Heterogenous organization of multicellular fungal hyphal cells

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15086
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied molecular and cellular biology
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Takaya Naoki 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (50282322)
• Research Collaborator: TAKESHITA Norio
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 糸状菌 / 多細胞生物 / 菌糸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study is to reveal fungal hyphal principle of multi-cellular organization and spatial heterogeneity. Firstly, we established ordered growth of filamentous hyphae in micro-scale devices for biochemical analyses. We cultured germrings and hyphae of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans in the devices, while the biomass of the harvested hyphae was below limits of biochemical analyses such as highly sensitive mass spectrometry. GsyA and GphA, which are predicted to be involved in glycogen metabolism, and AN6915 (thioredoxin-like protein) were investigated for their localization in the multicellular hyphae. Their fusion proteins with fluorescent mCherry and GFP were produced in recombinant A. nidulans strains, and fluorescence microscopies indicated that they are localized in particles in the cells, of which morphology and presence are different among the hyphal tip and basal cells. These results confirms that the heterogenous cells comprise fungal hyphae.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

微生物の多細胞体（菌糸、バイオフィルム等）は、天然および人工的な環境下で極めて頻繁に見られる。したがって、微生物による多細胞性の増殖のメカニズムを解明することができれば、身の回りの役立つ菌糸を効率的に生長させ、厄介な菌糸を抑制する画期的な微生物制御技術の開発につながり、多くの産業分野の技術革新を促すと期待される。本研究成果は、このための基礎的知見として重要な意義を持つ。