title: Aspergillus fumigatus spore proteomics and genetics reveal that VeA represses DefA-mediated DNA damage response.
abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus reproduces and infects host by forming a high number of small asexual spores (conidia). The velvet proteins are global transcriptional regulators governing the complex process of conidiogenesis in this fungus. Here, to further understand the velvet-mediated regulation, we carried out comparative proteomic analyses of conidia of wild type (WT) and three velvet mutants (ΔveA, ΔvelB and ΔvosA). Cluster analysis of 184 protein spots showing at least 1.5-fold differential accumulation between WT and mutants reveal the clustering of WT- ΔveA and ΔvelB-ΔvosA. Among 43 proteins identified by Nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS, 23 including several heat shock proteins showed more than two-fold reduction in both the ∆velB and ∆vosA conidia. On the contrary, three proteins exhibited more than five-fold increase in ∆veA only, including the putative RNA polymerase II degradation factor DefA. The deletion of defA resulted in a reduced number of conidia and restricted colony growth. In addition, the defA deletion mutant conidia showed hypersensitivity against the DNA damaging agents NQO and MMS, while the ΔveA mutant conidia were more resistant against to NQO. Taken together, we propose that VeA controls protein level of DefA in conidia, which are dormant and equipped with multiple layers of protection against environmental cues.
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: shinks@dju.kr.
authors.forename: Kwang-Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In-Beom
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Omics Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Cheongju, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yhkim@kbsi.re.kr.
authors.forename: Young Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology and Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. Electronic address: jyu1@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D040901:Proteomics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Aspergillus fumigatus; Conidia; DNA damage; DefA; Proteomics; Velvet