show that all three GalNAc-transferases are concentrated about tenfold in Golgi stacks over Golgi associated tubular-vesicular membrane structures. Surprisingly, we find that GalNAc-T1, -T2 and -T3 are present throughout the Golgi stack suggesting that initiation...... of O-glycosylation may not be restricted to the cis Golgi, but occur at multiple sites within the Golgi apparatus. GalNAc-T1 distributes evenly across the Golgi stack whereas GalNAc-T2 and -T3 reside preferentially on the trans side and in the medial part of the Golgi stack, respectively. Moreover, we...

Post-Golgi anterograde transport requires GARP-dependent endosome-to-TGN retrograde transport

Science.gov (United States)

Hirata, Tetsuya; Fujita, Morihisa; Nakamura, Shota; Gotoh, Kazuyoshi; Motooka, Daisuke; Murakami, Yoshiko; Maeda, Yusuke; Kinoshita, Taroh

2015-01-01

The importance of endosome-to–trans-Golgi network (TGN) retrograde transport in the anterograde transport of proteins is unclear. In this study, genome-wide screening of the factors necessary for efficient anterograde protein transport in human haploid cells identified subunits of the Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) complex, a tethering factor involved in endosome-to-TGN transport. Knockout (KO) of each of the four GARP subunits, VPS51–VPS54, in HEK293 cells caused severely defective anterograde transport of both glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored and transmembrane proteins from the TGN. Overexpression of VAMP4, v-SNARE, in VPS54-KO cells partially restored not only endosome-to-TGN retrograde transport, but also anterograde transport of both GPI-anchored and transmembrane proteins. Further screening for genes whose overexpression normalized the VPS54-KO phenotype identified TMEM87A, encoding an uncharacterized Golgi-resident membrane protein. Overexpression of TMEM87A or its close homologue TMEM87B in VPS54-KO cells partially restored endosome-to-TGN retrograde transport and anterograde transport. Therefore GARP- and VAMP4-dependent endosome-to-TGN retrograde transport is required for recycling of molecules critical for efficient post-Golgi anterograde transport of cell-surface integral membrane proteins. In addition, TMEM87A and TMEM87B are involved in endosome-to-TGN retrograde transport. PMID:26157166

Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi in a ligand-dependent manner in mammalian cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jesper S; Færgeman, Nils J; Kragelund, Birthe B

2008-01-01

showed that ACBP targeted to the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) and Golgi in a ligand-binding-dependent manner. A variant Y28F/K32A-FACI-50, which is unable to bind acyl-CoA, did no longer show association with the ER and became segregated from the Golgi, as analysed by intensity correlation calculations....... Depletion of fatty acids from cells by addition of FAFBSA (fatty-acid-free BSA) significantly decreased FACI-50 association with the Golgi, whereas fatty acid overloading increased Golgi association, strongly supporting that ACBP associates with the Golgi in a ligand-dependent manner. FRAP (fluorescence...... recovery after photobleaching) showed that the fatty-acid-induced targeting of FACI-50 to the Golgi resulted in a 5-fold reduction in FACI-50 mobility. We suggest that ACBP is targeted to the ER and Golgi in a ligand-binding-dependent manner in living cells and propose that ACBP may be involved...

Direct interaction of the Golgi V-ATPase a-subunit isoform with PI(4)P drives localization of Golgi V-ATPases in yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Subhrajit; Kane, Patricia M

2017-09-15

Luminal pH and phosphoinositide content are fundamental features of organelle identity. Vacuolar H + -ATPases (V-ATPases) drive organelle acidification in all eukaryotes, and membrane-bound a-subunit isoforms of the V-ATPase are implicated in organelle-specific targeting and regulation. Earlier work demonstrated that the endolysosomal lipid PI(3,5)P 2 activates V-ATPases containing the vacuolar a-subunit isoform in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Here we demonstrate that PI(4)P, the predominant Golgi phosphatidylinositol (PI) species, directly interacts with the cytosolic amino terminal (NT) domain of the yeast Golgi V-ATPase a-isoform Stv1. Lysine-84 of Stv1NT is essential for interaction with PI(4)P in vitro and in vivo, and interaction with PI(4)P is required for efficient localization of Stv1-containing V-ATPases. The cytosolic NT domain of the human V-ATPase a2 isoform specifically interacts with PI(4)P in vitro, consistent with its Golgi localization and function. We propose that NT domains of V o a-subunit isoforms interact specifically with PI lipids in their organelles of residence. These interactions can transmit organelle-specific targeting or regulation information to V-ATPases. © 2017 Banerjee and Kane. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Structural Insights into Arl1-Mediated Targeting of the Arf-GEF BIG1 to the trans-Golgi

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Antonio Galindo

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The GTPase Arf1 is the major regulator of vesicle traffic at both the cis- and trans-Golgi. Arf1 is activated at the cis-Golgi by the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF GBF1 and at the trans-Golgi by the related GEF BIG1 or its paralog, BIG2. The trans-Golgi-specific targeting of BIG1 and BIG2 depends on the Arf-like GTPase Arl1. We find that Arl1 binds to the dimerization and cyclophilin binding (DCB domain in BIG1 and report a crystal structure of human Arl1 bound to this domain. Residues in the DCB domain that bind Arl1 are required for BIG1 to locate to the Golgi in vivo. DCB domain-binding residues in Arl1 have a distinct conformation from those in known Arl1-effector complexes, and this plasticity allows Arl1 to interact with different effectors of unrelated structure. The findings provide structural insight into how Arf1 GEFs, and hence active Arf1, achieve their correct subcellular distribution.

Autometallographic (AMG) technique used for enhancement of the Golgi-Cox staining gives good contrast andhigh resolution of dendrites and spines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orlowski, Dariusz

Despite the existence of many newer staining methods, Golgi staining still remains the primary method forvisualization of the dendrites and spines. The black deposit in the Golgi-Cox impregnated cells is a Mercuricsulphide, therefore autometallographic (AMG) technique which is used for visualizat...... of dendrites and spines in the rat hippocampus. The describedmethod will be of value for future behavioural-anatomical studies, examining changes in dendrite branching andspine density caused by brain diseases and their subsequent treatment.......Despite the existence of many newer staining methods, Golgi staining still remains the primary method forvisualization of the dendrites and spines. The black deposit in the Golgi-Cox impregnated cells is a Mercuricsulphide, therefore autometallographic (AMG) technique which is used...... for visualization of the metals and metalsulphides/selenides in tissue may be used to enhance the Golgi-Cox staining. We demonstrated accordingly thatuse of AMG enhancement method on the Golgi-Cox staining gives good contrast and high resolution of dendritesand spines. Moreover, this method is cheaper and more...

The Prenylated Rab GTPase Receptor PRA1.F4 Contributes to Protein Exit from the Golgi Apparatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Myoung Hui; Yoo, Yun-Joo; Kim, Dae Heon; Hanh, Nguyen Hong; Kwon, Yun; Hwang, Inhwan

2017-07-01

Prenylated Rab acceptor1 (PRA1) functions in the recruitment of prenylated Rab proteins to their cognate organelles. Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) contains a large number of proteins belonging to the AtPRA1 family. However, their physiological roles remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the physiological role of AtPRA1.F4, a member of the AtPRA1 family. A T-DNA insertion knockdown mutant of AtPRA1.F4 , atpra1.f4 , was smaller in stature than parent plants and possessed shorter roots, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing HA:AtPRA1.F4 showed enhanced development of secondary roots and root hairs. However, both overexpression and knockdown plants exhibited increased sensitivity to high-salt stress, lower vacuolar Na + /K + -ATPase and plasma membrane ATPase activities, lower and higher pH in the vacuole and apoplast, respectively, and highly vesiculated Golgi apparatus. HA:AtPRA1.F4 localized to the Golgi apparatus and assembled into high-molecular-weight complexes. atpra1.f4 plants displayed a defect in vacuolar trafficking, which was complemented by low but not high levels of HA : AtPRA1.F4 Overexpression of HA:AtPRA1.F4 also inhibited protein trafficking at the Golgi apparatus, albeit differentially depending on the final destination or type of protein: trafficking of vacuolar proteins, plasma membrane proteins, and trans-Golgi network (TGN)-localized SYP61 was strongly inhibited; trafficking of TGN-localized SYP51 was slightly inhibited; and trafficking of secretory proteins and TGN-localized SYP41 was negligibly or not significantly inhibited. Based on these results, we propose that Golgi-localized AtPRA1.F4 is involved in the exit of many but not all types of post-Golgi proteins from the Golgi apparatus. Additionally, an appropriate level of AtPRA1.F4 is crucial for its function at the Golgi apparatus. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

The binding of zinc ions to Emericella nidulans endo-β-1,4-galactanase is essential for crystal formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Otten, Harm; Michalak, Malwina; Mikkelsen, Jørn Dalgaard

2013-01-01

A novel Emericella nidulans endo-β-1,4-galactanase (EnGAL) demonstrates a strong capacity to generate high levels of very potent prebiotic oligosaccharides from potato pulp, a by-product of the agricultural potato-starch industry. EnGAL belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 53 and shows high (72...

A model for the self-organization of vesicular flux and protein distributions in the Golgi apparatus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iaroslav Ispolatov

Full Text Available The generation of two non-identical membrane compartments via exchange of vesicles is considered to require two types of vesicles specified by distinct cytosolic coats that selectively recruit cargo, and two membrane-bound SNARE pairs that specify fusion and differ in their affinities for each type of vesicles. The mammalian Golgi complex is composed of 6-8 non-identical cisternae that undergo gradual maturation and replacement yet features only two SNARE pairs. We present a model that explains how distinct composition of Golgi cisternae can be generated with two and even a single SNARE pair and one vesicle coat. A decay of active SNARE concentration in aging cisternae provides the seed for a cis[Formula: see text]trans SNARE gradient that generates the predominantly retrograde vesicle flux which further enhances the gradient. This flux in turn yields the observed inhomogeneous steady-state distribution of Golgi enzymes, which compete with each other and with the SNAREs for incorporation into transport vesicles. We show analytically that the steady state SNARE concentration decays exponentially with the cisterna number. Numerical solutions of rate equations reproduce the experimentally observed SNARE gradients, overlapping enzyme peaks in cis, medial and trans and the reported change in vesicle nature across the Golgi: Vesicles originating from younger cisternae mostly contain Golgi enzymes and SNAREs enriched in these cisternae and extensively recycle through the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER, while the other subpopulation of vesicles contains Golgi proteins prevalent in older cisternae and hardly reaches the ER.

Systems biology studies of Aspergilli - from sequence to science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikael Rørdam

2008-01-01

sequenced Aspergilli are a known human pathogen (Aspergillus fumigatus), a model organism for cellular mechanisms (Aspergillus nidulans) and two industrial workhorses (Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae). In the presented work, new analytical and computational tools have been designed and a systems......-evolved and not as a haphazardly compiled list of parts. This has been made possible by the socalled genomic revolution — the sequencing of the genomic DNA of a rapidly increasing number of organisms — and the “omic” tecniques following in the wake of the genome projects: metabolomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic to mention...... a few. The recent publication of the genome sequences of several filamentous fungi of the Aspergillus species (Aspergilli), has, along with the accumulation of years of reductionist studies, been a catalyst for the application of systems biology to this interesting group of fungi. Among the genome...

Inadvertent gene silencing of argininosuccinate synthase (bcass1) in Botrytis cinerea by the pLOB1 vector system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patel, R.M.; Kan, van J.A.L.; Bailey, A.M.; Foster, G.D.

2010-01-01

For several years, researchers working on the plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea and a number of other related fungi have routinely used the pLOB1 vector system, based on hygromycin resistance, under the control of the Aspergillus nidulans oliC promoter and what was reported to be the ß-tubulin (tubA)

Human Diseases Associated with Form and Function of the Golgi Complex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy C. Simpson

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The Golgi complex lies at the heart of the secretory pathway and is responsible for modifying proteins and lipids, as well as sorting newly synthesized molecules to their correct destination. As a consequence of these important roles, any changes in its proteome can negatively affect its function and in turn lead to disease. Recently, a number of proteins have been identified, which when either depleted or mutated, result in diseases that affect various organ systems. Here we describe how these proteins have been linked to the Golgi complex, and specifically how they affect either the morphology, membrane traffic or glycosylation ability of this organelle.

Segregation of sphingolipids and sterols during formation of secretory vesicles at the trans-Golgi network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klemm, Robin W; Ejsing, Christer S.; Surma, Michal A

2009-01-01

The trans-Golgi network (TGN) is the major sorting station in the secretory pathway of all eukaryotic cells. How the TGN sorts proteins and lipids to generate the enrichment of sphingolipids and sterols at the plasma membrane is poorly understood. To address this fundamental question in membrane...... trafficking, we devised an immunoisolation procedure for specific recovery of post-Golgi secretory vesicles transporting a transmembrane raft protein from the TGN to the cell surface in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using a novel quantitative shotgun lipidomics approach, we could demonstrate that TGN...... than the late Golgi membrane, as measured by C-Laurdan spectrophotometry, strongly suggests that lipid rafts play a role in the TGN-sorting machinery....

Aspergillus uvarum sp. nov., an uniseriate black Aspergillus species isolated from grapes in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perrone, Giancarlo; Varga, János; Susca, Antonia

2008-01-01

uvarum sp. nov. isolates produced secalonic acid, common to other Aspergillus japonicus-related taxa, and geodin, erdin and dihydrogeodin, which are not produced by any other black aspergilli. None of the isolates were found to produce ochratoxin A. The novel species is most closely related to two......A novel species, Aspergillus uvarum sp. nov., is described within Aspergillus section Nigri. This species can be distinguished from other black aspergilli based on internal transcribed spacers (ITS), beta-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequences, by AFLP analysis and by extrolite profiles. Aspergillus...

Aspergillus--classification and antifungal susceptibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Buzina, Walter

2013-01-01

Aspergillus is one of the most important fungal genera for the man, for its industrial use, its ability to spoil food and not least its medical impact as cause of a variety of diseases. Currently hundreds of species of Aspergillus are known; nearly fifty of them are able to cause infections in humans and animals. Recently, the genus Aspergillus is subdivided into 8 subgenera and 22 sections. The spectrum of diseases caused by Aspergillus species varies from superficial cutaneous to invasive and systemic infections. All species of Aspergillus investigated so far are resistant against the antifungals fluconazole and 5-fluorocytosine, the range of susceptibilities to currently available antifungals is discussed in this paper.

Genomics reveals traces of fungal phenylpropanoid-flavonoid metabolic pathway in the f ilamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Juvvadi, Praveen Rao; Seshime, Yasuyo; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko

2005-12-01

Fungal secondary metabolites constitute a wide variety of compounds which either play a vital role in agricultural, pharmaceutical and industrial contexts, or have devastating effects on agriculture, animal and human affairs by virtue of their toxigenicity. Owing to their beneficial and deleterious characteristics, these complex compounds and the genes responsible for their synthesis have been the subjects of extensive investigation by microbiologists and pharmacologists. A majority of the fungal secondary metabolic genes are classified as type I polyketide synthases (PKS) which are often clustered with other secondary metabolism related genes. In this review we discuss on the significance of our recent discovery of chalcone synthase (CHS) genes belonging to the type III PKS superfamily in an industrially important fungus, Aspergillus oryzae. CHS genes are known to play a vital role in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. A comparative genome analyses revealed the unique character of A. oryzae with four CHS-like genes (csyA, csyB, csyC and csyD) amongst other Aspergilli (Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus) which contained none of the CHS-like genes. Some other fungi such as Neurospora crassa, Fusarium graminearum, Magnaporthe grisea, Podospora anserina and Phanerochaete chrysosporium also contained putative type III PKSs, with a phylogenic distinction from bacteria and plants. The enzymatically active nature of these newly discovered homologues is expected owing to the conservation in the catalytic residues across the different species of plants and fungi, and also by the fact that a majority of these genes (csyA, csyB and csyD) were expressed in A. oryzae. While this finding brings filamentous fungi closer to plants and bacteria which until recently were the only ones considered to possess the type III PKSs, the presence of putative genes encoding other principal enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis (viz

Sphingomyelin synthesis in rat liver occurs predominantly at the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Futerman, A.H.; Stieger, B.; Hubbard, A.L.; Pagano, R.E.

1990-01-01

The intracellular site of sphingomyelin (SM) synthesis was examined in subcellular fractions from rat liver using a radioactive ceramide analog N-([1-14C]hexanoyl)-D-erythro-sphingosine. This lipid readily transferred from a complex with bovine serum albumin to liver fractions without disrupting the membranes, and was metabolized to radioactive SM. To prevent degradation of the newly synthesized SM to ceramide, all experiments were performed in the presence of EDTA to minimize neutral sphingomyelinase activity and at neutral pH to minimize acid sphingomyelinase activity. An intact Golgi apparatus fraction gave an 85-98-fold enrichment of SM synthesis and a 58-83-fold enrichment of galactosyltransferase activity. Controlled trypsin digestion demonstrated that SM synthesis was localized to the lumen of intact Golgi apparatus vesicles. Although small amounts of SM synthesis were detected in plasma membrane and rough microsome fractions, after accounting for contamination by Golgi apparatus membranes, their combined activity contributed less than 13% of the total SM synthesis in rat liver. Subfractions of the Golgi apparatus were obtained and characterized by immunoblotting and biochemical assays using cis/medial (mannosidase II) and trans (sialyltransferase and galactosyltransferase) Golgi apparatus markers. The specific activity of SM synthesis was highest in enriched cis and medial fractions but far lower in a trans fraction. We conclude that SM synthesis in rat liver occurs predominantly in the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi apparatus and not at the plasma membrane or endoplasmic reticulum as has been previously suggested

X-ray induced degradation of DNA in radiosensitive mutants of Anacystis nidulans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhukas, K I; Vorontsova, G V; Groshev, V V; Shestakov, S V [Moskovskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ. (USSR). Biologo-Pochvennyj Fakul' tet

1975-01-01

In irradiated Cyanophyceae (Anacystis nidulans) cells there occurs a process of DNA degeneration to acid-soluble products which is linked with protein synthesis and stimulated by caffeine and acriflavine. The degree of DNA degeneration increases with x-ray dose, is not very dependent on the composition of the incubation medium and is weakly linked with photosynthesis. In the cells of a radiation-resistant mutant the degree of DNA degeneration is slighter, and in the cells of radiosensitive mutants larger, than in ordinary cells. The role of DNA degradation in the radiation detruction of cells is discussed.

76 FR 16297 - Aspergillus flavus

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-23

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 180 [EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0101; FRL-8868-7] Aspergillus... for residues of the microbial pesticide, Aspergillus flavus AF36, in or on corn food and feed... to the existing exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for Aspergillus flavus AF36. This...

Chemodiversity in the genus Aspergillus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

2015-01-01

to be characterized. The genus Aspergillus is cladistically holophyletic but phenotypically polythetic and very diverse and is associated to quite different sexual states. Following the one fungus one name system, the genus Aspergillus is restricted to a holophyletic clade that include the morphologically different...... biosynthetic family isoextrolites. However, it appears that secondary metabolites from one Aspergillus section have analogous metabolites in other sections (here also called heteroisoextrolites). In this review, we give a genus-wide overview of secondary metabolite production in Aspergillus species. Extrolites...

Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus strains in Hungarian maize fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebők, Flóra; Dobolyi, Csaba; Zágoni, Dóra; Risa, Anita; Krifaton, Csilla; Hartman, Mátyás; Cserháti, Mátyás; Szoboszlay, Sándor; Kriszt, Balázs

2016-12-01

Due to the climate change, aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species and strains have appeared in several European countries, contaminating different agricultural commodities with aflatoxin. Our aim was to screen the presence of aflatoxigenic fungi in maize fields throughout the seven geographic regions of Hungary. Fungi belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi were isolated in the ratio of 26.9% and 42.3% from soil and maize samples in 2013, and these ratios decreased to 16.1% and 34.7% in 2014. Based on morphological characteristics and the sequence analysis of the partial calmodulin gene, all isolates proved to be Aspergillus flavus, except four strains, which were identified as Aspergillus parasiticus. About half of the A. flavus strains and all the A. parasiticus strains were able to synthesize aflatoxins. Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains were isolated from all the seven regions of Hungary. A. parasiticus strains were found in the soil of the regions Southern Great Plain and Southern Transdanubia and in a maize sample of the region Western Transdanubia. In spite of the fact that aflatoxins have rarely been detected in feeds and foods in Hungary, aflatoxigenic A. flavus and A. parasiticus strains are present in the maize culture throughout Hungary posing a potential threat to food safety.

A rapid method combining Golgi and Nissl staining to study neuronal morphology and cytoarchitecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Pilati, Nadia; Barker, Matthew; Panteleimonitis, Sofoklis; Donga, Revers; Hamann, Martine

2008-06-01

The Golgi silver impregnation technique gives detailed information on neuronal morphology of the few neurons it labels, whereas the majority remain unstained. In contrast, the Nissl staining technique allows for consistent labeling of the whole neuronal population but gives very limited information on neuronal morphology. Most studies characterizing neuronal cell types in the context of their distribution within the tissue slice tend to use the Golgi silver impregnation technique for neuronal morphology followed by deimpregnation as a prerequisite for showing that neuron's histological location by subsequent Nissl staining. Here, we describe a rapid method combining Golgi silver impregnation with cresyl violet staining that provides a useful and simple approach to combining cellular morphology with cytoarchitecture without the need for deimpregnating the tissue. Our method allowed us to identify neurons of the facial nucleus and the supratrigeminal nucleus, as well as assessing cellular distribution within layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. With this method, we also have been able to directly compare morphological characteristics of neuronal somata at the dorsal cochlear nucleus when labeled with cresyl violet with those obtained with the Golgi method, and we found that cresyl violet-labeled cell bodies appear smaller at high cellular densities. Our observation suggests that cresyl violet staining is inadequate to quantify differences in soma sizes.

Cloning and molecular characterization of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-encoding gene and cDNA from the plant pathogenic fungus Glomerella cingulata.

Science.gov (United States)

Templeton, M D; Rikkerink, E H; Solon, S L; Crowhurst, R N

1992-12-01

The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (gpdA) has been identified from a genomic DNA library prepared from the plant pathogenic fungus Glomerella cingulata. Nucleotide sequence data revealed that this gene codes for a putative 338-amino-acid protein encoded by two exons of 129 and 885 bp, separated by an intron 216 bp long. The 5' leader sequence is also spliced by an intron of 156 bp. A cDNA clone was prepared using the polymerase chain reaction, the sequence of which was used to confirm the presence of the intron in the coding sequence and the splicing of the 5' leader sequence. The transcriptional start point (tsp) was mapped at -253 nt from the site of the initiation of translation by primer extension and is adjacent to a 42-bp pyrimidine-rich region. The general structure of the 5' flanking region shows similarities to gpdA from Aspergillus nidulans. The putative protein product is 71-86% identical at the aa level to GPDs from Aspergillus nidulans, Cryphonectria parasitica, Curvularia lunata, Podospora anserina and Ustilago maydis.

Golgi bypass: skirting around the heart of classical secretion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grieve, A.; Rabouille, C.

2011-01-01

Classical secretion consists of the delivery of transmembrane and soluble proteins to the plasma membrane and the extracellular medium, respectively, and is mediated by the organelles of the secretory pathway, the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), the ER exit sites, and the Golgi, as described by the

Atypical Aspergillus parasiticus isolates from pistachio with aflR gene nucleotide insertion identical to Aspergillus sojae

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxins are the most toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced primarily by the filamentous fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The toxins cause devastating economic losses because of strict regulations on distribution of contaminated products. Aspergillus sojae are...

Previously unknown species of Aspergillus.

