Fungal Genetics and BiologyThis is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

This page shows you the latest items in this publication.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

268 records returned

Proteomic analysis of early phase of conidia germination in Aspergillus nidulans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study represents the first proteomic analysis of early phase of conidia germination and will contribute to a better understanding of the molecular events involved in conidia germination process. PMID: 19919853 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology)
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - November 14, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Oh YT, Ahn CS, Kim JG, Ro HS, Lee CW, Kim JW Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The CID1 cyclin C-like gene is important for plant infection in Fusarium graminearum.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we characterized the CID1 gene in F. graminearum that is an ortholog of the F. verticilloidesFCC1 and yeast UME3 genes. The protein encoded by CID1 has typical structural features of C-type cyclins. Deletion of CID1 resulted in a reduction in conidiation and vegetative growth but an increase in pigmentation. The Deltacid1 mutant was female sterile but could outcross as a male. It was significantly reduced in DON production and virulence on wheat heads and corn stalks. Only about 50% of inoculated spikelets developed scab symptoms and scab disease rarely extended to nearby florets, suggesting that the Deltaci...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - November 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Zhou X, Heyer C, Choi YE, Mehrabi R, Xu JR Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Identification and characterisation of Mycosphaerella graminicola secreted or surface-associated proteins with variable intragenic coding repeats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pathogenic micro-organisms have been suggested to vary the number of intragenic repeats present within secreted or cell membrane / cell wall-associated proteins in order to manipulate host immune responses. We have identified a number of genes predicted to encode secreted proteins possessing internal tandem repeats in the genome sequence of Mycosphaerella graminicola (isolate IPO323), a wheat leaf-specific fungal pathogen and causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch disease. Twenty three M. graminicolaTandem Repeat Proteins (MgTRPs) were subject to further analysis. Many MgTRPs varied in the number of intragenic repeats...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 31, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Rudd JJ, Antoniw J, Marshall R, Motteram J, Fraaije B, Hammond-Kosack K Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Study of the essentiality of the Aspergillus fumigatustriA gene, encoding RNA triphosphatase, using the heterokaryon rescue technique and the conditional gene expression driven by the alcA and niiA promoters.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The identification of essential genes represents a critical step in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets in A. fumigatus. Structural analyses of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA triphosphatase pointed out this enzyme as an attractive therapeutic target for fungal infections. In addition, demonstration of the essentiality of the S. cerevisiae RNA triphosphatase encoding gene enhanced the value of this potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, consideration of a fungal RNA triphophatase as an ideal therapeutic target needs confirmation of the essentiality of the respective gene in a fungal pathogen. In this work,...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Monteiro MC, Lucas JR Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

cAMP signaling pathway controls glycogen metabolism in Neurospora crassa by regulating the glycogen synthase gene expression and phosphorylation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The cAMP-PKA signaling pathway plays an important role in many biological processes including glycogen metabolism. In this work we investigated its role in the Neurospora crassa glycogen metabolism control using mutant strains affected in components of the pathway, the cr-1 strain deficient in adenylyl cyclase activity therefore has the PKA pathway not active, and the mcb strain a temperature-sensitive mutant defective in the regulatory subunit of PKA therefore is a strain with constitutively active PKA. We analyzed the expression of the gene encoding glycogen synthase (gsn), the regulatory enzyme in glycogen synthesis...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Freitas FZ, Paula RM, Barbosa LC, Terenzi HF, Bertolini MC Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Fungal PDR transporters: phylogeny, topology, motifs and function.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The overexpression of pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) efflux pumps of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily frequently correlates with multidrug resistance. Phylogenetic analysis of 349 full-size ( approximately 160 kDa) PDR proteins (Pdrps) from 55 fungal species, including major fungal pathogens, identified 9 separate protein clusters (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H1a/H1b and H2). Fungal, plant and human ABCG-family Pdrps possess a nucleotide-binding domain [NBD] and a transmembrane domain [TMD] in a family-defining 'reverse' ABC transporter topology [NBD-TMD] that is duplicated [NBD-TMD](2) in full-size f...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Lamping E, Baret PV, Holmes AR, Monk BC, Goffeau A, Cannon RD Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The Botrytis cinerea Aspartic Proteinase family.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The ascomycete plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea secretes aspartic proteinase (AP) activity. Functional analysis was carried out on five aspartic proteinase genes (Bcap1-5) reported previously.Single and double mutants lacking these five genes showed neither a reduced secreted proteolytic activity, nor a reduction in virulence and they showed no alteration in sensitivity to antifungal proteins purified from grape juice. Scrutiny of the B. cinerea genome revealed the presence of nine additional Bcap genes, denoted Bcap6-14. The product of the Bcap8 gene was found to constitute up to 23% of the total protein secreted by B....
