Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2009):

Identification of genes potentially involved in the biocontrol activity of Pseudozyma flocculosa.

Full Abstract

Flocculosin is an antifungal cellobiose lipid linked to the biocontrol activity of Pseudozyma flocculosa and whose structure is very similar to that of ustilagic acid produced by Ustilago maydis. In this work, homologs of the U. maydis cyp1 gene, involved in the biosynthesis of ustilagic acid, were isolated and sequenced from P. flocculosa and P. fusiformata, the latter species being also known to produce ustilagic acid. Interestingly, no homologs were found in four other closely related Pseudozyma spp. from which no evidence of ustilagic acid production has ever been obtained, thus supporting the specificity of cyp1 with ustilagic acid synthesis. In addition, a homolog of the U. maydis uat1 gene involved in the acetylation of the molecule and located next to the cyp1 gene was partially sequenced from P. flocculosa. All three newly sequenced genes showed strong sequence similarity to their counterparts in U. maydis. Cyp1 expression was monitored in conditions that were either conducive or repressive to flocculosin production. Expression increased markedly (>100x) when P. flocculosa was inoculated in a growth medium conducive to flocculosin production but was rapidly downregulated in a repressive medium (in vitro) or on powdery mildew-infected cucumber leaves (in vivo). This suggests that the molecule was preferentially synthesized early in the process of searching for a growth substrate. This study provides the first identification of genes involved in the production of flocculosin, a molecule potentially associated with the biocontrol properties of P. flocculosa.

Author information

Author/s: Marchand, G (G); Rémus-Borel, W (W); Chain, F (F); Hammami, W (W); Belzile, F (F); Bélanger, R R (RR);

Affiliation: Département de Phytologie, Centre de recherche en horticulture, Pavillon de l'Envirotron, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Phytopathology (Phytopathology), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol 99 (issue 10) : pp 1142-9

Dates: Created 2009/09/10; Completed 2009/10/21;

PMID: 19740027, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/21/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Amino Acid Sequence Base Sequence Blotting, Southern Cellobiose - analogs & derivatives; biosynthesis; chemistry Cloning, Molecular Fungal Proteins - chemistry; genetics; metabolism Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal Genes, Fungal

Glycolipids - biosynthesis; chemistry Molecular Sequence Data Pest Control, Biological Phylogeny Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence Alignment Sequence Analysis, DNA Ustilaginales - genetics

Associated Chemicals: 2-(2',4'-diacetoxy-5'-carboxypentanoyl)octadecylcellobioside (0) ; Fungal Proteins (0) ; Glycolipids (0) ; Cellobiose (16462-44-5)

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