title: Evidence of a Ca(2+)-(*)NO-cGMP signaling pathway controlling zoospore biogenesis in the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii.
abstract: The sporulation stage of the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii culminates with the formation and release to the medium of a number of zoospores, which are motile cells responsible for the dispersal of the fungus. The presence in the sporulation solution of 1H-[1,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a potent and selective inhibitor of nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclases, completely prevented biogenesis of the zoospores. In addition, this compound was able to significantly reduce cGMP levels, which increase drastically during late sporulation, suggesting the existence of a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism for cGMP synthesis. Furthermore, increased levels of nitric oxide-derived products were detected during sporulation by fluorescence assays using DAF-2 DA, whose signal was drastically reduced in the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nomega-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). These results were confirmed by quantitative chemiluminescent determination of the intracellular levels of nitric oxide-derived products. A putative nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was detected throughout sporulation, and this enzyme activity decreased significantly when L-NAME and 1-[2-(Trifluoromethyl)phenyl]imidazole (TRIM) were added to the assays. NOS assays carried out in the presence of EGTA showed decreased enzyme activity, suggesting the involvement of calcium ions in enzyme activation. Additionally, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) encoding putative guanylyl cyclases and a cGMP-phosphodiesterase were found in B. emersonii EST database (http://blasto.iq.usp.br), and the mRNA levels of the corresponding genes were observed to increase during sporulation. Altogether, data presented here revealed the presence and expression of guanylyl cyclase and cGMP phosphodiesterase genes in B. emersonii and provided evidence of a Ca(2+)-(*)NO-cGMP signaling pathway playing a role in zoospore biogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: André L G
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Edlaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: Ohara
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Augusto
authors.forename: Suely L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001754:Blastocladiella / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000032:analysis; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry; D020536:Enzyme Activators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D010069:Oxadiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: C095284:1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo(4,3-a)quinoxalin-1-one; D020536:Enzyme Activators; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010069:Oxadiazoles; D011810:Quinoxalines; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002118:Calcium