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 20, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Ten Have A, Espino JJ, Dekkers E, Sluyter SC, Brito N, Kay J, González C, van Kan JA Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Genetic analysis of conidiation regulatory pathways in koji-mold Aspergillus oryzae.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 A. nidulans. The results ind...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 19, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Ogawa M, Tokuoka M, Jin FJ, Takahashi T, Koyama Y Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The dst2 gene essential for photomorphogenesis of Coprinopsis cinerea encodes a protein with a putative FAD-binding-4 domain.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we show that the dst2-1 mutant exhibits a blind phenotype during asexual spore production in addition to that in fruiting-body photomorphogenesis. We also reveal that dst2 is predicted to encode a protein with a putative flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-binding-4 domain. The two blind phenotypes, together with the existence of an FAD-binding domain in Dst2, suggest that Dst2 may play a role in perceiving blue light. PMID: 19850145 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology)
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 19, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Kuratani M, Tanaka K, Terashima K, Muraguchi H, Nakazawa T, Nakahori K, Kamada T Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Characterization and expression analysis of a maltose-utilizing (MAL) cluster in Aspergillus oryzae.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Starch and malto-oligosaccharides such as maltose and maltotriose induce the production of amylolytic enzymes including alpha-amylase in Aspergillus oryzae. A transcriptional activator gene amyR, required for maltose induction of amylolytic enzymes, has been cloned and characterized. The amyR gene deletion mutant showed significantly poor growth on starch medium but normal growth on maltose medium. This indicated the existence of another maltose-utilizing system, whose expression might not be controlled by amyR. We have identified a gene cluster homologous to the MAL cluster of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the A. oryzae...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 19, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Hasegawa S, Takizawa M, Suyama H, Shintani T, Gomi K Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The Penicillium chrysogenum aclA gene encodes a broad-substrate-specificity acyl-coenzyme A ligase involved in activation of adipic acid, a side-chain precursor for cephem antibiotics.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Activation of the cephalosporin side-chain precursor to the corresponding CoA-thioester is an essential step for its incorporation into the beta-lactam backbone. To identify an acyl-CoA ligase involved in activation of adipate, we searched in the genome database of Penicillium chrysogenum for putative structural genes encoding acyl-CoA ligases. Chemostat-based transcriptome analysis was used to identify the one presenting the highest expression level when cells were grown in the presence of adipate. Deletion of the gene renamed aclA, led to a 32% decreased specific rate of adipate consumption and a three-fold reduction...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Koetsier MJ, Gombert AK, Fekken S, Bovenberg RA, Berg MA, Kiel JA, Jekel PA, Janssen DB, Pronk JT, Klei IJ, Daran JM Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The Paracoccidioides brasiliensis GP70 Antigen is Encoded by A Putative Member of The Flavoproteins Monooxygenase Family.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Glycoprotein gp70 is an important intracellular antigen from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis that elicits both humoral and cellular immune responses. Herein is reported the PbGP70 gene cloning from isolate Pb18 using internal peptide sequence information. The deduced protein sequence bears two N-glycosylation sites, antigenic sites and two mouse T-cell epitopes. Anti-recombinant gp70 (rPbgp70) polyclonal antibodies reacted with a 70-kDa component in total cell extract of P. brasiliensis, while MAbC5F11 and paracoccidioidomycosis patients' sera recognized rPbgp70. Confocal microscopy with anti-rPbgp70 and MAbC5F11 showed ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Maricato JT, Batista WL, Kioshima ES, Feitosa LS, Brito RR, Goldman GH, Mariano M, Puccia R, Lopes JD Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The mitA gene of Aspergillus fumigatus is required for mannosylation of inositol-phosphorylceramide, but is dispensable for pathogenicity.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
GDP-mannose:inositol-phosphorylceramide (MIPC)-derived glycosphingolipids are important pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) of Candida albicans and according to recently published data also of Aspergillus fumigatus. MIPC transferases are essential for the synthesis of MIPC, but have so far been studied only in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C. albicans. Here, we have identified MitA as the only MIPC transferase in A. fumigatus. The DeltamitA mutant lacks MIPC and MIPC-derived glycosphingolipids and accumulates the precursor IPC. The mutant grows normally, shows no defects in cell wall or membrane organization a...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - October 8, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Kotz A, Wagener J, Engel J, Routier F, Echtenacher B, Pich A, Rohde M, Hoffmann P, Heesemann J, Ebel F Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Circadian Rhythms in Neurospora crassa: Downstream effectors.