Project description:Characterization of proteins critical to fungal cellulosome assembly for Anaeromyces robustus, Neocallimastix californiae and Piromyces finnis (cellulosomes are multi-protein complexes that tether plant biomass degrading enzymes together). These findings suggest that the fungal cellulosome is an independently evolved fungal complex that co-opted useful activities from bacterial neighbors within the herbivore rumen microbiome.
2018-10-19 | PXD006325 | Pride
Project description:Expression and regulation of cellulosic enzymes by powerful biomass-degrading gut fungal isolates (Neocallimastigomycetes)
Project description:Filamentous fungi are widely used in the production of biomass degrading enzymes, e.g. cellulases and pectinases. In order to study the secretome of biomass degrading fungi, proteomics studies were carried out on the extracellular proteins of fungal strains.
Project description:Members of the fungal genus Armillaria are necrotrophic pathogens with efficient plant biomass-degrading strategies. Armillaria species are some of the largest terrestrial organisms on Earth that cause tremendous losses in diverse ecosystems. Despite their global importance, how Armillaria evolved pathogenicity in a clade of dominantly non-pathogenic wood-degraders (Agaricales) remains elusive. Here, using new genomic data, we show that Armillaria species, in addition to widespread gene duplications and de novo gene origins, appear to have acquired at least 1025 genes via 124 horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events, primarily from Ascomycota donors. Functional and expression data suggest that HGT might have affected plant biomass-degrading and virulence abilities of Armillaria, two pivotal traits in their lifestyle. HGT provides an explanation for their soft-rot like biomass degrading strategy too, which is markedly different from the primarily white rot decay mechanism of related species. Combined multi-species expression data revealed putative virulence factors, extensive regulation of horizontally acquired and wood-decay related genes as well as novel noserved pathogenicity-induced small secreted proteins (PiSSPs). Two PiSSPs induced necrosis in live plants, suggesting they are potential virulence effectors conserved across Armillaria. Overall, this study details how evolution knitted together horizontally and vertically inherited genes in complex adaptive traits, such as plant biomass degradation and pathogenicityin one of the most influential fungal pathogens of temperate forest ecosystems.
Project description:Members of the fungal genus Armillaria are necrotrophic pathogens with efficient plant biomass-degrading strategies. Armillaria species are some of the largest terrestrial organisms on Earth that cause tremendous losses in diverse ecosystems. Despite their global importance, how Armillaria evolved pathogenicity in a clade of dominantly non-pathogenic wood-degraders (Agaricales) remains elusive. Here, using new genomic data, we show that Armillaria species, in addition to widespread gene duplications and de novo gene origins, appear to have acquired at least 1025 genes via 124 horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events, primarily from Ascomycota donors. Functional and expression data suggest that HGT might have affected plant biomass-degrading and virulence abilities of Armillaria, two pivotal traits in their lifestyle. HGT provides an explanation for their soft-rot like biomass degrading strategy too, which is markedly different from the primarily white rot decay mechanism of related species. Combined multi-species expression data revealed putative virulence factors, extensive regulation of horizontally acquired and wood-decay related genes as well as novel noserved pathogenicity-induced small secreted proteins (PiSSPs). Two PiSSPs induced necrosis in live plants, suggesting they are potential virulence effectors conserved across Armillaria. Overall, this study details how evolution knitted together horizontally and vertically inherited genes in complex adaptive traits, such as plant biomass degradation and pathogenicityin one of the most influential fungal pathogens of temperate forest ecosystems.
Project description:Members of the fungal genus Armillaria are necrotrophic pathogens with efficient plant biomass-degrading strategies. Armillaria species are some of the largest terrestrial organisms on Earth that cause tremendous losses in diverse ecosystems. Despite their global importance, how Armillaria evolved pathogenicity in a clade of dominantly non-pathogenic wood-degraders (Agaricales) remains elusive. Here, using new genomic data, we show that Armillaria species, in addition to widespread gene duplications and de novo gene origins, acquired at least 1,025 genes via 124 horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events, primarily from Ascomycota donors. Functional and expression data suggest that HGT might have affected plant biomass-degrading and virulence abilities of Armillaria, two pivotal traits in their lifestyle. HGT provides an explanation for their soft-rot like biomass degrading strategy, which is which is markedly different from the primarily white rot decay mechanism of related species. Combined multi-species expression data revealed extensive regulation of horizontally acquired and wood-decay related genes, putative virulence factors as well as novel conserved pathogenicity-induced small secreted proteins (PiSSPs), two of which were experimentally verified to induce necrosis in live plants. Overall, this study details how evolution knitted together horizontally and vertically inherited genes in complex adaptive traits, such as plant biomass degradation and pathogenicity in one of the most influential fungal pathogens of temperate forest ecosystems.
Project description:Members of the fungal genus Armillaria are necrotrophic pathogens with efficient plant biomass-degrading strategies. Armillaria species are some of the largest terrestrial organisms on Earth that cause tremendous losses in diverse ecosystems. Despite their global importance, how Armillaria evolved pathogenicity in a clade of dominantly non-pathogenic wood-degraders (Agaricales) remains elusive. Here, using new genomic data, we show that Armillaria species, in addition to widespread gene duplications and de novo gene origins, appear to have acquired at least 1025 genes via 124 horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events, primarily from Ascomycota donors. Functional and expression data suggest that HGT might have affected plant biomass-degrading and virulence abilities of Armillaria, two pivotal traits in their lifestyle. HGT provides an explanation for their soft-rot like biomass degrading strategy too, which is markedly different from the primarily white rot decay mechanism of related species. Combined multi-species expression data revealed putative virulence factors, extensive regulation of horizontally acquired and wood-decay related genes as well as novel noserved pathogenicity-induced small secreted proteins (PiSSPs). Two PiSSPs induced necrosis in live plants, suggesting they are potential virulence effectors conserved across Armillaria. Overall, this study details how evolution knitted together horizontally and vertically inherited genes in complex adaptive traits, such as plant biomass degradation and pathogenicityin one of the most influential fungal pathogens of temperate forest ecosystems.