Background Fungal infections in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)patients are poorly understood and often result in a poor prognosis.This study aimed to investigate the distribution o...Background Fungal infections in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)patients are poorly understood and often result in a poor prognosis.This study aimed to investigate the distribution of common fungi and the clinical features of AECOPD patients positive for fungal pathogens.Methods Data were collected from inpatients with AECOPD at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2016 to December 2019.The enrolled patients were divided into an infection group and a colonization group,and clinical data were compared between the two groups.A 1:1 propensity score matching(PSM)process was employed to ensure balanced samples to analyze the impact of positive fungal pathogens on the clinical features of AECOPD patients.The incidence of acute exacerbations one year after discharge was determined via telephone follow-up.Results The most frequently isolated fungal pathogen was Candida albicans(164/395,41.5%),followed by Aspergillus(93/395,23.5%).After propensity score matching,68 patients were equally divided into the infection and colonization groups.There was no significant difference in clinical manifestations between the infection and colonization groups(P>0.05).Patients in the infection group had significantly higher procalcitonin(PCT)values(0.2[0.1,0.7]ng/ml vs.0.1[0,0.1]ng/ml;P=0.003)and lower albumin/globulin ratios(1.1[0.6,1.3]vs.1.1[1.0,1.3],P=0.047)than those in the colonization group.The antibiotic treatment(12.5[11.0,19.0]days vs.10.0[8.0,14.0]days;P=0.002)and hospitalisation duration(18.0[14.7,22.5]days vs.11.0[8.0,16.0]days;P<0.001)in the infection group was significantly longer than that in the colonization group.In addition,more patients in the colonization group received non-invasive mechanical ventilation(76.5%[26/34]vs.47.1%[16/34];P=0.013).Compared with the colonization group,more patients in the infection group underwent bronchoscopy(29.4%[10/34]vs.2.9%[1/34];P=0.003).Using multivariable analysis,we found that bronchoscopy(OR:1.350,95%CI:1.020-1.771,P=0.034)and duration of antibiotics used(OR:1.318,95%CI:1.090-1.560,P=0.004)were risk factors for pulmonary fungal infection in AECOPD patients.Conclusion Candida albicans and Aspergillus are the common fungi isolated from patients with AECOPD.The clinical manifestations of AECOPD patients with fungal infection are nonspecific.AECOPD patients with positive fungal isolation who have undergone bronchoscopy and used antibiotics for a longer duration are more likely to have fungal infection.展开更多
Phosphate(Pi)is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development,playing a critical role in key biological processes such as energy metabolism,nucleic acid synthesis,and cellular signaling(Wang et al.,2021;Zhang...Phosphate(Pi)is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development,playing a critical role in key biological processes such as energy metabolism,nucleic acid synthesis,and cellular signaling(Wang et al.,2021;Zhang et al.,2023;Yang et al.,2024).Due to the limited availability and poor accessibility of Pi in soil,plants have evolved complex signaling networks to sense and respond to Pi availability,ensuring the maintenance of normal physiological functions under low-Pi conditions(Wild et al.,2016;Wang et al.,2025).Within this signaling network,inositol pyrophosphates(PP-InsPs),products under Pi repletion,serve as critical signaling molecules in plant cells.When intracellular Pi is sufficient,PP-InsPs bind to SPX-domain proteins,inhibiting the activity of Pi starvation-response transcription factors(PHRs)and thereby suppressing the expression of Pi starvation-related genes.Conversely,PP-InsP levels decrease under Pi-deficient conditions,preventing SPX proteins from inhibiting PHRs(Wild et al.,2016).This results in the activation of PHRs and the initiation of Pi starvation responses,promoting Pi uptake and recycling.This mechanism helps plants to maintain Pi homeostasis in low-Pi environments.展开更多