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study reports additional conditions that allow this rhythmicity to occur. Rhythmicity was restored to mutants lacking either the frq, or wc-1, or wc-2 genes in D/D (constant darkness) or L/L (constant light) by the addition of low levels of menadione, a known stimulator of ROS (reactive oxygen species). Additional studies are reported on the rhythm effects from caffeine, a known cAMP phospho-diesterase inhibitor as well as the effects from mutations in the csp-1 gene, the rco-1 gene, and other genes. A theme ties all of these "downstream effects" together, i.e. they affect either components thought to be part of the c...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - September 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Brody S, Oelhafen K, Schneider K, Perrino S, Goetz A, Wang C, English C Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Ptk2 contributes to osmoadaptation in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa( *).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hyphal tip-growing organisms often rely upon an internal hydrostatic pressure (turgor) to drive localized expansion of the cell. Regulation of the turgor in response to osmotic shock is mediated primarily by an osmotic MAP kinase cascade which activates osmolyte synthesis and ion uptake to effect turgor recovery. We characterized a Neurospora crassa homolog (PTK2) of ser/thr kinase regulators of ion transport in yeast to determine its role in turgor regulation in a filamentous fungi. The ptk2 mutant is osmosensitive, and has lower turgor poise than wildtype. The cause appears to be lower activity of the plasma membrane...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - September 18, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Lew RR, Kapishon V Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Fungal echinocandin resistance.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The echinocandins are the newest class of antifungal agents in the clinical armory. These secondary metabolites are non-competitive inhibitors of the synthesis of beta-(1,3) glucan, a major structural component of the fungal cell wall. Recent work has shown that spontaneous mutations can arise in two hot spot regions of Fks1 the target protein of echinocandins that reduce the enzyme's sensitivity to the drug. However, other strains have been isolated in which the sequence of FKS1 is unaltered yet the fungus has decreased sensitivity to echinocandins. In addition it has been shown that echinocandin treatment can induce ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - September 17, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Walker LA, Gow NA, Munro CA Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Aspergillus oryzae atfA controls conidial germination and stress tolerance.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We compared atfA and atfB, the genes encoding the respective ATF/CREB-type transcription factors in Aspergillus oryzae. The germination ratio of DeltaatfA conidia was low without any stress, unlike that of DeltaatfB conidia. The DeltaatfA conidia were more sensitive to oxidative stress than the DeltaatfB conidia, which are also sensitive to oxidative stress. We compared the gene expressions of these strains by using a DNA microarray, GeneChip. Almost all the genes regulated by atfB were also regulated by atfA, but atfA also regulated many genes that were not regulated by atfB, including some genes putatively involved i...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - September 17, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Sakamoto K, Iwashita K, Yamada O, Kobayashi K, Mizuno A, Akita O, Mikami S, Shimoi H, Gomi K Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Elucidating the Candida albicans calcineurin signaling cascade controlling stress response and virulence.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The protein phosphatase calcineurin is a key mediator of virulence and antifungal susceptibility of multiple fungal pathogens including Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, and has clinical potential as a therapeutic target to increase the efficacy of the current antifungal armamentarium. Despite the importance of this signaling pathway, few components of the calcineurin-signaling pathway are known in C. albicans. Here we identified and analyzed additional components of the C. albicans calcineurin cascade, including the RCN1 (Regulator of Calcineurin1), MID1, and CCH1 genes, which media...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - September 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Reedy JL, Filler SG, Heitman J Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Cryptococcus neoformans cryoimmunoelectronmicroscopy and vesicle fractionation reveals an intimate association between membrane lipids and glucuronxylomannan.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated pathogenic fungus. The cryptococcal capsule is composed of polysaccharides and is necessary for virulence. It has been previously reported that glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), the major capsular component, is synthesized in cytoplasmic compartments and transported to the extracellular space in vesicles, but knowledge on the organelles involved in polysaccharide synthesis and traffic is extremely limited. In this paper we report the GXM distribution in C. neoformans cells sectioned by cryoultramicrotomy and visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and polysaccharide immu...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - September 8, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Oliveira DL, Nimrichter L, Miranda K, Frases S, Faull KF, Casadevall A, Rodrigues ML Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

A Two-locus DNA Sequence Database for Typing Plant and Human Pathogens Within the Fusarium oxysporum Species Complex.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
