The <i>FRP1</i> F‐box gene has different functions in sexuality, pathogenicity and metabolism in three fungal pathogens

JONKERS, WILFRIED,VAN KAN, JAN A. L.,TIJM, PATRICK,LEE, YIN‐,WON,TUDZYNSKI, PAUL,REP, MARTIJN,MICHIELSE, CAROLINE B. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 Molecular plant pathology Vol.12 No.6

<P><B>SUMMARY</B></P><P>Plant‐pathogenic fungi employ a variety of infection strategies; as a result, fungi probably rely on different sets of proteins for successful infection. The F‐box protein Frp1, only present in filamentous fungi belonging to the Sordariomycetes, Leotiomycetes and Dothideomycetes, is required for nonsugar carbon catabolism and pathogenicity in the root‐infecting fungus <I>Fusarium oxysporum</I>. To assess the role of Frp1 in other plant‐pathogenic fungi, <I>FRP1</I> deletion mutants were generated in <I>Fusarium graminearum</I> and <I>Botrytis cinerea</I>, and their phenotypes were analysed. Deletion of <I>FgFRP1</I> in <I>F. graminearum</I> led to impaired infection of barley roots, but not of aerial plant parts. Deletion of <I>BcFRP1</I> in <I>B. cinerea</I> did not show any effect on pathogenicity. Sexual reproduction, however, was impaired in both <I>F. graminearum</I> and<I> B. cinerea FRP1</I> deletion mutants. The mutants of all three fungi displayed different phenotypes when grown on an array of carbon sources. The <I>F. oxysporum</I> and <I>B. cinerea</I> deletion mutants showed opposite growth phenotypes on sugar and nonsugar carbon sources. Replacement of <I>FoFRP1</I> in <I>F. oxysporum</I> with the <I>B. cinerea BcFRP1</I> resulted in the restoration of pathogenicity, but also in a switch from impaired growth on nonsugar carbon sources to impaired growth on sugar carbon sources. This effect could be ascribed in part to the <I>B. cinerea BcFRP1</I> promoter sequence. In conclusion, the function of the F‐box protein Frp1, despite its high sequence conservation, is not conserved between different fungi, leading to differential requirements for pathogenicity and carbon source utilization.</P>

Strategies to Enhance the Biosynthesis of Monounsaturated Fatty Acids in Escherichia coli

Paul Matthay,Thomas Schalck,Natalie Verstraeten,Jan Michiels 한국생물공학회 2023 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.28 No.1

Fueled by a variety of industrial applications ranging from bioplastics to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, the global demand for unsaturated fatty acids is steadily rising. Most of these applications build on monounsaturated fatty acids with a chain length of 16 or 18 carbon atoms, rendering these compounds valuable industrial assets. While of high industrial interest, monounsaturated fatty acids with a chain length of 8 to 12 carbon atoms are hard to produce using conventional chemical or plant-based production ways. As a consequence, these compounds are expensive and not readily available for large-scale industrial applications. Recent advances in metabolic engineering have put forward microbes as cost-efficient factories to produce numerous chemical compounds. In this respect, the model organism Escherichia coli is considered an interesting species as it can grow on various feedstocks and a plethora of genetic information is available, facilitating expression of exogenous enzymes. For the purpose of shifting the fatty acid pool towards monounsaturated fatty acid, thioesterases and desaturases represent suitable candidate enzymes. The former stop chain elongation, reacting on acyl-chains of specific chain length and saturation level, whereas the latter directly target fatty acids to convert them into unsaturated analogues. In this review we summarize thioesterases and desaturases that have been introduced in E. coli to enrich unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, we discuss advantages of using bacteria for the production of designer compounds including but not limited to medium-chain monounsaturated fatty acids.

MICROALGAE FROM THE PROVIAPT CLOSED PHOTOBIOREACTOR SYSTEM FOR AQUACULTURE

Tina M. Rogge,Luc Roef,Jorien Fret,Mark Michiels 한국수산과학회 양식분과 2015 한국수산과학회 양식분과 학술대회 Vol.2015 No.5

Acidification of drinking water improved tibia mass of broilers through the alterations of intestinal barrier and microbiota

Zhang Huaiyong,Guo Yujun,Wang Ziyang,Wang Yongshuai,Chen Bo,Du Pengfei,Zhang Xiangli,Huang Yanqun,Li Peng,Michiels Joris,Chen Wen 아세아·태평양축산학회 2022 Animal Bioscience Vol.35 No.6

Objective: Diet acidification supplementation is known to influence intestinal morphology, gut microbiota, and on phosphorus (P) utilization of broilers. Alterations in intestinal barrier and microbiota have been associated with systemic inflammation and thus regulating bone turnover. Hence the effect of acidifier addition to drinking water on tibia mass and the linkages between intestinal integrity and bone were studied. Methods: One-d-old male broilers were randomly assigned to normal water (control) or continuous supply of acidified water (2% the blend of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid, lactic, and phosphoric acid) group with 5 replicates of 10 chicks per replicate for 42 d. Results: Acidification of drinking water improved the ash percentage and calcium content of tibia at 42 d. Broilers receiving acidified water had increased serum P concentration compared to control birds. The acidified group showed improved intestinal barrier, evidenced by increased wall thickness, villus height, the villus height to crypt depth ratio, and upregulated mucin-2 expression in ileum. Broilers receiving drinking water containing mixed organic acids had a higher proportion of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, as well as a lower population of Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, the addition of acidifier to drinking water resulted in declined ileal and serum proinflammatory factors level and increased immunoglobulin concentrations in serum. Concerning bone remodeling, acidifier addition was linked to a decrease in serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase reflecting bone resorption, whereas it did not apparently change serum alkaline phosphatase activity that is a bone formation marker. Conclusion: Acidified drinking water increased tibia mineral deposition of broilers, which was probably linked with higher P utilization and decreased bone resorption through improved intestinal integrity and gut microbiota and through decreased systemic inflammation. Objective: Diet acidification supplementation is known to influence intestinal morphology, gut microbiota, and on phosphorus (P) utilization of broilers. Alterations in intestinal barrier and microbiota have been associated with systemic inflammation and thus regulating bone turnover. Hence the effect of acidifier addition to drinking water on tibia mass and the linkages between intestinal integrity and bone were studied.Methods: One-d-old male broilers were randomly assigned to normal water (control) or continuous supply of acidified water (2% the blend of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid, lactic, and phosphoric acid) group with 5 replicates of 10 chicks per replicate for 42 d.Results: Acidification of drinking water improved the ash percentage and calcium content of tibia at 42 d. Broilers receiving acidified water had increased serum P concentration compared to control birds. The acidified group showed improved intestinal barrier, evidenced by increased wall thickness, villus height, the villus height to crypt depth ratio, and upregulated mucin-2 expression in ileum. Broilers receiving drinking water containing mixed organic acids had a higher proportion of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, as well as a lower population of Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, the addition of acidifier to drinking water resulted in declined ileal and serum proinflammatory factors level and increased immunoglobulin concentrations in serum. Concerning bone remodeling, acidifier addition was linked to a decrease in serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase reflecting bone resorption, whereas it did not apparently change serum alkaline phosphatase activity that is a bone formation marker.Conclusion: Acidified drinking water increased tibia mineral deposition of broilers, which was probably linked with higher P utilization and decreased bone resorption through improved intestinal integrity and gut microbiota and through decreased systemic inflammation.