Fungal pathogens produce secretory ribonuclease(RNase)T2 proteins during infection,which contribute to fungal virulence via their enzyme functions in degradation of host cell RNA.However,the details of those proteins ...Fungal pathogens produce secretory ribonuclease(RNase)T2 proteins during infection,which contribute to fungal virulence via their enzyme functions in degradation of host cell RNA.However,the details of those proteins entering the host cells are unclear.Our previous study demonstrated that the two secretory RNase T2 members,BbRNT2 and BbTrv,produced by the insect fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana,caused cytotoxic damage to insect cells and contributed to fungal virulence.Here,the Spodoptera frugiperda ovarian epithelial cells(sf9 cells)were used as models to investigate the interactions of the two fungus-produced RNase T2 proteins with the insect cells.Two transmembrane proteins,an ABC transporter(SfABCG)and an Innexin 7-like protein(Sfinx),were identified from the sf9 cells as interacting with BbRNT2 and BbTrv,respectively,through protein immunoprecipitation,yeast-two hybrid tests and protein pull-down assays.Although a slight decrease in the sf9 cell viability was examined by transfection of RNA interference of SfABCG or Sfinx,the transfected cells displayed a dramatically decreased sensitivity to BbRNT2 or BbTrv,suggesting the requirement of the two transmembrane proteins for BbRNT2 and BbTrv to enter the insect cells.These results reveal a mechanism of the cytotoxic molecules,T2 RNases,produced by the fungal pathogen,entering the insect cells via interaction with specific insect cell transmembrane proteins and causing cytotoxic damage.展开更多
Root rot is a prevalent soil-borne fungal disease in citrus.Citron C-05(Citrus medica)stands out as a germplasm within Citrus spp.due to its complete resistance to citrus canker and favorable characteristics such as s...Root rot is a prevalent soil-borne fungal disease in citrus.Citron C-05(Citrus medica)stands out as a germplasm within Citrus spp.due to its complete resistance to citrus canker and favorable characteristics such as single embryo and easy rooting.However,Citron C-05 was found to be highly susceptible to root rot during cultivation,with the specific pathogens previously unknown.In this study,four candidate fungal species were isolated from Citron C-05 roots.Sequence analysis of ITS,EF-1a,RPB1,and RPB2 identified two Fusarium solani strains,Rr-2 and Rr-4,as the candidates causing root rot in Citron C-05.Resistance tests showed these two pathogens increased root damage rate from 10.30%to 35.69%in Citron C-05,sour orange(Citrus aurantium),sweet orange(Citrus sinensis)and pummelo(Citrus grandis).F.solani exhibited the weak pathogenicity towards trifoliate orange(Poncirus trifoliata).DAB staining revealed none of reddish-brown precipitation in the four susceptible citrus germplasm after infection with F.solani,while trifoliate orange exhibited significant H2O2 accumulation.Trypan blue staining indicated increased cell death in the four susceptible citrus germplasm following infection with these two pathogens but not in trifoliate orange.These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of citrus root rot and support future research on the mechanisms of root rot resistance in citrus.展开更多
Fungal pathogens represent a major group of plant invaders that are the causative agents of many notorious plant diseases. Large quantities of RNAs, especially small RNAs involved in gene silencing, have been found to...Fungal pathogens represent a major group of plant invaders that are the causative agents of many notorious plant diseases. Large quantities of RNAs, especially small RNAs involved in gene silencing, have been found to transmit bidirectionally between fungal pathogens and their hosts. Although host-induced gene silencing （HIGS） technology has been developed and applied to protect crops from fungal infections, the mechanisms of RNA transmission, especially small RNAs regulating trans- kingdom RNA silencing in plant immunity, are largely unknown. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent important findings regarding trans-kingdom sRNAs and RNA silencing in plant-fungal pathogen interactions compared with the well-known RNAi mechanisms in plants and fungi. We focus on the interactions between plant and fungal pathogens with broad hosts, represented by the vascular pathogen Verticillium dahliae and non-vascular pathogen Botrytis cinerea, and discuss the known instances of natural RNAi transmission between fungal pathogens and host plants. Given that HIGS has been developed and recently applied in controlling Verticillium wilt diseases, we propose an ideal research system exploiting plant vasculature-Verticillium interaction to further study trans-kingdom RNA silencing.展开更多