M, Sarver BA We constructed a two-locus database, comprising partial translation elongation factor (EF-1alpha) gene sequences and nearly full-length sequences of the nuclear ribosomal intergenic spacer region (IGS rDNA) for 850 isolates spanning the phylogenetic breadth of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC). Of the 850 isolates typed, 101 EF-1alpha, 203 IGS rDNA, and 256 two-locus sequence types (STs) were differentiated. Analysis of the combined dataset suggests that two-thirds of the STs might be associated with a single host plant. This analysis also revealed that the 26 STs associated with human mycoses...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - August 24, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: O'Donnell K, Gueidan C, Sink S, Johnston PR, Crous PW, Glenn A, Riley R, Zitomer NC, Colyer P, Waalwijk C, Lee TV, Moretti A, Kang S, Kim HS, Geiser DM, Juba JH, Baayen RP, Cromey MG, Bithel S, Sutton DA, Skovgaard K, Ploetz R, Kistler HC, Elliott M, Davi Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The MpkA MAP kinase module regulates cell wall integrity signaling and pyomelanin formation in Aspergillus fumigatus.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Aspergillus fumigatus is the most important air-borne fungal pathogen, causing severe infections in immunocompromised patients. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of various cellular responses to environmental changes in eukaryotes. Genome Blast analysis revealed that the central core of the cell wall integrity signaling pathway in A. fumigatus is composed of three protein kinases designated Bck1, Mkk2 and MpkA. This pathway is of particular interest because it represents a possible target for new antifungal drugs. Deletion of these genes resulted in severe sensiti...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - August 24, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Valiante V, Jain R, Heinekamp T, Brakhage AA Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Cdc42p controls yeast-cell shape and virulence of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is characterized by a multiple budding phenotype and a polymorphic cell growth, leading to the formation of cells with extreme variations in shape and size. Since Cdc42 is a pivotal molecule in establishing and maintaining polarized growth for diverse cell types, as well as during pathogenesis of certain fungi, we evaluated its role during cell growth and virulence of the yeast-form of P. brasiliensis. We used antisense technology to knock-down PbCDC42's expression in P. brasiliensis yeast cells, promoting a decrease in cell size and more homogenous cell growth, altering the typical polymo...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - August 13, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Almeida AJ, Cunha C, Carmona JA, Sampaio-Marques B, Carvalho A, Malavazi I, Steensma HY, Johnson DI, Leão C, Logarinho E, Goldman GH, Castro AG, Ludovico P, Rodrigues F Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Cpc1 mediates cross-pathway control independently of Mbf1 in Fusarium fujikuroi.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The deletion of glnA, encoding the glutamine synthetase (GS), had led to the down-regulation of genes involved in secondary metabolism and up-regulation of cpc1, the cross-pathway control transcription factor. In the present study, a Deltacpc1 mutant was created and used for transcriptional profiling by macroarray analysis. Most of the Cpc1 target genes were amino acid biosynthesis genes besides a homologue of the multi-protein bridging factor MBF1 that binds to the yeast Cpc1 homologue GCN4. We show that Deltambf1 mutants exhibit no Cpc1-related phenotype and that both proteins do not interact with each other in F. fu...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - August 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Schönig B, Vogel S, Tudzynski B Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Regulation of multidrug resistance in pathogenic fungi.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Infections by opportunistic pathogenic fungi, especially Candida species, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, are a serious medical problem in immunocompromised patients. Different classes of antimycotic drugs are available to treat fungal infections, but the pathogens can develop resistance to all these agents. A major mechanism of antifungal drug resistance is the overexpression of efflux pumps of the ABC transporter and major facilitator superfamilies, which confer resistance to many structurally and functionally unrelated toxic compounds. For some pathogenic fungi, like Candida albicans and Candida ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - August 5, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Morschhäuser J Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Evolution of rDNA ITS1 and ITS2 sequences and RNA secondary structures within members of the fungal genera Grosmannia and Leptographium.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The two internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal (r) DNA tandem repeat were examined in ophiostomatoid fungi belonging to the genera Grosmannia and Leptographium and closely related taxa. Although the DNA sequence of the ITS region evolves rapidly, core features of the RNA secondary structure of the ITS1 and ITS2 segments are conserved. The results demonstrate that structural conservation of GC-rich helical regions is facilitated primarily through compensatory base changes (CBCs), hemi-CBCs, and compensating insertions/deletions (indels), although slippage of the RNA strand is potentially an addition...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - August 5, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Mullineux T, Hausner G Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Nonhomologous end-joining deficiency allows large chromosomal deletions to be produced by replacement-type recombination in Aspergillus oryae.