Small heat shock proteins (HSP12, HSP20 and HSP30) play a role inUstilago maydispathogenesis

Abstract

Small heat shock proteins (HSP) have multiple functions within a cell. These functions primarily include regulation of growth and survival in response to different stresses. However in some cases small HSPs have been shown to play crucial roles in microbial pathogenesis. Ustilago maydis genome also codes for a number of small HSPs. In the present study we elucidate the role of U. maydis small HSPs in the pathogenicity as well as general stress response of the fungus. Through quantitative real time PCR analysis the expression levels of small HSP genes in comparison with other HSPs were assessed both during infection of the host plant Zea mays and when the pathogen was subjected to an abiotic stress such as oxidative stress. This study revealed that contrary to other HSPs, small HSPs showed an increased level of differential expression under both the tested conditions, indicating a possible role of small HSPs in the pathogenicity and stress response of U. maydis This has been further confirmed by generation of deletion and complementation strains of three putative small HSPs.

White collar 1‐induced photolyase expression contributes to UV ‐tolerance of Ustilago maydis

“…Moreover, there are three opsin‐like genes ( ops1 , um02629; ops2, um00371 ; ops3 , um04125 ) in the U. maydis genome, which have been partially characterized (Estrada et al. ) and sometimes also annotated as small heat shock proteins (Ghosh ). Surprisingly, U. maydis also contains a BLUF‐domain protein encoded by um00188 (blf1) as noticed before (Herrera‐Estrella and Horwitz ).…”

“…), is annotated as a heat shock protein. While this gene is not expressed in axenic cultures, it was found to be strongly induced during host infection (Ghosh ).…”

“…The only photoreceptor candidate whose expression was not detected (um04125), previously described as ops3 (Estrada et al 2009), is annotated as a heat shock protein. While this gene is not expressed in axenic cultures, it was found to be strongly induced during host infection (Ghosh 2014).…”

Induction of apoptosis‐like cell death and clearance of stress‐induced intracellular protein aggregates: dual roles for Ustilago maydis metacaspase Mca1

“…U. maydis strains were exposed to oxidative stress through treatment with 1–5 mM H 2 O 2 as described in Ghosh and Raha () (Ghosh, ). Briefly, the cells were grown in YEPSL media till OD 600 reached 0.8.…”

Small heat shock proteins, phylogeny in filamentous fungi and expression analyses in Aspergillus nidulans

“…Osmotic and oxidative stresses may also trigger expression of shsp genes, e.g., all nine shsp genes in T. hispida were upregulated at least one stress time-point under NaCl stress, while overproduction of sHSPs, for example, HSP26.6 in Oryza sativa, HSP17.7 in Arabidopsis thaliana and HSP 27.6 in Apis cerana, was observed in response to H 2 O 2 treatment (Sun et al, 2002;Liu et al, 2012). In Ustilago maydis, an increased expression of three shsp genes (hsp12, hsp20 and hsp30) was also revealed in response to oxidative stress (Ghosh, 2014). The role of A.nidulans sHSPs in salt and oxidative stress tolerance is highlighted by upregulation of four sHSPs (AN7892, AN5781, AN3555 and AN2530), varying from 5.9-to 43.3-fold in both conditions.…”