An electroporation-based system for high-efficiency transformation of germinated conidia of filamentous fungi

1991 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 858-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. N. Chakraborty ◽  
N. A. Patterson ◽  
M. Kapoor
Keyword(s):  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Selectable Marker ◽  
Integration Site ◽  
Leptosphaeria Maculans ◽  
Aromatic Amino Acids ◽  
Heat Shock Gene ◽  
Site Preference ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Key Words Transformation

A rapid and efficient electroporation procedure has been developed for transformation of germinating conidia of filamentous fungi. Pretreatment of conidial preparations with a cell wall weakening agent, such as β-glucuronidase, was found to be essential for successful transformation. Using the qa-2+ gene of Neurospora crassa, encoding the catabolic dehydroquinase, as a selectable marker with a double-mutant host strain, auxotrophic for aromatic amino acids, integration of the plasmid was observed to be predominantly at ectopic chromosomal sites. Cotransformation with the qa-2+ gene and a plasmid containing a heat shock gene sequence (hsp70 of N. crassa) suggested integration site preference. High efficiencies of transformation to hygromycin resistance were achieved employing the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene with N. crassa, the patulin-producer Penicillium urticae, and the causal agent of blackleg disease of crucifers, Leptosphaeria maculans. The economically important species Aspergillus oryzae was similarly transformed to benomyl resistance with the benomyl-resistant β-tubulin gene of N. crassa as a dominant selectable marker. Key words: transformation, Neurospora, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Leptosphaeria, electroporation.

scholarly journals Transposase-Mediated Excision, Conjugative Transfer, and Diversity of ICE6013 Elements in Staphylococcus aureus

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily A. Sansevere ◽  
Xiao Luo ◽  
Joo Youn Park ◽  
Sunghyun Yoon ◽  
Keun Seok Seo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Sequence Analysis ◽  
Integration Site ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Conjugative Plasmid ◽  
Site Preference ◽  
Conjugative Transfer ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrative Conjugative Elements

ABSTRACT ICE6013 represents one of two families of integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) identified in the pan-genome of the human and animal pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Here we investigated the excision and conjugation functions of ICE6013 and further characterized the diversity of this element. ICE6013 excision was not significantly affected by growth, temperature, pH, or UV exposure and did not depend on recA. The IS30-like DDE transposase (Tpase; encoded by orf1 and orf2) of ICE6013 must be uninterrupted for excision to occur, whereas disrupting three of the other open reading frames (ORFs) on the element significantly affects the level of excision. We demonstrate that ICE6013 conjugatively transfers to different S. aureus backgrounds at frequencies approaching that of the conjugative plasmid pGO1. We found that excision is required for conjugation, that not all S. aureus backgrounds are successful recipients, and that transconjugants acquire the ability to transfer ICE6013. Sequencing of chromosomal integration sites in serially passaged transconjugants revealed a significant integration site preference for a 15-bp AT-rich palindromic consensus sequence, which surrounds the 3-bp target site that is duplicated upon integration. A sequence analysis of ICE6013 from different host strains of S. aureus and from eight other species of staphylococci identified seven divergent subfamilies of ICE6013 that include sequences previously classified as a transposon, a plasmid, and various ICEs. In summary, these results indicate that the IS30-like Tpase functions as the ICE6013 recombinase and that ICE6013 represents a diverse family of mobile genetic elements that mediate conjugation in staphylococci. IMPORTANCE Integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) encode the abilities to integrate into and excise from bacterial chromosomes and plasmids and mediate conjugation between bacteria. As agents of horizontal gene transfer, ICEs may affect bacterial evolution. ICE6013 represents one of two known families of ICEs in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, but its core functions of excision and conjugation are not well studied. Here, we show that ICE6013 depends on its IS30-like DDE transposase for excision, which is unique among ICEs, and we demonstrate the conjugative transfer and integration site preference of ICE6013. A sequence analysis revealed that ICE6013 has diverged into seven subfamilies that are dispersed among staphylococci.

scholarly journals Highly efficient generation of canker resistant sweet orange enabled by an improved CRISPR/Cas9 system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoen Huang ◽  
Nian Wang
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Sweet Orange ◽  
Susceptibility Gene ◽  
Transformation Rate ◽  
Biallelic Mutation ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Citrus Production

