PaPro1 and IDC4, Two Genes Controlling Stationary Phase, Sexual Development and Cell Degeneration in Podospora anserina

Abstract

Filamentous fungi frequently undergo bistable phenotypic switches. Crippled Growth of Podospora anserina is one such bistable switch, which seems to rely upon the mis-activation of a self-regulated PaMpk1 MAP kinase regulatory pathway. Here, we identify two new partners of this pathway: PaPro1, a transcription factor orthologous to Sordaria macrospora pro1 and Neurospora crassa ADV-1, and IDC4, a protein with an AIM24 domain. Both PaPro1 and IDC4 regulate stationary phase features, as described for the other actors of the PaMpk1 signaling pathway. However, PaPro1 is also involved in the control of fertilization by activating the transcription of the HMG8 and the mating type transcription factors, as well as the sexual pheromones and receptor genes. The roles of two components of the STRIPAK complex were also investigated by inactivating their encoding genes: PaPro22 and PaPro45. The mutants of these genes were found to have the same phenotypes as PaPro1 and IDC4 mutants as well as additional phenotypes including slow growth, abnormally shaped hyphae, pigment accumulation and blockage of the zygotic tissue development, indicating that the STRIPAK complex regulates, in addition to the PaMpk1 one, other pathways in P. anserina. Overall, the mutants of these four genes confirm the model by which Crippled Growth is due to the abnormal activation of the PaMpk1 MAP kinase cascade.

Communicate and Fuse: How Filamentous Fungi Establish and Maintain an Interconnected Mycelial Network

“…However, neither NCU04645 nor IDC4 contain a predicted mitochondrial targeting signal sequence. Consistent with this prediction is the observation that IDC4-mCherry localizes to the cytosol (Gautier et al, 2018). The N. crassa ΔNCU04645 mutant is completely defective at germling communication, while the Δidc4 mutant in P. anserina is defective at fruiting body development and suppresses the crippled growth phenotype (Gautier et al, 2018).…”

“…The genes ncu04645 , ncu04487 , ncu05836 , and ncu05916 were identified as targets of a communication-activated transcription factor protein, ADV-1 (Fischer et al, 2018). The NCU04645 protein is orthologous to IDC4 in P. anserina (Gautier et al, 2018) and has a putative C-terminal AIM24-like domain, which is involved in coordinating the MICOS protein complex on the mitochondrial membrane. However, neither NCU04645 nor IDC4 contain a predicted mitochondrial targeting signal sequence.…”

Glucose-lactose mixture feeds in industry-like conditions: a gene regulatory network analysis on the hyperproducingTrichoderma reeseistrain Rut-C30

“…The gene Tr – pro1 is required for fruiting body development and cell fusion [56, 57]. In P. anserina , pro1 activates the sexual recognition pathway including the pheromone and receptor genes and is probably involved in the control of the entry in stationary phase [74]. In Penicillium oxalicum , deletion of pro1 (43% identity) has been proved to increase cellulase production [37].…”

Glucose-lactose mixture feeds in industry-like conditions: a gene regulatory network analysis on the hyperproducing Trichoderma reesei strain Rut-C30

“…The gene Tr -pro1 is required for fruiting body development and cell fusion [58,59]. In P. anserina, pro1 activates the sexual recognition pathway including the pheromone and receptor genes and is probably involved in the control of the entry in stationary phase [79]. In Penicillium oxalicum, deletion of pro1 (43 % identity) has been proved to increase cellulase production [38].…”