Hyphal adhesion and sexual development via cell wall polysaccharide controlled by MAP kinase cascades

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26292037
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied microbiology
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Abe Keietsu 東北大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (50312624)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 矢野 成和 山形大学, 大学院理工学研究科, 助教 (50411228) ; 佐野 元昭 金沢工業大学, バイオ・化学部, 教授 (80410299)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YOSHIMI Akira 東北大学, 未来科学技術共同共同研究センター, 准教授 (60436102) ; KANAMARU Kyoko 名古屋大学, 大学院生命農学研究科, 助教 (00420365)
• Research Collaborator: MIYAZAWA Ken 東北大学, 大学院農学研究科, D1
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 糸状菌 / 細胞壁 / 多糖 / α-１，３-グルカン / 菌糸 / 接着 / 分化 / 高密度培養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The model fungus Aspergillus nidulans possesses α-1,3-glucan (AG) at the outermost layer of cell wall and AG is involved in hyphal adhesion. A. nidulans has two AG synthase gens agsA and agsB. We revealed that AG biosynthesis in asexual cycle is regulated by Cell Wall Integrity MAP kinase cascade that positively regulates the gene expression of agsB. In sexual development, both the agsA and agsB genes were expressed. We further demonstrated that AgsA and AgsB synthesize 150 kDa and 40 kDa of AG, respectively, and the difference in Mw of AG led to difference in adhesive property in hyphal aggregation. Moreover, molecular mass of AG seems to be regulated by GPI-anchored amylase AgtA that might digest the spacer α-1,4-linked glucooligosaccharides between α-1,3-glucan repeating units.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学