Regulatory basis for reproductive flexibility in a meningitis-causing fungal pathogen

Pengjie Hu, Hao Ding, Huimin Liu, Yulin Yang, Lei Chen, Guang-Jun He, Weixin Ke, Ping Zhu, Xiuyun Tian, Yan Peng, Zhenghao Shen, Xiaoxia Yao, Changyu Tao, Ence Yang, Guojian Liao, Xiao Liu and Linqi Wang ()
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Pengjie Hu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hao Ding: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Huimin Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yulin Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lei Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guang-Jun He: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Weixin Ke: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ping Zhu: Southwest University
Xiuyun Tian: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yan Peng: Southwest University
Zhenghao Shen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaoxia Yao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Changyu Tao: Peking University Health Science Center
Ence Yang: Peking University Health Science Center
Guojian Liao: Southwest University
Xiao Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Linqi Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract Pathogenic fungi of the genus Cryptococcus can undergo two sexual cycles, involving either bisexual diploidization (after fusion of haploid cells of different mating type) or unisexual diploidization (by autodiploidization of a single cell). Here, we construct a gene-deletion library for 111 transcription factor genes in Cryptococcus deneoformans, and explore the roles of these regulatory networks in the two reproductive modes. We show that transcription factors crucial for bisexual syngamy induce the expression of known mating determinants as well as other conserved genes of unknown function. Deletion of one of these genes, which we term FMP1, leads to defects in bisexual reproduction in C. deneoformans, its sister species Cryptococcus neoformans, and the ascomycete Neurospora crassa. Furthermore, we show that a recently evolved regulatory cascade mediates pre-meiotic unisexual autodiploidization, supporting that this reproductive process is a recent evolutionary innovation. Our findings indicate that genetic circuits with different evolutionary ages govern hallmark events distinguishing unisexual and bisexual reproduction in Cryptococcus.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35549-y

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