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we report the successful and highly efficient deletion by replacement-type recombination of up to 470-kb regions of chromosome 8 and 200 kb region in chromosome 3, which includes a homologue of aflatoxin gene cluster, by nonhomologous end-joining deficient strains of Aspergillus oryzae. Our study results indicate that the deficiency of nonhomologous end-joining increases the distance of non homologous regions in replacement-type recombination, i.e., the possible deletion range in generation of large chromosomal deletion by one cycle of replacement-type recombination is increased in nonhomologous end-joining ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - July 31, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Takahashi T, Jin FJ, Koyama Y Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Coregulated expression of loline alkaloid-biosynthesis genes in Neotyphodium uncinatum cultures.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Epichloë endophytes (holomorphic Epichloë spp. and anamorphic Neotyphodium spp.) are systemic, often heritable symbionts of cool-season grasses (subfamily Pooideae). Many epichloae provide protection to their hosts by producing anti-insect compounds. Among these are the loline alkaloids (LA), which are toxic and deterrent to a broad range of herbivorous insects but not to mammalian herbivores. LOL, a gene cluster containing nine genes, is associated with LA biosynthesis. We investigated coordinate regulation between LOL-gene expression and LA production in minimal medium (MM) cultures of Neotyphodium uncinatu...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Zhang DX, Stromberg AJ, Spiering MJ, Schardl CL Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Chitosan permeabilizes the plasma membrane and kills cells of Neurospora crassa in an energy dependent manner.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chitosan has been reported to inhibit spore germination and mycelial growth in plant pathogens, but its mode of antifungal action is poorly understood. Following chitosan treatment, we characterized plasma membrane permeabilization, and cell death and lysis in the experimental model, Neurospora crassa. Rhodamine-labeled chitosan was used to show that chitosan is internalized by fungal cells. Cell viability stains and the calcium reporter, aequorin, were used to monitor plasma membrane permeabilization and cell death. Chitosan permeabilization of the fungal plasma membrane and its uptake into fungal cells was found to b...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Palma-Guerrero J, Huang IC, Jansson HB, Salinas J, Lopez-Llorca LV, Read ND Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Evidence of a Ca(2+)-(*)NO-cGMP signaling pathway controlling zoospore biogenesis in the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The sporulation stage of the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii culminates with the formation and release to the medium of a number of zoospores, which are motile cells responsible for the dispersal of the fungus. The presence in the sporulation solution of 1H-[1,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a potent and selective inhibitor of nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclases, completely prevented biogenesis of the zoospores. In addition, this compound was able to significantly reduce cGMP levels, which increase drastically during late sporulation, suggesting the existence of a nitric oxide-dependent mecha...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Vieira AL, Linares E, Augusto O, Gomes SL Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Identification of specific binding sites for XYR1, a transcriptional activator of cellulolytic and xylanolytic genes in Trichoderma reesei.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The transcriptional activator XYR1 is the central regulator that governs cellulolytic and xylanolytic gene expression in Trichoderma reesei. However, despite its biological importance, relatively little is known about its functional binding sequences. In the present study, we investigated the binding characteristics and specific target for XYR1 by using DNase I footprinting analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. We demonstrate that XYR1 can interact not only with the 5'-GGCTAA-3' motif but also with several 5'-GGC(A/T)(3)-3' motifs. In silico analysis revealed that the 5'-GGC(A/T)(3)-3' motifs are widespre...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Furukawa T, Shida Y, Kitagami N, Mori K, Kato M, Kobayashi T, Okada H, Ogasawara W, Morikawa Y Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Nutrient profiling reveals potent inducers of trichothecene biosynthesis in Fusarium graminearum.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Fusarium head blight is one of the most important diseases of wheat worldwide due to crop losses and the contamination of grains with trichothecene mycotoxins. The biosynthesis of trichothecenes by Fusarium spp. is highest during infection, but relatively low levels are produced from saprophytic growth in axenic culture. A strain of Fusarium graminearum was constructed where the promoter from the TRI5 trichothecene biosynthesis gene was fused to GFP. Using this strain in large-scale nutrient profiling, a variety of amines were identified that significantly induce TRI5 expression. Analysis of trichothecene levels in the...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Gardiner DM, Kazan K, Manners JM Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

