FfVel1 and FfLae1, Components of a Velvet-like Complex in Fusarium Fujikuroi, Affect Differentiation, Secondary Metabolism and Virulence

Overview

Journal Mol Microbiol

Specialties Microbiology
Molecular Biology

Date 2010 Jun 25

PMID 20572938

Citations 123

Authors

Philipp Wiemann

Daren W Brown

Karin Kleigrewe

Jin Woo Bok

Nancy P Keller

Hans-Ulrich Humpf

Bettina Tudzynski

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Besides industrially produced gibberellins (GAs), Fusarium fujikuroi is able to produce additional secondary metabolites such as the pigments bikaverin and neurosporaxanthin and the mycotoxins fumonisins and fusarin C. The global regulation of these biosynthetic pathways is only poorly understood. Recently, the velvet complex containing VeA and several other regulatory proteins was shown to be involved in global regulation of secondary metabolism and differentiation in Aspergillus nidulans. Here, we report on the characterization of two components of the F. fujikuroi velvet-like complex, FfVel1 and FfLae1. The gene encoding this first reported LaeA orthologue outside the class of Eurotiomycetidae is upregulated in ΔFfvel1 microarray-studies and FfLae1 interacts with FfVel1 in the nucleus. Deletion of Ffvel1 and Fflae1 revealed for the first time that velvet can simultaneously act as positive (GAs, fumonisins and fusarin C) and negative (bikaverin) regulator of secondary metabolism, and that both components affect conidiation and virulence of F. fujikuroi. Furthermore, the velvet-like protein FfVel2 revealed similar functions regarding conidiation, secondary metabolism and virulence as FfVel1. Cross-genus complementation studies of velvet complex component mutants between Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium support an ancient origin for this complex, which has undergone a divergence in specific functions mediating development and secondary metabolism.

Citing Articles

Beyond morphogenesis and secondary metabolism: function of Velvet proteins and LaeA in fungal pathogenesis.

Calvo A, Dabholkar A, Wyman E, Lohmar J, Cary J Appl Environ Microbiol. 2024; 90(10):e0081924.

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Involvement of LaeA and Velvet Proteins in Regulating the Production of Mycotoxins and Other Fungal Secondary Metabolites.

Hou X, Liu L, Xu D, Lai D, Zhou L J Fungi (Basel). 2024; 10(8).

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