Science.gov (United States)

Gautier, M; Normand, A-C; Ranque, S

2016-08-01

The use of multi-locus DNA sequence analysis has led to the description of previously unknown 'cryptic' Aspergillus species, whereas classical morphology-based identification of Aspergillus remains limited to the section or species-complex level. The current literature highlights two main features concerning these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species. First, the prevalence of such species in clinical samples is relatively high compared with emergent filamentous fungal taxa such as Mucorales, Scedosporium or Fusarium. Second, it is clearly important to identify these species in the clinical laboratory because of the high frequency of antifungal drug-resistant isolates of such Aspergillus species. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently been shown to enable the identification of filamentous fungi with an accuracy similar to that of DNA sequence-based methods. As MALDI-TOF MS is well suited to the routine clinical laboratory workflow, it facilitates the identification of these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species at the routine mycology bench. The rapid establishment of enhanced filamentous fungi identification facilities will lead to a better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical importance of these emerging Aspergillus species. Based on routine MALDI-TOF MS-based identification results, we provide original insights into the key interpretation issues of a positive Aspergillus culture from a clinical sample. Which ubiquitous species that are frequently isolated from air samples are rarely involved in human invasive disease? Can both the species and the type of biological sample indicate Aspergillus carriage, colonization or infection in a patient? Highly accurate routine filamentous fungi identification is central to enhance the understanding of these previously unknown Aspergillus species, with a vital impact on further improved patient care. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and

Voltage-Dependent Intrinsic Bursting in Olfactory Bulb Golgi Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pressler, R. Todd; Rozman, Peter A.; Strowbridge, Ben W.

2013-01-01

In the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB), local synaptic circuits modulate the evolving pattern of activity in mitral and tufted cells following olfactory sensory stimulation. GABAergic granule cells, the most numerous interneuron subtype in this brain region, have been extensively studied. However, classic studies using Golgi staining methods…

A catechol oxidase AcPPO from cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) is localized to the Golgi apparatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Olmedo, Patricio; Moreno, Adrián A; Sanhueza, Dayan; Balic, Iván; Silva-Sanzana, Christian; Zepeda, Baltasar; Verdonk, Julian C; Arriagada, César; Meneses, Claudio; Campos-Vargas, Reinaldo

2018-01-01

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is an exotic fruit with attractive organoleptic characteristics. However, it is highly perishable and susceptible to postharvest browning. In fresh fruit, browning is primarily caused by the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme catalyzing the oxidation of o-diphenols to quinones, which polymerize to form brown melanin pigment. There is no consensus in the literature regarding a specific role of PPO, and its subcellular localization in different plant species is mainly described within plastids. The present work determined the subcellular localization of a PPO protein from cherimoya (AcPPO). The obtained results revealed that the AcPPO- green fluorescent protein co-localized with a Golgi apparatus marker, and AcPPO activity was present in Golgi apparatus-enriched fractions. Likewise, transient expression assays revealed that AcPPO remained active in Golgi apparatus-enriched fractions obtained from tobacco leaves. These results suggest a putative function of AcPPO in the Golgi apparatus of cherimoya, providing new perspectives on PPO functionality in the secretory pathway, its effects on cherimoya physiology, and the evolution of this enzyme. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

OSBP-related protein 11 (ORP11) dimerizes with ORP9 and localizes at the Golgi-late endosome interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, You; Li, Shiqian; Maeyraenpaeae, Mikko I.; Zhong, Wenbin; Baeck, Nils; Yan, Daoguang; Olkkonen, Vesa M.

2010-01-01

We characterize here ORP11, a member of the oxysterol-binding protein family. ORP11 is present at highest levels in human ovary, testis, kidney, liver, stomach, brain, and adipose tissue. Immunohistochemistry demonstrates abundant ORP11 in the epithelial cells of kidney tubules, testicular tubules, caecum, and skin. ORP11 in HEK293 cells resides on Golgi complex and LE, co-localizing with GFP-Rab9, TGN46, GFP-Rab7, and a fluorescent medial-trans-Golgi marker. Under electron microscopic observation, cells overexpressing ORP11 displayed lamellar lipid bodies associated with vacuolar structures or the Golgi complex, indicating a disturbance of lipid trafficking. N-terminal fragment of ORP11 (aa 1-292) localized partially to Golgi, but displayed enhanced localization on Rab7- and Rab9-positive LE, while the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (aa 273-747) was cytosolic, demonstrating that the membrane targeting determinants are N-terminal. Yeast two-hybrid screen revealed interaction of ORP11 with the related ORP9. The interacting region was delineated within aa 98-372 of ORP9 and aa 154-292 of ORP11. Overexpressed ORP9 was able to recruit EGFP-ORP11 to membranes, and ORP9 silencing inhibited ORP11 Golgi association. The results identify ORP11 as an OSBP homologue distributing at the Golgi-LE interface and define the ORP9-ORP11 dimer as a functional unit that may act as an intracellular lipid sensor or transporter.

OSBP-related protein 11 (ORP11) dimerizes with ORP9 and localizes at the Golgi-late endosome interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, You [Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Biomedicum 2U, and National Institute for Health and Welfare/Public Health Genomics Unit, Biomedicum 1, FI-00290, Helsinki (Finland); Li, Shiqian [Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Maeyraenpaeae, Mikko I. [Wihuri Research Institute, FI-00140 Helsinki, and the Department of Forensic Medicine, FI-00014 University of Helsinki (Finland); Zhong, Wenbin [Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Baeck, Nils [Institute of Biomedicine/Anatomy, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland); Yan, Daoguang [Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Olkkonen, Vesa M., E-mail: vesa.olkkonen@helsinki.fi [Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Biomedicum 2U, and National Institute for Health and Welfare/Public Health Genomics Unit, Biomedicum 1, FI-00290, Helsinki (Finland); Institute of Biomedicine/Anatomy, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland)

2010-11-15

We characterize here ORP11, a member of the oxysterol-binding protein family. ORP11 is present at highest levels in human ovary, testis, kidney, liver, stomach, brain, and adipose tissue. Immunohistochemistry demonstrates abundant ORP11 in the epithelial cells of kidney tubules, testicular tubules, caecum, and skin. ORP11 in HEK293 cells resides on Golgi complex and LE, co-localizing with GFP-Rab9, TGN46, GFP-Rab7, and a fluorescent medial-trans-Golgi marker. Under electron microscopic observation, cells overexpressing ORP11 displayed lamellar lipid bodies associated with vacuolar structures or the Golgi complex, indicating a disturbance of lipid trafficking. N-terminal fragment of ORP11 (aa 1-292) localized partially to Golgi, but displayed enhanced localization on Rab7- and Rab9-positive LE, while the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (aa 273-747) was cytosolic, demonstrating that the membrane targeting determinants are N-terminal. Yeast two-hybrid screen revealed interaction of ORP11 with the related ORP9. The interacting region was delineated within aa 98-372 of ORP9 and aa 154-292 of ORP11. Overexpressed ORP9 was able to recruit EGFP-ORP11 to membranes, and ORP9 silencing inhibited ORP11 Golgi association. The results identify ORP11 as an OSBP homologue distributing at the Golgi-LE interface and define the ORP9-ORP11 dimer as a functional unit that may act as an intracellular lipid sensor or transporter.

Xyloglucan biosynthesis by Golgi membranes from suspension-cultured sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, A.R.; Xin, Yi

1990-01-01

Xyloglucan is a major hemicellulose polysaccharide in plant cell walls. Biosynthesis of such cell wall polysaccharides is closely linked to the process of plant cell growth and development. Xyloglucan polysaccharides consist of a β-1,4 glucan backbone synthesized by xyloglucan synthase and sidechains of xylose, galactose, and fucose added by other transferase enzymes. Most plant Golgi and plasma membranes also contain glucan synthases I ampersand II, which make β-1,4 and β-1,3 glucans, respectively. All of these enzymes have very similar activities. Cell walls on suspension-cultured cells from Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple) were enzymatically softened prior to cell disruption by passing through a 30 μm nylon screen. Cell membranes from homogenates were separated by ultracentrifugation on top-loaded or flotation sucrose density gradients. Samples were collected by gradient fractionation and assayed for membrane markers and xyloglucan and glucan synthase activities. Standard marker assays (cyt. c reductase for eR, IDPase ampersand UDPase for Golgi, and eosin 5'-malelmide binding for plasma membrane) showed partial separation of these three membrane types. Golgi and plasma membrane markers overlapped in most gradients. Incorporation of 14 C-labeled sugars from UDP-glucose and UDP-xylose was used to detect xyloglucan synthase, glucan synthases I ampersand II, and xylosyl transferase in Golgi membrane fractions. These activities overlapped, although distinct peaks of xyloglucan synthase and xylosyl transferase were found. Ca ++ had a stimulatory effect on glucan synthases I ampersand II, while Mn ++ had an inhibitory effect on glucan synthase I in the presence of Ca ++ . The similarity of these various synthase activities demonstrates the need for careful structural characterization of newly synthesized polysaccharides

CCDC115 Deficiency Causes a Disorder of Golgi Homeostasis with Abnormal Protein Glycosylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Jos C; Cirak, Sebahattin; van Scherpenzeel, Monique; Timal, Sharita; Reunert, Janine; Rust, Stephan; Pérez, Belén; Vicogne, Dorothée; Krawitz, Peter; Wada, Yoshinao; Ashikov, Angel; Pérez-Cerdá, Celia; Medrano, Celia; Arnoldy, Andrea; Hoischen, Alexander; Huijben, Karin; Steenbergen, Gerry; Quelhas, Dulce; Diogo, Luisa; Rymen, Daisy; Jaeken, Jaak; Guffon, Nathalie; Cheillan, David; van den Heuvel, Lambertus P; Maeda, Yusuke; Kaiser, Olaf; Schara, Ulrike; Gerner, Patrick; van den Boogert, Marjolein A W; Holleboom, Adriaan G; Nassogne, Marie-Cécile; Sokal, Etienne; Salomon, Jody; van den Bogaart, Geert; Drenth, Joost P H; Huynen, Martijn A; Veltman, Joris A; Wevers, Ron A; Morava, Eva; Matthijs, Gert; Foulquier, François; Marquardt, Thorsten; Lefeber, Dirk J

2016-02-04

Disorders of Golgi homeostasis form an emerging group of genetic defects. The highly heterogeneous clinical spectrum is not explained by our current understanding of the underlying cell-biological processes in the Golgi. Therefore, uncovering genetic defects and annotating gene function are challenging. Exome sequencing in a family with three siblings affected by abnormal Golgi glycosylation revealed a homozygous missense mutation, c.92T>C (p.Leu31Ser), in coiled-coil domain containing 115 (CCDC115), the function of which is unknown. The same mutation was identified in three unrelated families, and in one family it was compound heterozygous in combination with a heterozygous deletion of CCDC115. An additional homozygous missense mutation, c.31G>T (p.Asp11Tyr), was found in a family with two affected siblings. All individuals displayed a storage-disease-like phenotype involving hepatosplenomegaly, which regressed with age, highly elevated bone-derived alkaline phosphatase, elevated aminotransferases, and elevated cholesterol, in combination with abnormal copper metabolism and neurological symptoms. Two individuals died of liver failure, and one individual was successfully treated by liver transplantation. Abnormal N- and mucin type O-glycosylation was found on serum proteins, and reduced metabolic labeling of sialic acids was found in fibroblasts, which was restored after complementation with wild-type CCDC115. PSI-BLAST homology detection revealed reciprocal homology with Vma22p, the yeast V-ATPase assembly factor located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Human CCDC115 mainly localized to the ERGIC and to COPI vesicles, but not to the ER. These data, in combination with the phenotypic spectrum, which is distinct from that associated with defects in V-ATPase core subunits, suggest a more general role for CCDC115 in Golgi trafficking. Our study reveals CCDC115 deficiency as a disorder of Golgi homeostasis that can be readily identified via screening for abnormal

Genetics of Polyketide Metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klejnstrup, Marie L.; Frandsen, Rasmus John Normand; Holm, Dorte Koefoed

2012-01-01

Secondary metabolites are small molecules that show large structural diversity and a broad range of bioactivities. Some metabolites are attractive as drugs or pigments while others act as harmful mycotoxins. Filamentous fungi have the capacity to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites...... including polyketides. The majority of genes required for production of these metabolites are mostly organized in gene clusters, which often are silent or barely expressed under laboratory conditions, making discovery and analysis difficult. Fortunately, the genome sequences of several filamentous fungi...

Retrograde transport of protein toxins through the Golgi apparatus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandvig, Kirsten; Skotland, Tore; van Deurs, Bo

2013-01-01

at the cell surface, and they are endocytosed both by clathrin-dependent and clathrin-independent mechanisms. Sorting to the Golgi and retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are common to these toxins, but the exact mechanisms turn out to be toxin and cell-type dependent. In the ER...

Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, Mariana; Kemppainen, Minna; Pose, Graciela; Pardo, Alejandro

2015-01-01

Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60%) were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%). These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds. PMID:26364643

Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Greco

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60% were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%. These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds.

Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs.

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, Mariana; Kemppainen, Minna; Pose, Graciela; Pardo, Alejandro

2015-09-02

Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60%) were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%). These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds.

Synechococcus nidulans from a thermoelectric coal power plant as a potential CO2 mitigation in culture medium containing flue gas wastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Jessica Hartwig; Costa, Jorge Alberto Vieira

2017-10-01

This study evaluated the intermittent addition of coal flue gas wastes (CO 2 , SO 2 , NO and ash) into a Synechococcus nidulans LEB 115 cultivation in terms of growth parameters, CO 2 biofixation and biomass characterization. The microalga from a coal thermoelectric plant showed tolerance up to 200ppm SO 2 and NO, with a maximum specific growth rate of 0.18±0.03d - 1 . The addition of thermal coal ash to the cultivation increased the Synechococcus nidulans LEB 115 maximum cell growth by approximately 1.3 times. The best CO 2 biofixation efficiency was obtained with 10% CO 2 , 60ppm SO 2 , 100ppm NO and 40ppm ash (55.0±3.1%). The biomass compositions in the assays were similar, with approximately 9.8% carbohydrates, 13.5% lipids and 62.7% proteins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

G-rich, a Drosophila selenoprotein, is a Golgi-resident type III membrane protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chang Lan; Shim, Myoung Sup; Chung, Jiyeol; Yoo, Hyun-Seung; Ha, Ji Min; Kim, Jin Young; Choi, Jinmi; Zang, Shu Liang; Hou, Xiao; Carlson, Bradley A.; Hatfield, Dolph L.; Lee, Byeong Jae

2006-01-01

G-rich is a Drosophila melanogaster selenoprotein, which is a homologue of human and mouse SelK. Subcellular localization analysis using GFP-tagged G-rich showed that G-rich was localized in the Golgi apparatus. The fusion protein was co-localized with the Golgi marker proteins but not with an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker protein in Drosophila SL2 cells. Bioinformatic analysis of G-rich suggests that this protein is either type II or type III transmembrane protein. To determine the type of transmembrane protein experimentally, GFP-G-rich in which GFP was tagged at the N-terminus of G-rich, or G-rich-GFP in which GFP was tagged at the C-terminus of G-rich, were expressed in SL2 cells. The tagged proteins were then digested with trypsin, and analyzed by Western blot analysis. The results showed that the C-terminus of the G-rich protein was exposed to the cytoplasm indicating it is a type III microsomal membrane protein. G-rich is First selenoprotein identified in the Golgi apparatus

Restoration of compact Golgi morphology in advanced prostate cancer enhances susceptibility to galectin-1-induced apoptosis by modifying mucin O-glycan synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrosyan, Armen; Holzapfel, Melissa S; Muirhead, David E; Cheng, Pi-Wan

2014-12-01

Prostate cancer progression is associated with upregulation of sialyl-T antigen produced by β-galactoside α-2,3-sialyltransferase-1 (ST3Gal1) but not with core 2-associated polylactosamine despite expression of core 2 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-L (C2GnT-L/GCNT1). This property allows androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells to evade galectin-1 (LGALS1)-induced apoptosis, but the mechanism is not known. We have recently reported that Golgi targeting of glycosyltransferases is mediated by golgins: giantin (GOLGB1) for C2GnT-M (GCNT3) and GM130 (GOLGA2)-GRASP65 (GORASP1) or GM130-giantin for core 1 synthase. Here, we show that for Golgi targeting, C2GnT-L also uses giantin exclusively whereas ST3Gal1 uses either giantin or GM130-GRASP65. In addition, the compact Golgi morphology is detected in both androgen-sensitive prostate cancer and normal prostate cells, but fragmented Golgi and mislocalization of C2GnT-L are found in androgen-refractory cells as well as primary prostate tumors (Gleason grade 2-4). Furthermore, failure of giantin monomers to be phosphorylated and dimerized prevents Golgi from forming compact morphology and C2GnT-L from targeting the Golgi. On the other hand, ST3Gal1 reaches the Golgi by an alternate site, GM130-GRASP65. Interestingly, inhibition or knockdown of non-muscle myosin IIA (MYH9) motor protein frees up Rab6a GTPase to promote phosphorylation of giantin by polo-like kinase 3 (PLK3), which is followed by dimerization of giantin assisted by protein disulfide isomerase A3 (PDIA3), and restoration of compact Golgi morphology and targeting of C2GnT-L. Finally, the Golgi relocation of C2GnT-L in androgen-refractory cells results in their increased susceptibility to galectin-1-induced apoptosis by replacing sialyl-T antigen with polylactosamine. This study demonstrates the importance of Golgi morphology and regulation of glycosylation and provides insight into how the Golgi influences cancer progression and metastasis. ©2014 American

An efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method for aflatoxin generation fungus Aspergillus flavus.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Guomin; Shao, Qian; Li, Cuiping; Zhao, Kai; Jiang, Li; Fan, Jun; Jiang, Haiyang; Tao, Fang

2018-05-01

Aspergillus flavus often invade many important corps and produce harmful aflatoxins both in preharvest and during storage stages. The regulation mechanism of aflatoxin biosynthesis in this fungus has not been well explored mainly due to the lack of an efficient transformation method for constructing a genome-wide gene mutant library. This challenge was resolved in this study, where a reliable and efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) protocol for A. flavus NRRL 3357 was established. The results showed that removal of multinucleate conidia, to collect a homogenous sample of uninucleate conidia for use as the transformation material, is the key step in this procedure. A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 harboring the ble gene for zeocin resistance under the control of the gpdA promoter from A. nidulans is suitable for genetic transformation of this fungus. We successfully generated A. flavus transformants with an efficiency of ∼ 60 positive transformants per 10 6 conidia using our protocol. A small-scale insertional mutant library (∼ 1,000 mutants) was constructed using this method and the resulting several mutants lacked both production of conidia and aflatoxin biosynthesis capacity. Southern blotting analysis demonstrated that the majority of the transformants contained a single T-DNA insert on the genome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of genetic transformation of A. flavus via ATMT and our protocol provides an effective tool for construction of genome-wide gene mutant libraries for functional analysis of important genes in A. flavus.

Pathological changes of Golgi complex in hemocytoblasts of spleen of young axolotls after x-irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turska, R.

1975-01-01

The data available up to now concerning the structure of Golgi complex in different types of normal and pathologically changed cells are very divergent. Results are reported from detailed studies on changes occurring within the Golgi complex in the spleen of three-month old axolotls after x-ray irradiation with a single dose of 1,200 R and killed by decapitation 15, 30, 60 minutes and 3, 6, and 12 hours after irradiation.

First Report of an Atypical New Aspergillus parasiticus Isolates with Nucleotides Insertion in aflR Gene Identical to Aspergillus sojae

Science.gov (United States)

Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced primarily by the filamentous fungi Aspergillus favus and Aspergillus parasitic and cause toxin contamination in food chain worldwide. Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae are highly valued as koji molds in the traditional prep...

Galacturonomannan and Golgi-derived membrane linked to growth and shaping of biogenic calcite

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, M. E.; Ridall, A. L.; Azadi, P.; Duke, P. J.

2002-01-01

The coccolithophores are valuable models for the design and synthesis of composite materials, because the cellular machinery controlling the nucleation, growth, and patterning of their calcitic scales (coccoliths) can be examined genetically. The coccoliths are formed within the Golgi complex and are the major CaCO(3) component in limestone sediments-particularly those of the Cretaceous period. In this study, we describe mutants lacking a sulfated galacturonomannan and show that this polysaccharide in conjunction with the Golgi-derived membrane is directly linked to the growth and shaping of coccolith calcite but not to the initial orientated nucleation of the mineral phase.

Golgi apparatus-localized synaptotagmin 2 is required for unconventional secretion in Arabidopsis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haiyan Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Most secretory proteins contain signal peptides that direct their sorting to the ER and secreted via the conventional ER/Golgi transport pathway, while some signal-peptide-lacking proteins have been shown to export through ER/Golgi independent secretory pathways. Hygromycin B is an aminoglycoside antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus that is active against both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The hygromycin phosphotransferase (HYG(R can phosphorylate and inactivate the hygromycin B, and has been widely used as a positive selective marker in the construction of transgenic plants. However, the localization and trafficking of HYG(R in plant cells remain unknown. Synaptotagmins (SYTs are involved in controlling vesicle endocytosis and exocytosis as calcium sensors in animal cells, while their functions in plant cells are largely unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found Arabidopsis synaptotagmin SYT2 was localized on the Golgi apparatus by immunofluorescence and immunogold labeling. Surprisingly, co-expression of SYT2 and HYG(R caused hypersensitivity of the transgenic Arabidopsis plants to hygromycin B. HYG(R, which lacks a signal sequence, was present in the cytoplasm as well as in the extracellular space in HYG(R-GFP transgenic Arabidopsis plants and its secretion is not sensitive to brefeldin A treatment, suggesting it is not secreted via the conventional secretory pathway. Furthermore, we found that HYG(R-GFP was truncated at carboxyl terminus of HYG(R shortly after its synthesis, and the cells deficient SYT2 failed to efficiently truncate HYG(R-GFP,resulting in HYG(R-GFP accumulated in prevacuoles/vacuoles, indicating that SYT2 was involved in HYG(R-GFP trafficking and secretion. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings reveal for the first time that SYT2 is localized on the Golgi apparatus and regulates HYG(R-GFP secretion via the unconventional protein transport from the cytosol to the extracelluar matrix in

A smart drug: a pH-responsive photothermal ablation agent for Golgi apparatus activated cancer therapy.

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Xue, Fengfeng; Wen, Ying; Wei, Peng; Gao, Yilin; Zhou, Zhiguo; Xiao, Shuzhang; Yi, Tao

2017-06-13

We report a pH-responsive photothermal ablation agent (pH-PTT) based on cyanine dyes for photothermal therapy (PTT). The nanoparticles formed by BSA and pH-PTT preferentially accumulated in the Golgi apparatus of cancer cells compared to normal cells, and thus can be specifically activated by the acidic Golgi apparatus in cancer cells for effective PTT both ex vivo and in vivo.

Golgi bypass for local delivery of axonal proteins, fact or fiction?

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González, Carolina; Cornejo, Víctor Hugo; Couve, Andrés

2018-04-06

Although translation of cytosolic proteins is well described in axons, much less is known about the synthesis, processing and trafficking of transmembrane and secreted proteins. A canonical rough endoplasmic reticulum or a stacked Golgi apparatus has not been detected in axons, generating doubts about the functionality of a local route. However, axons contain mRNAs for membrane and secreted proteins, translation factors, ribosomal components, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and post-endoplasmic reticulum elements that may contribute to local biosynthesis and plasma membrane delivery. Here we consider the evidence supporting a local secretory system in axons. We discuss exocytic elements and examples of autonomous axonal trafficking that impact development and maintenance. We also examine whether unconventional post-endoplasmic reticulum pathways may replace the canonical Golgi apparatus. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Light-regulation of enzyme activity in anacystis nidulans (Richt.).

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Duggan, J X; Anderson, L E

1975-01-01

The effect of light on the levels of activity of six enzymes which are light-modulated in higher plants was examined in the photosynthetic procaryot Anacystis nidulans. Ribulose-5-phosphate kinase (EC 2.7.1.19) was found to be light-activated in vivo and dithiothreitol-activated in vitro while glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) was light-inactivated and dithiothreitol-inactivated. The enzymes fructose-1,6-diphosphate phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11), sedoheptulose-1,7-diphosphate phosphatase, NAD- and NADP-linked glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12; EC 1.2.1.13) were not affected by light treatment of the intact algae, but sedoheptulose-diphosphate phosphatase and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases were dithiothreitol-activated in crude extracts. Light apparently controls the activity of the reductive and oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in this photosynthetic procaryot as in higher plants, through a process which probably involves reductive modulation of enzyme activity.

