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Dec 05, 2024;

Essential genes encoded by the mating-type locus of the human fungal pathogen .

Zhuyun Bian, Ziyan Xu, Anushka Peer, Yeseul Choi, Shelby J Priest, Konstantina Akritidou, Ananya Dasgupta, Tim A Dahlmann, Ulrich Kück, Minou Nowrousian, Matthew S Sachs, Sheng Sun, Joseph Heitman
Author Information
  1. Zhuyun Bian: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
  2. Ziyan Xu: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
  3. Anushka Peer: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
  4. Yeseul Choi: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
  5. Shelby J Priest: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. ORCID
  6. Konstantina Akritidou: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
  7. Ananya Dasgupta: Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
  8. Tim A Dahlmann: Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
  9. Ulrich Kück: Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
  10. Minou Nowrousian: Lehrstuhl für Molekulare und Zelluläre Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
  11. Matthew S Sachs: Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
  12. Sheng Sun: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
  13. Joseph Heitman: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
PMID: 39677606 DOI: 10.1101/2024.12.02.626420

Abstract

Fungal sexual reproduction is controlled by the mating-type () locus. In contrast to a majority of species in the phylum Basidiomycota that have tetrapolar mating-type systems, the opportunistic human pathogen employs a bipolar mating-type system, with two mating types ( and α) determined by a single locus that is unusually large (~120 kb) and contains more than 20 genes. While several genes are associated with mating and sexual development, others control conserved cellular processes (e.g. cargo transport and protein synthesis), of which five (, , , , and ) have been hypothesized to be essential. In this study, through genetic analysis involving sporulation of heterozygous diploid deletion mutants, as well as in some cases construction and analyses of conditional expression alleles of these genes, we confirmed that with the exception of , both alleles of the other four genes are indeed essential for cell viability. We further showed that while is not essential, its function is critical for infectious spore production, faithful cytokinesis, adaptation for growth at high temperature, and pathogenicity . Our results demonstrate the presence of essential genes in the locus that are divergent between cells of opposite mating types. We discuss possible mechanisms to maintain functional alleles of these essential genes in a rapidly-evolving genomic region in the context of fungal sexual reproduction and mating-type evolution.

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Grants

  1. R37 AI039115/NIAID NIH HHS
  2. R21 AI138158/NIAID NIH HHS
  3. R01 AI039115/NIAID NIH HHS
  4. R01 AI133654/NIAID NIH HHS
  5. R01 AI050113/NIAID NIH HHS
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