The EH domain-containing protein, EdeA, is involved in endocytosis, cell wall integrity, and pathogenicity in .

Unlabelled: Endocytosis has been extensively studied in yeasts, where it plays crucial roles in growth, signaling regulation, and cell-surface receptor internalization. However, the biological functions of endocytosis in pathogenic filamentous fungi remain largely unexplored. In this study, we aimed to functionally characterize the roles of EdeA, an ortholog of the endocytic protein Ede1, in .

Transcription factors SltA and CrzA reversely regulate calcium homeostasis under calcium-limited conditions.

Calcium ions are ubiquitous intracellular signaling molecules for many signaling pathways regulating the fungal response to stress and antifungal drugs. The concentration of intracellular calcium is tightly regulated in its storage, release, and distribution. CrzA is the best-studied transcription factor that regulates this process under sufficient calcium or other external signals.

Transcription factor CreA is involved in the inverse regulation of biofilm formation and asexual development through distinct pathways in Aspergillus fumigatus.

The exopolysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG) contributes to biofilm formation and virulence in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Increasing evidence indicates that GAG production is inversely linked with asexual development. However, the mechanisms underlying this regulatory relationship are unclear.

Filamentous fungal biofilms: Conserved and unique aspects of extracellular matrix composition, mechanisms of drug resistance and regulatory networks in Aspergillus fumigatus.

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is an ubiquitous mold that can cause invasive pulmonary infections in immunocompromised patients. Within the lung, A. fumigatus forms biofilms that can enhance resistance to antifungals and immune defenses, highlighting the importance of defining the mechanisms underlying biofilm development and associated emergent properties.

A Transient Receptor Potential-like Calcium Ion Channel in the Filamentous Fungus .

Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) proteins constitute a superfamily that encodes transmembrane ion channels with highly diverse permeation and gating properties. Filamentous fungi possess putative TRP channel-encoded genes, but their functions remain elusive. Here, we report that a putative TRP-like calcium channel, in the filamentous fungus , performs important roles in conidiation and in adapting to cell wall disruption reagents in a high temperature-induced defect-dependent manner, especially under a calcium-limited culture condition.

Spt20, a Structural Subunit of the SAGA Complex, Regulates Aspergillus fumigatus Biofilm Formation, Asexual Development, and Virulence.

The exopolysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG) plays an important role in mediating adhesion, biofilm formation, and virulence in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Previous work showed that in A. fumigatus, the Lim domain-binding protein PtaB can form a complex with the sequence-specific transcription factor SomA for regulating GAG biosynthesis, biofilm formation, and asexual development.

The Transcription Factor SomA Synchronously Regulates Biofilm Formation and Cell Wall Homeostasis in .

Polysaccharides are key components of both the fungal cell wall and biofilm matrix. Despite having distinct assembly and regulation pathways, matrix exopolysaccharide and cell wall polysaccharides share common substrates and intermediates in their biosynthetic pathways. It is not clear, however, if the biosynthetic pathways governing the production of these polysaccharides are cooperatively regulated.

Precise Expression of Is Crucial for Asexual Development, Virulence, and Survival of Aspergillus fumigatus.

The rise of drug resistance in fungal pathogens is becoming a serious problem owing to the limited number of antifungal drugs available. Identifying and targeting factors essential for virulence or development unique to fungal pathogens is one approach to develop novel treatments for fungal infections. In this study, we present the identification and functional characterization of a novel developmental regulator in , AfMed15, which contained a conserved Med15_fungal domain, as determined by screening of a mutant library that contained more than 2,000 hygromycin-resistant transformants.

Lipid-Lowering Effect of the (King Oyster Mushroom) Polysaccharide from Solid-State Fermentation on Both Macrophage-Derived Foam Cells and Zebrafish Models.

Hyperlipidemia is a key risk factor in inducing fatty liver, hypertension, atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular diseases. Previous studies have verified that polysaccharides from fruiting bodies (PEPE) of (king oyster mushroom) are capable of decreasing the lipid content. In this study, the polysaccharide is obtained by solid-state fermentation (PESF) using lignocellulosic wastes, corn-cobs and wheat bran.

