Dual Function of the Polyketide Synthase a of the Nematode-Trapping Fungus Duddingtonia Flagrans in Pigment Biosynthesis and Regulation of Trap Formation

AbstractSalicylic acid is a phenolic phytohormone which controls plant growth and development. A methyl ester (MSA) derivative thereof is volatile and involved in plant-insect or plant-plant communication. Here we show that the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans uses a methyl-salicylic acid isomer, 6-MSA as morphogen for spatiotemporal control of trap formation and as chemoattractant to lure Caenorhabditis elegans into fungal colonies. 6-MSA is the product of a polyketide synthase and an intermediate in the biosynthesis of arthrosporols. The polyketide synthase (ArtA), produces 6-MSA in hyphal tips, and is uncoupled from other enzymes required for the conversion of 6-MSA to arthrosporols, which are produced in older hyphae. 6-MSA and arthrosporols both block trap formation. The presence of nematodes inhibits 6-MSA and arthrosporol biosyntheses and thereby enables trap formation. 6-MSA and arthrosporols are thus morphogens with some functions similar to quorum-sensing molecules. We show that 6-MSA is important in interkingdom communication between fungi and nematodes.

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Polyketide Synthase–Terpenoid Synthase Hybrid Pathway Regulation of Trap Formation through Ammonia Metabolism Controls Soil Colonization of Predominant Nematode-Trapping Fungus

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ◽

10.1021/acs.jafc.1c00771 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zhi-Qiang He ◽

Li-Jun Wang ◽

Yu-Jing Wang ◽

Yong-Hong Chen ◽

Ya Wen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polyketide Synthase ◽

Ammonia Metabolism ◽

Trap Formation ◽

Pathway Regulation ◽

Terpenoid Synthase

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Identification of a polyketide synthase gene ( pksP ) of Aspergillus fumigatus involved in conidial pigment biosynthesis and virulence

Medical Microbiology and Immunology ◽

10.1007/s004300050077 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 187 (2) ◽

pp. 79-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 203

Author(s):

K. Langfelder ◽

Bernhard Jahn ◽

Heike Gehringer ◽

Axel Schmidt ◽

Gerhard Wanner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽

Polyketide Synthase ◽

Polyketide Synthase Gene ◽

Pigment Biosynthesis

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Induction of traps by Ostertagia ostertagi larvae, chlamydospore production and growth rate in the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x00015571 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 70 (4) ◽

pp. 291-297 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

J. Grønvold ◽

P. Nansen ◽

S.A. Henriksen ◽

M. Larsen ◽

J. Wolstrup ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Growth Rate ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Ageing Process ◽

Parasitic Nematodes ◽

Duddingtonia Flagrans ◽

Ostertagia Ostertagi ◽

Trap Formation ◽

Nematode Larvae

AbstractBiological control of parasitic nematodes of domestic animals can be achieved by feeding host animals chlamydospores of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans. In the host faeces, D. flagrans develop traps that may catch nematode larvae. In experiments on agar, D. flagrans had a growth rate between 15 and 60 mm/week at temperatures between 20 and 30°C. The presence of nematodes induces the fungus to produce traps. The rate of trap formation in D. flagrans has an optimum at 30°C, producing 700–800 traps/cm2/2 days, when induced by 20 nematodes/cm2 on agar. Approaching 10 and 35°C the ability to produce traps is gradually reduced. The response of chlamydospore production on agar to changes in temperature is the same as that for trap formation. On agar, at 10, 20 and 30°C D. flagrans loses its trap inducibility after 2–3 weeks. During the ageing process, increasing numbers of chlamydospores are produced up to a certain limit. The time for reaching maximum chlamydospore concentration coincided with the time for loss of induction potential. The implications of these results in relation to biological control in faeces are discussed.

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First Discovery of Two Polyketide Synthase Genes for Mitorubrinic Acid and Mitorubrinol Yellow Pigment Biosynthesis and Implications in Virulence of Penicillium marneffei

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0001871 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 6 (10) ◽

pp. e1871 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Patrick C. Y. Woo ◽

Ching-Wan Lam ◽

Emily W. T. Tam ◽

Chris K. F. Leung ◽

Samson S. Y. Wong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polyketide Synthase ◽

Yellow Pigment ◽

Penicillium Marneffei ◽

Pigment Biosynthesis

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Two Novel Classes of Enzymes Are Required for the Biosynthesis of Aurofusarin in Fusarium graminearum

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1074/jbc.m110.179853 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 286 (12) ◽

pp. 10419-10428 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

Rasmus J. N. Frandsen ◽

Claes Schütt ◽

Birgitte W. Lund ◽

Dan Staerk ◽

John Nielsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plasma Membrane ◽

Fusarium Graminearum ◽

Polyketide Synthase ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Extracellular Enzyme ◽

Gene Replacement ◽

Orphan Genes ◽

Pigment Biosynthesis ◽

Targeted Gene Replacement

Previous studies have reported the functional characterization of 9 out of 11 genes found in the gene cluster responsible for biosynthesis of the polyketide pigment aurofusarin in Fusarium graminearum. Here we reanalyze the function of a putative aurofusarin pump (AurT) and the two remaining orphan genes, aurZ and aurS. Targeted gene replacement of aurZ resulted in the discovery that the compound YWA1, rather than nor-rubrofusarin, is the primary product of F. graminearum polyketide synthase 12 (FgPKS12). AurZ is the first representative of a novel class of dehydratases that act on hydroxylated γ-pyrones. Replacement of the aurS gene resulted in accumulation of rubrofusarin, an intermediate that also accumulates when the GIP1, aurF, or aurO genes in the aurofusarin cluster are deleted. Based on the shared phenotype and predicted subcellular localization, we propose that AurS is a member of an extracellular enzyme complex (GIP1-AurF-AurO-AurS) responsible for converting rubrofusarin into aurofusarin. This implies that rubrofusarin, rather than aurofusarin, is pumped across the plasma membrane. Replacement of the putative aurofusarin pump aurT increased the rubrofusarin-to- aurofusarin ratio, supporting that rubrofusarin is normally pumped across the plasma membrane. These results provide functional information on two novel classes of proteins and their contribution to polyketide pigment biosynthesis.

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Novel Polyketide Synthase from Nectria haematococca

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.70.5.2984-2988.2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 70 (5) ◽

pp. 2984-2988 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Stephane Graziani ◽

Christelle Vasnier ◽

Marie-Josee Daboussi

Keyword(s):

Polyketide Synthase ◽

Fungal Growth ◽

Type I ◽

Biosynthetic Pathways ◽

Carrier Proteins ◽

Nectria Haematococca ◽

Acyl Carrier Proteins ◽

Asexual Sporulation ◽

Ketoacyl Synthase ◽

Pigment Biosynthesis

ABSTRACT We identified a polyketide synthase (PKS) gene, pksN, from a strain of Nectria haematococca by complementing a mutant unable to synthesize a red perithecial pigment. pksN encodes a 2,106-amino-acid polypeptide with conserved motifs characteristic of type I PKS enzymatic domains: β-ketoacyl synthase, acyltransferase, duplicated acyl carrier proteins, and thioesterase. The pksN product groups with the Aspergillus nidulans WA-type PKSs involved in conidial pigmentation and melanin, bikaverin, and aflatoxin biosynthetic pathways. Inactivation of pksN did not cause any visible change in fungal growth, asexual sporulation, or ascospore formation, suggesting that it is involved in a specific developmental function. We propose that pksN encodes a novel PKS required for the perithecial red pigment biosynthesis.

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