Engineering aspects of enzymatic fiber solubilization from potato pulp

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ravn, Helle Christine

product containg ≤200 ppm of calcium, were tested for precipitable dry matter after a 1 min. reaction at 60°C and pH 6.0 using 1% substrate and with or without enzymes. The enzymes were PL from Emericella nidulans and PG from Aspergillus aculeatus each dosed at 1.0% (w/w) enzyme/substrate [E/S]. The study...

Secretory granule formation and membrane recycling by the trans-Golgi network in adipokinetic cells of Locusta migratoria in relation to flight and rest.

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Diederen, J H; Vullings, H G

1995-03-01

The influence of flight activity on the formation of secretory granules and the concomitant membrane recycling by the trans-Golgi network in the peptidergic neurosecretory adipokinetic cells of Locusta migratoria was investigated by means of ultrastructural morphometric methods. The patterns of labelling of the trans-Golgi network by the exogenous adsorptive endocytotic tracer wheat-germ agglutinin-conjugated horse-radish peroxidase and by the endogenous marker enzyme acid phosphatase were used as parameters and were measured by an automatic image analysis system. The results show that endocytosed fragments of plasma membrane with bound peroxidase label were transported to the trans-Golgi network and used to build new secretory granules. The amounts of peroxidase and especially of acid phosphatase within the trans-Golgi network showed a strong tendency to be smaller in flight-stimulated cells than in non-stimulated cells. The amounts of acid phosphatase in the immature secretory granules originating from the trans-Golgi network were significantly smaller in stimulated cells. The number of immature secretory granules positive for acid phosphatase tended to be higher in stimulated cells. Thus, flight stimulation of adipokinetic cells for 1 h influences the functioning of the trans-Golgi network; this most probably results in a slight enhancement of the production of secretory granules by the trans-Golgi network.

Blocking variant surface glycoprotein synthesis alters endoplasmic reticulum exit sites/Golgi homeostasis in Trypanosoma brucei.

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Ooi, Cher-Pheng; Smith, Terry K; Gluenz, Eva; Wand, Nadina Vasileva; Vaughan, Sue; Rudenko, Gloria

2018-06-01

The predominant secretory cargo of bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei is variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), comprising ~10% total protein and forming a dense protective layer. Blocking VSG translation using Morpholino oligonucleotides triggered a precise pre-cytokinesis arrest. We investigated the effect of blocking VSG synthesis on the secretory pathway. The number of Golgi decreased, particularly in post-mitotic cells, from 3.5 ± 0.6 to 2.0 ± 0.04 per cell. Similarly, the number of endoplasmic reticulum exit sites (ERES) in post-mitotic cells dropped from 3.9 ± 0.6 to 2.7 ± 0.1 eight hours after blocking VSG synthesis. The secretory pathway was still functional in these stalled cells, as monitored using Cathepsin L. Rates of phospholipid and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor biosynthesis remained relatively unaffected, except for the level of sphingomyelin which increased. However, both endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi morphology became distorted, with the Golgi cisternae becoming significantly dilated, particularly at the trans-face. Membrane accumulation in these structures is possibly caused by reduced budding of nascent vesicles due to the drastic reduction in the total amount of secretory cargo, that is, VSG. These data argue that the total flux of secretory cargo impacts upon the biogenesis and maintenance of secretory structures and organelles in T. brucei, including the ERES and Golgi. © 2018 The Authors. Traffic published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aspergillus species as emerging causative agents of onychomycosis.

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Nouripour-Sisakht, S; Mirhendi, H; Shidfar, M R; Ahmadi, B; Rezaei-Matehkolaei, A; Geramishoar, M; Zarei, F; Jalalizand, N

2015-06-01

Onychomycosis is a common nail infection caused by dermatophytes, non-dermatophyte molds (NDM), and yeasts. Aspergillus species are emerging as increasing causes of toenail onychomycosis. The purpose of this study was species delineation of Aspergillus spp. isolated from patients with onychomycosis. During a period of one year (2012-2013), nail samples were collected from patients clinically suspected of onychomycosis and subjected to microscopic examination and culture. Species identification was performed based on macro- and micro-morphology of colonies. For precise species identification, PCR-amplification and sequencing of the beta-tubulin gene followed by BLAST queries were performed where required. A total of 463/2,292 (20.2%) tested nails were diagnosed with onychomycosis. Among the positive specimens, 154 cases (33.2%) were identified as saprophytic NDM onychomycosis, 135 (29.2%) of which were attributable to Aspergillus. Aspergillus species isolated from the infected nails included Aspergillus flavus (77.3%, n=119), Aspergillus niger (n=4), Aspergillus tubingensis (n=4), Aspergillus terreus (n=3), Aspergillus sydowii (n=2), Aspergillus spp. (n=2), and Aspergillus candidus (n=1). Among the patients diagnosed with onychomycosis due to Aspergillus (average patient age, 47.4 years), 40 had fingernail and 95 toenail involvement. The large toenails were most commonly affected. This study identified a markedly high occurrence of A. flavus, and this fungus appears to be an emerging cause of saprophytic onychomycosis in Iran. The study moreover highlights the necessity of differentiating between dermatophytic and non-dermatophytic nail infections for informed decisions on appropriate therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Chlamydia trachomatis intercepts Golgi-derived sphingolipids through a Rab14-mediated transport required for bacterial development and replication.

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Anahí Capmany

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Chlamydia trachomatis are obligate intracellular bacteria that survive and replicate in a bacterial-modified phagosome called inclusion. As other intracellular parasites, these bacteria subvert the phagocytic pathway to avoid degradation in phagolysosomes and exploit trafficking pathways to acquire both energy and nutrients essential for their survival. Rabs are host proteins that control intracellular vesicular trafficking. Rab14, a Golgi-related Rab, controls Golgi to endosomes transport. Since Chlamydia establish a close relationship with the Golgi apparatus, the recruitment and participation of Rab14 on inclusion development and bacteria growth were analyzed. Time course analysis revealed that Rab14 associated with inclusions by 10 h post infection and was maintained throughout the entire developmental cycle. The recruitment was bacterial protein synthesis-dependent but independent of microtubules and Golgi integrity. Overexpression of Rab14 dominant negative mutants delayed inclusion enlargement, and impaired bacteria replication as determined by IFU. Silencing of Rab14 by siRNA also decreased bacteria multiplication and infectivity. By electron microscopy, aberrant bacteria were observed in cells overexpressing the cytosolic negative Rab14 mutant. Our results showed that Rab14 facilitates the delivery of sphingolipids required for bacterial development and replication from the Golgi to chlamydial inclusions. Novel anti-chlamydial therapies could be developed based on the knowledge of how bacteria subvert host vesicular transport events through Rabs manipulation.

Chlamydia trachomatis intercepts Golgi-derived sphingolipids through a Rab14-mediated transport required for bacterial development and replication.

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Capmany, Anahí; Damiani, María Teresa

2010-11-22

Chlamydia trachomatis are obligate intracellular bacteria that survive and replicate in a bacterial-modified phagosome called inclusion. As other intracellular parasites, these bacteria subvert the phagocytic pathway to avoid degradation in phagolysosomes and exploit trafficking pathways to acquire both energy and nutrients essential for their survival. Rabs are host proteins that control intracellular vesicular trafficking. Rab14, a Golgi-related Rab, controls Golgi to endosomes transport. Since Chlamydia establish a close relationship with the Golgi apparatus, the recruitment and participation of Rab14 on inclusion development and bacteria growth were analyzed. Time course analysis revealed that Rab14 associated with inclusions by 10 h post infection and was maintained throughout the entire developmental cycle. The recruitment was bacterial protein synthesis-dependent but independent of microtubules and Golgi integrity. Overexpression of Rab14 dominant negative mutants delayed inclusion enlargement, and impaired bacteria replication as determined by IFU. Silencing of Rab14 by siRNA also decreased bacteria multiplication and infectivity. By electron microscopy, aberrant bacteria were observed in cells overexpressing the cytosolic negative Rab14 mutant. Our results showed that Rab14 facilitates the delivery of sphingolipids required for bacterial development and replication from the Golgi to chlamydial inclusions. Novel anti-chlamydial therapies could be developed based on the knowledge of how bacteria subvert host vesicular transport events through Rabs manipulation.

Identification and toxigenic potential of the industrially important fungi, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Thomas R

2007-01-01

Mold strains belonging to the species Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae are highly valued as koji molds in the traditional preparation of fermented foods, such as miso, sake, and shoyu, and as protein production hosts in modern industrial processes. A. oryzae and A. sojae are relatives...... of the wild molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. All four species are classified to the A. flavus group. Strains of the A. flavus group are characterized by a high degree of morphological similarity. Koji mold species are generally perceived of as being nontoxigenic, whereas wild molds...... are associated with the carcinogenic aflatoxins. Thus, reliable identification of individual strains is very important for application purposes. This review considers the pheno- and genotypic markers used in the classification of A. flavus group strains and specifically in the identification of A. oryzae and A...

Increased enzyme production under liquid culture conditions in the industrial fungus Aspergillus oryzae by disruption of the genes encoding cell wall α-1,3-glucan synthase.

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Miyazawa, Ken; Yoshimi, Akira; Zhang, Silai; Sano, Motoaki; Nakayama, Mayumi; Gomi, Katsuya; Abe, Keietsu

2016-09-01

Under liquid culture conditions, the hyphae of filamentous fungi aggregate to form pellets, which reduces cell density and fermentation productivity. Previously, we found that loss of α-1,3-glucan in the cell wall of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans increased hyphal dispersion. Therefore, here we constructed a mutant of the industrial fungus A. oryzae in which the three genes encoding α-1,3-glucan synthase were disrupted (tripleΔ). Although the hyphae of the tripleΔ mutant were not fully dispersed, the mutant strain did form smaller pellets than the wild-type strain. We next examined enzyme productivity under liquid culture conditions by transforming the cutinase-encoding gene cutL1 into A. oryzae wild-type and the tripleΔ mutant (i.e. wild-type-cutL1, tripleΔ-cutL1). A. oryzae tripleΔ-cutL1 formed smaller hyphal pellets and showed both greater biomass and increased CutL1 productivity compared with wild-type-cutL1, which might be attributable to a decrease in the number of tripleΔ-cutL1 cells under anaerobic conditions.

Membrane topology of Golgi-localized probable S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cells.

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Liu, Jianping; Hayashi, Kyoko; Matsuoka, Ken

2015-01-01

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTases) transfer methyl groups to substrates. In this study, a novel putative tobacco SAM-MTase termed Golgi-localized methyl transferase 1 (GLMT1) has been characterized. GLMT1 is comprised of 611 amino acids with short N-terminal region, putative transmembrane region, and C-terminal SAM-MTase domain. Expression of monomeric red fluorescence protein (mRFP)-tagged protein in tobacco BY-2 cell indicated that GLMT1 is a Golgi-localized protein. Analysis of the membrane topology by protease digestion suggested that both C-terminal catalytic region and N-terminal region seem to be located to the cytosolic side of the Golgi apparatus. Therefore, GLMT1 might have a different function than the previously studied SAM-MTases in plants.

Variability in Galactomannan detection by platelia Aspergillus EIA™ according to the Aspergillus species

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Melissa Orzechowski Xavier

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Here we investigate the extent to which different Aspergillus species release galactomannan (GM in vitro. Marked variability was observed in GM reactivity between and within Aspergillus species, with A. terreus strains showing the highest GM indexes. The in vivo significance of these findings remains to be determined.

Vesicular transport of progeny parvovirus particles through ER and Golgi regulates maturation and cytolysis.

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Bär, Séverine; Rommelaere, Jean; Nüesch, Jürg P F

2013-09-01

Progeny particles of non-enveloped lytic parvoviruses were previously shown to be actively transported to the cell periphery through vesicles in a gelsolin-dependent manner. This process involves rearrangement and destruction of actin filaments, while microtubules become protected throughout the infection. Here the focus is on the intracellular egress pathway, as well as its impact on the properties and release of progeny virions. By colocalization with cellular marker proteins and specific modulation of the pathways through over-expression of variant effector genes transduced by recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors, we show that progeny PV particles become engulfed into COPII-vesicles in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and are transported through the Golgi to the plasma membrane. Besides known factors like sar1, sec24, rab1, the ERM family proteins, radixin and moesin play (an) essential role(s) in the formation/loading and targeting of virus-containing COPII-vesicles. These proteins also contribute to the transport through ER and Golgi of the well described analogue of cellular proteins, the secreted Gaussia luciferase in absence of virus infection. It is therefore likely that radixin and moesin also serve for a more general function in cellular exocytosis. Finally, parvovirus egress via ER and Golgi appears to be necessary for virions to gain full infectivity through post-assembly modifications (e.g. phosphorylation). While not being absolutely required for cytolysis and progeny virus release, vesicular transport of parvoviruses through ER and Golgi significantly accelerates these processes pointing to a regulatory role of this transport pathway.

Biosolubilization of poorly soluble rock phosphates by Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger

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Reddy, M.S.; Kumar, S.; Babita, K. [Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala (India). School of Biotechnology; Reddy, M.S. [Auburn University, AL (United States). Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology

2002-09-01

Three isolates of Aspergillus tubingensis and two isolates of Aspergillus niger isolated from rhizospheric soils were tested on solubilization of different rock phosphates. All the isolates of Aspergillus were capable of solubilizing all the natural rock phosphates. A. tubingensis (AT1) showed maximum percent solubilization in all the rock phosphates tested in this study when compared to other isolates. This isolate also showed highest phosphorus (P) solubilization when grown in the presence of 2% of rock phosphate. A. tubingensis (AT1) seems to be more efficient in solubilization of rock phosphates compared to other isolates reported elsewhere. This is the first report of rock phosphate solubilization by A. tubingensis and might provide an efficient large scale biosolubilization of rock phosphates intended for P fertilizer. (author)

X-ray induced degradation of DNA in radiosensitive mutants of Anacystis nidulans x-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhukas, K.I.; Vorontsova, G.V.; Groshev, V.V.; Shestakov, S.V.

1975-01-01

In irradiated Cyanophyceae (Anacystis nidulans) cells there occurs a process of DNA degeneration to acid-soluble products which is linked with protein synthesis and stimulated by caffeine and acriflavine. The degree of DNA degeneration increases with X-ray dose, is not very dependent on the composition of the incubation medium and is weakly linked with photosynthesis. In the cells of a radiation-resistant mutant the degree of DNA degeneration is slighter, and in the cells of radiosensitive mutants larger, than in ordinary cells. The role of DNA degradation in the radiation detruction of cells is discussed. (author)

Adiponectin release and insulin receptor targeting share trans-Golgi-dependent endosomal trafficking routes

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Maria Rödiger

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: Intracellular vesicle trafficking maintains cellular structures and functions. The assembly of cargo-laden vesicles at the trans-Golgi network is initiated by the ARF family of small GTPases. Here, we demonstrate the role of the trans-Golgi localized monomeric GTPase ARFRP1 in endosomal-mediated vesicle trafficking of mature adipocytes. Methods: Control (Arfrp1flox/flox and inducible fat-specific Arfrp1 knockout (Arfrp1iAT−/− mice were metabolically characterized. In vitro experiments on mature 3T3-L1 cells and primary mouse adipocytes were conducted to validate the impact of ARFRP1 on localization of adiponectin and the insulin receptor. Finally, secretion and transferrin-based uptake and recycling assays were performed with HeLa and HeLa M-C1 cells. Results: We identified the ARFRP1-based sorting machinery to be involved in vesicle trafficking relying on the endosomal compartment for cell surface delivery. Secretion of adiponectin from fat depots was selectively reduced in Arfrp1iAT−/− mice, and Arfrp1-depleted 3T3-L1 adipocytes revealed an accumulation of adiponectin in Rab11-positive endosomes. Plasma adiponectin deficiency of Arfrp1iAT−/− mice resulted in deteriorated hepatic insulin sensitivity, increased gluconeogenesis and elevated fasting blood glucose levels. Additionally, the insulin receptor, undergoing endocytic recycling after ligand binding, was less abundant at the plasma membrane of adipocytes lacking Arfrp1. This had detrimental effects on adipose insulin signaling, followed by insufficient suppression of basal lipolytic activity and impaired adipose tissue expansion. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that adiponectin secretion and insulin receptor surface targeting utilize the same post-Golgi trafficking pathways that are essential for an appropriate systemic insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. Keywords: Adiponectin, ARFRP1, Exocytosis, Insulin receptor, trans-Golgi

Variability of Germinative Potential among Pathogenic Species of Aspergillus

OpenAIRE

Araujo, Ricardo; Rodrigues, Acacio Gonçalves

2004-01-01

The objective of our study was to evaluate parameters influencing the germination of Aspergillus conidia. Inoculum concentration and age significantly influenced germination. Different incubation temperatures revealed significant differences among Aspergillus species. The internal human milieu provides the ideal conditions for the development of invasive disease by Aspergillus fumigatus but restricts invasion by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger.

Role of myristoylation in membrane attachment and function of G alpha i-3 on Golgi membranes.

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Brand, S H; Holtzman, E J; Scher, D A; Ausiello, D A; Stow, J L

1996-05-01

Heterotrimeric G protein alpha-subunits localized on the cytoplasmic face of Golgi membranes are involved in regulating vesicle trafficking and protein secretion. We investigated the role of myristoylation in attachment of the G alpha i-3 subunit to Golgi membranes. G alpha i-3 was epitope-tagged by insertion of a FLAG sequence at an NH2-terminal site predicted to interfere with myristoylation, and the resulting NT-alpha i-3 construct was stably transfected and expressed in polarized epithelial LLC-PK1 cells. Metabolic labeling confirmed that the translation product of NT-alpha i-3 was not myristoylated. In contrast to endogenous G alpha 1-3, which is tightly bound to Golgi membranes, the unmyristoylated FLAG-tagged NT-alpha i-3 did not attach to membranes; it was localized by immunofluorescence in the cytoplasm of LLC-PK1 cells and was detected only in the cytosol fraction of cell homogenates. Pertussis toxin-dependent ADP-ribosylation was used to test the ability of NT-alpha i-3 to interact with membrane-bound beta gamma-subunits. In both in vitro and in vivo assays, cytosolic NT-alpha i-3 alone was not ADP-ribosylated, although in the presence of membranes it could interact with G beta gamma-subunits to form heterotrimers. The expression of NT-alpha i-3 in LLC-PK1 cells altered the rate of basolateral secretion of sulfated proteoglycans, consistent with the demonstrated function of endogenous G alpha i-3. These data are consistent with a model in which G alpha i-3 utilizes NH2-terminal myristoylation to bind to Golgi membranes and to maximize its interaction with G beta gamma-subunits. Furthermore, our results show that stable attachment of G alpha i-3 to Golgi membranes is not required for it to participate as a regulatory element in vesicle trafficking in the secretory pathway.

Transport According to GARP: Receiving Retrograde Cargo at the Trans-Golgi Network

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Bonifacino, Juan S.; Hierro, Aitor

2010-01-01

Tethering factors are large protein complexes that capture transport vesicles and enable their fusion with acceptor organelles at different stages of the endomembrane system. Recent studies have shed new light on the structure and function of a heterotetrameric tethering factor named Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP), which promotes fusion of endosome-derived, retrograde transport carriers to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). X-ray crystallography of the Vps53 and Vps54 subunits of GARP has revealed that this complex is structurally related to other tethering factors such as the exocyst, COG and Dsl1, indicating that they all might work by a similar mechanism. Loss of GARP function compromises the growth, fertility and/or viability of the defective organisms, underscoring the essential nature of GARP-mediated retrograde transport. PMID:21183348

Live-cell imaging of post-golgi transport vesicles in cultured hippocampal neurons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Camilla Stampe; Misonou, Hiroaki

2015-01-01

compartments of neurons. In the past two decades, the establishment and advancement of fluorescent protein technology have provided us with opportunities to study how proteins are trafficked in living cells. However, live imaging of trafficking processes in neurons necessitate imaging tools to distinguish...... the several different routes that neurons use for protein trafficking. Here we provide a novel protocol to selectively visualize post-Golgi transport vesicles carrying fluorescent-labeled ion channel proteins in living neurons. Further, we provide a number of analytical tools we developed to quantify...... mechanisms by which post-Golgi vesicles are trafficked in neurons. Our protocol uniquely combines the classic temperature-block with close monitoring of the transient expression of transfected protein tagged with fluorescent proteins, and provides a quick and easy way to study protein trafficking in living...

Aspergillus baeticus sp. nov. and Aspergillus thesauricus sp. nov., two species in section Usti from Spanish caves.

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Nováková, Alena; Hubka, Vit; Saiz-Jimenez, Cesareo; Kolarik, Miroslav

2012-11-01

Two novel species of Aspergillus that are clearly distinct from all known species in section Usti were revealed during a study of microfungal communities in Spanish caves. The novel species identified in this study and additional species of Aspergillus section Usti are associated with places and substrates related to human activities in caves. Novel species are described using data from four loci (ITS, benA, caM and rpb2), morphology and basic chemical and physiological analyses. Members of the species Aspergillus thesauricus sp. nov. were isolated from various substrates, including decaying organic matter, cave air and cave sediment of the Cueva del Tesoro Cave (the Treasure cave); the species is represented by twelve isolates and is most closely related to the recently described Aspergillus germanicus. Members of the species Aspergillus baeticus sp. nov. were isolated from cave sediment in the Gruta de las Maravillas Cave (the Grotto of the Marvels); the species is represented by two isolates. An additional isolate was found in the Cueva del Tesoro Cave and in the Demänovská Peace Cave (Slovakia), suggesting a potentially wide distribution of this micro-organism. The species is related to Aspergillus ustus and Aspergillus pseudoustus. Both species were unable to grow at 37 °C, and a weakly positive, light greenish yellow Ehrlich reaction was observed in A. thesauricus. Unique morphological features alone are sufficient to distinguish both species from related taxa.

Multidimensional fractionation is a requirement for quantitation of Golgi-resident glycosylation enzymes from cultured human cells.

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Lin, Chi-Hung; Chik, Jenny H L; Packer, Nicolle H; Molloy, Mark P

2015-02-06

Glycosylation results from the concerted action of glycosylation enzymes in the secretory pathway. In general, gene expression serves as the primary control mechanism, but post-translational fine-tuning of glycosylation enzyme functions is often necessary for efficient synthesis of specific glycan epitopes. While the field of glycomics has rapidly advanced, there lacks routine proteomic methods to measure expression of specific glycosylation enzymes needed to fill the gap between mRNA expression and the glycomic profile in a "reverse genomics" workflow. Toward developing this workflow we enriched Golgi membranes from two human colon cancer cell lines by sucrose density centrifugation and further mass-based fractionation by SDS-PAGE. We then applied mass spectrometry to demonstrate a doubling in the number of Golgi resident proteins identified, compared to the unenriched, low speed centrifuged supernatant of lysed cells. A total of 35 Golgi-resident glycosylation enzymes, of which 23 were glycosyltransferases, were identified making this the largest protein database so far of Golgi resident glycosylation enzymes experimentally identified in cultured human cells. We developed targeted mass spectrometry assays for specific quantitation of many of these glycosylation enzymes. Our results show that alterations in abundance of glycosylation enzymes at the protein level were generally consistent with the resultant glycomic profiles, but not necessarily with the corresponding glycosyltransferase mRNA expression as exemplified by the case of O-glycan core 1 T synthase.

Monocrotaline pyrrole-induced megalocytosis of lung and breast epithelial cells: Disruption of plasma membrane and Golgi dynamics and an enhanced unfolded protein response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, Somshuvra; Shah, Mehul; Patel, Kirit; Sehgal, Pravin B.