A plasmid collection for PCR-based gene targeting in the filamentous ascomycete Ashbya gossypii.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article describes the construction of 93 heterologous modules for C- and N-terminal tagging and promoter replacements in A. gossypii. The performance of 12 different fluorescent tags was evaluated by monitoring their brightness, detectability, and photostability when fused to the myosin light-chain protein Mlc2. Furthermore, the thiamine-repressible S. cerevisiae THI13 promoter was established to regulate gene expression in A. gossypii. This collection will help accelerate analysis of gene function in A. gossypii and in other ascomycetes where S. cerevisiae promoter elements are functional. PMID: 19460453 [PubMed ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Kaufmann A Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid-based proteomic analysis of cell wall and secreted proteins of the ascomycetous fungi Neurospora crassa and Candida albicans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Cell wall proteins from purified Candida albicans and Neurospora crassa cell walls were released using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS) which cleaves the cell wall glucan/chitin matrix and deglycosylates the proteins. The cell wall proteins were then characterized by SDS PAGE and identified by proteomic analysis. The analyses for C. albicans identified 15 cell wall proteins and 6 secreted proteins. For N. crassa, the analyses identified 26 cell wall proteins and 9 secreted proteins. Most of the C. albicans cell wall proteins are found in the cell walls of both yeast and hyphae cells, but some cell type-specific cel...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 21, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Maddi A, Bowman SM, Free SJ Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Mutations to LmIFRD affect cell wall integrity, development and pathogenicity of the ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe two mutants with altered expression of a gene, LmIFRD, from the ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans. Truncation of the LmIFRD transcript in a T-DNA insertional mutant led to slower germination, less sporulation and loss of pathogenicity towards Brassica napus, whereas silencing of the LmIFRD transcript led to increased germination, sporulation and earlier infection. The increased tolerance to cell wall lysing enzymes and cell wall-disrupting compounds of the T-DNA mutant contrasts with decreased tolerance of the silenced mutant and suggests altered cell wall integrity and accessibility to 1,3 linked glucan and ch...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 15, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Wouw AP, Pettolino FA, Howlett BJ, Elliott CE Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Rep1p negatively regulating MDR1 efflux pump involved in drug resistance in Candida albicans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Overexpression of MDR1 efflux pump is a major mechanism contributing to drug resistance inCandida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen. To elucidate the regulatory pathway of drug resistance, we have identified a negative regulator of MDR1 and named it Regulator of Efflux Pump 1 (REP1). Overexpression of REP1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae increased susceptibility to fluconazole. Furthermore, null mutations on REP1 decreased the susceptibility to antifungal drugs in C. albicans resulting from increased expression of MDR1 mRNA. Hence, Rep1p is involved in drug resistance by negatively regulating MDR1 inC. albica...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Chen CG, Yang YL, Tseng KY, Shih HI, Liou CH, Lin CC, Lo HJ Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Genetic linkage map for Amylostereum areolatum reveals an association between vegetative growth and sexual and self-recognition.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we present the first genetic linkage map for A. areolatum, onto which the mat and het loci, as well as quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for mycelial growth rate are mapped. The recognition loci (mat-A and het-A) are positioned near QTLs associated with mycelial growth, suggesting that the genetic determinants influencing recognition and growth rate in A. areolatum are closely associated. This was confirmed when isolates associated with specific mat and het loci displayed significantly different mycelial growth rates. Although the link between growth and sexual recognition has previously been observed in other f...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: van der Nest MA, Slippers B, Steenkamp ET, De Vos L, Van Zyl K, Stenlid J, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

MAP kinase signalling pathway components and targets conserved between the distantly related plant pathogenic fungi Mycosphaerella graminicola and Magnaporthe grisea.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This report describes the examination of the role of several components of the Pmk1p/Fus3p mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway in the development of this species. The genes encoding the MAPK kinase kinase MgSte11p and the MAPK kinase MgSte7p were found to be indispensible for pathogenicity while the deletion of the gene encoding the proposed scaffold protein MgSte50p led to a reduction in virulence. These phenotypes were attributed to a reduced ability to form filaments on the plant surface which prevented penetration. A delayed disease progression was observed on deletion of the gene MGSTE12. The MG...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 8, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Kramer B, Thines E, Foster AJ Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Roles of the pH signaling transcription factor PacC in Wangiella (Exophiala) dermatitidis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To study the function of the PacC transcription factor in Wangiella dermatitidis, a black, polymorphic fungal pathogen of humans with yeast-phase predominance, the PACC gene was cloned, sequenced, disrupted and expressed. Three zinc finger DNA-binding motifs were found at the N-terminus, and a signaling protease cleavage site at the C-terminus. PACC was more expressed at neutral-alkaline pH than at acidic pH. Truncation at about 40 residues of the coding sequence upstream of the conserved protease processing cleavage site of PacC affected growth on a nutrient-rich medium, increased sensitivity to Na(+) stress, decrease...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 5, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Wang Q, Szaniszlo PJ Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