Secretory phospholipase A2s(sPLA2s)are found in a wide range of organisms from bacteria to higher plants and animals and are involved in varied and cellular pro-cesses.However,roles of these enzymes in microbial patho...Secretory phospholipase A2s(sPLA2s)are found in a wide range of organisms from bacteria to higher plants and animals and are involved in varied and cellular pro-cesses.However,roles of these enzymes in microbial pathogens remain unclear.Here,an sPLA2(BbPLA2)was characterized in the filamentous insect pathogenic fungus,Beau-veria bassiana.BbPLA2was exclusively expressed in insect hemolymph-derived cells(hyphal bodies),and its expression was induced by insect-derived nutrients and lipids,and nutrient starvation.High levels of secretion of BbPLA2 were observed as well as its distri-bution in hyphal body lipid drops(LDs).Overexpression of BbPLA2 increased the ability of B.bassiana to utilize insect-derived nutrients and lipids,and promoted LD accumula-tion,indicating functions for BbPLA2 in mediating LD homeostasis and assimilation of insect-derived lipids.Strains overexpressing BbPLA2 showed moderately increased vir-ulence,including more efficient penetration of the insect cuticle and evasion of host im-mune responses as compared to the wild type strain.In addition,B.bassiana-activated host immune genes were downregulated in the BbPLA2 overexpression strain,but upregulated by infections with a△BbPLA2 strain.These data demonstrate that BbPLA2 contributes to LD homeostasis,assimilation of insect-derived lipids,and repression of host immune responses.展开更多
Fungal pathogens present a major common threat across human communities:they cause disease and death in humans,animals,and global food crops.The development of anti-fungal therapies is hampered primarily by the lack o...Fungal pathogens present a major common threat across human communities:they cause disease and death in humans,animals,and global food crops.The development of anti-fungal therapies is hampered primarily by the lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of fungal pathogenicity at the host-pathogen axis.Many studies have shown that nutrition-associated processes such as autophagy and metal homeostasis play essential roles in fungal virulence during systemic infection.During infection,the host immune system often employs nutrition restriction mechanisms to limit microbial proliferation and facilitate the killing and elimination of invading pathogens.Therefore,fast sensing and adaptation to the levels of environmental nutrients are critical if the fungal pathogen is to survive,replicate,and colonize in the host.Fungal cells have evolved numerous precise mechanisms to respond to various levels of nutrient availability.Studies show that fungal cells manipulate the expression of genes involved in nutrient acquisition,autophagosome formation,toxic nutrient detoxification,or cell morphological transition to counter the anti-fungal strategies of the host.This review of the most recent studies of nutrition-related pathways focuses primarily on autophagy,metal homeostasis,and the nutrition-driven morphological switches found in two major human fungal pathogens,Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans.It is a systematic comparison of the functional divergence of nutrition-related genes in the fungal pathogenicity of these evolutionarily distinct but related fungal species.展开更多
Entomopathogenic fungi are protected by a cell wall with dynamic structure for adapting to various environmental conditions.β-1,3-Glucan recognition proteins activate the innate immune system of insects by recognizin...Entomopathogenic fungi are protected by a cell wall with dynamic structure for adapting to various environmental conditions.β-1,3-Glucan recognition proteins activate the innate immune system of insects by recognizing surface molecules of fungi.However,the associations between pathogenicity and the different components of entomopathogenic fungal cell walls remain unclear.Three Beauveria bassiana strains were selected that have significantly differing virulence against Bombyx mori.The molecular mechanisms underlying the immune response in B.mori were investigated using RNA sequencing,which revealed differences in the immune response to different B.bassiana strains at 12 h post-infection.Immunofluorescence assays revealed thatβ-1,3-glucan content had an opposite trend to that of fungal virulence.β-1,3-Glucan injection upregulated BmβGRP4 expression and significantly reduced the virulence of the high-virulence strain but not that of the medium-virulence or low-virulence strains.BmβGRP4 silencing in B.mori with RNA interference resulted in the opposite virulence pattern,indicating that the virulence of B.bassiana was affected by the cell walls’content ofβ-1,3-glucan,which could be recognized by BmβGRP4.Furthermore,interference with the gene CnA(calcineurin catalytic A subunit)involved inβ-1,3-glucan synthesis eliminated differences in virulence between B.bassiana strains.These results indicate that strains of a single species of pathogenic fungi that have differing cell wall components are recognized differently by the innate immune system of B.mori.展开更多
I am Na An, from the Shaanxi Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology,Xi＇an City First Hospital, Xi＇an, Shaanxi Province, China. Fungal keratitis is a severe problem in most developing countries.
