A flavoprotein supports cell wall properties in the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola

Background: Flavin-dependent monooxygenases are involved in key biological processes as they catalyze a wide variety of chemo-, regio- and enantioselective oxygenation reactions. Flavoprotein monooxygenases are frequently encountered in micro-organisms, most of which require further functional and biocatalytic assessment. Here we investigated the function of the AbMak1 gene, which encodes a group A flavin monooxygenase in the plant pathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola, by generating a deficient mutant and examining its phenotype. Results: Functional analysis indicates that the AbMak1 protein is involved in cell wall biogenesis and influences the melanization process. We documented a significant decrease in melanin content in the Äabmak1 strain compared to the wild-type and complemented strains. We investigated the cell wall morphology and physical properties in the wild-type and transformants using electron and atomic force microscopy. These approaches confirmed the aberrant morphology of the conidial wall structure in the Äabmak1 strain which had an impact on hydrophilic adhesion and conidial surface stiffness. However, there was no significant impairment in growth, conidia formation, pathogenicity or susceptibility to various environmental stresses in the Äabmak1 strain. Conclusion: This study sheds new light on the function of a fungal flavin-dependent monooxygenase, which plays an important role in melanization.

Keyword(s)

Monooxygenase, Cell wall, Melanin, Fungus, Flavoprotein

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Additional file 4: Figure S4. Schematic map of the genomic region including AbMak1 and flanking genes. This map was generated and modified from the...
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Additional file 3: Figure S3. Pathogenic behaviour of A. brassicicola wild-type, Δabmak1 and Δabmak1-c strains. B. oleracea leaves were inoculated with 5 μL drops of conidia ...
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Additional file 2: Figure S2. AFM amplitude images of A. brassicicola strains. (A) Conidia of the wild-type (6 μm x 5 μm), Δabmak1 (8 µm x 6 µm) and Δabmak1-c (10 µm x 12 µm) and...
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Additional file 1: Figure S1. Nucleotide sequence of AbMak1. The predicted intronic sequences are indicated in bold.
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How to cite
Pigné Sandrine, Zykwinska Agata, Janod Etienne, Cuenot Stéphane, Kerkoud Mohammed, Raulo Roxane, Bataillé-Simoneau Nelly, Marchi Muriel, Kwasiborski Anthony, N’guyen Guillaume, Mabilleau Guillaume, Simoneau Philippe, Guillemette Thomas (2017). A flavoprotein supports cell wall properties in the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola. Fungal Biology and Biotechnology. 4 (1). 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40694-016-0029-3, https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00371/48189/

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