2006-01-01

The pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline (MCT) initiates pulmonary hypertension by inducing a 'megalocytosis' phenotype in target pulmonary arterial endothelial, smooth muscle and Type II alveolar epithelial cells. In cultured endothelial cells, a single exposure to the pyrrolic derivative of monocrotaline (MCTP) results in large cells with enlarged endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi and increased vacuoles. However, these cells fail to enter mitosis. Largely based upon data from endothelial cells, we proposed earlier that a disruption of the trafficking and mitosis-sensor functions of the Golgi (the 'Golgi blockade' hypothesis) may represent the subcellular mechanism leading to MCTP-induced megalocytosis. In the present study, we investigated the applicability of the Golgi blockade hypothesis to epithelial cells. MCTP induced marked megalocytosis in cultures of lung A549 and breast MCF-7 cells. This was associated with a change in the distribution of the cis-Golgi scaffolding protein GM130 from a discrete juxtanuclear localization to a circumnuclear distribution consistent with an anterograde block of GM130 trafficking to/through the Golgi. There was also a loss of plasma membrane caveolin-1 and E-cadherin, cortical actin together with a circumnuclear accumulation of clathrin heavy chain (CHC) and α-tubulin. Flotation analyses revealed losses/alterations in the association of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and CHC with raft microdomains. Moreover, megalocytosis was accompanied by an enhanced unfolded protein response (UPR) as evidenced by nuclear translocation of Ire1α and glucose regulated protein 58 (GRP58/ER-60/ERp57) and a circumnuclear accumulation of PERK kinase and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). These data further support the hypothesis that an MCTP-induced Golgi blockade and enhanced UPR may represent the subcellular mechanism leading to enlargement of ER and Golgi and subsequent megalocytosis

Evidence that proliferation of golgi apparatus depends on both de novo generation from the endoplasmic reticulum and formation from pre-existing stacks during the growth of tobacco BY-2 cells.

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Abiodun, Moses Olabiyi; Matsuoka, Ken

2013-04-01

In higher plants, the numbers of cytoplasmic-distributed Golgi stacks differ based on function, age and cell type. It has not been clarified how the numbers are controlled, whether all the Golgi apparatus in a cell function equally and whether the increase in Golgi number is a result of the de novo formation from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or fission of pre-existing stacks. A tobacco prolyl 4-hydroxylase (NtP4H1.1), which is a cis-Golgi-localizing type II membrane protein, was tagged with a photoconvertible fluorescent protein, mKikGR (monomeric Kikume green red), and expressed in tobacco bright yellow 2 (BY-2) cells. Transformed cells were exposed to purple light to convert the fluorescence from green to red. A time-course analysis after the conversion revealed a progressive increase in green puncta and a decrease in the red puncta. From 3 to 6 h, we observed red, yellow and green fluorescent puncta corresponding to pre-existing Golgi; Golgi containing both pre-existing and newly synthesized protein; and newly synthesized Golgi. Analysis of the number and fluorescence of Golgi at different phases of the cell cycle suggested that an increase in Golgi number with both division and de novo synthesis occurred concomitantly with DNA replication. Investigation with different inhibitors suggested that the formation of new Golgi and the generation of Golgi containing both pre-existing and newly synthesized protein are mediated by different machineries. These results and modeling based on quantified results indicate that the Golgi apparatuses in tobacco BY-2 cells are not uniform and suggest that both de novo synthesis from the ER and Golgi division contribute almost equally to the increase in proliferating cells.

[Survival Strategies of Aspergillus in the Human Body].

Science.gov (United States)

Tashiro, Masato; Izumikawa, Koichi

2017-01-01

 The human body is a hostile environment for Aspergillus species, which originally live outside the human body. There are lots of elimination mechanisms against Aspergillus inhaled into the human body, such as high body temperature, soluble lung components, mucociliary clearance mechanism, or responses of phagocytes. Aspergillus fumigatus, which is the primary causative agent of human infections among the human pathogenic species of Aspergillus, defend itself from the hostile human body environment by various mechanisms, such as thermotolerance, mycotoxin production, and characteristic morphological features. Here we review mechanisms of defense in Aspergillus against elimination from the human body.

Live-cell imaging of dual-labeled Golgi stacks in tobacco BY-2 cells reveals similar behaviors for different cisternae during movement and brefeldin A treatment.

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Madison, Stephanie L; Nebenführ, Andreas

2011-09-01

In plant cells, the Golgi apparatus consists of numerous stacks that, in turn, are composed of several flattened cisternae with a clear cis-to-trans polarity. During normal functioning within living cells, this unusual organelle displays a wide range of dynamic behaviors such as whole stack motility, constant membrane flux through the cisternae, and Golgi enzyme recycling through the ER. In order to further investigate various aspects of Golgi stack dynamics and integrity, we co-expressed pairs of established Golgi markers in tobacco BY-2 cells to distinguish sub-compartments of the Golgi during monensin treatments, movement, and brefeldin A (BFA)-induced disassembly. A combination of cis and trans markers revealed that Golgi stacks remain intact as they move through the cytoplasm. The Golgi stack orientation during these movements showed a slight preference for the cis side moving ahead, but trans cisternae were also found at the leading edge. During BFA treatments, the different sub-compartments of about half of the observed stacks fused with the ER sequentially; however, no consistent order could be detected. In contrast, the ionophore monensin resulted in swelling of trans cisternae while medial and particularly cis cisternae were mostly unaffected. Our results thus demonstrate a remarkable equivalence of the different cisternae with respect to movement and BFA-induced fusion with the ER. In addition, we propose that a combination of dual-label fluorescence microscopy and drug treatments can provide a simple alternative approach to the determination of protein localization to specific Golgi sub-compartments.

Induction of mutations in blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans by consolidated and split UV irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amla, D.V.

1979-01-01

Ultraviolet mutability of consolidated and split dose treatment in A. nidulans was investigated with reference to induction of phage- and streptomycin-resistant markers. The consolidated UV treatment induced both the markers about 100-150-fold, whereas under photoreactivating conditions the survival of alga was enhanced and mutation frequency was decreased. The split UV treatment with 6 hr dark incubation between two UV exposures enhanced the survival and mutation frequencies to 500-700 fold above the back-ground level. The data give indirect evidence for the presence of error-prone dark repair system in this organism. (auth.)

Phylogeny, identification and nomenclature of the genus Aspergillus

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Samson, R.A.; Visagie, C.M.; Houbraken, J.; Hong, S.-B.; Hubka, V.; Klaassen, C.H.W.; Perrone, G.; Seifert, K.A.; Susca, A.; Tanney, J.B.; Varga, J.; Kocsubé, S.; Szigeti, G.; Yaguchi, T.; Frisvad, J.C.

2014-01-01

Aspergillus comprises a diverse group of species based on morphological, physiological and phylogenetic characters, which significantly impact biotechnology, food production, indoor environments and human health. Aspergillus was traditionally associated with nine teleomorph genera, but phylogenetic data suggest that together with genera such as Polypaecilum, Phialosimplex, Dichotomomyces and Cristaspora, Aspergillus forms a monophyletic clade closely related to Penicillium. Changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants resulted in the move to one name per species, meaning that a decision had to be made whether to keep Aspergillus as one big genus or to split it into several smaller genera. The International Commission of Penicillium and Aspergillus decided to keep Aspergillus instead of using smaller genera. In this paper, we present the arguments for this decision. We introduce new combinations for accepted species presently lacking an Aspergillus name and provide an updated accepted species list for the genus, now containing 339 species. To add to the scientific value of the list, we include information about living ex-type culture collection numbers and GenBank accession numbers for available representative ITS, calmodulin, β-tubulin and RPB2 sequences. In addition, we recommend a standard working technique for Aspergillus and propose calmodulin as a secondary identification marker. PMID:25492982

Aspergillus saccharolyticus sp. nov., a new black Aspergillus species isolated in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Annette; Lübeck, Peter S.; Lübeck, Mette

2011-01-01

A novel species, Aspergillus saccharolyticus sp. nov., belonging to the Aspergillus section Nigri group is described. This species was isolated in Denmark from treated hardwood. Its taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach including phenotypic (morphology and extrolite...... profiles) and molecular (β-tubulin, internal transcribed spacer and calmodulin gene sequences, and universally primed PCR fingerprinting) analysis. Phenotypic and molecular data enabled this novel species to be clearly distinguished from other black aspergilli. A. saccharolyticus is a uniseriate...

Conditional deletion of Cadherin 13 perturbs Golgi cells and disrupts social and cognitive behaviors.

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Tantra, M; Guo, L; Kim, J; Zainolabidin, N; Eulenburg, V; Augustine, G J; Chen, A I

2018-02-15

Inhibitory interneurons mediate the gating of synaptic transmission and modulate the activities of neural circuits. Disruption of the function of inhibitory networks in the forebrain is linked to impairment of social and cognitive behaviors, but the involvement of inhibitory interneurons in the cerebellum has not been assessed. We found that Cadherin 13 (Cdh13), a gene implicated in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, is specifically expressed in Golgi cells within the cerebellar cortex. To assess the function of Cdh13 and utilize the manipulation of Cdh13 expression in Golgi cells as an entry point to examine cerebellar-mediated function, we generated mice carrying Cdh13-floxed alleles and conditionally deleted Cdh13 with GlyT2::Cre mice. Loss of Cdh13 results in a decrease in the expression/localization of GAD67 and reduces spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) in cerebellar Golgi cells without disrupting spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC). At the behavioral level, loss of Cdh13 in the cerebellum, piriform cortex and endopiriform claustrum have no impact on gross motor coordination or general locomotor behaviors, but leads to deficits in cognitive and social abilities. Mice lacking Cdh13 exhibit reduced cognitive flexibility and loss of preference for contact region concomitant with increased reciprocal social interactions. Together, our findings show that Cdh13 is critical for inhibitory function of Golgi cells, and that GlyT2::Cre-mediated deletion of Cdh13 in non-executive centers of the brain, such as the cerebellum, may contribute to cognitive and social behavioral deficits linked to neurological disorders. © 2018 The Authors. Genes, Brain and Behavior published by International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Quantitative Golgi Study of Dendritic Morphology in the Mice Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons

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Ana Hladnik

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In this study we have provided a detailed quantitative morphological analysis of medium spiny neurons (MSNs in the mice dorsal striatum and determined the consistency of values among three groups of animals obtained in different set of experiments. Dendritic trees of 162 Golgi Cox (FD Rapid GolgiStain Kit impregnated MSNs from 15 adult C57BL/6 mice were 3-dimensionally reconstructed using Neurolucida software, and parameters of dendritic morphology have been compared among experimental groups. The parameters of length and branching pattern did not show statistically significant difference and were highly consistent among groups. The average neuronal soma surface was between 160 μm2 and 180 μm2, and the cells had 5–6 primary dendrites with close to 40 segments per neuron. Sholl analysis confirmed regular pattern of dendritic branching. The total length of dendrites was around 2100 μm with the average length of individual branching (intermediate segment around 22 μm and for the terminal segment around 100 μm. Even though each experimental group underwent the same strictly defined protocol in tissue preparation and Golgi staining, we found inconsistency in dendritic volume and soma surface. These changes could be methodologically influenced during the Golgi procedure, although without affecting the dendritic length and tree complexity. Since the neuronal activity affects the dendritic thickness, it could not be excluded that observed volume inconsistency was related with functional states of neurons prior to animal sacrifice. Comprehensive analyses of tree complexity and dendritic length provided here could serve as an additional tool for understanding morphological variability in the most numerous neuronal population of the striatum. As reference values they could provide basic ground for comparisons with the results obtained in studies that use various models of genetically modified mice in explaining different pathological conditions that

New species in Aspergillus section Terrei

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, R. A.; Peterson, S. W.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2011-01-01

. clade including the type isolate of A. niveus (CBS 115.27) constitutes a lineage closely related to A. carneus. Fennellia nivea, the hypothesized teleomorph is not related to this clade. Aspergillus allahabadii, A. niveus var. indicus, and two species originally placed in section Versicolores, A......Section Terrei of Aspergillus was studied using a polyphasic approach including sequence analysis of parts of the beta-tubulin and calmodulin genes and the ITS region, macro- and micromorphological analyses and examination of extrolite profiles to describe three new species in this section. Based....... floccosus, A. terreus var. africanus, A. terreus var. aureus, while Aspergillus hortai is recognised at species level. Aspergillus terreus NRRL 4017 is described as the new species A. pseudoterreus. Also included in section Terrei are some species formerly placed in sections Flavipedes and Versicolores. A...

Ecophysiological characterization of Aspergillus carbonarius, Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger isolated from grapes in Spanish vineyards.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Cela, E; Crespo-Sempere, A; Ramos, A J; Sanchis, V; Marin, S

2014-03-03

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diversity of black aspergilli isolated from berries from different agroclimatic regions of Spain. Growth characterization (in terms of temperature and water activity requirements) of Aspergillus carbonarius, Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger was carried out on synthetic grape medium. A. tubingensis and A. niger showed higher maximum temperatures for growth (>45 °C versus 40-42 °C), and lower minimum aw requirements (0.83 aw versus 0.87 aw) than A. carbonarius. No differences in growth boundaries due to their geographical origin were found within A. niger aggregate isolates. Conversely, A. carbonarius isolates from the hotter and drier region grew and produced OTA at lower aw than other isolates. However, little genetic diversity in A. carbonarius was observed for the microsatellites tested and the same sequence of β-tubulin gene was observed; therefore intraspecific variability did not correlate with the geographical origin of the isolates or with their ability to produce OTA. Climatic change prediction points to drier and hotter climatic scenarios where A. tubingensis and A. niger could be even more prevalent over A. carbonarius, since they are better adapted to extreme high temperature and drier conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phospholipase D is involved in the formation of Golgi associated clathrin coated vesicles in human parotid duct cells.

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Lorena Brito de Souza

Full Text Available Phospholipase D (PLD has been implicated in many cellular functions, such as vesicle trafficking, exocytosis, differentiation, and proliferation. The aim of this study was to characterize the role of PLD in HSY cells, a human cell line originating from the intercalated duct of the parotid gland. As the function and intracellular localization of PLD varies according to cell type, initially, the intracellular localization of PLD1 and PLD2 was determined. By immunofluorescence, PLD1 and PLD2 both showed a punctate cytoplasmic distribution with extensive co-localization with TGN-46. PLD1 was also found in the nucleus, while PLD2 was associated with the plasma membrane. Treatment of cells with the primary alcohol 1-butanol inhibits the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcoline by PLD thereby suppressing phosphatidic acid (PA production. In untreated HSY cells, there was only a slight co-localization of PLD with the clathrin coated vesicles. When HSY cells were incubated with 1-butanol the total number of clathrin coated vesicles increased, especially in the juxtanuclear region and the co-localization of PLD with the clathrin coated vesicles was augmented. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the number of Golgi-associated coated vesicles was greater. Treatment with 1-butanol also affected the Golgi apparatus, increasing the volume of the Golgi saccules. The decrease in PA levels after treatment with 1-butanol likewise resulted in an accumulation of enlarged lysosomes in the perinuclear region. Therefore, in HSY cells PLD appears to be involved in the formation of Golgi associated clathrin coated vesicles as well as in the structural maintenance of the Golgi apparatus.

Aspergillus niger contains the cryptic phylogenetic species A. awamori.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrone, Giancarlo; Stea, Gaetano; Epifani, Filomena; Varga, János; Frisvad, Jens C; Samson, Robert A

2011-11-01

Aspergillus section Nigri is an important group of species for food and medical mycology, and biotechnology. The Aspergillus niger 'aggregate' represents its most complicated taxonomic subgroup containing eight morphologically indistinguishable taxa: A. niger, Aspergillus tubingensis, Aspergillus acidus, Aspergillus brasiliensis, Aspergillus costaricaensis, Aspergillus lacticoffeatus, Aspergillus piperis, and Aspergillus vadensis. Aspergillus awamori, first described by Nakazawa, has been compared taxonomically with other black aspergilli and recently it has been treated as a synonym of A. niger. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences generated from portions of three genes coding for the proteins β-tubulin (benA), calmodulin (CaM), and the translation elongation factor-1 alpha (TEF-1α) of a population of A. niger strains isolated from grapes in Europe revealed the presence of a cryptic phylogenetic species within this population, A. awamori. Morphological, physiological, ecological and chemical data overlap occurred between A. niger and the cryptic A. awamori, however the splitting of these two species was also supported by AFLP analysis of the full genome. Isolates in both phylospecies can produce the mycotoxins ochratoxin A and fumonisin B₂, and they also share the production of pyranonigrin A, tensidol B, funalenone, malformins, and naphtho-γ-pyrones. In addition, sequence analysis of four putative A. awamori strains from Japan, used in the koji industrial fermentation, revealed that none of these strains belong to the A. awamori phylospecies. Copyright © 2011 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A survey of xerophilic Aspergillus from indoor environment, including descriptions of two new section Aspergillus species producing eurotium-like sexual states

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Visagie, Cobus M.; Yilmaz, Neriman; Renaud, Justin B.

2017-01-01

of 1039 strains; 296 strains belong to Aspergillus and represented 37 species. Reference sequences were generated for all species and deposited in GenBank. Aspergillus sect. Aspergillus (formerly called Eurotium) was one of the most predominant groups from house dust with nine species identified...

Human T-cell responses to Aspergillus fumigatus : In healthy individuals and patients with Aspergillus-related disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jolink, H.

2017-01-01

The T-cell mediated immune response to Aspergillus fumigatus was studied in healthy individuals and in several patient groups. In peripheral blood of healthy individuals low frequencies of Aspergillus-specific CD4+ T-cells with a Thelper 1 profile were present. In patients with invasive

Aspergillus tracheobronchitis in a mild immunocompromised host.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Byung Ha; Oh, Youngmin; Kang, Eun Seok; Hong, Yong Joo; Jeong, Hye Won; Lee, Ok-Jun; Chang, You-Jin; Choe, Kang Hyeon; Lee, Ki Man; An, Jin-Young

2014-11-01

Aspergillus tracheobronchitis is a form of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in which the Aspergillus infection is limited predominantly to the tracheobronchial tree. It occurs primarily in severely immunocompromised patients such as lung transplant recipients. Here, we report a case of Aspergillus tracheobronchitis in a 42-year-old man with diabetes mellitus, who presented with intractable cough, lack of expectoration of sputum, and chest discomfort. The patient did not respond to conventional treatment with antibiotics and antitussive agents, and he underwent bronchoscopy that showed multiple, discrete, gelatinous whitish plaques mainly involving the trachea and the left bronchus. On the basis of the bronchoscopic and microbiologic findings, we made the diagnosis of Aspergillus tracheobronchitis and initiated antifungal therapy. He showed gradual improvement in his symptoms and continued taking oral itraconazole for 6 months. Physicians should consider Aspergillus tracheobronchitis as a probable diagnosis in immunocompromised patients presenting with atypical respiratory symptoms and should try to establish a prompt diagnosis.

Discrimination of Aspergillus lentulus from Aspergillus fumigatus by Raman spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Verwer, P E B; van Leeuwen, W B; Girard, V; Monnin, V; van Belkum, A; Staab, J F; Verbrugh, H A; Bakker-Woudenberg, I A J M; van de Sande, W W J

2014-02-01

In 2005, a new sibling species of Aspergillus fumigatus was discovered: Aspergillus lentulus. Both species can cause invasive fungal disease in immune-compromised patients. The species are morphologically very similar. Current techniques for identification are PCR-based or morphology-based. These techniques are labour-intense and not sufficiently discriminatory. Since A. lentulus is less susceptible to several antifungal agents, it is important to correctly identify the causative infectious agent in order to optimize antifungal therapy. In this study we determined whether Raman spectroscopy and/or MALDI-TOF MS were able to differentiate between A. lentulus and A. fumigatus. For 16 isolates of A. lentulus and 16 isolates of A. fumigatus, Raman spectra and peptide profiles were obtained using the Spectracell and MALDI-TOF MS (VITEK MS RUO, bioMérieux) respectively. In order to obtain reliable Raman spectra for A. fumigatus and A. lentulus, the culture medium needed to be adjusted to obtain colourless conidia. Only Raman spectra obtained from colourless conidia were reproducible and correctly identified 25 out of 32 (78 %) of the Aspergillus strains. For VITEK MS RUO, no medium adjustments were necessary. Pigmented conidia resulted in reproducible peptide profiles as well in this case. VITEK MS RUO correctly identified 100 % of the Aspergillus isolates, within a timeframe of approximately 54 h including culture. Of the two techniques studied here, VITEK MS RUO was superior to Raman spectroscopy in the discrimination of A. lentulus from A. fumigatus. VITEK MS RUO seems to be a successful technique in the daily identification of Aspergillus spp. within a limited timeframe.

Ceramide transport from endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi apparatus is not vesicle-mediated

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kok, JW; Babia, T; Klappe, K; Egea, G; Hoekstra, D

1998-01-01

Ceramide (Cer) transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus was measured under conditions that block vesicle-mediated protein transfer. This was done either in intact cells by reducing the incubation temperature to 15 degrees C, or in streptolysin O-permeabilized cells by

Proliferation of the Golgi apparatus in tobacco BY-2 cells during cell proliferation after release from the stationary phase of growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Abiodun, Moses; Matsuoka, Ken

2013-08-01

We have recently developed a new method aimed at mass photo-conversion of photo-convertible fluorescence protein (PFP) fluorescence in transformed tobacco BY-2 cells. Using this method we reported recently that the Golgi apparatus is generated by the de novo formation from ER and the division of pre-existing Golgi stacks with similar extents In this work we report that the proliferation of the Golgi apparatus in tobacco cells that enter the growing cycle from the non-dividing cycle is quite similar to that in rapidly growing cells and that de novo formation from the ER and division of pre-existing stacks seems to contribute almost equally to the proliferation.

Variability in Galactomannan detection by platelia Aspergillus EIA™ according to the Aspergillus species Variabilidade na detecção de galactomanana pelo Platelia Aspergillus EIA® de acordo com a espécie de Aspergillus

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Melissa Orzechowski Xavier

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Here we investigate the extent to which different Aspergillus species release galactomannan (GM in vitro. Marked variability was observed in GM reactivity between and within Aspergillus species, with A. terreus strains showing the highest GM indexes. The in vivo significance of these findings remains to be determined.O estudo objetivou investigar a liberação in vitro de galactomanana (GM em distintas espécies patogênicas de fungos do gênero Aspergillus. Grande variabilidade foi detectada tanto intra quanto inter espécies, sendo as cepas da espécie A. terreus relacionadas aos maiores índices de GM detectados. O significado in vivo destes achados permanece em aberto, porém merece investigação.

Influence of ultraviolet irradiation on nutrient-gleaning capacity of two unicellular algae. [Anacystis nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, H D; Sharma, V; Bisaria, G P

1975-01-01

Two unicellular algae, viz., Anacystis nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris, growing in polluted effluents, were isolated in unialgal and bacteria free culture. They were mutagenically exposed to ultraviolet radiation and variant strains endowed with differing capacities for growth and nutrient-gleaning were successfully isolated as distinct clones on agar plates. One such clone each of the two species was tested further and found stable. While these variant strains grew more slowly than untreated controls, statistically significant differences with respect to phosphate and nitrate uptake were found between treated and control strains of the two species.

Antibiotic Extraction as a Recent Biocontrol Method for Aspergillus Niger andAspergillus Flavus Fungi in Ancient Egyptian mural paintings

Science.gov (United States)

Hemdan, R. Elmitwalli; Fatma, Helmi M.; Rizk, Mohammed A.; Hagrassy, Abeer F.

Biodeterioration of mural paintings by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus Fungi has been proved in different mural paintings in Egypt nowadays. Several researches have studied the effect of fungi on mural paintings, the mechanism of interaction and methods of control. But none of these researches gives us the solution without causing a side effect. In this paper, for the first time, a recent treatment by antibiotic "6 penthyl α pyrone phenol" was applied as a successful technique for elimination of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. On the other hand, it is favorable for cleaning Surfaces of Murals executed by tembera technique from the fungi metabolism which caused a black pigments on surfaces.