Climate change profoundly influences sulfur(S)nutrition,which plays a crucial role in plant growth,development,and responses to diseases.Climate-induced stress may impair plant growth,photosynthesis,pollen development...Climate change profoundly influences sulfur(S)nutrition,which plays a crucial role in plant growth,development,and responses to diseases.Climate-induced stress may impair plant growth,photosynthesis,pollen development,and reproduction.For instance,under high temperature stress,plant photosynthetic efficiency is reduced due to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species,denaturation of heat shock proteins,and alterations in various enzyme activities.Unlike drought stress,plants have developed only a few mechanisms to mitigate heat stress.Utilization of S is one of the efficient strategies to enhance plant tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses.Plant-derived S-containing secondary metabolites play a vital role in plant-pest and plant-disease interactions in various plants.However,little is known about the roles of S and its management strategies in response to disease attack in wheat and barley under climate change.A deeper understanding of S-based strategies could contribute to sustaining plant health and productivity,thereby supporting global wheat and barley yields in the face of increasing climate change challenges.This review therefore focuses on the roles of S and associated management strategies utilized to support plant growth,development,and reproduction and enhance disease resistance and tolerance to abiotic stresses in wheat and barley under climate change.展开更多
NUcleoside Diphosphate-linked to moiety X(NUDIX)hydrolases are ubiquitous enzymes that maintain metabolic homeostasis by hydrolyzing potentially toxic nucleoside diphosphates.In plants and other eukaryotes,inositol py...NUcleoside Diphosphate-linked to moiety X(NUDIX)hydrolases are ubiquitous enzymes that maintain metabolic homeostasis by hydrolyzing potentially toxic nucleoside diphosphates.In plants and other eukaryotes,inositol pyrophosphates(PP-InsPs)act as central signaling molecules,linking cellular phosphate status to gene expression via SPX-domain receptors.A recent study(McCombe et al.,Science 387:955–962,2025)showed that several plant pathogenic fungi secrete NUDIX effector proteins that hydrolyze PP-InsPs and manipulate host phosphate signaling.In the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae,a cytoplasmic NUDIX effector(MoNUDIX)hydrolyzes PP-InsPs,triggers a phosphate starvation response and suppresses immunity in rice,thereby facilitating disease progression.In contrast,the lentil anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum lentis secretes CtNUDIX into the apoplast,where it disrupts PP-InsP-dependent endocytic machinery and elicits a hypersensitive cell death response.Collectively,these findings demonstrate how NUDIX effectors exemplify mechanistic diversification within a single effector family:manipulating phosphate signaling promotes biotrophic colonization,whereas disrupting host membrane integrity induces a switch to necrotrophy.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82070049).
文摘Background Fungal infections in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)patients are poorly understood and often result in a poor prognosis.This study aimed to investigate the distribution of common fungi and the clinical features of AECOPD patients positive for fungal pathogens.Methods Data were collected from inpatients with AECOPD at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2016 to December 2019.The enrolled patients were divided into an infection group and a colonization group,and clinical data were compared between the two groups.A 1:1 propensity score matching(PSM)process was employed to ensure balanced samples to analyze the impact of positive fungal pathogens on the clinical features of AECOPD patients.The incidence of acute exacerbations one year after discharge was determined via telephone follow-up.Results The most frequently isolated fungal pathogen was Candida albicans(164/395,41.5%),followed by Aspergillus(93/395,23.5%).After propensity score matching,68 patients were equally divided into the infection and colonization groups.There was no significant difference in clinical manifestations between the infection and colonization groups(P>0.05).Patients in the infection group had significantly higher procalcitonin(PCT)values(0.2[0.1,0.7]ng/ml vs.0.1[0,0.1]ng/ml;P=0.003)and lower albumin/globulin ratios(1.1[0.6,1.3]vs.1.1[1.0,1.3],P=0.047)than those in the colonization group.The antibiotic treatment(12.5[11.0,19.0]days vs.10.0[8.0,14.0]days;P=0.002)and hospitalisation duration(18.0[14.7,22.5]days vs.11.0[8.0,16.0]days;P<0.001)in the infection group was significantly longer than that in the colonization group.In addition,more patients in the colonization group received non-invasive mechanical ventilation(76.5%[26/34]vs.47.1%[16/34];P=0.013).Compared with the colonization group,more patients in the infection group underwent bronchoscopy(29.4%[10/34]vs.2.9%[1/34];P=0.003).Using multivariable analysis,we found that bronchoscopy(OR:1.350,95%CI:1.020-1.771,P=0.034)and duration of antibiotics used(OR:1.318,95%CI:1.090-1.560,P=0.004)were risk factors for pulmonary fungal infection in AECOPD patients.Conclusion Candida albicans and Aspergillus are the common fungi isolated from patients with AECOPD.The clinical manifestations of AECOPD patients with fungal infection are nonspecific.AECOPD patients with positive fungal isolation who have undergone bronchoscopy and used antibiotics for a longer duration are more likely to have fungal infection.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.32300274,32070279)the Project of Priority and Key Areas,Institute of Soil Science,Chinese Academy of Sciences(ISSASIP2222,ISSASIP2206)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.BK20221560).
