Deletion of the col-26 Transcription Factor Gene and a Point Mutation in the exo-1 F-Box Protein Gene Confer Sorbose Resistance in Neurospora crassa.

L-Sorbose induces hyperbranching of hyphae, which results in colonial growth in Neurospora crassa. The sor-4 gene, which encodes a glucose sensor that acts in carbon catabolite repression (CCR), has been identified as a sorbose resistance gene. In this study, we found that the deletion mutant of col-26, which encodes an AmyR-like transcription factor that acts in CCR, displayed sorbose resistance. In contrast, the deletion mutants of other CCR genes, such as a hexokinase (hxk-2), an AMP-activated S/T protein kinase (prk-10), and a transcription factor (cre-1), showed no sorbose resistance. Double mutant analysis revealed that the deletion of hxk-2, prk-10, and cre-1 did not affect the sorbose resistance of the col-26 mutant. Genes for a glucoamylase (gla-1), an invertase (inv), and glucose transporters (glt-1 and hgt-1) were highly expressed in the cre-1 mutant, even in glucose-rich conditions, but this upregulation was suppressed in the Δcre-1;Δcol-26a double-deletion mutant. Furthermore, we found that a dgr-2(L1)a mutant with a single amino-acid substitution, S11L, in the F-box protein EXO-1 displayed sorbose resistance, unlike the deletion mutants of exo-1, suggesting that the function of EXO-1 is crucial for the resistance. Our data strongly suggest that CCR directly participates in sorbose resistance, and that COL-26 and EXO-1 play important roles in regulating the amylase and glucose transporter genes during CCR.

A partial photoreactivation defect phenotype is not due to unrepaired ultraviolet-induced pyrimidine dimers in ultraviolet-sensitive mutants of Neurospora crassa.

Photoreactivation is a mechanism in which photolyase directly repairs either cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) or (6-4) photoproducts [(6-4) PPs] caused by ultraviolet (UV) light. In the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, some UV-sensitive mutants such as mus-44 have been reported to exhibit a partial photoreactivation defect (PPD) phenotype, but its mechanism has not been elucidated for a long time. In this study, the N. crassa CPD photolyase PHR was overexpressed in the Δmus-44 strain, but photoreactivation ability was not increased. Furthermore, Escherichia coli CPD photolyase or Arabidopsis thaliana (6-4) PP photolyase was also introduced into Δmus-44; however, the PPD phenotype was not complemented. These results suggested that the PPD phenotype in N. crassa is not caused by residual unrepaired pyrimidine dimers, which are the main type of DNA damage caused by UV irradiation. Finally, we revealed that Δmus-44, but not the Δmus-43 strain, which does not show the PPD phenotype, displayed higher sensitivity with increasing dose rate of UV. Moreover, Δmus-44 was also sensitive to an interstrand crosslinking agent. This indicates that the high dose of UV in our experimental condition induces DNA damage other than pyrimidine dimers, and that such damage is a likely cause of the PPD phenotype.

Involvement of MAK-1 and MAK-2 MAP kinases in cell wall integrity in Neurospora crassa.

Among three MAPK disruptants of Neurospora crassa, Δmak-1 was sensitive and Δmak-2 was hypersensitive to micafungin, a beta-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitor, than the wild-type or Δos-2 strains. We identified six micafungin-inducible genes that are involved in cell wall integrity (CWI) and found that MAK-1 regulated the transcription of non-anchored cell wall protein gene, ncw-1, and the beta-1,3-endoglucanase gene, bgt-2, whereas MAK-2 controlled the expression of the glycosylhydrolase-like protein gene, gh76-5, and the C4-dicarboxylate transporter gene, tdt-1. Western blotting analysis revealed that, in the wild-type strain, MAK-1 was constitutively phosphorylated from conidial germination to hyphal development. In contrast, the phosphorylation of MAK-2 was growth phase-dependent, and micafungin induced the phosphorylation of unphosphorylated MAK-2. It should be noted that the phosphorylation of MAK-1 was virtually abolished in the Δmak-2 strain, but was significantly induced by micafungin, suggesting functional cross talk between MAK-1 and MAK-2 signalling pathway in CWI.