Golgi-associated Rab14, a new regulator for Chlamydia trachomatis infection outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Capmany, Anahí; Leiva, Natalia; Damiani, María Teresa

2011-09-01

Chlamydia trachomatis is the causing agent of the most frequent bacterial sexually-transmitted diseases worldwide and is an underlying cause of chronic pelvic inflammatory diseases and cervical cancer. It is an obligate intracellular bacterium that establishes a close relationship with the Golgi complex and parasites the biosynthetic machinery of host cells. In a recent study, we have demonstrated that Rab14, a newly-described Golgi-associated Rab, is involved in the delivery of sphingolipids to the growing bacteria-containing vacuole. The interference with Rab14-controlled trafficking pathways delays chlamydial inclusion enlargement, decreases bacterial lipid uptake, negatively impact on bacterial differentiation, and reduces bacterial progeny and infectivity. C. trachomatis manipulation of host trafficking pathways for the acquisition of endogenously-biosynthesized nutrients arises as one of the characteristics of this highly evolved pathogen. The development of therapeutic strategies targeted to interfere with bacterium-host cell interaction is a new challenge for pharmacological approaches to control chlamydial infections.

Causative Agents of Aspergillosis Including Cryptic Aspergillus Species and A. fumigatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyotome, Takahito

2016-01-01

Aspergillosis is an important deep mycosis. The causative agents are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus, of which A. fumigatus is the most prevalent. Cryptic Aspergillus spp., which morphologically resemble representative species of each Aspergillus section, also cause aspergillosis. Most of the cryptic species reveal different susceptibility patterns and/or different secondary metabolite profiles, also called exometabolome in this manuscript, from those representative species. On the other hand, azole-resistant A. fumigatus strains in clinical specimens and in the environment have been reported. Therefore, it is imperative to precisely identify the species, including cryptic Aspergillus spp., and evaluate the susceptibility of isolates.In this manuscript, some of the causative cryptic Aspergillus spp. are briefly reviewed. In addition, the exometabolome of Aspergillus section Fumigati is described. Finally, azole resistance of A. fumigatus is also discussed, in reference to several studies from Japan.

Biomarkers of Aspergillus spores

Science.gov (United States)

Sulc, Miroslav; Peslova, Katerina; Zabka, Martin; Hajduch, Marian; Havlicek, Vladimir

2009-02-01

We applied both matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometric and 1D sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic (1D-PAGE) approaches for direct analysis of intact fungal spores of twenty four Aspergillus species. In parallel, we optimized various protocols for protein extraction from Aspergillus spores using acidic conditions, step organic gradient and variable sonication treatment. The MALDI-TOF mass spectra obtained from optimally prepared samples provided a reproducible fingerprint demonstrating the capability of the MALDI-TOF approach to type and characterize different fungal strains within the Aspergillus genus. Mass spectra of intact fungal spores provided signals mostly below 20 kDa. The minimum material amount represented 0.3 [mu]g (10,000 spores). Proteins with higher molecular weight were detected by 1D-PAGEE Eleven proteins were identified from three selected strains in the range 5-25 kDa by the proteomic approach. Hemolysin and hydrophobin have the highest relevance in host-pathogen interactions.

Hsp20 Protects against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reperfusion-Induced Golgi Fragmentation and Apoptosis through Fas/FasL Pathway

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Bingwu Zhong

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury plays an important role in the development of tissue injury after acute ischemic stroke. Finding effective neuroprotective agents has become a priority in the treatment of ischemic stroke. The Golgi apparatus (GA is a pivotal organelle and its protection is an attractive target in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Protective effects of Hsp20, a potential cytoprotective agent due to its chaperone-like activity and involvement in regulation of many vital processes, on GA were assessed in an ischemia-reperfusion injury model. Mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2a (N2a cells were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGDR insult. OGDR induces Golgi fragmentation, apoptosis, and p115 cleavage in N2a cells. However, transfection with Hsp20 significantly attenuates OGDR-induced Golgi fragmentation and apoptosis. Hsp20 interacts with Bax, decreases FasL and Bax expression, and inhibits caspases 3 and p115 cleavage in N2a cells exposed to OGDR. Our data demonstrate that increased Hsp20 expression protects against OGDR-induced Golgi fragmentation and apoptosis, likely through interaction with Bax and subsequent amelioration of the OGDR-induced elevation in p115 cleavage via the Fas/FasL signaling pathway. This neuroprotective potential of Hsp20 against OGDR insult and the underlying mechanism will pave the way for its potential clinical application for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion related disorders.

Identification and characterization of haemofungin, a novel antifungal compound that inhibits the final step of haem biosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Yaakov, Dafna; Rivkin, Anna; Mircus, Gabriel; Albert, Nathaniel; Dietl, Anna-Maria; Kovalerchick, Dimitry; Carmeli, Shmuel; Haas, Hubertus; Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P; Osherov, Nir

2016-04-01

During recent decades, the number of invasive fungal infections among immunosuppressed patients has increased significantly, whereas the number of effective systemic antifungal drugs remains low and unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to characterize a novel antifungal compound, CW-8/haemofungin, which we previously identified in a screen for compounds affecting fungal cell wall integrity. The in vitro characteristics of haemofungin were investigated by MIC evaluation against a panel of pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi, bacteria and mammalian cells in culture. Haemofungin mode-of-action studies were performed by screening an Aspergillus nidulans overexpression genomic library for resistance-conferring plasmids and biochemical validation of the target. In vivo efficacy was tested in the Galleria mellonella and Drosophila melanogaster insect models of infection. We demonstrate that haemofungin causes swelling and lysis of growing fungal cells. It inhibits the growth of pathogenic Aspergillus, Candida, Fusarium and Rhizopus isolates at micromolar concentrations, while only weakly affecting the growth of mammalian cell lines. Genetic and biochemical analyses in A. nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus indicate that haemofungin primarily inhibits ferrochelatase (HemH), the last enzyme in the haem biosynthetic pathway. Haemofungin was non-toxic and significantly reduced mortality rates of G. mellonella and D. melanogaster infected with A. fumigatus and Rhizopus oryzae, respectively. Further development and in vivo validation of haemofungin is warranted. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Two novel aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species from Argentinean peanuts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pildain, M.B.; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Vaamonde, G.

2008-01-01

Two novel species from Aspergillus section Flavi from different species of Arachis (peanuts) in Argentina are described as Aspergillus arachidicola sp. nov. and Aspergillus minisclerotigenes sp. nov. Their novel taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach with phenotypic...

Neutral sphingomyelinase (SMPD3) deficiency disrupts the Golgi secretory pathway and causes growth inhibition

Science.gov (United States)

Stoffel, Wilhelm; Hammels, Ina; Jenke, Bitta; Binczek, Erika; Schmidt-Soltau, Inga; Brodesser, Susanne; Schauss, Astrid; Etich, Julia; Heilig, Juliane; Zaucke, Frank

2016-01-01

Systemic loss of neutral sphingomyelinase (SMPD3) in mice leads to a novel form of systemic, juvenile hypoplasia (dwarfism). SMPD3 deficiency in mainly two growth regulating cell types contributes to the phenotype, in chondrocytes of skeletal growth zones to skeletal malformation and chondrodysplasia, and in hypothalamic neurosecretory neurons to systemic hypothalamus–pituitary–somatotropic hypoplasia. The unbiased smpd3−/− mouse mutant and derived smpd3−/− primary chondrocytes were instrumental in defining the enigmatic role underlying the systemic and cell autonomous role of SMPD3 in the Golgi compartment. Here we describe the unprecedented role of SMPD3. SMPD3 deficiency disrupts homeostasis of sphingomyelin (SM), ceramide (Cer) and diacylglycerol (DAG) in the Golgi SMPD3-SMS1 (SM-synthase1) cycle. Cer and DAG, two fusogenic intermediates, modify the membrane lipid bilayer for the initiation of vesicle formation and transport. Dysproteostasis, unfolded protein response, endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis perturb the Golgi secretory pathway in the smpd3−/− mouse. Secretion of extracellular matrix proteins is arrested in chondrocytes and causes skeletal malformation and chondrodysplasia. Similarly, retarded secretion of proteo-hormones in hypothalamic neurosecretory neurons leads to hypothalamus induced combined pituitary hormone deficiency. SMPD3 in the regulation of the protein vesicular secretory pathway may become a diagnostic target in the etiology of unknown forms of juvenile growth and developmental inhibition. PMID:27882938

Overexpression of Rab22a hampers the transport between endosomes and the Golgi apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesa, Rosana; Magadan, Javier; Barbieri, Alejandro; Lopez, Cecilia; Stahl, Philip D.; Mayorga, Luis S.

2005-01-01

The transport and sorting of soluble and membrane-associated macromolecules arriving at endosomal compartments require a complex set of Rab proteins. Rab22a has been localized to the endocytic compartment; however, very little is known about the function of Rab22a and inconsistent results have been reported in studies performed in different cell lines. To characterize the function of Rab22a in endocytic transport, the wild-type protein (Rab22a WT), a hydrolysis-deficient mutant (Rab22a Q64L), and a mutant with reduced affinity for GTP (Rab22a S19N) were expressed in CHO cells. None of the three Rab22a constructs affected the transport of rhodamine-dextran to lysosomes, the digestion of internalized proteins, or the lysosomal localization of cathepsin D. In contrast with the mild effect of Rab22a on the endosome-lysosome route, cells expressing Rab22a WT and Rab22a Q64L presented a strong delay in the retrograde transport of cholera toxin from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus. Moreover, these cells accumulated the cation independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor in endosomes. These observations indicate that Rab22a can affect the trafficking from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus probably by promoting fusion among endosomes and impairing the proper segregation of membrane domains required for targeting to the trans-Golgi network (TGN)

Phylogeny, identification and nomenclature of the genus Aspergillus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, R.A.; Visagie, C.M.; Houbraken, J.

2014-01-01

, meaning that a decision had to be made whether to keep Aspergillus as one big genus or to split it into several smaller genera. The International Commission of Penicillium and Aspergillus decided to keep Aspergillus instead of using smaller genera. In this paper, we present the arguments for this decision...... data suggest that together with genera such as Polypaecilum, Phialosimplex, Dichotomomyces and Cristaspora, Aspergillus forms a monophyletic clade closely related to Penicillium. Changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants resulted in the move to one name per species....... We introduce new combinations for accepted species presently lacking an Aspergillus name and provide an updated accepted species list for the genus, now containing 339 species. To add to the scientific value of the list, we include information about living ex-type culture collection numbers and Gen...

TCR¿ is transported to and retained in the Golgi apparatus independently of other TCR chains: implications for TCR assembly

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dietrich, J; Kastrup, J; Lauritsen, Jens Peter Holst

1999-01-01

. This study focused on the intracellular localization and transport of partially assembled TCR complexes as determined by confocal microscopy analyses. We found that none of the TCR chains except for TCRzeta were allowed to exit the ER in T cell variants in which the hexameric CD3gammaepsilonTi alphabetaCD3...... deltaepsilon complex was not formed. Interestingly, TCRzeta was exported from the ER independently of other TCR chains and was predominantly located in a compartment identified as the Golgi apparatus. Furthermore, in the TCRzeta-negative cell line MA5.8, the hexameric CD3gammaepsilonTi alphabetaCD3...... the ER to the Golgi apparatus independently of each other and that these partial TCR complexes are unable to be efficiently expressed at the cell surface suggest that final TCR assembly occurs in the Golgi apparatus....

Engineering the Polyketide Cell Factory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mølgaard, Louise

sufficient titers. To improve the production of polyketides biological engineering principles have been applied for the development and engineering of microbial polyketide cell factories. The two biological hosts used for heterologous polyketide production were Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces...... phosphopantetheinylase (PPTase). This versatile vector system can easily be used for expression of other polyketides of interest as well as extended to express whole gene clusters. After achieving proof of principle in terms of expression, the polyketide cell factory must be optimized. The optimization can be achieved...... characterization in bioreactors revealed that the yields of 6-MSA on biomass increased albeit not significantly. As a result of this it may be argued that there is still more work to be done in terms of model building in A. nidulans. Utilizing another well-established cell factory S. cerevisiae the capabilities...

Aspergillus pragensis sp nov discovered during molecular reidentification of clinical isolates belonging to Aspergillus section Candidi

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hubka, Vít; Lysková, P.; Frisvad, J.C.; Peterson, S.W.; Skořepová, M.; Kolařík, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 52, č. 6 (2014), s. 565-576 ISSN 1369-3786 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.20.0055; GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.30.0003 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Aspergillus candidus * Aspergillus tritici * antifungal susceptibility testing Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.335, year: 2014

Dynamin-like protein 1 at the Golgi complex: A novel component of the sorting/targeting machinery en route to the plasma membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonekamp, Nina A.; Vormund, Kerstin; Jacob, Ralf; Schrader, Michael

2010-01-01

The final step in the liberation of secretory vesicles from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) involves the mechanical action of the large GTPase dynamin as well as conserved dynamin-independent fission mechanisms, e.g. mediated by Brefeldin A-dependent ADP-ribosylated substrate (BARS). Another member of the dynamin family is the mammalian dynamin-like protein 1 (DLP1/Drp1) that is known to constrict and tubulate membranes, and to divide mitochondria and peroxisomes. Here, we examined a potential role for DLP1 at the Golgi complex. DLP1 localized to the Golgi complex in some but not all cell lines tested, thus explaining controversial reports on its cellular distribution. After silencing of DLP1, an accumulation of the apical reporter protein YFP-GL-GPI, but not the basolateral reporter VSVG-SP-GFP at the Golgi complex was observed. A reduction in the transport of YFP-GL-GPI to the plasma membrane was confirmed by surface immunoprecipitation and TGN-exit assays. In contrast, YFP-GL-GPI trafficking was not disturbed in cells silenced for BARS, which is involved in basolateral sorting and trafficking of VSVG-SP-GFP in COS-7 cells. Our data indicate a new role for DLP1 at the Golgi complex and thus a role for DLP1 as a novel component of the apical sorting machinery at the TGN is discussed.

Determinants for membrane association and permeabilization of the coxsackievirus 2B protein and the identification of the Golgi complex as the target organelle.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Arjan S; Wessels, Els; Dijkman, Henri B P M; Galama, Jochem M D; Melchers, Willem J G; Willems, Peter H G M; van Kuppeveld, Frank J M

2003-01-10

The 2B protein of enterovirus is responsible for the alterations in the permeability of secretory membranes and the plasma membrane in infected cells. The structural requirements for the membrane association and the subcellular localization of this essential virus protein, however, have not been defined. Here, we provide evidence that the 2B protein is an integral membrane protein in vivo that is predominantly localized at the Golgi complex upon individual expression. Addition of organelle-specific targeting signals to the 2B protein revealed that the Golgi localization is an absolute prerequisite for the ability of the protein to modify plasma membrane permeability. Expression of deletion mutants and heterologous proteins containing specific domains of the 2B protein demonstrated that each of the two hydrophobic regions could mediate membrane binding individually. However, the presence of both hydrophobic regions was required for the correct membrane association, efficient Golgi targeting, and the membrane-permeabilizing activity of the 2B protein, suggesting that the two hydrophobic regions are cooperatively involved in the formation of a membrane-integral complex. The formation of membrane-integral pores by the 2B protein in the Golgi complex and the possible mechanism by which a Golgi-localized virus protein modifies plasma membrane permeability are discussed.

Molecular epidemiology of Aspergillus collected from cystic fibrosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabino, Raquel; Ferreira, Jose A G; Moss, Richard B; Valente, Joana; Veríssimo, Cristina; Carolino, Elisabete; Clemons, Karl V; Everson, Cassie; Banaei, Niaz; Penner, John; Stevens, David A

2015-07-01

Aspergillus respiratory infection is a common complication in cystic fibrosis (CF) and is associated with loss of pulmonary function and allergic disease. Fifty-three Aspergillus isolates recovered from CF patients were identified to species by Internal Transcribed Spacer Region (ITS), β-tubulin, and calmodulin sequencing. Three species complexes (Terrei, Nigri, and Fumigati) were found. Identification to species level gave a single Aspergillus terreus sensu stricto, one Aspergillus niger sensu stricto and 51 Aspergillus fumigatus sensu stricto isolates. No cryptic species were found. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study of Aspergillus species in CF using molecular methods. The paucity of non-A. fumigatus and of cryptic species of A. fumigatus suggests a special association of A. fumigatus sensu stricto with CF airways, indicating it likely displays unique characteristics making it suitable for chronic residence in that milieu. These findings could refine an epidemiologic and therapeutic approach geared to this pathogen. Copyright © 2014 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biotransformation of two furanocoumarins by the fungi species Aspergillus sp. PTCC 5266 and Aspergillus niger PTCC 5010.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Saba; Habibi, Zohreh; Mohajeri, Maryam; Yousefi, Maryam

2018-02-22

The microbial transformations of peucedanin and oreoselon by the fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus sp. were investigated for the first time. Incubation of peucedanin with A. niger yielded a new hydroxylated metabolite with high yield (56%), which was characterized as 2-(1-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3-methoxy-7H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-7-one. Oreoselon was converted to a new reduced metabolite methyl 3-(2,3-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-isopropyl-3-oxobenzofuran-5-yl)propanoate in biotransformation by Aspergillus sp. The structures of the metabolites were determined by spectroscopic methods including IR, EI-MS, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and elemental analysis.

[Aspergillus species in hospital environments with pediatric patients in critical condition].

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Mariana; Cattana, María; Rojas, Florencia; Sosa, María de Los Ángeles; Aguirre, Clarisa; Vergara, Marta; Giusiano, Gustavo

2014-01-01

Aspergillus is a group of opportunistic fungi that cause infections, with high morbimortality in immunosuppressed patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most frequent species in these infections, although the incidence of other species has increased in the last few years. To evaluate the air fungal load and the diversity of Aspergillus species in hospitals with pediatric patients in critical condition. The Intensive Care Unit and Burns Unit of a pediatric hospital were sampled every 15 days during the autumn and spring seasons. The air samples were collected with SAS Super 100(®) and the surface samples were collected by swab method. The UFC/m(3) counts found exceeded the acceptable levels. The UFC/m(3) and the diversity of Aspergillus species found in the Intensive Care Unit were higher than those found in the Burns Unit. The fungal load and the diversity of species within the units were higher than those in control environments. The use of both methods -SAS and swab- allowed the detection of a higher diversity of species, with 96 strains of Aspergillus being isolated and 12 species identified. The outstanding findings were Aspergillus sydowii, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus parasiticus, due to their high frequency. Aspergillus fumigatus, considered unacceptable in indoor environments, was isolated in both units. Aspergillus was present with high frequency in these units. Several species are of interest in public health for being potential pathogenic agents. Air control and monitoring are essential in the prevention of these infections. Copyright © 2013 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Short length transmembrane domains having voluminous exoplasmic halves determine retention of Type II membrane proteins in the Golgi complex

OpenAIRE

Quiroga, Rodrigo; Trenchi, Alejandra; Gonzalez Montoro, Ayelén; Valdez, Javier Esteban; Maccioni, Hugo Jose Fernando

2017-01-01

It is still unclear why some proteins that travel along the secretory pathway are retained in the Golgi complex whereas others make their way to the plasma membrane. Recent bioinformatic analyses on a large number of single-spanning membrane proteins support the hypothesis that specific features of the transmembrane domain (TMD) are relevant to the sorting of these proteins to particular organelles. Here we experimentally test this hypothesis for Golgi and plasma membrane proteins. Using the ...

GABARAP activates ULK1 and traffics from the centrosome dependent on Golgi partners WAC and GOLGA2/GM130

OpenAIRE

Joachim, Justin; Tooze, Sharon A.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT WAC and GOLGA2/GM130 are 2 Golgi proteins that affect autophagy; however, their mechanism of action was unknown. We have shown that WAC binding to GOLGA2 at the Golgi displaces GABARAP from GOLGA2 to allow the maintenance of a nonlipidated centrosomal GABARAP pool. Centrosomal GABARAP can traffic to autophagic structures during starvation. In addition GABARAP specifically promotes ULK1 activation and this is independent of GABARAP lipidation but likely requires a LIR-mediated GABARAP...

Characterization of the sterol and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate binding properties of Golgi-associated OSBP-related protein 9 (ORP9.

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Xinwei Liu

Full Text Available Oxysterol binding protein (OSBP and OSBP-related proteins (ORPS have a conserved lipid-binding fold that accommodates cholesterol, oxysterols and/or phospholipids. The diversity of OSBP/ORPs and their potential ligands has complicated the analysis of transfer and signalling properties of this mammalian gene family. In this study we explored the use of the fluorescent sterol cholestatrienol (CTL to measure sterol binding by ORP9 and competition by other putative ligands. Relative to cholesterol, CTL and dehydroergosterol (DHE were poor ligands for OSBP. In contrast, both long (ORP9L and short (ORP9S variants of ORP9 rapidly extracted CTL, and to a lesser extent DHE, from liposomes. ORP9L and ORP9S also extracted [32P]phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI-4P from liposomes, which was inhibited by mutating two conserved histidine residues (HH488,489AA at the entrance to the binding pocket but not by a mutation in the lid region that inhibited cholesterol binding. Results of direct binding and competition assays showed that phosphatidylserine was poorly extracted from liposomes by ORP9 compared to CTL and PI-4P. ORP9L and PI-4P did not co-localize in the trans-Golgi/TGN of HeLa cells, and siRNA silencing of ORP9L expression did not affect PI-4P distribution in the Golgi apparatus. However, transient overexpression of ORP9L or ORP9S in CHO cells, but not the corresponding PI-4P binding mutants, prevented immunostaining of Golgi-associated PI-4P. The apparent sequestration of Golgi PI-4P by ORP9S was identified as a possible mechanism for its growth inhibitory effects. These studies identify ORP9 as a dual sterol/PI-4P binding protein that could regulate PI-4P in the Golgi apparatus.

Characterization of the sterol and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate binding properties of Golgi-associated OSBP-related protein 9 (ORP9).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xinwei; Ridgway, Neale D

2014-01-01

Oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) and OSBP-related proteins (ORPS) have a conserved lipid-binding fold that accommodates cholesterol, oxysterols and/or phospholipids. The diversity of OSBP/ORPs and their potential ligands has complicated the analysis of transfer and signalling properties of this mammalian gene family. In this study we explored the use of the fluorescent sterol cholestatrienol (CTL) to measure sterol binding by ORP9 and competition by other putative ligands. Relative to cholesterol, CTL and dehydroergosterol (DHE) were poor ligands for OSBP. In contrast, both long (ORP9L) and short (ORP9S) variants of ORP9 rapidly extracted CTL, and to a lesser extent DHE, from liposomes. ORP9L and ORP9S also extracted [32P]phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI-4P) from liposomes, which was inhibited by mutating two conserved histidine residues (HH488,489AA) at the entrance to the binding pocket but not by a mutation in the lid region that inhibited cholesterol binding. Results of direct binding and competition assays showed that phosphatidylserine was poorly extracted from liposomes by ORP9 compared to CTL and PI-4P. ORP9L and PI-4P did not co-localize in the trans-Golgi/TGN of HeLa cells, and siRNA silencing of ORP9L expression did not affect PI-4P distribution in the Golgi apparatus. However, transient overexpression of ORP9L or ORP9S in CHO cells, but not the corresponding PI-4P binding mutants, prevented immunostaining of Golgi-associated PI-4P. The apparent sequestration of Golgi PI-4P by ORP9S was identified as a possible mechanism for its growth inhibitory effects. These studies identify ORP9 as a dual sterol/PI-4P binding protein that could regulate PI-4P in the Golgi apparatus.

Identification of thermostable β-xylosidase activities produced by Aspergillus brasiliensis and Aspergillus niger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Mads; Lauritzen, Henrik Klitgaard; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2007-01-01

Twenty Aspergillus strains were evaluated for production of extracellular cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities. Aspergillus brasiliensis, A. niger and A. japonicus produced the highest xylanase activities with the A. brasiliensis and A. niger strains producing thermostable beta......-xylosidases. The beta-xylosidase activities of the A. brasiliensis and A. niger strains had similar temperature and pH optima at 75 degrees C and pH 5 and retained 62% and 99%, respectively, of these activities over 1 h at 60 degrees C. At 75 degrees C, these values were 38 and 44%, respectively. Whereas A. niger...

