Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Microbiology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hadal Science and Technology, College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China.
Nat Commun. 2021 Sep 15;12(1):5462. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25535-1.
Salicylic acid is a phenolic phytohormone which controls plant growth and development. A methyl ester (MSA) derivative thereof is volatile and involved in plant-insect or plant-plant communication. Here we show that the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans uses a methyl-salicylic acid isomer, 6-MSA as morphogen for spatiotemporal control of trap formation and as chemoattractant to lure Caenorhabditis elegans into fungal colonies. 6-MSA is the product of a polyketide synthase and an intermediate in the biosynthesis of arthrosporols. The polyketide synthase (ArtA), produces 6-MSA in hyphal tips, and is uncoupled from other enzymes required for the conversion of 6-MSA to arthrosporols, which are produced in older hyphae. 6-MSA and arthrosporols both block trap formation. The presence of nematodes inhibits 6-MSA and arthrosporol biosyntheses and thereby enables trap formation. 6-MSA and arthrosporols are thus morphogens with some functions similar to quorum-sensing molecules. We show that 6-MSA is important in interkingdom communication between fungi and nematodes.
水杨酸是一种控制植物生长和发育的酚类植物激素。它的甲酯（MSA）衍生物是挥发性的，参与植物-昆虫或植物-植物的通讯。在这里，我们表明，食线虫真菌 Duddingtonia flagrans 使用甲基水杨酸异构体 6-MSA 作为形态发生素，对陷阱形成进行时空控制，并作为化学引诱剂将秀丽隐杆线虫吸引到真菌群落中。6-MSA 是聚酮合酶的产物，也是节孢菌素生物合成的中间产物。聚酮合酶（ArtA）在菌丝尖端产生 6-MSA，并且与将 6-MSA 转化为节孢菌素所需的其他酶分离，节孢菌素在较老的菌丝中产生。6-MSA 和节孢菌素都能阻止陷阱的形成。线虫的存在抑制了 6-MSA 和节孢菌素的生物合成，从而能够形成陷阱。因此，6-MSA 和节孢菌素是形态发生素，具有一些与群体感应分子相似的功能。我们表明，6-MSA 在真菌和线虫之间的种间通讯中很重要。