A polyphasic approach to the taxonomy of the Alternaria infectoria species-group.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Different taxa in the species-group of Alternaria infectoria (teleomorph Lewia spp.) are often isolated from various cereals including barley, maize and wheat grain, ornamental plants and skin lesions from animals and humans. In the present study we made a polyphasic characterization of 39 strains morphologically identifiable as belonging to the A. infectoria species-group together with 12 strains belonging to closely related species: Alternaria malorum (syn. Cladosporium malorum), Chalastospora cetera (syn. Alternaria cetera) and Embellisia abundans. Morphological examination separated the 51 strains in three groups b...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - June 5, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Andersen B, Sørensen JL, Nielsen KF, van den Ende BG, de Hoog S Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

The interplay between iron and zinc metabolism in Aspergillus fumigatus.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Zinc plays a critical role in a diverse array of biochemical processes. However, excess of zinc is deleterious to cells. Therefore, cells require finely tuned homeostatic mechanisms to balance uptake and storage of zinc. Here we show that iron starvation affects zinc metabolism by downregulating expression of the plasma membrane zinc importer encoding zrfB and upregulating the putative vacuolar zinc transporter-encoding zrcA in Aspergillus fumigatus. Nevertheless, the zinc content of iron-starved mycelia exceeded that of iron replete mycelia, possibly due to unspecific metal uptake induced by iron starvation. In agreem...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - May 18, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Yasmin S, Abt B, Schrettl M, Moussa TA, Werner ER, Haas H Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

An unusual organelle in Cryptococcus neoformans links luminal pH and capsule biosynthesis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Cryptococcus neoformans is a basidiomycete that causes deadly infections in the immunocompromised. We previously generated a secretion mutant in this fungus by introducing a mutation in the SAV1 gene, which encodes a homolog of the Sec4/Rab8 subfamily GTPases. Under restrictive conditions there are two notable morphological changes in the sav1 mutant: accumulation of post-Golgi vesicles and the appearance of an unusual organelle, which we term the sav1 body (SB). The SB is an electron-transparent structure 0.2-1mum in diameter, with vesicles or other membranous structures associated with the perimeter. Surprisingly, th...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - May 17, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Yoneda A, Doering TL Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Genetic and metabolic biodiversity of Trichoderma from Colombia and adjacent neotropic regions.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The genus Trichoderma has been studied for production of enzymes and other metabolites, as well as for exploitation as effective biological control agents. The biodiversity of Trichoderma has seen relatively limited study over much of the neotropical region. In the current study we assess the biodiversity of 183 isolates from Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Colombia, using morphological, metabolic and genetic approaches. A comparatively high diversity of species was found, comprising 29 taxa: Trichoderma asperellum (60 isolates), Trichoderma atroviride (3), Trichoderma brevicompactum (5), Trichoder...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - May 8, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Hoyos-Carvajal L, Orduz S, Bissett J Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Biomechanics of invasive growth by Armillaria rhizomorphs.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we applied techniques used in previous studies on hyphae to explore the mechanics of the invasive growth process in Armillaria gallica. Growth rate measurements were made in media with different gel strengths. The osmolyte composition of rhizomorph sap was determined spectroscopically and the forces exerted by growing tips were measured using a force transducer. Cultured rhizomorphs extended at much faster rates than unbundled hyphae (3.5mmd(-1) versus 1.5mmd(-1)) and their growth accelerated in response to increased medium gel strength (to 7.4mmd(-1)). Measurements of rhizomorph osmolality provided a turgor...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - May 6, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Yafetto L, Davis DJ, Money NP Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Functional characterization of the Aspergillus nidulans methionine sulfoxide reductases (msrA and msrB).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Proteins are subject to modification by reactive oxygen species (ROS), and oxidation of specific amino acid residues can impair their biological function, leading to an alteration in cellular homeostasis. Sulfur-containing amino acids as methionine are the most vulnerable to oxidation by ROS, resulting in the formation of methionine sulfoxide [Met(O)] residues. This modification can be repaired by methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msr). Two distinct classes of these enzymes, MsrA and MsrB, which selectively reduce the two methionine sulfoxide epimers, methionine-S-sulfoxide and methionine-R-sulfoxide, respectively, are ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - April 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Soriani FM, Kress MR, Fagundes de Gouvêa P, Malavazi I, Savoldi M, Gallmetzer A, Strauss J, Goldman MH, Goldman GH Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Reduced genomic potential for secreted plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Amanita bisporigera, based on the secretome of Trichoderma reesei.