Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Pest Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2017 May;101(10):4215-4226. doi: 10.1007/s00253-017-8197-5. Epub 2017 Feb 25.
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark in mammals, plants, and fungi and depends on multiple genetic pathways involving de novo and maintenance DNA methyltransferases (DNMTases). Metarhizium robertsii, a model system for investigating insect-fungus interactions, has been used as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical insecticides. However, little is known concerning the molecular basis for DNA methylation. Here, we report on the roles of two DNMTases (MrRID and MrDIM-2) by characterizing ΔMrRID, ΔMrDIM-2, and ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 mutants. The results showed that approximately 71, 10, and 8% of C sites remained in the ΔMrRID, ΔMrDIM-2, and ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 strains, respectively, compared with the wild-type (WT) strain. Further analysis showed that MrRID regulates the specificity of DNA methylation and MrDIM-2 is responsible for most DNA methylation, implying an interaction or cooperation between MrRID and MrDIM-2 for DNA methylation. Moreover, the ΔMrDIM-2 and ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 strains showed more defects in radial growth and conidial production compared to the WT. Under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation or heat stress, an obvious reduction in spore viability was observed for all the mutant strains compared to the WT. The spore median lethal times (LTs) for the ΔMrDIM-2 and ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 strains in the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, were decreased by 47.7 and 65.9%, respectively, which showed that MrDIM-2 is required for full fungal virulence. Our data advances the understanding of the function of DNMTase in entomopathogenic fungi, which should contribute to future epigenetic investigations in fungi.
DNA 甲基化是哺乳动物、植物和真菌中的一种重要的表观遗传标记,依赖于多个涉及从头和维持 DNA 甲基转移酶 (DNMTase) 的遗传途径。作为化学杀虫剂的环保替代品,金龟子绿僵菌已被用作研究昆虫-真菌相互作用的模式系统。然而,对于 DNA 甲基化的分子基础知之甚少。在这里,我们通过表征ΔMrRID、ΔMrDIM-2 和ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 突变体,报告了两种 DNMTase(MrRID 和 MrDIM-2)的作用。结果表明,与野生型(WT)菌株相比,ΔMrRID、ΔMrDIM-2 和ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 菌株中的 C 位点分别约有 71%、10%和 8%保持不变。进一步分析表明,MrRID 调节 DNA 甲基化的特异性,而 MrDIM-2 负责大多数 DNA 甲基化,这意味着 MrRID 和 MrDIM-2 之间存在 DNA 甲基化的相互作用或合作。此外,与 WT 相比,ΔMrDIM-2 和ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 菌株在径向生长和分生孢子产生方面表现出更多缺陷。在紫外线(UV)照射或热应激下,与 WT 相比,所有突变菌株的孢子活力明显下降。ΔMrDIM-2 和ΔRID/ΔDIM-2 菌株在大蜡螟(Galleria mellonella)中的孢子半数致死时间(LT)分别降低了 47.7%和 65.9%,这表明 MrDIM-2 是真菌完全毒力所必需的。我们的数据推进了对昆虫病原真菌中 DNMTase 功能的理解,这应该有助于真菌未来的表观遗传学研究。