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is the most economically important species for the citrus industry. However, it is susceptible to many diseases including citrus bacterial canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) that triggers devastating effects on citrus production. Conventional breeding has not met the challenge to improve disease resistance of sweet orange due to the long juvenility and other limitations. CRISPR-mediated genome editing has shown promising potentials for genetic improvements of plants. Generation of biallelic/homozygous mutants remains difficult for sweet orange due to low transformation rate, existence of heterozygous alleles for target genes and low biallelic editing efficacy using the CRISPR technology. Here, we report improvements in the CRISPR/Cas9 system for citrus gene editing. Based on the improvements we made previously (dicot codon optimized Cas9, tRNA for multiplexing, a modified sgRNA scaffold with high efficiency, CsU6 to drive sgRNA expression), we further improved our CRISPR/Cas9 system by choosing superior promoters (CmYLCV or CsUbi promoter) to drive Cas9 and optimizing culture temperature. This system was able to generate a biallelic mutation rate of up to 89% for Carrizo citrange and 79% for Hamlin sweet orange. Consequently, this system was used to generate canker resistant Hamlin sweet orange by mutating the effector binding element (EBE) of canker susceptibility gene CsLOB1, which is required for causing canker symptoms by Xcc. Six biallelic Hamlin sweet orange mutant lines in the EBE were generated. The biallelic mutants are resistant to Xcc. Biallelic mutation of the EBE region abolishes the induction of CsLOB1 by Xcc. This study represents a significant improvement in sweet orange gene editing efficacy and generating disease resistant varieties via CRISPR-mediated genome editing. This improvement in citrus genome editing makes genetic studies and manipulations of sweet orange more feasible.

scholarly journals Functional Analysis of Sterol Transporter Orthologues in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus nidulans

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 908-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Bühler ◽  
Daisuke Hagiwara ◽  
Norio Takeshita
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Gene Deletion ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fungal Growth ◽  
Hyphal Growth ◽  
Apical Plasma Membrane ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Polarized growth in filamentous fungi needs a continuous supply of proteins and lipids to the growing hyphal tip. One of the important membrane compounds in fungi is ergosterol. At the apical plasma membrane ergosterol accumulations, which are called sterol-rich plasma membrane domains (SRDs). The exact roles and formation mechanism of the SRDs remained unclear, although the importance has been recognized for hyphal growth. Transport of ergosterol to hyphal tips is thought to be important for the organization of the SRDs. Oxysterol binding proteins, which are conserved from yeast to human, are involved in nonvesicular sterol transport. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae seven oxysterol-binding protein homologues (OSH1 to -7) play a role in ergosterol distribution between closely located membranes independent of vesicle transport. We found five homologous genes ( oshA to oshE ) in the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans . The functions of OshA-E were characterized by gene deletion and subcellular localization. Each gene-deletion strain showed characteristic phenotypes and different sensitivities to ergosterol-associated drugs. Green fluorescent protein-tagged Osh proteins showed specific localization in the late Golgi compartments, puncta associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, or diffusely in the cytoplasm. The genes expression and regulation were investigated in a medically important species Aspergillus fumigatus , as well as A. nidulans . Our results suggest that each Osh protein plays a role in ergosterol distribution at distinct sites and contributes to proper fungal growth.

scholarly journals Impact of Nucleoporin-Mediated Chromatin Localization and Nuclear Architecture on HIV Integration Site Selection

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (19) ◽  
pp. 9702-9705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard W. Wong ◽  
João I. Mamede ◽  
Thomas J. Hope
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Integration Site ◽  
Nuclear Architecture ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Site Preference ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Trafficking ◽  
Integration Sites ◽  
Hiv Integration ◽  
Integration Site Selection

It has been known for a number of years that integration sites of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA show a preference for actively expressed chromosomal locations. A number of viral and cellular proteins are implicated in this process, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. Two recent breakthrough publications advance our understanding of HIV integration site selection by focusing on the localization of the preferred target genes of integration. These studies reveal that knockdown of certain nucleoporins and components of nucleocytoplasmic trafficking alter integration site preference, not by altering the trafficking of the viral genome but by altering the chromatin subtype localization relative to the structure of the nucleus. Here, we describe the link between the nuclear basket nucleoporins (Tpr and Nup153) and chromatin organization and how altering the host environment by manipulating nuclear structure may have important implications for the preferential integration of HIV into actively transcribed genes, facilitating efficient viral replication.

scholarly journals Antagonistic Roles of Dmrt1 and Foxl2 in Sex Differentiation via Estrogen Production in Tilapia as Demonstrated by TALENs

Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (12) ◽  
pp. 4814-4825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Hui Li ◽  
Hui-Hui Yang ◽  
Meng-Ru Li ◽  
Yun-Lv Sun ◽  
Xiao-Long Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Nile Tilapia ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Sex Differentiation ◽  
Sex Reversal ◽  
Serum Estradiol ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Estrogen Production ◽  
Estradiol 17Β

Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are a powerful approach for targeted genome editing and have been proved to be effective in several organisms. In this study, we reported that TALENs can induce somatic mutations in Nile tilapia, an important species for worldwide aquaculture, with reliably high efficiency. Six pairs of TALENs were constructed to target genes related to sex differentiation, including dmrt1, foxl2, cyp19a1a, gsdf, igf3, and nrob1b, and all resulted in indel mutations with maximum efficiencies of up to 81% at the targeted loci. Effects of dmrt1 and foxl2 mutation on gonadal phenotype, sex differentiation, and related gene expression were analyzed by histology, immunohistochemistry, and real-time PCR. In Dmrt1-deficient testes, phenotypes of significant testicular regression, including deformed efferent ducts, degenerated spermatogonia or even a complete loss of germ cells, and proliferation of steroidogenic cells, were observed. In addition, disruption of Dmrt1 in XY fish resulted in increased foxl2 and cyp19a1a expression and serum estradiol-17β and 11-ketotestosterone levels. On the contrary, deficiency of Foxl2 in XX fish exhibited varying degrees of oocyte degeneration and significantly decreased aromatase gene expression and serum estradiol-17β levels. Some Foxl2-deficient fish even exhibited complete sex reversal with high expression of Dmrt1 and Cyp11b2. Furthermore, disruption of Cyp19a1a in XX fish led to partial sex reversal with Dmrt1 and Cyp11b2 expression. Taken together, our data demonstrated that TALENs are an effective tool for targeted gene editing in tilapia genome. Foxl2 and Dmrt1 play antagonistic roles in sex differentiation in Nile tilapia via regulating cyp19a1a expression and estrogen production.

scholarly journals A point mutation in HIV-1 integrase redirects proviral integration into centromeric repeats

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelby Winans ◽  
Stephen P. Goff
Keyword(s):  
Viral Replication ◽  
Point Mutation ◽  
Integration Site ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Host Factors ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Site Preference ◽  
Chromosomal Dna ◽  
Hiv 1

AbstractRetroviruses utilize the viral integrase (IN) protein to integrate a DNA copy of their genome into the host chromosomal DNA. HIV-1 integration sites are highly biased towards actively transcribed genes, likely mediated by binding of the IN protein to specific host factors, particularly LEDGF, located at these gene regions. We here report a dramatic redirection of integration site distribution induced by a single point mutation in HIV-1 IN. Viruses carrying the K258R IN mutation exhibit more than a 25-fold increase in integrations into centromeric alpha satellite repeat sequences, as assessed by both deep sequencing and qPCR assays. Immunoprecipitation studies identified host factors that uniquely bind to the mutant IN protein and thus may account for the novel bias for integration into centromeres. Centromeric integration events are known to be enriched in the latent reservoir of infected memory T cells, as well as in patients who control viral replication without intervention (so-called elite controllers). The K258R point mutation in HIV-1 IN reported in this study has also been found in databases of latent proviruses found in patients. The altered integration site preference induced by this mutation has uncovered a hidden feature of the establishment of viral latency and control of viral replication.

scholarly journals Hygromycin resistance as a selectable marker in Dictyostelium discoideum.

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1965-1968 ◽  
Author(s):  
T T Egelhoff ◽  
S S Brown ◽  
D J Manstein ◽  
J A Spudich
Keyword(s):  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Selectable Marker ◽  
Hygromycin Resistance ◽  
Origin Of Replication ◽  
Transcription Terminator ◽  
G418 Resistance ◽  
Hygromycin Selection ◽  
Hygromycin Resistance Gene ◽  
Transformed Cell Lines

We have constructed an expression cartridge which has the bacterial hygromycin resistance gene (hph) fused to the Dictyostelium discoideum actin 15 promoter, with a segment of 3'-flanking DNA from the actin 15 locus placed downstream of the hph gene to serve as a transcription terminator. The plasmid pDE109, which contained this cartridge and a Dictyostelium origin of replication, transformed D. discoideum with high efficiency under hygromycin selection. The availability of this selectable marker circumvents the previous limitation of having G418 resistance as the only selectable marker for this organism; secondary transformation can now be used to introduce DNA into previously transformed cell lines.

scholarly journals Host determinants of HTLV-1 integration site preference

Retrovirology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy J McCallin ◽  
Goedele N Maertens ◽  
Charles RM Bangham
Keyword(s):  
Integration Site ◽  
Site Preference ◽  
Host Determinants

scholarly journals Peroxide-Mediated Oxygenation of Organic Compounds by Fungal Peroxygenases

Antioxidants ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Martin Hofrichter ◽  
Harald Kellner ◽  
Robert Herzog ◽  
Alexander Karich ◽  
Jan Kiebist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Active Site ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Radical Formation ◽  
Organic Substrates ◽  
Phenoxy Radical ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic

Unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs), whose sequences can be found in the genomes of thousands of filamentous fungi, many yeasts and certain fungus-like protists, are fascinating biocatalysts that transfer peroxide-borne oxygen (from H2O2 or R-OOH) with high efficiency to a wide range of organic substrates, including less or unactivated carbons and heteroatoms. A twice-proline-flanked cysteine (PCP motif) typically ligates the heme that forms the heart of the active site of UPOs and enables various types of relevant oxygenation reactions (hydroxylation, epoxidation, subsequent dealkylations, deacylation, or aromatization) together with less specific one-electron oxidations (e.g., phenoxy radical formation). In consequence, the substrate portfolio of a UPO enzyme always combines prototypical monooxygenase and peroxidase activities. Here, we briefly review nearly 20 years of peroxygenase research, considering basic mechanistic, molecular, phylogenetic, and biotechnological aspects.

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