Deletion and expression analysis of beta-(1,3)-glucanosyltransferase genes in Neurospora crassa.

GPI(glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-anchored beta-(1,3)-glucanosyltransferases play an active role in cell wall biosynthesis in fungi. Neurospora crassa has 5 putative beta-(1,3)-glucanosyltransferase genes, namely, gel-1, gel-2, gel-3, gel-4, and gel-5, in its genome. Among them, the gel-3 gene is constitutively expressed at the highest level in growing hyphae, whereas gel-1 is expressed at the lowest level. The gel-3 deletion mutant displayed slow growth, while other gel gene disruptants exhibited normal growth. Although no gel gene disruption affected pH sensitivity and fertility, all Δgel mutants were resistant to cell wall degradation enzymes. Micafungin, a beta-(1,3)-glucan synthase inhibitor, induced gel-4 expression in the wild-type and 2 MAP kinase mutants mak-1 and mak-2 strains. In contrast, fludioxonil, an activator of OS-2 MAP kinase, strongly induced the gel-1 gene in the wild-type strain. Its induction was nearly abolished in the os-2 and in the atf-1/asl-1 mutant. These suggested that GEL-3 is a major factor in mycelial growth, while GEL-1 and GEL-4 may play important roles in cell wall remodeling in response to stress conditions or cell wall damage, respectively.

An AP-1-like transcription factor, NAP-1, regulates expression of the glutathione S-transferase and NADH:flavin oxidoreductase genes in Neurospora crassa.

AP-1-like transcription factors play crucial roles in oxidative stress responses in yeast and filamentous fungi. The deletion of an AP-1-like transcription factor gene, nap-1, in Neurospora crassa slightly increased its sensitivity to oxidative stressors, including menadione. Microarray and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR analyses were employed to identify menadione-inducible genes (migs) and the roles of NAP-1 in their regulation. N. crassa migs include three putative glutathione S-transferase genes and two NADH:flavin oxidoreductase genes, orthologs of OYE2 and OYE3, both of which play roles in menadione tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Menadione induced nuclear localization of NAP-1, and oxidative upregulation of many of migs were NAP-1 dependent. Genes for a thioredoxin, a glutathione reductase, and a glutathione peroxidase were slightly upregulated by the chemical only in the wild-type strain, suggesting that NAP-1 is involved in their oxidative induction and probably dose not contribute to high-level constitutive expressions of such genes.

Genotyping of benzimidazole-resistant and dicarboximide-resistant mutations in Botrytis cinerea using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays.

Botrytis cinerea, an economically important gray mold pathogen, frequently exhibits multiple fungicide resistance. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based real-time polymerase chain reaction assay has been developed to detect benzimidazole- and dicarboximide-resistant mutations. Three benzimidazole-resistant mutations-(198)Glu to Ala (E198A), F200Y, and E198K-in beta-tubulin BenA were detected using a single set of fluorescence-labeled sensor and anchor probes by melting curve analysis. Similarly, three dicarboximide-resistant mutations-I365S, V368F plus Q369H, and Q369P-in the histidine kinase BcOS1 were successfully distinguished. Unassigned melting profiles in BenA genotyping assay resulted in the identification of a new benzimidazole-resistant BenA E198V mutation. This mutation conferred resistance to carbendazim as do E198A and E198K mutations. The isolates with BenA E198V mutation showed a negative cross-resistance to diethofencarb, but to a lesser extent than the E198A mutants. A survey of 210 B. cinerea field isolates revealed that most of benzimidazole-resistant isolates possessed the E198V or E198A mutation in the BenA gene, and the I365S mutation in the BcOS1 gene was also frequently observed in Japanese isolates. However, benzimidazole-resistant isolates with BenA F200Y or E198K mutations, which confer the diethofencarb-insensitive phenotype, were rare. Our BenA and BcOS1 genotyping is a rapid and reliable method that is suitable for monitoring the fungicide-resistant field population.

