Project description:We report the transcriptomic comparisions between key processes required for various stages of fungal carnivory in nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora when induced with nematodes. The reference assembly used for remapping is A. oligospora TWF154 (GenBank assembly accession: GCA_004768765.1)
Project description:We report the transcriptomic comparisions between ku70 control and ste12 mutant strains in nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora when induced with nematodes. Fungal Ste12 transcription factor and the upstream MAPK cascade are highly conserved and plays a role in host sensing and pathogenesis in various fungal pathogens. Identification of Ste12-dependent in A. oligospora may provide further insights into the molecular mechanisms of nematode-sensing and trap morphogenesis. The reference assemly used for remapping is A. oligospora TWF154 (GenBank assembly accession: GCA_004768765.1)
Project description:Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi can form unique infection structures (traps) to capture and kill free-living nematodes, thus play a potential role in the biocontrol of nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative species of the NT fungi. Here we performed dual RNA-seq to understand the interaction between A. oligospora and Caenorhabditis elegans. We identified 5752 unique differentially expressed genes during trap formation and predation, and the rac gene was significantly upregulated. Alternative splicing events occurred in 896 2012 genes, including the rac and rho2 gene. Further, we characterized three Rho GTPases (Rho2, Rac, and Cdc42) in A. oligospora using gene disruption and multi-phenotypic analysis. The analyses showed that AoRac and AoCdc42 play an important role in mycelium growth, lipid accumulation, DNA damage, sporulation, trap formation, pathogenicity, and stress response in A. oligospora. Furthermore, AoCdc42 and AoRac specifically interacted with components of the Nox complex, thus regulating the production of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the transcript levels of several genes associated with the protein kinase A, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and p21-activated kinase were also altered in the mutants, suggesting that Rho GTPases might function upstream of these kinases. This study highlights the important role of Rho GTPases in A. oligospora and provides insights into the regulatory mechanism of signaling pathways in trap morphogenesis and lifestyle transition of NT fungi.
Project description:ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) belong to the small GTPases superfamily and regulate mycelial development, endocytosis, and virulence in fungi. Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi can form unique infection structures (traps) to capture and kill free-living nematodes, thus play a potential role in the biocontrol of nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative species of the NT fungi. Here, the functions of two Arf-GAPs, Age1 (AoAge1) and Age2 (AoAge2) orthologue to S. cerevisiae were identified in A. oligospora by gene knockout and multi-phenotypic analysis. It was found that AoAge1 and AoAge2, especially AoAge2, play an important role in vegetative growth, conidiation, trap formation, DNA damage, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial activity, endocytosis, heat shock stress, ROS level, and autophagy of A. oligospora. Importantly, our transcriptomic analysis (12 h) showed that nearly 62.7% of A. oligospora genes (11479) were directly or indirectly regulated by AoAge2, indicating that Arf-GAP plays a global role in the growth and development of A. oli gospora. Revealed by transcriptomic analysis differentially upregulated genes in the absence of Aoage2 were involved in autophagy and carbohydrate, amino acid and sphingolipid metabolism while downregulated genes were involved in longevity regulating pathway and carbohydrate, amino acid and secondary metabolites biosynthesis. In addition, metabolomic analysis showed that many compounds were markedly reduction in ΔAoage2 mutants strain. Our results highlighted that AoAge1 and AoAge2 play a crucial role in the asexual growth, development, differentiation, and lifestyle transition, especially, AoAge2 is indispensable for conidiation and trap morphogenesis of A. oligospora. These results demonstrated crucial roles for AoAge1 and AoAge2 in the fungal growth, environmental adaption and pathogenicity, which provided insights into the function of Arf-GAPs in A. oligospora and other fungi.
Project description:ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) belong to the small GTPases superfamily and regulate mycelial development, endocytosis, and virulence in fungi. Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi can form unique infection structures (traps) to capture and kill free-living nematodes, thus play a potential role in the biocontrol of nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative species of the NT fungi. Here, the functions of two Arf-GAPs, Age1 (AoAge1) and Age2 (AoAge2) orthologue to S. cerevisiae were identified in A. oligospora by gene knockout and multi-phenotypic analysis. It was found that AoAge1 and AoAge2, especially AoAge2, play an important role in vegetative growth, conidiation, trap formation, DNA damage, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial activity, endocytosis, heat shock stress, ROS level, and autophagy of A. oligospora. Importantly, our transcriptomic analysis (12 h) showed that nearly 62.7% of A. oligospora genes (11479) were directly or indirectly regulated by AoAge2, indicating that Arf-GAP plays a global role in the growth and development of A. oli gospora. Revealed by transcriptomic analysis differentially upregulated genes in the absence of Aoage2 were involved in autophagy and carbohydrate, amino acid and sphingolipid metabolism while downregulated genes were involved in longevity regulating pathway and carbohydrate, amino acid and secondary metabolites biosynthesis. In addition, metabolomic analysis showed that many compounds were markedly reduction in ΔAoage2 mutants strain. Our results highlighted that AoAge1 and AoAge2 play a crucial role in the asexual growth, development, differentiation, and lifestyle transition, especially, AoAge2 is indispensable for conidiation and trap morphogenesis of A. oligospora. These results demonstrated crucial roles for AoAge1 and AoAge2 in the fungal growth, environmental adaption and pathogenicity, which provided insights into the function of Arf-GAPs in A. oligospora and other fungi.
Project description:Mitophagy is one of the most important cellular processes to ensure mitochondrial quality control, which aims to transport damaged, dysfunctional, or excess mitochondria for degradation and reuse. Here, we determined the function of AoAtg11 and AoAtg33, two orthologous autophagy-related proteins involved in yeast mitophagy, in the typical nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora . Deletion of Aoatg11 and Aoatg33 impairs mitophagy, mitochondrial morphology and activity, autophagy,cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species levels, lipid droplet accumulation, and endocytosis. These combined effects resulted in slow vegetative growth; reduced conidiation, trap formation, cell nucleus, and extracellular protease activity; increased susceptibility to the stress response; and arthrobotrisin production in the Δ Aoatg11 and Δ Aoatg33 mutants, compared with the wild-type strain. In addition, the absence of Aoatg11 caused an endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Transcriptome analysis revealed that many differentially expressed genes in the Δ Aoatg11 mutants were involved in various important cellular processes, such as lipid metabolism, the TCA cycle, mitophagy, nitrogen metabolism, endocytosis, and the MAPK signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study revealed that Aoatg11 and Aoatg33 mediate autophagy and mitophagy in A. oligospora , and provides a basis for elucidating the links between mitophagy and fungal vegetative growth, conidiation, and pathogenicity.
Project description:We conducted a ENU forward genetic screen in zebrafish; identifying 42 genes differentially regulating rag1-expressing T cells fitness relative to growth hormone-expressing somatotrophic epithelials. Our forward genetic screens in zebrafish for recessive mutations affecting early T cell development revealed several major genetic pathways. Genes encoding proteins required for DNA repair & replication, cell cycle regulation, pre-mRNA processing, protein processing in the ER, ribosome biogenesis and hematopoiesis were enriched in the collection of mutants identified. To examine the molecular consequences of these mutations, bulk RNAseq was conducted on mutant and sibling wildtype embryos at 5 day post-fertilisation.