Genomic Diversity in the Genus of Aspergillus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jane Lind Nybo

, sections and genus of Aspergillus. The work uncovers a large genomic diversity across all studied groups of species. The genomic diversity was especially evident on the section level, where the proteins shared by all species only represents ⇠55% of the proteome. This number decreases even further, to 38......, sections Nigri, Usti and Cavericolus, clade Tubingensis, and species A. niger. It lastly uses these results to predict genetic traits that take part in fungal speciation. Within a few years the Aspergillus whole-genus sequencing project will have published all currently-accepted Aspergillus genomes......Aspergillus is a highly important genus of saprotrophic filamentous fungi. It is a very diverse genus that is inextricably intertwined with human a↵airs on a daily basis, holding species relevant to plant and human pathology, enzyme and bulk chemistry production, food and beverage biotechnology...

Hepatic trans-Golgi action coordinated by the GTPase ARFRP1 is crucial for lipoprotein lipidation and assembly[S

Science.gov (United States)

Hesse, Deike; Radloff, Katrin; Jaschke, Alexander; Lagerpusch, Merit; Chung, Bomee; Tailleux, Anne; Staels, Bart; Schürmann, Annette

2014-01-01

The liver is a major organ in whole body lipid metabolism and malfunctioning can lead to various diseases including dyslipidemia, fatty liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. Triglycerides and cholesteryl esters are packed in the liver as very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs). Generation of these lipoproteins is initiated in the endoplasmic reticulum and further maturation likely occurs in the Golgi. ADP-ribosylation factor-related protein 1 (ARFRP1) is a small trans-Golgi-associated guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) that regulates protein sorting and is required for chylomicron lipidation and assembly in the intestine. Here we show that the hepatocyte-specific deletion of Arfrp1 (Arfrp1liv−/−) results in impaired VLDL lipidation leading to reduced plasma triglyceride levels in the fasted state as well as after inhibition of lipoprotein lipase activity by Triton WR-1339. In addition, the concentration of ApoC3 that comprises 40% of protein mass of secreted VLDLs is markedly reduced in the plasma of Arfrp1liv−/− mice but accumulates in the liver accompanied by elevated triglycerides. Fractionation of Arfrp1liv−/− liver homogenates reveals more ApoB48 and a lower concentration of triglycerides in the Golgi compartments than in the corresponding fractions from control livers. In conclusion, ARFRP1 and the Golgi apparatus play an important role in lipoprotein maturation in the liver by influencing lipidation and assembly of proteins to the lipid particles. PMID:24186947

Role of the AP-5 adaptor protein complex in late endosome-to-Golgi retrieval.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Hirst

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The AP-5 adaptor protein complex is presumed to function in membrane traffic, but so far nothing is known about its pathway or its cargo. We have used CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out the AP-5 ζ subunit gene, AP5Z1, in HeLa cells, and then analysed the phenotype by subcellular fractionation profiling and quantitative mass spectrometry. The retromer complex had an altered steady-state distribution in the knockout cells, and several Golgi proteins, including GOLIM4 and GOLM1, were depleted from vesicle-enriched fractions. Immunolocalisation showed that loss of AP-5 led to impaired retrieval of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CIMPR, GOLIM4, and GOLM1 from endosomes back to the Golgi region. Knocking down the retromer complex exacerbated this phenotype. Both the CIMPR and sortilin interacted with the AP-5-associated protein SPG15 in pull-down assays, and we propose that sortilin may act as a link between Golgi proteins and the AP-5/SPG11/SPG15 complex. Together, our findings suggest that AP-5 functions in a novel sorting step out of late endosomes, acting as a backup pathway for retromer. This provides a mechanistic explanation for why mutations in AP-5/SPG11/SPG15 cause cells to accumulate aberrant endolysosomes, and highlights the role of endosome/lysosome dysfunction in the pathology of hereditary spastic paraplegia and other neurodegenerative disorders.

GABARAP activates ULK1 and traffics from the centrosome dependent on Golgi partners WAC and GOLGA2/GM130.

Science.gov (United States)

Joachim, Justin; Tooze, Sharon A

2016-05-03

WAC and GOLGA2/GM130 are 2 Golgi proteins that affect autophagy; however, their mechanism of action was unknown. We have shown that WAC binding to GOLGA2 at the Golgi displaces GABARAP from GOLGA2 to allow the maintenance of a nonlipidated centrosomal GABARAP pool. Centrosomal GABARAP can traffic to autophagic structures during starvation. In addition GABARAP specifically promotes ULK1 activation and this is independent of GABARAP lipidation but likely requires a LIR-mediated GABARAP-ULK1 interaction.

PI3K class II α regulates δ-opioid receptor export from the trans-Golgi network.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiwarski, Daniel J; Darr, Marlena; Telmer, Cheryl A; Bruchez, Marcel P; Puthenveedu, Manojkumar A

2017-08-01

The interplay between signaling and trafficking by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has focused mainly on endocytic trafficking. Whether and how surface delivery of newly synthesized GPCRs is regulated by extracellular signals is less understood. Here we define a signaling-regulated checkpoint at the trans -Golgi network (TGN) that controls the surface delivery of the delta opioid receptor (δR). In PC12 cells, inhibition of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) activity blocked export of newly synthesized δR from the Golgi and delivery to the cell surface, similar to treatment with nerve growth factor (NGF). Depletion of class II phosphoinositide-3 kinase α (PI3K C2A), but not inhibition of class I PI3K, blocked δR export to comparable levels and attenuated δR-mediated cAMP inhibition. NGF treatment displaced PI3K C2A from the Golgi and optogenetic recruitment of the PI3K C2A kinase domain to the TGN-induced δR export downstream of NGF. Of importance, PI3K C2A expression promotes export of endogenous δR in primary trigeminal ganglion neurons. Taken together, our results identify PI3K C2A as being required and sufficient for δR export and surface delivery in neuronal cells and suggest that it could be a key modulator of a novel Golgi export checkpoint that coordinates GPCR delivery to the surface. © 2017 Shiwarski et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transitions upon herpes virus infection [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Wild

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Herpesvirus capsids are assembled in the nucleus, translocated to the perinuclear space by budding, acquiring tegument and envelope, or released to the cytoplasm via impaired nuclear envelope. One model proposes that envelopment, “de-envelopment” and “re-envelopment” is essential for production of infectious virus. Glycoproteins gB/gH were reported to be essential for de-envelopment, by fusion of the “primary” envelope with the outer nuclear membrane. Yet, a high proportion of enveloped virions generated from genomes with deleted gB/gH were found in the cytoplasm and extracellular space, suggesting the existence of alternative exit routes. Methods: We investigated the relatedness between the nuclear envelope and membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, in cells infected with either herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1 or a Us3 deletion mutant thereof, or with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1 by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, employing freezing technique protocols. Results:  The Golgi complex is a compact entity in a juxtanuclear position covered by a membrane on the cis face. Golgi membranes merge with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum forming an entity with the perinuclear space. All compartments contained enveloped virions. After treatment with brefeldin A, HSV-1 virions aggregated in the perinuclear space and endoplasmic reticulum, while infectious progeny virus was still produced. Conclusions: The data suggest that virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are intraluminally transported from the perinuclear space via Golgi -endoplasmic reticulum transitions into Golgi cisternae for packaging. Virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are infective like Us3 deletion mutants, which  accumulate in the perinuclear space. Therefore, i de-envelopment followed by re-envelopment is not essential for production of infective progeny virus, ii the process taking place at the outer nuclear

3D Printing of Plant Golgi Stacks from Their Electron Tomographic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Keith Ka Ki; Kang, Madison J; Kang, Byung-Ho

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an effective tool for preparing tangible 3D models from computer visualizations to assist in scientific research and education. With the recent popularization of 3D printing processes, it is now possible for individual laboratories to convert their scientific data into a physical form suitable for presentation or teaching purposes. Electron tomography is an electron microscopy method by which 3D structures of subcellular organelles or macromolecular complexes are determined at nanometer-level resolutions. Electron tomography analyses have revealed the convoluted membrane architectures of Golgi stacks, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. But the intricacy of their 3D organizations is difficult to grasp from tomographic models illustrated on computer screens. Despite the rapid development of 3D printing technologies, production of organelle models based on experimental data with 3D printing has rarely been documented. In this chapter, we present a simple guide to creating 3D prints of electron tomographic models of plant Golgi stacks using the two most accessible 3D printing technologies.

21 CFR 866.3040 - Aspergillus spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3040 Aspergillus... consist of antigens and antisera used in various serological tests to identify antibodies to Aspergillus...

Aspergillus is monophyletic: Evidence from multiple gene phylogenies and extrolites profiles

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S. Kocsubé

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus is one of the economically most important fungal genera. Recently, the ICN adopted the single name nomenclature which has forced mycologists to choose one name for fungi (e.g. Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, etc.. Previously two proposals for the single name nomenclature in Aspergillus were presented: one attributes the name “Aspergillus” to clades comprising seven different teleomorphic names, by supporting the monophyly of this genus; the other proposes that Aspergillus is a non-monophyletic genus, by preserving the Aspergillus name only to species belonging to subgenus Circumdati and maintaining the sexual names in the other clades. The aim of our study was to test the monophyly of Aspergilli by two independent phylogenetic analyses using a multilocus phylogenetic approach. One test was run on the publicly available coding regions of six genes (RPB1, RPB2, Tsr1, Cct8, BenA, CaM, using 96 species of Penicillium, Aspergillus and related taxa. Bayesian (MrBayes and Ultrafast Maximum Likelihood (IQ-Tree and Rapid Maximum Likelihood (RaxML analyses gave the same conclusion highly supporting the monophyly of Aspergillus. The other analyses were also performed by using publicly available data of the coding sequences of nine loci (18S rRNA, 5,8S rRNA, 28S rRNA (D1-D2, RPB1, RPB2, CaM, BenA, Tsr1, Cct8 of 204 different species. Both Bayesian (MrBayes and Maximum Likelihood (RAxML trees obtained by this second round of independent analyses strongly supported the monophyly of the genus Aspergillus. The stability test also confirmed the robustness of the results obtained. In conclusion, statistical analyses have rejected the hypothesis that the Aspergilli are non-monophyletic, and provided robust arguments that the genus is monophyletic and clearly separated from the monophyletic genus Penicillium. There is no phylogenetic evidence to split Aspergillus into several genera and the name Aspergillus can be used for all the species

FAM21 directs SNX27–retromer cargoes to the plasma membrane by preventing transport to the Golgi apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seongju; Chang, Jaerak; Blackstone, Craig

2016-01-01

The endosomal network maintains cellular homeostasis by sorting, recycling and degrading endocytosed cargoes. Retromer organizes the endosomal sorting pathway in conjunction with various sorting nexin (SNX) proteins. The SNX27–retromer complex has recently been identified as a major endosomal hub that regulates endosome-to-plasma membrane recycling by preventing lysosomal entry of cargoes. Here, we show that SNX27 directly interacts with FAM21, which also binds retromer, within the Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein and SCAR homologue (WASH) complex. This interaction is required for the precise localization of SNX27 at an endosomal subdomain as well as for recycling of SNX27-retromer cargoes. Furthermore, FAM21 prevents cargo transport to the Golgi apparatus by controlling levels of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, which facilitates cargo dissociation at the Golgi. Together, our results demonstrate that the SNX27–retromer–WASH complex directs cargoes to the plasma membrane by blocking their transport to lysosomes and the Golgi. PMID:26956659

Aspergillus contaminans

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus contaminans is described as a new species from the fingernail of a patient with an infected nail. Phylogenetic analysis of four loci (ITS, calmodulin, beta tubulin and RNA polymerase beta, second largest subunit) showed that this species is most closely related to A. carlsbadensis from A...

Radiological abnormalities associated with Aspergillus colonization in a cystic fibrosis population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMahon, Michelle A.; Chotirmall, Sanjay Haresh; McCullagh, Brian; Branagan, Peter; McElvaney, N.G.; Logan, P.M.

2012-01-01

Objective: To determine if sputum colonization with Aspergillus species in patients with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) correlates with radiological abnormalities and/or a reduction in pulmonary function (FEV1). Methods: We prospectively evaluated 32 PWCF utilizing high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax and pulmonary function testing (PFT). The cohort was assessed as two groups: Aspergillus positive (n = 16) and Aspergillus negative (n = 16) based on sputum culture for Aspergillus species. A modified Bhalla scoring system was applied to each HRCT scan by two blinded radiologists. Results: Aspergillus positive patients had more severe and significant bronchiectasis compared to those Aspergillus negative (p < 0.05). This was most marked in the right upper and lower lobes (RUL, RLL). Total Bhalla score was clinically significant in both groups and approached statistical significance between groups (p = 0.063). No difference in pulmonary function between the groups was detected. Conclusion: PWCF colonized by Aspergillus species have greater radiological abnormalities undetectable by PFTs. Early radiological evaluation of Aspergillus colonized PWCF is therefore warranted.

The Golgi localized bifunctional UDP-rhamnose/UDP-galactose transporter family of Arabidopsis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rautengarten, Carsten; Ebert, Berit; Moreno, Ignacio

2014-01-01

Delivery of nucleotide sugar substrates into the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum for processes such as cell wall biosynthesis and protein glycosylation is critical for plant growth and development. Plant genomes encode large families of uncharacterized nucleotide sugar transporters that...

Utilization of Low-Cost Ellagitannins for Ellagic Acid Production and Antimicrobial Phenolics Enhancing By Aspergillus awamorii and Aspergillus oryzae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Bialy, H.A.; Abd EL-Aziz, A.B.

2009-01-01

Three fungal strains, Aspergillus awamorii A 9 , Aspergillus awamorii A 2 3 and Aspergillus oryzae O 2 , were selected out of ten fungal strains for their activeness in converting pomegranate peel ellagitannins into ellagic acid. When pomegranate peel was fermented by Aspergillus awamorii A 9 , the highest yields of ellagic acid (7.93±0.23 mg/g solid substrate) and total soluble phenolics (14.61±0.36 mg/g solid substrate) were produced at 5 and 10 days of incubation, respectively. Also, blue berry pomace, red grape pomace, strawberry pomace were evaluated as low cost ellagitannin sources for ellagic acid and soluble phenolics production. The antimicrobial activity of soluble phenolics extracted from fermented pomegranate peel and strawberry pomace was tested against two food-borne pathogens (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium). This study also revealed that 3 kGy enhanced the activity of antimicrobial phenolics

Characterization of p28, a novel ERGIC/"cis"-Golgi protein, required for Golgi ribbon formation. pH measurements in the early secretory pathway "in vivo"

OpenAIRE

Kögler, Eva Jutta

2008-01-01

The secretory pathway of mammalian cells consists of several compartments. Transport between these organelles is accomplished via vesicular carriers or maturation. For non abundant proteins it is thought that transport receptors help the proteins to exit the ER in an effective way. The best characterized mammalian cargo receptor is ERGIC-53, which transports blood coagulation factor V and VIII, cathespin C and Z as well as alpha1-antitrypsin. It localizes to the ER Golgi intermediate compartm...

Aspergillus otitis in small animals--a retrospective study of 17 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodale, Elizabeth C; Outerbridge, Catherine A; White, Stephen D

2016-02-01

Aspergillus spp. are saprophytic opportunistic fungal organisms and are a common cause of otomycosis in humans. Although there have been case reports of Aspergillus otitis externa in dogs, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first retrospective case series describing Aspergillus otitis in dogs and cats. To characterize signalment, putative risk factors, treatments and outcomes of a case series of dogs and cats with Aspergillus otitis. Eight dogs and nine cats diagnosed with Aspergillus otitis. A retrospective review of medical records from 1989 to 2014 identified animals diagnosed with Aspergillus otitis based on culture. All dogs weighed greater than 23 kg. The most common putative risk factors identified in this study were concurrent diseases, therapy causing immunosuppression or a history of an otic foreign body. Aspergillus otitis was unilateral in all study dogs and most cats. Concurrent otitis media was confirmed in three dogs and one cat, and suspected in two additional cats. Aspergillus fumigatus was the most common isolate overall and was the dominant isolate in cats. Aspergillus niger and A. terreus were more commonly isolated from dogs. Animals received various topical and systemic antifungal medications; however, otic lavage under anaesthesia and/or surgical intervention increased the likelihood of resolution of the fungal infection. Aspergillus otitis is uncommon, typically seen as unilateral otitis externa in cats and larger breed dogs with possible risk factors that include immunosuppression and otic foreign bodies; previous antibiotic usage was common. © 2015 ESVD and ACVD.

Constitutive expression of fluorescent protein by Aspergillus var. niger and Aspergillus carbonarius to monitor fungal colonization in maize plants

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus niger and A. carbonarius are two species in the Aspergillus section Nigri (black-spored aspergilli) frequently associated with peanut (Arachis hypogea), maize (Zea mays), and other plants as pathogens. These infections are symptomless and as such are major concerns since some black aspe...

Expression of Aspergillus hemoglobin domain activities in Aspergillus oryzae grown on solid substrates improves growth rate and enzyme production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biesebeke, te R.; Boussier, A.; Biezen van, N.; Braaksma, M.; Hondel, van den C.A.M.J.J.; Vos, de W.M.; Punt, P.J.

2006-01-01

DNA fragments coding for hemoglobin domains (HBD) were isolated from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger. The HBD activities were expressed in A. oryzae by introduction of HBD gene fragments under the control of the promoter of the constitutively expressed gpdA gene. In the transformants,

Selectivity of neuronal [3H]GABA accumulation in the visual cortex as revealed by Golgi staining of the labeled neurons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somogyi, P.; Freund, T.F.; Kisvarday, Z.F.; Halasz, N.

1981-01-01

[ 3 H]GABA was injected into the visual cortex of rats in vivo. The labeled amino acid was demonstrated by autoradiography using semithin sections of Golgi material. Selective accumulation was seen in the perikarya of Golgi-stained, gold-toned, aspinous stellate neurons. Spine-laden pyramidal-like cells did not show labeling. This method gives direct information about the dendritic arborization of a neuron, and its putative transmitter, and allows the identification of its synaptic connections. (Auth.)

Entrapment of active ion-permeable cyanobacteria (Anacystis nidulans) in calcium alginate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papageorgiou, G.C.; Kalosaka, K.; Sotiropoulou, G.; Barbotin, J.N.; Thomasset, B.; Thomas, T.

1988-12-01

Cells of the unicellular cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans were made permeable to ions by treating them with lysozyme and EDTA in a way that leaves the photosynthetic water-splitting function, the photoreduction of exogenous oxidants and the peptidoglycan exoskeleton of the cell virtually intact. The permeabilized cells (permeaplasts) were subsequently immobilized by entrapment in calcium alginate beads. The immobilized preparation exhibits remarkable stability both on storage and in action. On prolonged storage at room temperature in darkness, its photosynthetic activity deteriorates one-third as fast as the activity of immobilized intact cells. Illumination accelerates deactivation. Tested in prolonged runs, however, performed in an illuminated open reactor, alginate-immobilized Anacystis permeaplasts were capable of photoreducing ionic oxidants (ferricyanide) and of exporting ionic reductants (ferrocyanide) to the suspension medium continuously for more than 5 h before being totally inactivated. It is also shown that the major impediment to the photoreduction performance of immobilized permeaplasts arises from diffusion limitations, while the photonic limitation due to light reflection and scattering is approx. 7%.

Chronological aging in conidia of pathogenic Aspergillus: Comparison between species.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Manuela; Pereira, Clara; Bessa, Cláudia; Araujo, Ricardo; Saraiva, Lucília

2015-11-01

Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus niger are common airborne fungi, and the most frequent causative agents of human fungal infections. However, the resistance and lifetime persistence of these fungi in the atmosphere, and the mechanism of aging of Aspergillus conidia are unknown.With this work, we intended to study the processes underlying conidial aging of these four relevant and pathogenic Aspergillus species. Chronological aging was therefore evaluated in A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. terreus and A. niger conidia exposed to environmental and human body temperatures. The results showed that the aging process in Aspergillus conidia involves apoptosis,with metacaspase activation, DNA fragmentation, and reactive oxygen species production, associated with secondary necrosis. Distinct results were observed for the selected pathogenic species. At environmental conditions, A. niger was the species with the highest resistance to aging, indicating a higher adaption to environmental conditions, whereas A. flavus followed by A. terreus were the most sensitive species. At higher temperatures (37 °C), A. fumigatus presented the longest lifespan, in accordance with its good adaptation to the human body temperature. Altogether,with this work new insights regarding conidia aging are provided, which may be useful when designing treatments for aspergillosis.

Cytoplasmic Dynein Is Required for the Spatial Organization of Protein Aggregates in Filamentous Fungi

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Martin J. Egan

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Eukaryotes have evolved multiple strategies for maintaining cellular protein homeostasis. One such mechanism involves neutralization of deleterious protein aggregates via their defined spatial segregation. Here, using the molecular disaggregase Hsp104 as a marker for protein aggregation, we describe the spatial and temporal dynamics of protein aggregates in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Filamentous fungi, such as A. nidulans, are a diverse group of species of major health and economic importance and also serve as model systems for studying highly polarized eukaryotic cells. We find that microtubules promote the formation of Hsp104-positive aggregates, which coalesce into discrete subcellular structures in a process dependent on the microtubule-based motor cytoplasmic dynein. Finally, we find that impaired clearance of these inclusions negatively impacts retrograde trafficking of endosomes, a conventional dynein cargo, indicating that microtubule-based transport can be overwhelmed by chronic cellular stress.

Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases - Studies of Fungal Secretomes and Enzyme Properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nekiunaite, Laura

degradation, were also identified upstream the LPMO genes, providing evidence for a co-regulatory mechanism of LPMOs and amylolytic hydrolases. The second part of the PhD thesis is focused on understanding the binding properties of LPMOs to starch and starch mimic substrate. It was shown that LPMOs possessing...... to different substrates at the protein level. It could help to design better enzyme cocktails that increase efficiency of biomass degradation. The secretomes of A. nidulans revealed differences in growth and secretion of enzymes, depending on the type and properties of starches. A common characteristic...... conversion as they produce a wide diversity of degrading enzymes. In the first part of this PhD thesis, the secretomes of the well-known fungus Aspergillus nidulans grown on cereal and legume starches were analyzed. Secretomics is a powerful tool to unravel secretion patterns of fungi and their response...

АЛЛЕРГЕНЫ ASPERGILLUS NIGER И ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS

OpenAIRE

БАЯЗИТОВА А.А.; ГЛУШКО Н.И.; ЛИСОВСКАЯ С.А.; ХАЛДЕЕВА Е.В.; ПАРШАКОВ В.Р.; ИЛЬИНСКАЯ О.И.

2016-01-01

Риск развития микогенной аллергии, наряду со способностью вызывать микозы и оказывать токсическое действие, является одним из медицински значимых свойств грибов. В обзоре рассмотрены грибы рода Aspergillus, в частности, Aspergillus niger и Aspergillus fumigatus, как одни из важных источников ингаляционных аллергенов. Предоставлена оценка аллергенности Aspergillus niger и Aspergillus fumigatus, также приведена более подробная характеристика наиболее значимых аллергенов....

Assessment of Aspergillus niger biofilm growth kinetics in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-10-12

Oct 12, 2011 ... other hand, A. niger biofilm growth followed a logistic model having higher maximal specific growth rate than ...... Growth estimation of Aspergillus oryzae cultured on ... Initial intracellular proteome profile of Aspergillus niger.

Cyclopiazonic Acid Biosynthesis of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae

Science.gov (United States)

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) is an indole-tetramic acid neurotoxin produced by some of the same strains of A. flavus that produce aflatoxins and by some Aspergillus oryzae strains. Despite its discovery 40 years ago, few reviews of its toxicity and biosynthesis have been reported. This review examines w...

Extrolites of Aspergillus fumigatus and Other Pathogenic Species in Aspergillus Section Fumigati

Science.gov (United States)

Frisvad, Jens C.; Larsen, Thomas O.