The mitochondrial thiamine pyrophosphate transporter TptA promotes adaptation to low iron conditions and virulence in fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.

Aspergillus fumigatus is the most prevalent airborne fungal pathogen that causes invasive fungal infections in immunosuppressed individuals. Adaptation to iron limited conditions is crucial for A. fumigatus virulence.

The Zn2Cys6-type transcription factor LeuB cross-links regulation of leucine biosynthesis and iron acquisition in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Both branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and iron are essential nutrients for eukaryotic cells. Previously, the Zn2Cys6-type transcription factor Leu3/LeuB was shown to play a crucial role in regulation of BCAA biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus nidulans. In this study, we found that the A.

The Claudin Family Protein FigA Mediates Ca Homeostasis in Response to Extracellular Stimuli in and .

The claudin family protein Fig1 is a unique fungal protein that is involved in pheromone-induced calcium influx and membrane fusion during the mating of and . Whether and how Fig1 regulates Ca homeostasis in response to extracellular stimuli is poorly understood. Previously, we found FigA, a homolog of Fig1 in , similar to the high-affinity calcium uptake system, is required for normal growth under low-Ca minimal medium.

PtaB, a lim-domain binding protein in Aspergillus fumigatus regulates biofilm formation and conidiation through distinct pathways.

The exopolysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG) plays an important role in mediating adhesion, biofilm formation, and virulence in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The developmental modifiers MedA, StuA, and SomA regulate GAG biosynthesis, but the mechanisms underlying this regulation are poorly understood. PtaB is a lim-domain binding protein that interacts with the transcription factor SomA and is required for normal conidiation and biofilm formation.

The Lectin Chaperone Calnexin Is Involved in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response by Regulating Ca Homeostasis in Aspergillus nidulans.

The Ca-mediated signaling pathway is crucial for environmental adaptation in fungi. Here we show that calnexin, a molecular chaperone located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), plays an important role in regulating the cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca]) in Inactivation of calnexin (ClxA) in caused severe defects in hyphal growth and conidiation under ER stress caused by the ER stress-inducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) or high temperature. Importantly, defects in the Δ mutant were restored by the addition of extracellular calcium.

A Putative Mitochondrial Iron Transporter MrsA in Aspergillus fumigatus Plays Important Roles in Azole-, Oxidative Stress Responses and Virulence.

Iron is an essential nutrient and enzyme co-factor required for a wide range of cellular processes, especially for the function of mitochondria. For the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, the ability to obtain iron is required for growth and virulence during the infection process. However, knowledge of how mitochondria are involved in iron regulation is still limited.

Palmitoylation of the Cysteine Residue in the DHHC Motif of a Palmitoyl Transferase Mediates Ca2+ Homeostasis in Aspergillus.

Finely tuned changes in cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]c) mediate numerous intracellular functions resulting in the activation or inactivation of a series of target proteins. Palmitoylation is a reversible post-translational modification involved in membrane protein trafficking between membranes and in their functional modulation. However, studies on the relationship between palmitoylation and calcium signaling have been limited.

Calcineurin and Calcium Channel CchA Coordinate the Salt Stress Response by Regulating Cytoplasmic Ca2+ Homeostasis in Aspergillus nidulans.

The eukaryotic calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin is crucial for the environmental adaption of fungi. However, the mechanism of coordinate regulation of the response to salt stress by calcineurin and the high-affinity calcium channel CchA in fungi is not well understood. Here we show that the deletion of cchA suppresses the hyphal growth defects caused by the loss of calcineurin under salt stress in Aspergillus nidulans Additionally, the hypersensitivity of the ΔcnaA strain to extracellular calcium and cell-wall-damaging agents can be suppressed by cchA deletion.

Comparison of antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of polysaccharides from eight species of medicinal mushrooms.