Genetic analysis of the Neurospora crassa RAD14 homolog mus-43 and the RAD10 homolog mus-44 reveals that they belong to the mus-38 pathway of two nucleotide excision repair systems.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad14 and Rad10 proteins are essential for nucleotide excision repair (NER). Rad14 is a UV-damaged DNA binding protein and Rad10 is a structure-specific endonuclease that functions in a complex with Rad1. In this study, we identified and characterized the RAD14 and RAD10 homolog genes in Neurospora crassa, which we named mus-43 and mus-44, respectively. Disruption of mus-43 and mus-44 conferred sensitivity to UV and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, but not to methyl methanesulfonate, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, camptothecin, hydroxyurea, or bleomycin. The mus-44 mutant was more sensitive to UV than the mus-43 mutant. Genetic analysis indicated that mus-43 and mus-44 are epistatic to mus-38 which is a homolog of the S. cerevisiae RAD1, but not to mus-18 which belongs to a second excision repair pathway. Immunological assays demonstrated that both mus-43 and mus-44 retained the ability to excise UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 6-4 photoproducts, but that excision ability was completely abolished in the mus-43 mus-18 and mus-44 mus-18 double mutants. These double mutants exhibited extremely high sensitivity to UV. In mus-43 and mus-44 mutants, the UV-induced mutation frequency increased compared to that of the wild-type. The mus-44 mutants also exhibited a partial photoreactivation defect phenotype similar to mus-38. These results suggest that both mus-43 and mus-44 function in the mus-38 NER pathway, but not in the mus-18 excision repair pathway.

OS-2 mitogen activated protein kinase regulates the clock-controlled gene ccg-1 in Neurospora crassa.

OS-2 MAP kinase is involved in osmoadaptation in Neurospora crassa. Clock-controlled genes ccg-1, bli-3, and con-10 were induced by osmotic stress in an OS-2 dependent manner. In contrast, osmotic stress did not affect the expression of clock genes frq, wc-1, and wc-2 or of clock-controlled genes ccg-2 and bli-4. These results suggest that OS-2 participates in the regulation of certain circadian-clock output genes.

Involvement of OS-2 MAP kinase in regulation of the large-subunit catalases CAT-1 and CAT-3 in Neurospora crassa.

Neurospora crassa has four catalase genes--cat-1, cat-2, cat-3, and ctt-1/cat-4. cat-1 and cat-3 encode two fungal-specific large-subunit catalases CAT-1 and CAT-3 normally produced in conidia and growing hyphae, respectively. cat-2 encodes CAT-2 catalase-peroxidase normally produced in conidia. ctt-1 (or cat-4), of which expression was controlled by OS-2 MAP kinase (Noguchi et al., Fungal Genet. Biol. 44, 208-218), encodes a small-subunit catalase with unknown function. To clarify the contribution of OS-2 on the regulation of CAT-1, CAT-2, and CAT-3, we performed quantitative RT-PCR and in-gel catalase activity analyses. When the hyphae were treated with a fungicide (1 mug/ml fludioxonil) or subjected to an osmotic stress (1 M sorbitol), cat-1 was strongly upregulated and CAT-1 was reasonably induced in the wild-type strain. Interestingly, fludioxonil caused not only the CAT-1 induction but also a remarkable CAT-3 decrease in the wild-type hyphae, implying of an abnormal stimulation of asexual differentiation. These responses were not observed in an os-2 mutant hyphae, indicating an involvement of OS-2 in the cat-1 expression; however, os-2 was dispensable for the production of CAT-1 in conidia. In contrast, the expression of cat-2 was significantly induced by heat shock (45 degrees C) and that of cat-3 was moderately stimulated by an oxidative stress (50 microg/ml methyl viologen) in both the wild-type strain and the os-2 mutant, and corresponding enzyme activities were detected after the treatments. Although basal levels of transcription of cat-1 and cat-3 in an os-2 mutant hyphae were a few-fold lower than in the wild-type hyphae, the os-2 mutant exhibited a considerably lower levels of CAT-3 activity than the wild-type strain. These findings suggest that OS-2 MAP kinase regulated the expression of cat-1 and cat-3 transcriptionally, and probably that of cat-3 posttranscriptionally, even though the presence of another regulatory system for each of these two genes is evident.