文摘Phosphate(Pi)is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development,playing a critical role in key biological processes such as energy metabolism,nucleic acid synthesis,and cellular signaling(Wang et al.,2021;Zhang et al.,2023;Yang et al.,2024).Due to the limited availability and poor accessibility of Pi in soil,plants have evolved complex signaling networks to sense and respond to Pi availability,ensuring the maintenance of normal physiological functions under low-Pi conditions(Wild et al.,2016;Wang et al.,2025).Within this signaling network,inositol pyrophosphates(PP-InsPs),products under Pi repletion,serve as critical signaling molecules in plant cells.When intracellular Pi is sufficient,PP-InsPs bind to SPX-domain proteins,inhibiting the activity of Pi starvation-response transcription factors(PHRs)and thereby suppressing the expression of Pi starvation-related genes.Conversely,PP-InsP levels decrease under Pi-deficient conditions,preventing SPX proteins from inhibiting PHRs(Wild et al.,2016).This results in the activation of PHRs and the initiation of Pi starvation responses,promoting Pi uptake and recycling.This mechanism helps plants to maintain Pi homeostasis in low-Pi environments.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32072485 and 32202378).
文摘Fungal pathogens produce secretory ribonuclease(RNase)T2 proteins during infection,which contribute to fungal virulence via their enzyme functions in degradation of host cell RNA.However,the details of those proteins entering the host cells are unclear.Our previous study demonstrated that the two secretory RNase T2 members,BbRNT2 and BbTrv,produced by the insect fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana,caused cytotoxic damage to insect cells and contributed to fungal virulence.Here,the Spodoptera frugiperda ovarian epithelial cells(sf9 cells)were used as models to investigate the interactions of the two fungus-produced RNase T2 proteins with the insect cells.Two transmembrane proteins,an ABC transporter(SfABCG)and an Innexin 7-like protein(Sfinx),were identified from the sf9 cells as interacting with BbRNT2 and BbTrv,respectively,through protein immunoprecipitation,yeast-two hybrid tests and protein pull-down assays.Although a slight decrease in the sf9 cell viability was examined by transfection of RNA interference of SfABCG or Sfinx,the transfected cells displayed a dramatically decreased sensitivity to BbRNT2 or BbTrv,suggesting the requirement of the two transmembrane proteins for BbRNT2 and BbTrv to enter the insect cells.These results reveal a mechanism of the cytotoxic molecules,T2 RNases,produced by the fungal pathogen,entering the insect cells via interaction with specific insect cell transmembrane proteins and causing cytotoxic damage.
基金supported by Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U21A20228).
文摘Root rot is a prevalent soil-borne fungal disease in citrus.Citron C-05(Citrus medica)stands out as a germplasm within Citrus spp.due to its complete resistance to citrus canker and favorable characteristics such as single embryo and easy rooting.However,Citron C-05 was found to be highly susceptible to root rot during cultivation,with the specific pathogens previously unknown.In this study,four candidate fungal species were isolated from Citron C-05 roots.Sequence analysis of ITS,EF-1a,RPB1,and RPB2 identified two Fusarium solani strains,Rr-2 and Rr-4,as the candidates causing root rot in Citron C-05.Resistance tests showed these two pathogens increased root damage rate from 10.30%to 35.69%in Citron C-05,sour orange(Citrus aurantium),sweet orange(Citrus sinensis)and pummelo(Citrus grandis).F.solani exhibited the weak pathogenicity towards trifoliate orange(Poncirus trifoliata).DAB staining revealed none of reddish-brown precipitation in the four susceptible citrus germplasm after infection with F.solani,while trifoliate orange exhibited significant H2O2 accumulation.Trypan blue staining indicated increased cell death in the four susceptible citrus germplasm following infection with these two pathogens but not in trifoliate orange.These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of citrus root rot and support future research on the mechanisms of root rot resistance in citrus.
