RacA-Mediated ROS Signaling Is Required for Polarized Cell Differentiation in Conidiogenesis of Aspergillus fumigatus.
2016
Conidiophore development of fungi belonging to the genus Aspergillus involves dynamic changes in cellular polarity and
morphogenesis. Synchronized differentiation of
phialidesfrom the subtending conidiophore vesicle is a good example of the transition from isotropic to multi-directional polarized growth. Here we report a
small GTPase, RacA, which is essential for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the vesicle as well as differentiation of
phialidesin
Aspergillus fumigatus. We found that wild type A. fumigatus accumulates ROS in these conidiophore vesicles and that null mutants of racA did not, resulting in the termination of conidiophore development in this early vesicle stage. Further, we found that stress conditions resulting in atypical ROS accumulation coincide with partial recovery of
phialideemergence but not subsequent
apical dominanceof the
phialidesin the racA null mutant, suggesting alternative means of ROS generation for the former process that are lacking in the latter. Elongation of
phialideswas also suppressed by inhibition of
NADPH-oxidaseactivity. Our findings provide not only insights into role of ROS in fungal
cell polarityand
morphogenesisbut also an improved model for the developmental regulatory pathway of conidiogenesis in A. fumigatus.
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