Polysaccharides from mushrooms including Pleurotus eryngii, P. ostreatus, P. nebrodensis, Lentinus edodes, Hypsizygus marmoreus, Flammulina velutipes, Ganoderma lucidum, and Hericium erinaceus were isolated by water extraction and alcohol precipitation.

Riboflavin level manipulates the successive developmental sequences in Aspergillus nidulans.

Auxotrophic markers are useful in fungal genetic analysis. Among the auxotrophic markers, riboB2 is one of the most commonly used markers in many laboratory strains. However, riboB2 mutants in Aspergillus nidulans confer self-sterility and thus are unable to form hybrid cleistothecia by outcross when both parent strains harbor riboB2 auxotrophic marker under the standard protocol.

Calcium signaling mediates antifungal activity of triazole drugs in the Aspergilli.

Azoles are widely applied and largely effective as antifungals; however, the increasing prevalence of clinically resistant isolates has yet to be matched by approaches to improve the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy. In this study, using the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans and one of the most common human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus as research materials, we present the evidence that calcium signaling is involved in the azole-antifungals-induced stress-response reactions. In normal media, antifungal-itraconazole (ITZ) is able to induce the [Ca(2+)]c increased sharply but the addition of calcium chelator-EGTA or BAPTA almost blocks the calcium influx responses, resulted in the dramatically decreasing of [Ca(2+)]c transient.

The excreted polysaccharide of Pleurotus eryngii inhibits the foam-cell formation via down-regulation of CD36.

Previous study has verified the polysaccharide from the fruiting body of Pleurotus eryngii (PEPE) is capable of decreasing the lipid content in both of cell-line and mouse model. However, little is known about underlying mechanisms and whether this bioactive polysaccharide exists in submerged culture. Here, we verified the excreted polysaccharides EP and EP-1 from submersion culture of P.

Putative PmrA and PmcA are important for normal growth, morphogenesis and cell wall integrity, but not for viability in Aspergillus nidulans.

P-type Ca(2+)-transporting ATPases are Ca(2+) pumps, extruding cytosolic Ca(2+) to the extracellular environment or the intracellular Ca(2+) store lumens. In budding yeast, Pmr1 (plasma membrane ATPase related), and Pmc1 (plasma membrane calcium-ATPase) cannot be deleted simultaneously for it to survive in standard medium. Here, we deleted two putative Ca(2+) pumps, designated AnPmrA and AnPmcA, from Aspergillus nidulans, and obtained the mutants ΔanpmrA and ΔanpmcA, respectively.

FigA, a putative homolog of low-affinity calcium system member Fig1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is involved in growth and asexual and sexual development in Aspergillus nidulans.

Calcium-mediated signaling pathways are widely employed in eukaryotes and are implicated in the regulation of diverse biological processes. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, at least two different calcium uptake systems have been identified: the high-affinity calcium influx system (HACS) and the low-affinity calcium influx system (LACS). Compared to the HACS, the LACS in fungi is not well known.

Characterization of polysaccharides with marked inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation in Pleurotus eryngii.

Mushrooms have a great potential for the production of useful bioactive metabolites. To explore the bioactive compounds from edible mushrooms for interfering with the development of macrophage-derived foam cells, which is recognized as the hallmark of early atherosclerosis, eight types of mushrooms polysaccharides had been selected to be tested. Consequently, different mushrooms polysaccharides displayed diverse component profiles.

Targeting of insect epicuticular lipids by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana: hydrocarbon oxidation within the context of a host-pathogen interaction.

Broad host range entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana attack insect hosts via attachment to cuticular substrata and the production of enzymes for the degradation and penetration of insect cuticle. The outermost epicuticular layer consists of a complex mixture of non-polar lipids including hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and wax esters. Long chain hydrocarbons are major components of the outer waxy layer of diverse insect species, where they serve to protect against desiccation and microbial parasites, and as recognition molecules or as a platform for semiochemicals.