Identification of OS-2 MAP kinase-dependent genes induced in response to osmotic stress, antifungal agent fludioxonil, and heat shock in Neurospora crassa.

Two-component signal transduction comprising of OS-1 (histidine kinase), OS-4 (MAPKK kinase), OS-5 (MAPK kinase), and OS-2 (MAP kinase) plays an important role in osmotic regulation in Neurospora crassa. To identify the genes regulated downstream of OS-2 MAP kinase, quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis was conducted in selected genes based on Hog1 MAP kinase regulated genes in yeast. In response to osmotic stress and fludioxonil, expression of six genes that for glycerol synthesis (gcy-1, gcy-3, and dak-1), gluconeogenesis (fbp-1 and pck-1), and catalase (ctt-1) was activated in the wild-type strain, but not in the os-2 mutant. A heat shock treatment also induced their expression in the same way. Consisting with the gene expression, the enzyme activity of glycerol dehydrogenase, but not glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, was increased in response to osmotic stress and fludioxonil in the wild-type strain. OS-2 was phosphorylated by the OS-1 cascade in response to relatively low osmotic stress and fludioxonil. However, OS-2 phosphorylation by heat shock and a higher osmotic stress was found in the os-1 mutant normally but not in the os-4 and os-5 mutants. These results suggested that non-OS-1 signaling activates OS-2 in an OS-4-dependent manner in such conditions.

An Os-1 family histidine kinase from a filamentous fungus confers fungicide-sensitivity to yeast.

Three groups of fungicides (phenylpyrroles, dicarboximides, aromatic hydrocarbons) are effective against filamentous fungi. The target of these fungicides is the osmotic stress signal transduction pathway, which is dependent on the Os-1 family of two-component histidine kinases. These fungicides usually have no fungicidal effect on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this report, we found that expression of Hik1, an Os-1 orthologue from rice blast fungus, can confer fungicide-sensitivity to yeast. This requires both the histidine kinase and the response regulator domains of Hik1. Analysis of yeast mutants indicated that this sensitivity is Hog1- and Ssk1-dependent. In addition, our studies revealed an interaction between Hik1 and Ypd1. These observations suggest that Hik1 is a direct target of the fungicides or is a mediator of fungicide action and that the fungicidal effect is transmitted to the Hog1 pathway via Ypd1.

A two-component histidine kinase of the rice blast fungus is involved in osmotic stress response and fungicide action.

We isolated and characterized a histidine kinase gene (HIK1) from the rice blast fungus, Pyricularia oryzae (Magnaporthe grisea). The deduced amino acid sequence of HIK1 showed highest similarity (85.7%) to a hybrid-type histidine kinase, Os-1/Nik-1 of Neurospora crassa. Disruption of HIK1 caused no defect in cell growth on normal media and in pathogenicity to rice plants. The Deltahik1 strain acquired resistance to three groups of fungicides (phenylpyrroles, dicarboximides, and aromatic hydrocarbons) similar to os-1 mutants of N. crassa. The Deltahik1 strain showed increased sensitivity to high concentrations of sugars although its salt sensitivity was not elevated, suggesting that the rice blast fungus can distinguish osmostresses caused by high sugar concentrations and high salt concentrations. In contrast, os-1 mutants of N. crassa are sensitive to high concentrations of both salts and sugars. These findings suggest that P. oryzae and N. crassa partially differ in their os (osmosensitive) signal transduction pathway.

