Project description:The dynamic transition between yeast and hyphal forms is a crucial adaptive mechanism for many human pathogenic fungi, including Talaromyces marneffei, a thermodimorphic fungus responsible for causing fatal talaromycosis globally. This study aimed to uncover the genetic mechanisms underlying the dimorphic transition in T. marneffei, focusing on the MADS-box transcription factor family. Using adaptive laboratory evolution, we identified MADS-box genes enriched in dimorphism-defective mutants, revealing a notable expansion of this gene family in T. marneffei. Phylogenetic analysis and functional genetic manipulations confirmed the involvement of mads9, mads10, and mads13 in regulating the yeast-hypha transition. Integrating RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), we demonstrated that these transcription factors target genes involved in transmembrane transport, redox processes, and cellulose binding. Our findings not only clarify the role and regulatory mechanisms of the MADS-box family in dimorphic transitions but also present a valuable strategy for identifying regulatory genes based on morphological variations and high-throughput sequencing, paving the way for further systematic genetic studies of fungal temperature adaptation.
Project description:The dynamic transition between yeast and hyphal forms is a crucial adaptive mechanism for many human pathogenic fungi, including Talaromyces marneffei, a thermodimorphic fungus responsible for causing fatal talaromycosis globally. This study aimed to uncover the genetic mechanisms underlying the dimorphic transition in T. marneffei, focusing on the MADS-box transcription factor family. Using adaptive laboratory evolution, we identified MADS-box genes enriched in dimorphism-defective mutants, revealing a notable expansion of this gene family in T. marneffei. Phylogenetic analysis and functional genetic manipulations confirmed the involvement of mads9, mads10, and mads13 in regulating the yeast-hypha transition. Integrating RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), we demonstrated that these transcription factors target genes involved in transmembrane transport, redox processes, and cellulose binding. Our findings not only clarify the role and regulatory mechanisms of the MADS-box family in dimorphic transitions but also present a valuable strategy for identifying regulatory genes based on morphological variations and high-throughput sequencing, paving the way for further systematic genetic studies of fungal temperature adaptation.
Project description:Comparative analysis of transcriptome of Penicillium marneffei PM1 grown at 25°C and 37°C Penicillium marneffei strain PM1 was pre-cultured at 25°C and 37°C for two weeks on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar (SDA). Messenger RNAs were then isolated from one-week 25°C and 37°C cultures and sequenced with Illumina by BGI America. Two replicates.
Project description:Penicillium marneffei (Talaromyces marneffei) is an opportunistic human pathogen that can grow in a multicellular hyphal form at 25°C or a unicellular fission yeast form at 37°C, and can switch between these two forms in response to temperature. The yeast form is found in infected individuals and represents the pathogenic phase. In response to specific environmental cues, the hyphal form can undergo asexual development (conidiation) the produce a differentiated multicellular structure called a conidiophore which produces dormant spores (conidia). Inhaled conidia initiate infection. To identify genes that are ‘phase or cell-state specific’ transcriptional profiling was performed with a custom microarray consisting of ~42% of the predicted P. marneffei genes and RNA from P. marneffei hyphal, yeast and conidiation cell types.
Project description:To investigate the function of NCOR2-013 in T. marneffei-infected THP-1 macrophages, we established NCOR2-013 overexpression THP-1 macrphages. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of T. marneffei-infected NCOR2-013 overexpression THP-1 macrophages and T. marneffei-infected control cells.
Project description:Penicillium marneffei (Talaromyces marneffei) is an opportunistic human pathogen that can grow in a multicellular hyphal form at 25M-BM-0C or a unicellular fission yeast form at 37M-BM-0C, and can switch between these two forms in response to temperature. The yeast form is found in infected individuals and represents the pathogenic phase. In response to specific environmental cues, the hyphal form can undergo asexual development (conidiation) the produce a differentiated multicellular structure called a conidiophore which produces dormant spores (conidia). Inhaled conidia initiate infection. To identify genes that are M-bM-^@M-^Xphase or cell-state specificM-bM-^@M-^Y transcriptional profiling was performed with a custom microarray consisting of ~42% of the predicted P. marneffei genes and RNA from P. marneffei hyphal, yeast and conidiation cell types. A custom microarray consisting of short, random genomic fragments from P. marneffei (~42% of the predicted genes) was generated using PCR products of the inserts from two independent DNA libraries constructed from genomic DNA of the P. marneffei type strain FRR2161. PCR products from previously cloned P. marneffei genes with known expression profiles were included as controls on the microarray. Total RNA from hyphal, yeast or conidiation cell types was prepared and used in pairwise combinations (conidiation versus hyphal cells, conidiation versus yeast cells and hyphal versus yeast cells) on the microarrays. Three biological replicate cultures were prepared for each experiment.