Fungal and yeast genetics research

Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase promotes thermotolerance by governing glycolytic flux in Cryptococcus deneoformans

This study identifies HXK1 and HXK2 as genetic suppressors of Tps1 loss-of-function in C. deneoformans, revealing their role in regulating glycolytic flux to restore thermotolerance.

Host skin lipids trigger MAT-dependent mating, pathogenic hyphal growth, and parasexual reproduction of Malassezia furfur

This study shows that Malassezia furfur hyphal growth depends on mating-type loci and is promoted by host skin lipids, linking parasexual reproduction to pathogenic traits.

Septins and cytokinesis in the polymorphic fungus Aureobasidium pullulans

This study shows that the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans can position cytokinetic machinery at bud necks without septins, suggesting a novel CAR positioning strategy.

A high aneuploidy supply rate underlies parallel evolution of fluconazole resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This study shows that high spontaneous aneuploidy rates, not drug-induced mutations, drive fluconazole resistance in yeast through chromosome duplication at ERG11.

Protease suppression by native I9 inhibitor improves recombinant protein production in Trichoderma reesei

The paper identifies a native inhibitor, TrI9, from Trichoderma reesei that suppresses protease activity, improving recombinant protein production by reducing proteolysis without compromising strain fitness.

Glk1p is an actin fold metabolic enzyme whose polymerization is sensitive to nucleotide state

This study identifies glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) as a second trigger for Glk1p polymerization and shows that ADP causes filament disassembly, linking metabolic state to enzyme polymerization.

Protein secretion routes in fungi are mostly determined by the length of the hydrophobic helix in the signal peptide

The paper identifies that the length of the hydrophobic helix in fungal signal peptides determines secretion routes, with shorter helices using the Sec63 translocon and longer ones using the SRP pathway.

A phase oscillator model of cell cycles reveals nuclear density control in a branched fungal network

The paper models nuclear division in a branching fungal network to show that asynchronous cycles and density-responsive branching stabilize nuclear density.

Atonosomes, compartments involved in membrane tension decrease

The paper identifies atonosomes as tension-responsive plasma membrane-derived compartments in yeast, showing they form rapidly in response to membrane tension loss and are regulated by cell wall dynamics.

Perturbing glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor biosynthesis alters cell wall architecture and modulates fungal morphology

This study shows that disrupting GPI-anchor biosynthesis in fungi changes cell wall composition and morphology, leading to dispersed growth and altered adhesion.

Dici: a novel DNA transposon reshaping the genome of the opportunistic yeast Diutina catenulata

This study presents genomic analyses of Diutina catenulata, revealing genetic structuring, drug resistance homologs, and a novel DNA transposon family associated with chromosomal instability.

CYClones: A highly powered, fully genotyped, 8-parent yeast mapping population

CYClones is a yeast mapping population with high genetic diversity and power to detect low-heritability variants, enabling genetic dissection of complex traits.

A G2 Checkpoint Arrests Cryptococcus neoformans Cell Division in response to Hypoxia

This study shows that hypoxia induces a G2 checkpoint in Cryptococcus neoformans by inhibiting budding and activating Swe1, preventing cell division despite nutrient availability.

Role of the clathrin adaptor AP-1 in cell wall integrity and virulence factor secretion in the plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea

This study investigates the role of AP-1 clathrin adaptor complex in vesicle trafficking, cell wall integrity, and virulence in Botrytis cinerea, finding defects in secretion and pathogenicity in an AP-1 mutant.

Yippee-like protein Moh1 links gene expression to metabolism and selective stress resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This study identifies Moh1 as a regulator linking gene expression to metabolism and stress resistance in yeast by analyzing its deletion effects on cellular architecture and metabolic pathways.

Genetic Association of Somatic Incompatibility and NLR-like Protein Domains in Coprinopsis cinerea

The paper identifies a genetic locus, somA, responsible for allorecognition in Coprinopsis cinerea, revealing a novel mechanism for fungal nonself recognition through polymorphic alleles and purifying selection on an LRR-encoding protein.

Cellular Stress Tolerance Governs Genetic Transformability in Recalcitrant Candida Species

This study identifies cellular stress tolerance as a key factor in genetic transformability of Candida species and develops a method to improve CRISPR screening efficiency.

LUstiGE, Light responsive Ustilago maydis Gene Expression: Optogenetic control of morphogenesis and pathogenesis in the corn fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis

This study develops blue-light inducible gene expression switches to control morphogenesis and pathogenesis in Ustilago maydis, demonstrating their utility in regulating fungal invasion and tumor formation.

Downregulation is the dominant effect of new regulatory mutations in a fungal pathogen

The paper analyzes genome sequencing data of Zymoseptoria tritici to show that new regulatory mutations predominantly cause gene downregulation.

Expansion, functional diversification and gene fusion events in the Ato protein family

This study investigates the role of Ato proteins in carboxylic acid utilization in Candida albicans, revealing functional diversity and regulatory interactions among Ato family members.

A Modular T7 RNAP Expression Architecture for Orthogonal Multigene Expression in Yeast

The paper develops a modular T7 RNAP expression system in yeast that allows independent control of multiple genes through cassette dosage and interchangeable UTR elements.

Genetic mapping and nuclear interactions of an incompatibility response in Agaricus bisporus

The paper maps incompatibility alleles in Agaricus bisporus and identifies three chromosomal loci associated with mycelial compatibility.

Disentangling the sucrose metabolism of the corn smut Ustilago maydis reveals unexpected complexity

This study identifies the sucrose metabolism pathways in Ustilago maydis, revealing alternative strategies for carbon acquisition during different growth stages.

Aneuploidy promotes transient stress adaptation and metabolic flexibility in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

This paper shows that aneuploidy in A. fumigatus enhances stress adaptation and metabolic flexibility, particularly in response to FK506 and voriconazole.

Distinct Ire1-driven transcriptional responses control morphogenesis in Candida albicans

This study identifies Ire1-driven transcriptional responses distinct from the canonical UPR in C. albicans, revealing HAC1-independent pathways and RIDD activity in morphogenesis.

Functionally dark genes and the transcriptomic landscape of sporulation in a model mushroom-forming fungus

This study identifies novel genes and transcriptomic changes during sporulation in Coprinopsis cinerea, highlighting functionally dark genes involved in spore formation.

Cell wall remodeling is required for crowding homeostasis during cell growth in S. cerevisiae

This study shows that cell wall remodeling via the CWI pathway maintains cytoplasmic crowding homeostasis during yeast cell growth.

Temperature during Aspergillus fumigatus conidiophore development primes spore transcriptome for asexual, parasexual or sexual development

This study shows that temperature during conidiophore development in Aspergillus fumigatus affects conidial transcriptomes, priming them for asexual, parasexual, or sexual development.

A trait syndrome ties cell morphology to glycolysis across the yeast subphylum

The paper expands a previous finding of a correlation between glucose uptake rates and cell surface area-to-volume ratio across 11 yeast species to 282 species, finding additional correlations with genome size and growth rate.

A long non-coding RNA, afu-254, is required for the oxidative stress response, cell wall stress response, azole susceptibility and virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus

The paper identifies afu-254, a long non-coding RNA in Aspergillus fumigatus, as critical for stress responses and virulence, with specific roles in azole susceptibility and immune evasion.