基金This study was financially supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences （XDB11040500 to H.-S.G.）, National Natural Science Foundation （31730078 to H.-S.G., 31600124 to J.-H.Z., and 31500119 to C.H.）.
文摘Fungal pathogens represent a major group of plant invaders that are the causative agents of many notorious plant diseases. Large quantities of RNAs, especially small RNAs involved in gene silencing, have been found to transmit bidirectionally between fungal pathogens and their hosts. Although host-induced gene silencing （HIGS） technology has been developed and applied to protect crops from fungal infections, the mechanisms of RNA transmission, especially small RNAs regulating trans- kingdom RNA silencing in plant immunity, are largely unknown. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent important findings regarding trans-kingdom sRNAs and RNA silencing in plant-fungal pathogen interactions compared with the well-known RNAi mechanisms in plants and fungi. We focus on the interactions between plant and fungal pathogens with broad hosts, represented by the vascular pathogen Verticillium dahliae and non-vascular pathogen Botrytis cinerea, and discuss the known instances of natural RNAi transmission between fungal pathogens and host plants. Given that HIGS has been developed and recently applied in controlling Verticillium wilt diseases, we propose an ideal research system exploiting plant vasculature-Verticillium interaction to further study trans-kingdom RNA silencing.
基金supported by a grant from the National Nature Science Foundation of China(31672080)。
文摘Secretory phospholipase A2s(sPLA2s)are found in a wide range of organisms from bacteria to higher plants and animals and are involved in varied and cellular pro-cesses.However,roles of these enzymes in microbial pathogens remain unclear.Here,an sPLA2(BbPLA2)was characterized in the filamentous insect pathogenic fungus,Beau-veria bassiana.BbPLA2was exclusively expressed in insect hemolymph-derived cells(hyphal bodies),and its expression was induced by insect-derived nutrients and lipids,and nutrient starvation.High levels of secretion of BbPLA2 were observed as well as its distri-bution in hyphal body lipid drops(LDs).Overexpression of BbPLA2 increased the ability of B.bassiana to utilize insect-derived nutrients and lipids,and promoted LD accumula-tion,indicating functions for BbPLA2 in mediating LD homeostasis and assimilation of insect-derived lipids.Strains overexpressing BbPLA2 showed moderately increased vir-ulence,including more efficient penetration of the insect cuticle and evasion of host im-mune responses as compared to the wild type strain.In addition,B.bassiana-activated host immune genes were downregulated in the BbPLA2 overexpression strain,but upregulated by infections with a△BbPLA2 strain.These data demonstrate that BbPLA2 contributes to LD homeostasis,assimilation of insect-derived lipids,and repression of host immune responses.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31870140 to CD)the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities of China(N142005001 and N172002001 to CD)Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program(XLYC1807001).
文摘Fungal pathogens present a major common threat across human communities:they cause disease and death in humans,animals,and global food crops.The development of anti-fungal therapies is hampered primarily by the lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of fungal pathogenicity at the host-pathogen axis.Many studies have shown that nutrition-associated processes such as autophagy and metal homeostasis play essential roles in fungal virulence during systemic infection.During infection,the host immune system often employs nutrition restriction mechanisms to limit microbial proliferation and facilitate the killing and elimination of invading pathogens.Therefore,fast sensing and adaptation to the levels of environmental nutrients are critical if the fungal pathogen is to survive,replicate,and colonize in the host.Fungal cells have evolved numerous precise mechanisms to respond to various levels of nutrient availability.Studies show that fungal cells manipulate the expression of genes involved in nutrient acquisition,autophagosome formation,toxic nutrient detoxification,or cell morphological transition to counter the anti-fungal strategies of the host.This review of the most recent studies of nutrition-related pathways focuses primarily on autophagy,metal homeostasis,and the nutrition-driven morphological switches found in two major human fungal pathogens,Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans.It is a systematic comparison of the functional divergence of nutrition-related genes in the fungal pathogenicity of these evolutionarily distinct but related fungal species.