Putative homologs of SSK22 MAPKK kinase and PBS2 MAPK kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encoded by os-4 and os-5 genes for osmotic sensitivity and fungicide resistance in Neurospora crassa.

We cloned and characterized Neurospora NcSSK22 and NcPBS2 genes, similar to yeast SSK22 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase and the PBS2 MAP kinase kinase genes, respectively. Disruptants of the NcSSK22 gene were sensitive to osmotic stress and resistant to iprodione and fludioxonil. Their phenotypes were similar to those of osmotic-sensitive (os) mutants os-1, os-2, os-4, and os-5. The os-4 mutant strain transformed with the wild-type NcSSK22 gene grew on a medium containing 4% NaCl and was sensitive to iprodione and fludioxonil. In contrast, the NcPBS2 gene complemented the osmotic sensitivity and fungicide resistance of the os-5 mutant strain. We sequenced the NcPBS2 gene of the os-5 mutant strain (NM216o) and found five nucleotides deleted within the kinase domain. This result suggests that the gene products of os-4 and os-5 are components of the MAP kinase cascade, which is probably regulated upstream by two-component histidine kinase encoded by the os-1/nik1 gene.

Effects of iprodione and fludioxonil on glycerol synthesis and hyphal development in Candida albicans.

We investigated the effects of iprodione and fludioxonil on the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Growth of the wild-type IFO1385 strain of C. albicans was inhibited by both fungicides, while Saccharomyces cerevisiae was basically unaffected by them even at a concentration of 25 microg/ml. Both fungicides stimulated glycerol synthesis in C. albicans but not in S. cerevisiae. The antioxidant alpha-tocopherol acetate and the cytochrome P-450 inhibitor piperonyl butoxide antagonized the fungitoxicity of iprodione and fludioxonil in C. albicans. It is known that mutations within the histidine kinase NIK1/OS-1 gene confer resistance to iprodione and fludioxonil in Neurospora crassa, while the fungicide-insensitive S. cerevisiae has only one histidine kinase SLN1 gene in its genome. In contrast, C. albicans has three histidine kinase genes, namely CaSLN1, CaNIK1/COS1, and CaHK1, the null mutants of which were found to impair the hyphal formation. Iprodione and fludioxonil were found to suppress filamentation when the IFO1385 strain was incubated on a solid medium containing fetal bovine serum. These observations suggest that iprodione and fludioxonil interfere with the CaNIK1/COS1 signal transduction pathway, resulting in glycerol synthesis stimulation and the inhibition of hyphal formation.

A Point Mutation in the Two-Component Histidine Kinase BcOS-1 Gene Confers Dicarboximide Resistance in Field Isolates of Botrytis cinerea.

ABSTRACT Partial DNA fragments of Botrytis cinerea field isolates encoding the putative osmosensor histidine kinase gene (BcOS1) were cloned by polymerase chain reaction amplification and the predicted amino acid sequences were compared between dicarboximide-sensitive and resistant field isolates. The predicted BcOS1p is highly homologous to osmosensor histidine kinase OS1p from Neurospora crassa including the N-terminal six tandem repeats of approximately 90 amino acids. Four dicarboximide-resistant isolates of B. cinerea (Bc-19, Bc-45, Bc-682, and Bc-RKR) contained a single base pair mutation in their BcOS1 gene that resulted in an amino acid substitution in the predicted protein. In these resistant isolates, codon 86 of the second repeat, which encodes an isoleucine residue in sensitive strains, was converted to a codon for serine. The mutation of Botrytis field resistant isolates was located on the second unit of tandem amino acid repeats of BcOS1p, whereas the point mutations of the fifth repeat of OS1p confer resistance to both dicarboximides and phenylpyrroles and also osmotic sensitivity in Neurospora crassa. These results suggest that an amino acid substitution within the second repeat of BcOS1p is responsible for phenotypes of field resistant isolates (resistant to dicarboximides but sensitive to phenylpyrroles, and normal osmotic sensitivity) in B. cinerea.