2016-01-01

Aspergillus fumigatus is an important opportunistic human pathogen known for its production of a large array of extrolites. Up to 63 species have been described in Aspergillus section Fumigati, some of which have also been reliably reported to be pathogenic, including A. felis, A. fischeri, A. fumigatiaffinis, A. fumisynnematus, A. hiratsukae, A. laciniosus, A. lentulus, A. novofumigatus, A. parafelis, A. pseudofelis, A. pseudoviridinutans, A. spinosus, A. thermomutatus, and A. udagawae. These species share the production of hydrophobins, melanins, and siderophores and ability to grow well at 37°C, but they only share some small molecule extrolites, that could be important factors in pathogenicity. According to the literature gliotoxin and other exometabolites can be contributing factors to pathogenicity, but these exometabolites are apparently not produced by all pathogenic species. It is our hypothesis that species unable to produce some of these metabolites can produce proxy-exometabolites that may serve the same function. We tabulate all exometabolites reported from species in Aspergillus section Fumigati and by comparing the profile of those extrolites, suggest that those producing many different kinds of exometabolites are potential opportunistic pathogens. The exometabolite data also suggest that the profile of exometabolites are highly specific and can be used for identification of these closely related species. PMID:26779142

[Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis in a patient with a biventricular pacemaker].

Science.gov (United States)

Cuesta, José M; Fariñas, María C; Rodilla, Irene G; Salesa, Ricardo; de Berrazueta, José R

2005-05-01

Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis is one of the rarest and severest complications in cardiological patients. We describe a patient with an intracardial pacemaker who was diagnosed as having Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis. Postmortem examination showed a large, Aspergillus-infected thrombus encased in the right ventricle, pulmonary trunk and main pulmonary branches.

Role of the Small GTPase Rho3 in Golgi/Endosome trafficking through functional interaction with adaptin in Fission Yeast.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayako Kita

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We had previously identified the mutant allele of apm1(+ that encodes a homolog of the mammalian µ1A subunit of the clathrin-associated adaptor protein-1 (AP-1 complex, and we demonstrated the role of Apm1 in Golgi/endosome trafficking, secretion, and vacuole fusion in fission yeast. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, we isolated rho3(+, which encodes a Rho-family small GTPase, an important regulator of exocystosis, as a multicopy-suppressor of the temperature-sensitive growth of the apm1-1 mutant cells. Overexpression of Rho3 suppressed the Cl(- sensitivity and immunosuppressant sensitivity of the apm1-1 mutant cells. Overexpression of Rho3 also suppressed the fragmentation of vacuoles, and the accumulation of v-SNARE Syb1 in Golgi/endosomes and partially suppressed the defective secretion associated with apm1-deletion cells. Notably, electron microscopic observation of the rho3-deletion cells revealed the accumulation of abnormal Golgi-like structures, vacuole fragmentation, and accumulation of secretory vesicles; these phenotypes were very similar to those of the apm1-deletion cells. Furthermore, the rho3-deletion cells and apm1-deletion cells showed very similar phenotypic characteristics, including the sensitivity to the immunosuppressant FK506, the cell wall-damaging agent micafungin, Cl(-, and valproic acid. Green fluorescent protein (GFP-Rho3 was localized at Golgi/endosomes as well as the plasma membrane and division site. Finally, Rho3 was shown to form a complex with Apm1 as well as with other subunits of the clathrin-associated AP-1 complex in a GTP- and effector domain-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, our findings reveal a novel role of Rho3 in the regulation of Golgi/endosome trafficking and suggest that clathrin-associated adaptor protein-1 and Rho3 co-ordinate in intracellular transport in fission yeast. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence

Synthesis of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Azines Encompassing Naphtho[2,1-b]furan by a Novel Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Veena

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The starting material 3-nitro-2-acetylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan (2 was obtained by nitration of 2-acetylnaphtho[2,1-b] furan (1, under mild condition. The compound 1 was synthesized by the reaction of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde with chloroacetone, where in both condensation and cyclization took place in single step. The reaction of 3-nitro-2-acetylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan (2 with hydrazine hydrate produced corresponding hydrazone (3 in excellent yield, which on treatment with various aromatic aldehydes under different reaction conditions resulted in the formation of symmetrical azines (4a-e and unsymmetrical azines (5a-e. All the newly synthesized compounds have been characterized by analytical and spectral studies and were screened for antibacterial antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilus and Alcaligenes fecalies and antifungal activity against Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus terrus. The Second Harmonic Generation (SHG efficiency of some of the synthesized compounds was measured by powder technique using Nd:YAG laser.

Shifted Golgi targeting of glycosyltransferases and α-mannosidase IA from giantin to GM130-GRASP65 results in formation of high mannose N-glycans in aggressive prostate cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Ganapati; Hothpet, Vishwanath-Reddy; Lin, Ming-Fong; Cheng, Pi-Wan

2017-11-01

There is a pressing need for biomarkers that can distinguish indolent from aggressive prostate cancer to prevent over-treatment of patients with indolent tumor. Golgi targeting of glycosyltransferases was characterized by confocal microscopy after knockdown of GM130, giantin, or both. N-glycans on a trans-Golgi enzyme β4galactosyltransferase-1 isolated by immunoprecipitation from androgen-sensitive and independent prostate cancer cells were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption-time of flight-mass spectrometry. In situ proximity ligation assay was employed to determine co-localization of (a) α-mannosidase IA, an enzyme required for processing Man 8 GlcNAc 2 down to Man 5 GlcNAc 2 to enable synthesis of complex-type N-glycans, with giantin, GM130, and GRASP65, and (b) trans-Golgi glycosyltransferases with high mannose N-glycans terminated with α3-mannose. Defective giantin in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells results in a shift of Golgi targeting of glycosyltransferases and α-mannosidase IA from giantin to GM130-GRASP65. Consequently, trans-Golgi enzymes and cell surface glycoproteins acquire high mannose N-glycans, which are absent in cells with functional giantin. In situ proximity ligation assays of co-localization of α-mannosidase IA with GM130 and GRASP65, and trans-Golgi glycosyltransferases with high mannose N-glycans are negative in androgen-sensitive LNCaP C-33 cells but positive in androgen-independent LNCaP C-81 and DU145 cells, and LNCaP C-33 cells devoid of giantin. In situ proximity ligation assays of Golgi localization of α-mannosidase IA at giantin versus GM130-GRASP65 site, and absence or presence of N-glycans terminated with α3-mannose on trans-Golgi glycosyltransferases may be useful for distinguishing indolent from aggressive prostate cancer cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

STED Imaging of Golgi Dynamics with Cer-SiR: A Two-Component, Photostable, High-Density Lipid Probe for Live Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Erdmann, Roman S; Toomre, Derek; Schepartz, Alanna

2017-01-01

Long time-lapse super-resolution imaging in live cells requires a labeling strategy that combines a bright, photostable fluorophore with a high-density localization probe. Lipids are ideal high-density localization probes, as they are >100 times more abundant than most membrane-bound proteins and simultaneously demark the boundaries of cellular organelles. Here, we describe Cer-SiR, a two-component, high-density lipid probe that is exceptionally photostable. Cer-SiR is generated in cells via a bioorthogonal reaction of two components: a ceramide lipid tagged with trans-cyclooctene (Cer-TCO) and a reactive, photostable Si-rhodamine dye (SiR-Tz). These components assemble within the Golgi apparatus of live cells to form Cer-SiR. Cer-SiR is benign to cellular function, localizes within the Golgi at a high density, and is sufficiently photostable to enable visualization of Golgi structure and dynamics by 3D confocal or long time-lapse STED microscopy.

Aspergillus Osteomyelitis: Epidemiology, Clinical Manifestations, Management, and Outcome

Science.gov (United States)

Gamaletsou, Maria N.; Rammaert, Blandine; Bueno, Marimelle A.; Moriyama, Brad; Sipsas, Nikolaos V.; Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P.; Roilides, Emmanuel; Zeller, Valerie; Prinapori, Roberta; Tajaldeen, Saad Jaber; Brause, Barry; Lortholary, Olivier; Walsh, Thomas J.

2014-01-01

Background The epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of Aspergillus osteomyelitis are not well understood. Methods Protocol-defined cases of Aspergillus osteomyelitis published in the English literature were reviewed for comorbidities, microbiology, mechanisms of infection, clinical manifestations, radiological findings, inflammatory biomarkers, antifungal therapy, and outcome. Results Among 180 evaluable patients, 127 (71%) were males. Possible predisposing medical conditions in 103 (57%) included pharmacological immunosuppression, primary immunodeficiency, and neutropenia. Seventy-three others (41%) had prior open fracture, trauma or surgery. Eighty (44%) followed a hematogenous mechanism, 58 (32%) contiguous infections, and 42 (23%) direct inoculation. Aspergillus osteomyelitis was the first manifestation of aspergillosis in 77%. Pain and tenderness were present in 80%. The most frequently infected sites were vertebrae (46%), cranium (23%), ribs (16%), and long bones (13%). Patients with vertebral Aspergillus osteomyelitis had more previous orthopedic surgery (19% vs 0%; P=0.02), while those with cranial osteomyelitis had more diabetes mellitus (32% vs 8%; P=0.002) and prior head/neck surgery (12% vs 0%; P=0.02). Radiologic findings included osteolysis, soft-tissue extension, and uptake on T2-weighted images. Vertebral body Aspergillus osteomyelitis was complicated by spinal-cord compression in 47% and neurological deficits in 41%. Forty-four patients (24%) received only antifungal therapy, while 121(67%) were managed with surgery and antifungal therapy. Overall mortality was 25%. Median duration of therapy was 90 days (range, 10–772 days). There were fewer relapses in patients managed with surgery plus antifungal therapy in comparison to those managed with antifungal therapy alone (8% vs 30%; P=0.006). Conclusions Aspergillus osteomyelitis is a debilitating infection affecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. The most

Identification and toxigenic potential of the industrially important fungi, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae.

Science.gov (United States)

Jørgensen, Thomas R

2007-12-01

Mold strains belonging to the species Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae are highly valued as koji molds in the traditional preparation of fermented foods, such as miso, sake, and shoyu, and as protein production hosts in modern industrial processes. A. oryzae and A. sojae are relatives of the wild molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. All four species are classified to the A. flavus group. Strains of the A. flavus group are characterized by a high degree of morphological similarity. Koji mold species are generally perceived of as being nontoxigenic, whereas wild molds are associated with the carcinogenic aflatoxins. Thus, reliable identification of individual strains is very important for application purposes. This review considers the pheno- and genotypic markers used in the classification of A. flavus group strains and specifically in the identification of A. oryzae and A. sojae strains. Separation of A. oryzae and A. sojae from A. flavus and A. parasiticus, respectively, is inconsistent, and both morphologic and molecular evidence support conspecificity. The high degree of identity is reflected by the divergent identification of reference cultures maintained in culture collections. As close relatives of aflatoxin-producing wild molds, koji molds possess an aflatoxin gene homolog cluster. Some strains identified as A. oryzae and A. sojae have been implicated in aflatoxin production. Identification of a strain as A. oryzae or A. sojae is no guarantee of its inability to produce aflatoxins or other toxic metabolites. Toxigenic potential must be determined specifically for individual strains. The species taxa, A. oryzae and A. sojae, are currently conserved by societal issues.

Septic arthritis due to tubercular and Aspergillus co-infection

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Mukesh Kumar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus septic arthritis is a rare and serious medical and surgical problem. It occurs mainly in immunocompromised patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common causative organism followed by Aspergillus flavus. The most common site affected is knee followed by shoulder, ankle, wrist, hip and sacroiliac joint. Debridement and voriconazole are primary treatment of articular aspergilosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reported cases of co-infection of tuberculosis (TB and Aspergillus infecting joints. We report a case of co-infection of TB and A. flavus of hip and knee of a 60-year-old male, with type 2 diabetes mellitus. He was treated with debridement, intravenous voriconazole, and antitubercular drugs.

Septic arthritis due to tubercular and Aspergillus co-infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Mukesh; Thilak, Jai; Zahoor, Adnan; Jyothi, Arun

2016-01-01

Aspergillus septic arthritis is a rare and serious medical and surgical problem. It occurs mainly in immunocompromised patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common causative organism followed by Aspergillus flavus. The most common site affected is knee followed by shoulder, ankle, wrist, hip and sacroiliac joint. Debridement and voriconazole are primary treatment of articular aspergilosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reported cases of co-infection of tuberculosis (TB) and Aspergillus infecting joints. We report a case of co-infection of TB and A. flavus of hip and knee of a 60-year-old male, with type 2 diabetes mellitus. He was treated with debridement, intravenous voriconazole, and antitubercular drugs.

Aspergillus waksmanii sp. nov. and Aspergillus marvanovae sp. nov., two closely related species in section Fumigati

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hubka, Vit; Peterson, Stephen W.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2013-01-01

Two new and phylogenetically closely related species in Aspergillus section Fumigati are described and illustrated. Homothallic Aspergillus waksmanii sp. nov. was isolated from New Jersey soil (USA) and is represented by the ex-type isolate NRRL 179T (=CCF 4266T=Thom 4138.HS2T=IBT 31900T......). Aspergillus marvanovae sp. nov. was isolated from water with high boracic acid anions content in Dukovany nuclear power station (Czech Republic). The sexual stage of this species is unknown, but the MAT1-1 locus was successfully amplified suggesting that the species is probably heterothallic and teleomorphic...... but is represented by only the ex-type isolate CCM 8003T (=CCF 4037T=NRRL 62486T=IBT 31279T=IFM 60873T). Both species can be distinguished from all previously described species in section Fumigati based on morphology, maximum growth temperature, sequence data from five unlinked loci and unique secondary metabolites...

Nerve growth factor induced changes in the Golgi apparatus of PC-12 rat pheochromocytoma cells as studied by ligand endocytosis, cytochemical and morphometric methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hickey, W F; Stieber, A; Hogue-Angeletti, R; Gonatas, J; GOnatas, N K

1983-10-01

Cells of the PC-12 rat pheochromocytoma cell line respond to nerve growth factor (NGF) by sprouting neurites and biochemically differentiating into sympathetic ganglion-like cells. NGF-stimulated ('differentiated') and unstimulated ('undifferentiated') cells were studied by cytochemical techniques for the localization of the enzymes acid phosphatase (ACPase) and thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase), and by a morphometric analysis of the distribution of endocytosed wheat-germ agglutinin labelled with horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). Both cytochemical stains showed the enzymes to be distributed in lysosomes and certain cisternae of the Golgi apparatus in both NGF stimulated and unstimulated cells. ACPase was not confined to GERL (Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum-lysosome) as in certain other cells. The morphometric studies demonstrated that the reaction product of the internalized WGA-HRP occupied 4.7% of the cytoplasmic area in unstimulated cells and 4.5% in NGF-stimulated ones. Despite this similarity, the distribution of the WGA-HRP among the studied intracellular compartments in these two cell groups varied. In the NGF-stimulated cells 3.3% of the WGA-HRP reaction product was found in the innermost Golgi cisterna(e) while in unstimulated cells only 0.3% was seen in this compartment. Similarly, 4.3% of the WGA-HRP stain was found in small vesicles at the 'trans' aspect of the Golgi apparatus in stimulated cells, when only 0.3% of the stain occupied this compartment in 'undifferentiated' cells. The morphometric analysis also revealed that when the PC-12 cells were stimulated with NGF, the Golgi apparatus increased in area by approximately 70%. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that NGF induced differentiation of PC-12 cells is coupled with enhanced endocytosis of WGA and probably of its 'receptor' to the innermost Golgi cisterna(e) and the closely associated vesicles.

Proton accumulation and ATPase activity in Golgi apparatus-enriched vesicles from rat liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeh, H.I.; van Rossum, G.D.

1991-01-01

We have studied the mechanism by which liver Golgi apparatus maintains the acidity of its contents, using a subcellular fraction from rat liver highly enriched in Golgi marker enzymes. Proton accumulation (measured by quenching of acridine-orange fluorescence) and anion-dependent ATPase were characterized and compared. Maximal ATPase and proton accumulation required ATP; GTP and other nucleotides gave 10% to 30% of maximal activity. Among anions, Cl- and Br- approximately doubled the activities; others were much less effective. Half-maximal increase of ATPase and H+ uptake required 55 mmol/L and 27 mmol/L Cl-, respectively. In predominantly chloride media, SCN- and NO3- markedly inhibited H+ uptake. Nitrate competitively inhibited both the chloride-dependent ATPase (apparent Ki 6 mmol/L) and proton uptake (apparent Ki 2 mmol/L). Nitrate and SCN- also inhibited uptake of 36Cl. Replacing K+ with Na+ had no effect on the initial rate of proton uptake but somewhat reduced the steady state attained. Replacement of K+ with NH4+ and choline reduced proton uptake without affecting ATPase. The ATPase and H+ uptake were supported equally well by Mg2+ or Mn2+. The ATPase was competitively inhibited by 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyano-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (apparent Ki 39 mumol/L). Other agents inhibiting both H+ uptake and ATPase were N-ethylmaleimide, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, chlorpromazine, diethylstilbestrol, Zn2+, Co2+ and Cu2+. In the Cl- medium, accumulated protons were released by ionophores at the relative rates, monensin = nigericin greater than valinomycin greater than carbonyl cyanide mchlorophenylhydrazone; the last of these also reduced ATPase activity. In the absence of Cl-, monensin and valinomycin both stimulated the ATPase. These results show a close association between ATPase activity and acidification of liver Golgi vesicles

Morphometric golgi study of some cortical locations in wag/rij and aci rat strains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karpova, A.V.; Bikbaev, A.F.; Coenen, A.M.L.; Luijtelaar, E.L.J.M. van; Luijtelaar, E.L.J.M. van; Kuznetsova, G.D.; Coenen, A.M.L.; Chepurnov, S.A.

2004-01-01

The present study was aimed to investigate the neuronal organization of two neocortical frontal zones using a Golgi staining technique in genetic epileptic rats, WAG/Rij's. One cortical zone was a specific part of the somatosensory cortex, which was recently proposed to contain a cortical epileptic

A rare case of bilateral aspergillus endophthalmitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saurabh Gupta

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Aspergillus endophthalmitis is a devastating inflammatory condition of the intraocular cavities that may result in irreparable loss of vision and rapid destruction of the eye. Almost all cases in the literature have shown an identified source causing aspergillus endophthalmitis as a result of direct extension of disease. We present a rare case of bilateral aspergillus endophthalmitis. A 72-year-old woman with a history of diabetes mellitus, congenital Hirschsprung disease, and recent culture-positive candida pyelonephritis with hydronephrosis status post-surgical stent placement presented with difficulty opening her eyes. She complained of decreased vision (20/200 with pain and redness in both eyes – right worse then left. Examination demonstrated multiple white fungal balls in both retinas consistent with bilateral fungal endophthalmitis. Bilateral vitreous taps for cultures and staining were performed. Patient was given intravitreal injections of amphotericin B, vancomycin, ceftazidime, and started on oral fluconazole. Patient was scheduled for vitrectomy to decrease organism burden and to remove loculated areas of infection that would not respond to systemic antifungal agents. Four weeks after initial presentation, the fungal cultures revealed mold growth consistent with aspergillus. Patient was subsequently started on voriconazole and fluconazole was discontinued due to poor efficacy against aspergillus. Further workup was conducted to evaluate for the source of infection and seeding. Transthoracic cardiogram was unremarkable for any vegetation or valvular abnormalities. MRI of the orbits and sinuses did not reveal any mass lesions or bony destruction. CT of the chest was unremarkable for infection. Aspergillus endophthalmitis may occur because of one of these several mechanisms: hematogenous dissemination, direct inoculation by trauma, and contamination during surgery. Our patient's cause of bilateral endophthalmitis was through an

Aspergillus fumigatus conidial melanin modulates host cytokine response

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.Y.A. Chai (Louis); M.G. Netea (Mihai); J. Sugui (Janyce); A.G. Vonk (Alieke); W.W.J. van de Sande (Wendy); A. Warris (Adilia); K.J. Kwon-Chung (Kyung); B. Jan Kullberg (Bart)

2010-01-01

textabstractMelanin biopigments have been linked to fungal virulence. Aspergillus fumigatus conidia are melanised and are weakly immunogenic. We show that melanin pigments on the surface of resting Aspergillus fumigatus conidia may serve to mask pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)-induced

Aspergillus fumigatus conidial melanin modulates host cytokine response.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chai, L.; Netea, M.G.; Sugui, J.; Vonk, A.G.; Sande, W.W. van de; Warris, A.; Kwon-Chung, K.J.; Kullberg, B.J.

2010-01-01

Melanin biopigments have been linked to fungal virulence. Aspergillus fumigatus conidia are melanised and are weakly immunogenic. We show that melanin pigments on the surface of resting Aspergillus fumigatus conidia may serve to mask pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)-induced cytokine

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noonim, Paramee; Mahakarnchanakul, Warapa; Varga, Janos

2008-01-01

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans are described as Aspergillus aculeatinus sp. nov. and Aspergillus sclerotiicarbonarius sp. nov. Their taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach with phenotypic (morphology and extrolite profiles...

The GTPase Rab43 Controls the Anterograde ER-Golgi Trafficking and Sorting of GPCRs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunman Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs constitute the largest superfamily of cell-surface signaling proteins. However, mechanisms underlying their surface targeting and sorting are poorly understood. Here, we screen the Rab family of small GTPases in the surface transport of multiple GPCRs. We find that manipulation of Rab43 function significantly alters the surface presentation and signaling of all GPCRs studied without affecting non-GPCR membrane proteins. Rab43 specifically regulates the transport of nascent GPCRs from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER to the Golgi. More interestingly, Rab43 directly interacts with GPCRs in an activation-dependent fashion. The Rab43-binding domain identified in the receptors effectively converts non-GPCR membrane protein transport into a Rab43-dependent pathway. These data reveal a crucial role for Rab43 in anterograde ER-Golgi transport of nascent GPCRs, as well as the ER sorting of GPCR members by virtue of its ability to interact directly.

21 CFR 173.120 - Carbohydrase and cellulase derived from Aspergillus niger.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... cellulase derived from Aspergillus niger. Carbohydrase and cellulase enzyme preparation derived from Aspergillus niger may be safely used in food in accordance with the following prescribed conditions: (a) Aspergillus niger is classified as follows: Class, Deuteromycetes; order, Moniliales; family, Moniliaceae...

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noonim, P.; Mahakarnchanakul, W.; Varga, J.; Frisvad, J.C.; Samson, R.A.

2008-01-01

Two novel species of Aspergillus section Nigri from Thai coffee beans are described as Aspergillus aculeatinus sp. nov. and Aspergillus sclerotiicarbonarius sp. nov. Their taxonomic status was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach with phenotypic (morphology and extrolite profiles) and

Liver injury in invasive aspergillus. Echographic findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otero Fernandez, R.; Garcia Revillo, J.; Paez Moreno, J.; Zurera Tendero, L.J.

1994-01-01

Aspergillus is the second most common mycoses in immuno compromised patients. The invasive form is associated with a mortality of approximately 100%. We present a case of invasive aspergillus in a heart transplant recipient in whom ultrasound disclosed the presence of liver injury which was later confirmed by necropsy. We review the available literature. (Author) 15 refs

The Aspergillus uvsH gene encodes a product homologous to yeast RAD18 and Neurospora UVS-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, J H; Lee, B J; Kang, H S

1995-07-28

The uvsH DNA repair gene of Aspergillus nidulans has been cloned by complementation of the uvsH77 mutation with a cosmid library containing genomic DNA inserts from a wild-type strain. Methylmethane sulfonate (MMS)-resistant transformants were obtained on medium containing 0.01% MMS, to which uvsH mutants exhibit high sensitivity. Retransformation of uvsH77 mutants with the rescued cosmids from the MMS-resistant transformants resulted in restoration of both UV and MMS resistance to wild-type levels. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the genomic DNA and cDNA of the uvsH gene shows that it has an open reading frame (ORF) of 1329 bp, interrupted by two introns of 51 and 61 bp. A 2.4 kb transcript of the uvsH gene was detected by Northern blot analysis. Primer extension analysis revealed that transcription starts at 31 bp upstream from the translation initiation codon. This gene encodes a predicted polypeptide of 443 amino acids, which has two unique zinc finger motifs. The proposed polypeptide displays 39% identity to the Neurospora crassa UVS-2 protein and 24% identity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD18 protein. The sequence similarity is particularly high in three domains. One zinc finger (RING finger) motif is located in the first domain close to the N-terminus. The other zinc finger motif is in the second domain. In the third domain, the mutation sites in both the uvsH77 and uvsH304 alleles were identified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

New and revisited species in Aspergillus section Nigri

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Varga, J.; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Kocsube, S.