基金This work was supported by National Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32102274)Natural Science Foundation of the Anhui Higher Education Institutions(KJ2020A0129,YJS20210237).
文摘Entomopathogenic fungi are protected by a cell wall with dynamic structure for adapting to various environmental conditions.β-1,3-Glucan recognition proteins activate the innate immune system of insects by recognizing surface molecules of fungi.However,the associations between pathogenicity and the different components of entomopathogenic fungal cell walls remain unclear.Three Beauveria bassiana strains were selected that have significantly differing virulence against Bombyx mori.The molecular mechanisms underlying the immune response in B.mori were investigated using RNA sequencing,which revealed differences in the immune response to different B.bassiana strains at 12 h post-infection.Immunofluorescence assays revealed thatβ-1,3-glucan content had an opposite trend to that of fungal virulence.β-1,3-Glucan injection upregulated BmβGRP4 expression and significantly reduced the virulence of the high-virulence strain but not that of the medium-virulence or low-virulence strains.BmβGRP4 silencing in B.mori with RNA interference resulted in the opposite virulence pattern,indicating that the virulence of B.bassiana was affected by the cell walls’content ofβ-1,3-glucan,which could be recognized by BmβGRP4.Furthermore,interference with the gene CnA(calcineurin catalytic A subunit)involved inβ-1,3-glucan synthesis eliminated differences in virulence between B.bassiana strains.These results indicate that strains of a single species of pathogenic fungi that have differing cell wall components are recognized differently by the innate immune system of B.mori.
基金Supported by the Science and Technology Planning Project of Xi'an[No.SF09023(3)]
文摘I am Na An, from the Shaanxi Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology,Xi＇an City First Hospital, Xi＇an, Shaanxi Province, China. Fungal keratitis is a severe problem in most developing countries.
基金supported by the Kadyrov Chechen State University Development Program,Russia。
文摘Climate change profoundly influences sulfur(S)nutrition,which plays a crucial role in plant growth,development,and responses to diseases.Climate-induced stress may impair plant growth,photosynthesis,pollen development,and reproduction.For instance,under high temperature stress,plant photosynthetic efficiency is reduced due to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species,denaturation of heat shock proteins,and alterations in various enzyme activities.Unlike drought stress,plants have developed only a few mechanisms to mitigate heat stress.Utilization of S is one of the efficient strategies to enhance plant tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses.Plant-derived S-containing secondary metabolites play a vital role in plant-pest and plant-disease interactions in various plants.However,little is known about the roles of S and its management strategies in response to disease attack in wheat and barley under climate change.A deeper understanding of S-based strategies could contribute to sustaining plant health and productivity,thereby supporting global wheat and barley yields in the face of increasing climate change challenges.This review therefore focuses on the roles of S and associated management strategies utilized to support plant growth,development,and reproduction and enhance disease resistance and tolerance to abiotic stresses in wheat and barley under climate change.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32172363)the Chinese Universities Scientific Fund(Grant No.10092004).
文摘NUcleoside Diphosphate-linked to moiety X(NUDIX)hydrolases are ubiquitous enzymes that maintain metabolic homeostasis by hydrolyzing potentially toxic nucleoside diphosphates.In plants and other eukaryotes,inositol pyrophosphates(PP-InsPs)act as central signaling molecules,linking cellular phosphate status to gene expression via SPX-domain receptors.A recent study(McCombe et al.,Science 387:955–962,2025)showed that several plant pathogenic fungi secrete NUDIX effector proteins that hydrolyze PP-InsPs and manipulate host phosphate signaling.In the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae,a cytoplasmic NUDIX effector(MoNUDIX)hydrolyzes PP-InsPs,triggers a phosphate starvation response and suppresses immunity in rice,thereby facilitating disease progression.In contrast,the lentil anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum lentis secretes CtNUDIX into the apoplast,where it disrupts PP-InsP-dependent endocytic machinery and elicits a hypersensitive cell death response.Collectively,these findings demonstrate how NUDIX effectors exemplify mechanistic diversification within a single effector family:manipulating phosphate signaling promotes biotrophic colonization,whereas disrupting host membrane integrity induces a switch to necrotrophy.
