title: G-protein coupled receptor-mediated nutrient sensing and developmental control in Aspergillus nidulans.
abstract: Nutrient sensing and utilisation are fundamental for all life forms. As heterotrophs, fungi have evolved a diverse range of mechanisms for sensing and taking up various nutrients. Despite its importance, only a limited number of nutrient receptors and their corresponding ligands have been identified in fungi. G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of transmembrane receptors. The Aspergillus nidulans genome encodes 16 putative GPCRs, but only a few have been functionally characterised. Our previous study showed the increased expression of an uncharacterised putative GPCR, gprH, during carbon starvation. GprH appears conserved throughout numerous filamentous fungi. Here, we reveal that GprH is a putative receptor involved in glucose and tryptophan sensing. The absence of GprH results in a reduction in cAMP levels and PKA activity upon adding glucose or tryptophan to starved cells. GprH is pre-formed in conidia and is increasingly active during carbon starvation, where it plays a role in glucose uptake and the recovery of hyphal growth. GprH also represses sexual development under conditions favouring sexual fruiting and during carbon starvation in submerged cultures. In summary, the GprH nutrient-sensing system functions upstream of the cAMP-PKA pathway, influences primary metabolism and hyphal growth, while represses sexual development in A. nidulans.
authors.affiliation: Plant Biology and Crop Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Neil Andrew
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thaila Fernanda
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Dos Reis
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laure Nicolas Annick
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Ries
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol - CTBE, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.|Max Planck Partnergroup at CTBE/CNPEM, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caldana
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, Sejong, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Mah
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: UNC Metabolomic Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.|Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol - CTBE, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Henrique
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005502:Food; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013172:Spores, Fungal
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D005947:Glucose