2011-01-01

based on either beta-tubulin or calmodulin sequence data. Aspergillus eucalypticola produced pyranonigrin A, funalenone, aurasperone B and other naphtho-gamma-pyrones. Aspergillus neoniger is also a biseriate species isolated from desert sand in Namibia, and mangrove water in Venezuela, which produces...

FMNL2 and -3 regulate Golgi architecture and anterograde transport downstream of Cdc42

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kage, Frieda; Steffen, Anika; Ellinger, Adolf

2017-01-01

The Rho-family small GTPase Cdc42 localizes at plasma membrane and Golgi complex and aside from protrusion and migration operates in vesicle trafficking, endo- and exocytosis as well as establishment and/or maintenance of cell polarity. The formin family members FMNL2 and -3 are actin assembly fa...

Characteristic clinical features of Aspergillus appendicitis: Case report and literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gjeorgjievski, Mihajlo; Amin, Mitual B; Cappell, Mitchell S

2015-11-28

This work aims to facilitate diagnosing Aspergillus appendicitis, which can be missed clinically due to its rarity, by proposing a clinical pentad for Aspergillus appendicitis based on literature review and one new case. The currently reported case of pathologically-proven Aspergillus appendicitis was identified by computerized search of pathology database at William Beaumont Hospital, 1999-2014. Prior cases were identified by computerized literature search. Among 10980 pathology reports of pathologically-proven appendicitis, one case of Aspergillus appendicitis was identified (rate = 0.01%). A young boy with profound neutropenia, recent chemotherapy, and acute myelogenous leukemia presented with right lower quadrant pain, pyrexia, and generalized malaise. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a thickened appendiceal wall and periappendiceal inflammation, suggesting appendicitis. Emergent laparotomy showed an inflamed, thickened appendix, which was resected. The patient did poorly postoperatively with low-grade-fevers while receiving antibacterial therapy, but rapidly improved after initiating amphotericin therapy. Microscopic examination of a silver stain of the appendectomy specimen revealed fungi with characteristic Aspergillus morphology, findings confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Primary Aspergillus appendicitis is exceptionally rare, with only 3 previously reported cases. All three cases presented with (1)-neutropenia, (2)-recent chemotherapy, (3)-acute leukemia, and (4)-suspected appendicitis; (5)-the two prior cases initially treated with antibacterial therapy, fared poorly before instituting anti-Aspergillus therapy. The current patient satisfied all these five criteria. Based on these four cases, a clinical pentad is proposed for Aspergillus appendicitis: clinically-suspected appendicitis, neutropenia, recent chemotherapy, acute leukemia, and poor clinical response if treated solely by antibacterial/anti-candidial therapy. Patients presenting with

Retention in the Golgi apparatus and expression on the cell surface of Cfr/Esl-1/Glg-1/MG-160 are regulated by two distinct mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyaoka, Yuichiro; Kato, Hidenori; Ebato, Kazuki; Saito, Shigeru; Miyata, Naoko; Imamura, Toru; Miyajima, Atsushi

2011-11-15

Cfr (cysteine-rich fibroblast growth factor receptor) is an Fgf (fibroblast growth factor)-binding protein without a tyrosine kinase. We have shown previously that Cfr is involved in Fgf18 signalling via Fgf receptor 3c. However, as Cfr is also known as Glg (Golgi apparatus protein)-1 or MG-160 and occurs in the Golgi apparatus, it remains unknown how the distribution of Cfr is regulated. In the present study, we performed a mutagenic analysis of Cfr to show that two distinct regions contribute to its distribution and stability. First, the C-terminal region retains Cfr in the Golgi apparatus. Secondly, the Cfr repeats in the extracellular juxtamembrane region destabilizes Cfr passed through the Golgi apparatus. This destabilization does not depend on the cleavage and secretion of the extracellular domain of Cfr. Furthermore, we found that Cfr with a GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol) anchor was predominantly expressed on the cell surface in Ba/F3 cells and affected Fgf18 signalling in a similar manner to the full-length Cfr, indicating that the interaction of Cfr with Fgfs on the cell surface is important for its function in Fgf signalling. These results suggest that the expression of Cfr in the Golgi apparatus and on the plasma membrane is finely tuned through two distinct mechanisms for exhibiting different functions.

Characterization of Aspergillus species based on fatty acid profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraga, Marcelo E; Santana, Djalva Maria N; Gatti, Mario Jorge; Direito, Gloria Maria; Cavaglieri, Lilia R; Rosa, Carlos Alberto R

2008-09-01

Cellular fatty acid (FA) composition was utilized as a taxonomic tool to discriminate between different Aspergillus species. Several of the tested species had the same FA composition and different relative FA concentrations. The most important FAs were palmitic acid (C16:0), estearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2), which represented 95% of Aspergillus FAs. Multivariate data analysis demonstrated that FA analysis is a useful tool for differentiating species belonging to genus Aspergillus. All the species analyzed showed significantly FA acid profiles (p < 0.001). Furthermore, it will be possible to distinguish among Aspergillus spp. in the Flavi Section. FA composition can serve as a useful tool for the identification of filamentous fungi.

Aspergillus Monitoring Project in a Large Educational Hospital ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Also molecular method, PCR-RFLP using single restriction enzyme as a rapid and available method was performed to investigate environmental sources of Aspergillus infections. Results: Total of 110 clinical fungal isolates included Candida and Aspergillus species and some other opportunistic fungi. Among the clinical

Characteristics of culture-positive invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with hematologic diseases: Comparison between Aspergillus fumigatus and non-fumigatus Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sung-Yeon; Lee, Dong-Gun; Choi, Jae-Ki; Lee, Hyo-Jin; Kim, Si-Hyun; Park, Sun Hee; Choi, Su-Mi; Choi, Jung-Hyun; Yoo, Jin-Hong; Park, Yeon-Joon; Lee, Jong-Wook

2017-12-01

While the epidemiology and clinical differences of various Candida spp. has been relatively well-identified, data regarding invasive aspergillosis (IA) caused by different Aspergillus spp. are insufficient.We aimed to determine the epidemiology of culture-positive invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and to compare the characteristics and outcomes of Aspergillus fumigatus IPA with those of non-fumigatus IPA in patients with hematologic diseases. All consecutive cases of IPA from 2011 to 2015 were reviewed retrospectively.There were 430 proven/probable IPA and 76 culture-positive proven/probable IPA. Excluding cases of multiple species of fungi or cases having difficulties in species-level identification, 41 A fumigatus and 22 non-fumigatus IPA (Aspergillus flavus [n = 11], Aspergillus niger [n = 6], and Aspergillus terreus [n = 5]) were compared. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups. However, disseminated IA was more common in non-fumigatus IPA (2.4% vs 18.2%; P = .046). Paranasal sinus (PNS) involvement was more common in non-fumigatus IPA. There was a trend towards higher peak serum galactomannan values in non-fumigatus IPA than in A fumigatus IPA group (median 1.33 [interquartile 0.98-3.29] vs 0.97 [0.66-1.97]; P = .084). Clinical response and mortality did not differ between groups.The culture-positive rate of proven/probable IPA was 17.7%, of which non-fumigatus Aspergillus accounted for about one-third. Disseminated IA, especially involving the PNS, was more frequent in non-fumigatus IPA than in A fumigatus IPA.

The Platelia Aspergillus ELISA in diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergilosis (IPA).

Science.gov (United States)

Siemann, M; Koch-Dörfler, M

2001-01-01

The sensitivity of a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting Aspergillus galactomannan was evaluated with 66 serum samples and 113 specimens of the respiratory tract obtained from 52 patients with pulmonary diseases. The patients were divided into five groups: proven invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) (five patients), probable IPA (seven patients), Aspergillus colonization (eight patients) or unlikely Aspergillus infection (27 patients). Another five patients with doubtful diagnostic test results are discussed in detail. The results of the Platelia Aspergillus ELISA (Sanofi Pasteur, Freiburg, Germany) in testing specimens of the respiratory tract were 90% sensitivity in proven (serum 38%), 60% in probable (serum 37%) and 71% in Aspergillus colonization (serum 0%). Furthermore, 85% of the Aspergillus spp. from positive cultures of specimens of the respiratory tract were also detected in the ELISA. A total of 57% of the culture negative specimens of patients with a least one positive culture or proven aspergillosis in a series of specimens were positive in the ELISA.

Aspergillus thyroiditis in a renal transplant recipient mimicking subacute thyroiditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Solak, Y; Atalay, H; Nar, A; Ozbek, O; Turkmen, K; Erekul, S; Turk, S

2011-04-01

Fungal pathogens are increasingly encountered after renal transplantation. Aspergillus causes significant morbidity and mortality in transplant patients. Fungal thyroiditis is a rare occurrence owing to unique features of the thyroid gland. Most cases are caused by Aspergillus species and have been described in immunocompromised patients. Presentation may be identical with that of subacute thyroiditis, in which hyperthyroidism features and painful thyroid are the prominent findings. Diagnosis can be ascertained by fine-needle aspiration of thyroid showing branching hyphae of Aspergillus. We describe a renal transplant patient who developed Aspergillus thyroiditis as part of a disseminated infection successfully treated with voriconazole. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Aspergillus Species and Their Associated Mycotoxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrone, Giancarlo; Gallo, Antonia

2017-01-01

The genus Aspergillus is among the most abundant and widely distributed organism on earth, and at the moment comprises 339 known species. It is one of the most important economically fungal genus and the biotechnological use of Aspergillus species is related to production of soy sauce, of different hydrolytic enzymes (amylases, lipases) and organic acid (citric acid, gluconic acid), as well as biologically active metabolites such as lovastatin. Although they are not considered to be major cause of plant diseases, Aspergillus species are responsible for several disorders in various plants and plant products, especially as opportunistic storage moulds. The notable consequence of their presence is contamination of foods and feeds by mycotoxins, among which the most important are aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and, at a less extent, fumonisins. Aflatoxins B 1 , B 2 , G 1 , G 2 are the most toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins, due to their extreme hepatocarcinogenicity; ochratoxin A is a potent nephrotoxin, it is also carcinogenic, teratogenic, and immunotoxic in rats and possibly in humans; fumonisins are hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic with potential carcinogenic effects on rat and mice. In this chapter we summarize the main aspects of morphology, ecology, epidemiology, and toxigenicity of Aspergillus foodborne pathogens which belong to sections Flavi, Circumdati, and Nigri, occurring in several agricultural products and responsible of aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, and fumonisins contamination of food and feed.

Biodiversity of Aspergillus species in some important agricultural products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perrone, Giancarlo; Susca, A.,; Cozzi, G.

2007-01-01

The genus Aspergillus is one of the most important filamentous fungal genera. Aspergillus species are used in the fermentation industry, but they are also responsible of various plant and food secondary rot, with the consequence of possible accumulation of mycotoxins. The aflatoxin producing A....... flavus and A. parasiticus, and ochratoxinogenic A. niger, A. ochraceus and A. carbonarius species are frequently encountered in agricultural products. Studies on the biodiversity of toxigenic Aspergillus species is useful to clarify molecular, ecological and biochemical characteristics of the different...... occurring in agricultural fields. Altogether nine different black Aspergillus species can be found on grapes which are often difficult to identify with classical methods. The polyphasic approach used in our studies led to the identification of three new species occurring on grapes: A. brasiliensis, A...

Linker Flexibility Facilitates Module Exchange in Fungal Hybrid PKS-NRPS Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Maria Lund; Petersen, Thomas Isbrandt; Petersen, Lene Maj

2016-01-01

Polyketide synthases (PKSs) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) each give rise to a vast array of complex bioactive molecules with further complexity added by the existence of natural PKS-NRPS fusions. Rational genetic engineering for the production of natural product derivatives....... We succeeded in the construction of a functional cross-species chimeric PKS-NRPS expressed in Aspergillus nidulans. Module swapping of the two PKS-NRPS natural hybrids CcsA from Aspergillus clavatus involved in the biosynthesis of cytochalasin E and related Syn2 from rice plant pathogen Magnaporthe...... oryzae lead to production of novel hybrid products, demonstrating that the rational re-design of these fungal natural product enzymes is feasible. We also report the structure of four novel pseudo pre-cytochalasin intermediates, niduclavin and niduporthin along with the chimeric compounds niduchimaeralin...

Microbiological analysis of a mummy from the archeological museum in Zagreb.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavka, Mislav; Glasnović, Anton; Janković, Ivor; Sikanjić, Petra Rajić; Perić, Berislav; Brkljacić, Boris; Mlinarić-Missoni, Emilija; Skrlin, Jasenka

2010-09-01

In this paper we report the results of the microbiological analysis of the samples taken from the mummy from the collection of the Archaeological museum in Zagreb, Croatia. Samples were taken from specific places such as oral, orbital, abdominal cavity and bandages surrounding the mummy, and analyzed in Department of Microbiology and Hospital Infections in University Hospital "Dubrava" in Zagreb and in National Reference Laboratory for systemic mycoses of Croatian National Institute of Public Health in Zagreb. The analysis indicated that all of the found organisms were non-primary pathogenic and are not harmful for healthy humans. Isolated microorganisms mainly belonged to the group of saprophytic fungi as listed: Monilia spp., Penicillium spp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans, Rhizopus spp. and Chrysosporium spp. and to the genus of saprophytic bacteria, Bacillus spp.

Antimicrobial, wound healing and antioxidant activity of Plagiochasma appendiculatum Lehm. et Lind.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Meenakshi; Govindarajan, Raghavan; Nath, Virendra; Rawat, Ajay Kumar Singh; Mehrotra, Shanta

2006-08-11

Plagiochasma appendiculatum (Aytoniaceae) of the order Marchantiales is widely used in the form of paste ethnomedicinally by Gaddi tribe in Kangra valley for treating skin diseases. In this context, antimicrobical potential of Plagiochasma appendiculatum against a wide range of microorganisms was studied. To validate the ethnotherapeutic claims of the plant in skin diseases, wound healing activity was studied, besides antioxidant activity to understand the mechanism of wound healing activity. The plant (alchoholic and aqueous extract) showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity against almost all the organisms: Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, and eight fungi Candida albicans and Cryptococcus albidus-dimorphic fungi, Trichophyton rubrum-dermatophyte fungi, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus spinulosus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus nidulans-systemic fungi, with especially good activity against the dermatophyte (Trichophyton rubrum) and some infectious bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Salmonella typhimurium) with an MIC of 2.5 microg/disc. The results show that Plagiochasma appendiculatum extract has potent wound healing capacity as evident from the wound contraction and increased tensile strength. The results also indicated that Plagiochasma appendiculatum extract possesses potent antioxidant activity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase activity.

[Utility of Aspergillus-LFD: first experience in Chile].

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Eduardo

2015-02-01

The diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis remains a challenge. Detection of galactomannan in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage is a useful tool; however due to methodological and economic reasons, the test frequencies of galactomannan assays vary from daily to weekly, which constitute a risk to the patient. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and correlate the performance of the new kit Aspergillus-LFD with the GM-EIA. Aspergillus-LFD kit represents a fast, economical and simple test; showed a good performance and excellent correlation with GM-EIA kit. Given the above, the Aspergillus-LFD is emerging as an alternative to consider in the early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis.

Aspergillus in the lung: diverse and coincident forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckingham, Susan J.; Hansell, David M.

2003-01-01

Pulmonary disease caused by the fungus Aspergillus has traditionally been regarded as belonging to one of the following, apparently distinct, entities: saprophytic aspergilloma; allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA); and invasive aspergillosis (IPA); which may be further categorised as angioinvasive, acute or chronic airway invasive [1]. It is not always obvious that there is overlap between these entities, and that in any given patient more than one Aspergillus-related pathological process can co-exist [2]. The aim of this article is to review the clinical and imaging features of the main categories of Aspergillus-related pulmonary disease and, in particular, to highlight the overlap between them. (orig.)

Retromer guides STxB and CD8-M6PR from early to recycling endosomes, EHD1 guides STxB from recycling endosome to Golgi

Science.gov (United States)

McKenzie, Jenna E.; Raisley, Brent; Zhou, Xin; Naslavsky, Naava; Taguchi, Tomohiko; Caplan, Steve; Sheff, David

2012-01-01

Retrograde trafficking transports proteins, lipids and toxins from the plasma membrane to the Golgi and ER. To reach the Golgi, these cargos must transit the endosomal system, consisting of early endosomes, recycling endosomes, late endosomes and lysosomes. All cargos pass through early endosomes, but may take different routes to the Golgi. Retromer dependent cargos bypass the late endosomes to reach the Golgi. We compared how two very different retromer dependent cargos negotiate the endosomal sorting system. Shiga toxin B, bound to the external layer of the plasma membrane, and chimeric CD8-Mannose-6-Phosphate Receptor, which is anchored via a transmembrane domain. Both appear to pass through the recycling endosome. Ablation of the recycling endosome diverted both of these cargos to an aberrant compartment and prevented them from reaching the Golgi. Once in the recycling endosome, Shiga toxin required EHD1 to traffic to the TGN, while the CD8-Mannose-6-Phosphate Receptor was not significantly dependent on EHD1. Knockdown of retromer components left cargo in the early endosomes, suggesting that it is required for retrograde exit from this compartment. This work establishes the recycling endosome as a required step in retrograde traffic of at least these two retromer dependent cargos. Along this pathway, retromer is associated with EE to recycling endosome traffic, while EHD1 is associated with recycling endosome to TGN traffic of STxB. PMID:22540229

Arrestin-related proteins mediate pH signaling in fungi

OpenAIRE

Herranz, Silvia; Rodríguez, José M.; Bussink, Henk-Jan; Sánchez-Ferrero, Juan C.; Arst, Herbert N.; Peñalva, Miguel A.; Vincent, Olivier

2005-01-01

Metazoan arrestins bind to seven-transmembrane (7TM) receptors to regulate function. Aspergillus nidulans PalF, a protein involved in the fungal ambient pH signaling pathway, contains arrestin N-terminal and C-terminal domains and binds strongly to two different regions within the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of the 7TM, putative pH sensor PalH. Upon exposure to alkaline ambient pH, PalF is phosphorylated and, like mammalian β-arrestins, ubiquitinated in a signal-dependent and 7TM protein-depe...

The organization of the Golgi complex and microtubules in skeletal muscle is fiber type-dependent

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ralston, E; Lu, Z; Ploug, Thorkil

1999-01-01

Skeletal muscle has a nonconventional Golgi complex (GC), the organization of which has been a subject of controversy in the past. We have now examined the distribution of the GC by immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy in whole fibers from different rat muscles, both innervated a...

Phylogeny of osmophillic aspergilli (subgenus Aspergillus) and taxonomic revision of section Restricti

Science.gov (United States)

Aspergillus section Restricti together with sister sect. Aspergillus (formerly Eurotium) comprises osmophilic species, that are able to grow on substrates with low water activity and in extreme environments. We addressed the monophyly of both sections within subgenus Aspergillus and applied multidis...

Plasma Membrane Targeting of Protocadherin 15 Is Regulated by the Golgi-Associated Chaperone Protein PIST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongyun Nie

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Protocadherin 15 (PCDH15 is a core component of hair cell tip-links and crucial for proper function of inner ear hair cells. Mutations of PCDH15 gene cause syndromic and nonsyndromic hearing loss. At present, the regulatory mechanisms responsible for the intracellular transportation of PCDH15 largely remain unknown. Here we show that PIST, a Golgi-associated, PDZ domain-containing protein, interacts with PCDH15. The interaction is mediated by the PDZ domain of PIST and the C-terminal PDZ domain-binding interface (PBI of PCDH15. Through this interaction, PIST retains PCDH15 in the trans-Golgi network (TGN and reduces the membrane expression of PCDH15. We have previously showed that PIST regulates the membrane expression of another tip-link component, cadherin 23 (CDH23. Taken together, our finding suggests that PIST regulates the intracellular trafficking and membrane targeting of the tip-link proteins CDH23 and PCDH15.

PENGARUH RHIZOPUS ORYZAE DAN ASPERGILLUS ORYZAE TERHADAP KUALITAS KECAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewi Sabita Slamet

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Telah diteliti pengganti fermentasi mikroorganisme Aspergillus oryzae Rhyzopus oryzae dan campuran Aspergillus dan Rhyzopus oryzae, dengan perendaman dalam larutan garam 20% dalam waktu yang berbeda terhadap kualitas kecap.Lamanya perendaman dalam larutan garam 20% yang berbeda menghasilkan kadar protein kecap yang berbeda. Aspergillus oryzae lebih baik dalam menghasilkan enzima protease dari pada Rhyzopus oryzae.Uji organoleptik menunjukkan perbedaan tidak bermakna dalam hal rasa maupun aroma antar kecap yang dibuat dengan strain jamur yang berlainan serta waktu perendaman yang berbeda. Untuk membuat kecap, sebaiknya dilakukan perendaman dalam larutan garam 20% selama 14 hari.

High-yields heterologous production of the novel Aspergillus fumigatus elastase inhibitor AFUEI in Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Nobuo; Komori, Yumiko; Okumura, Yoshiyuki; Uchiya, Kei-Ichi; Matsui, Takeshi; Nishimura, Akira; Ogawa, Kenji; Nikai, Toshiaki

2011-08-01

AFUEI, an elastase inhibitor produced by Aspergillus fumigatus strongly inhibits the elastolytic activity of A. fumigatus etc. To purify AFUEI, we constructed a strain that overproduces AFUEI by introducing the gene encoding AFUEI (Genbank accession no. AB546725) under control of the amyB promoter into the heterologous host Aspergillus oryzae. A. oryzae TF-4 displayed strong elastase inhibitory activity and produced considerably more AFUEI than that of A. fumigatus. Furthermore, AFUEI could be purified using culture broth and single ultrafiltration (UF) treatment, allowing for the effective production of AFUEI for use in clinical trials. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis and prediction of gene splice sites in four Aspergillus genomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Kai; Ussery, David; Brunak, Søren

2009-01-01

Several Aspergillus fungal genomic sequences have been published, with many more in progress. Obviously, it is essential to have high-quality, consistently annotated sets of proteins from each of the genomes, in order to make meaningful comparisons. We have developed a dedicated, publicly available......, splice site prediction program called NetAspGene, for the genus Aspergillus. Gene sequences from Aspergillus fumigatus, the most common mould pathogen, were used to build and test our model. Compared to many animals and plants, Aspergillus contains smaller introns; thus we have applied a larger window...... better splice site prediction than other available tools. NetAspGene will be very helpful for the study in Aspergillus splice sites and especially in alternative splicing. A webpage for NetAspGene is publicly available at http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/NetAspGene....

Exact Molecular Typing of Aspergillus fumigatus. Methods and Applications.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valk-van Haren, J.A. de

2008-01-01

Aspergillus species are widely distributed fungi that release large amounts of airborne conidia that are dispersed in the environment. Aspergillus fumigatus is the species most frequently isolated from human infections. In this thesis a novel assay for fingerprinting A. fumigatus is described and

Aspergillus triggers phenazine production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Britt Guillaume; Jelsbak, Lars; Søndergaard, Ib

in the contact area of A. niger, A. flavus, A. oryzae, but not A. fumigatus. In addition, other metabolites with UV chromophores similar to the phenazines were only found in the contact zone between Aspergillus and Pseudomonas. No change in secondary metabolite profiles were seen for the Aspergilli, when......Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen, commonly infecting cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Aspergilli, especially Aspergillus fumigatus, are also frequently isolated from CF patients. Our aim was to examine the possible interaction between P. aeruginosa and different...... Aspergillus species. Methods: A suspension of fungal spores was streaked onto WATM agar plates. After 24 hours incubation at 37 °C, a P. aeruginosa overnight culture was streaked out perpendicular to the fungal streak. The plates were incubated at 37 °C for five days, examined and plugs were extracted...

The Inhibition of aflatoxin production from Aspergillus parasiticus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)