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Based on the analysis of its genome sequence, the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) basidiomycetous fungus Laccaria bicolor was shown to be lacking many of the major classes of secreted enzymes that depolymerize plant cell wall polysaccharides. To test whether this is also a feature of other ECM fungi, we searched a survey genome database of Amanita bisporigera with the proteins found in the secretome of Trichoderma reesei (syn. Hypocrea jecorina), a biochemically well-characterized industrial fungus. Additional proteins were also used as queries to compensate for major groups of cell-wall-degrading enzymes lacking in the secretom...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - April 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Nagendran S, Hallen-Adams HE, Paper JM, Aslam N, Walton JD Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Improved tryprostatin B production by heterologous gene expression in Aspergillus nidulans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Tryprostatin B, a prenylated diketopiperazine with anti-tubulin activity, has been overproduced in fungal culture by expression of genes of the fumitremorgin cluster from Aspergillus fumigatus in the naïve host Aspergillus nidulans using the alcA promoter. The products of the expressed genes catalyse the first two steps of fumitremorgin biosynthesis, namely the formation of brevianamide F and its conversion to tryprostatin B. Yields of tryprostatin B were up to 250 mg/l, a significant improvement in previously reported levels. This approach illustrates how the availability of fungal genome sequences and knowledge ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - April 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Maiya S, Grundmann A, Li SM, Turner G Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

SmATG7 is required for viability in the homothallic ascomycete Sordaria macrospora.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In filamentous ascomycetes, autophagy is involved in several developmental processes. Nevertheless, until now little is known about its role in fruiting-body development. We therefore isolated a gene of the homothallic ascomycete Sordaria macrospora with high sequence similarity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae autophagy-related geneATG7, encoding a core autophagy regulator. This is the first characterization of an ATG7 homologue in filamentous ascomycetes. A S. cerevisiae complementation assay demonstrated that the S. macrospora Smatg7 gene functionally replaces the yeast homologue. We were not able to generate a homok...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - April 4, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Nolting N, Bernhards Y, Pöggeler S Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Karyotype analysis, genome organization, and stable genetic transformation of the root colonizing fungus Piriformospora indica.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Piriformospora indica (Basidiomycota, Sebacinales) is a root colonizing fungus which is able to increase biomass and yield of crop plants and to induce local and systemic resistance to fungal diseases and tolerance to abiotic stress. A prerequisite for the elucidation of the mode of action of this novel kind of symbiosis is knowledge of the genome organization as well as the development of tools to study and modify gene functions. Here we provide data on the karyotype and genetic transformation strategies. The fungus was shown to possess at least 6 chromosomes and a genome size of about 15.4 to 24 Mb. Sequences of the ...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - April 4, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Zuccaro A, Basiewicz M, Zurawska M, Biedenkopf D, Kogel KH Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Reactive Oxygen Species and Autophagy Play a Role in Survival and Differentiation of the Phytopathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The hemibiotrophic basidiomycete Moniliophthora perniciosa causes "witches' broom disease" in cacao (Theobroma cacao). During plant infection, M. perniciosa changes from mono to dikaryotic life form, an event which could be triggered by changes in plant nutritional offer and plant defense molecules, i.e., from high to low content of glycerol and hydrogen peroxide. We have recently shown that in vitro glycerol induces oxidative stress resistance in dikaryotic M. perniciosa. In order to understand under which conditions in parasite-plant interaction M. perniciosa changes from intercellular monokaryotic to intracellular d...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - March 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Pungartnik C, Melo SC, Basso TS, Macena W, Cascardo JC, Brendel M Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals

Importin alpha is an essential nuclear import carrier adaptor required for proper sexual and asexual development and secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In eukaryotes, the principal nuclear import pathway is driven by the importin alpha/beta1 heterodimer. KapA, the Aspergillus nidulans importin alpha, is an essential protein. We generated a conditional allele, kapA31, mimicking the srp1-31 allele in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. KapA31 carries a Ser111Phe amino acid substitution which, at the restrictive temperature of 42 degrees C, reduces nuclear import of cargos containing classical nuclear-localization-sequences, cNLS. Using kapA31, we have demonstrated the role of the importin alpha in the nuclear accumulation of the light-dependent developmental regulator VeA. KapA h...
Source: Fungal Genetics and Biology - March 21, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Araújo-Bazán L, Dhingra S, Chu J, Fernández-Martı Nez J, Calvo AM, Espeso EA Tags: Fungal Genet Biol Source Type: journals