Functional diversification of the MADS-box gene family in fine-tuning the dimorphic transition of Talaromyces marneffei

Hu, X.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, J.; Du, M.; Yang, Y.; Cai, J. J.; Yang, E.

doi:10.1101/2024.12.16.628698

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.12.16.628698

Functional diversification of the MADS-box gene family in fine-tuning the dimorphic transition of Talaromyces marneffei

Hu, X.·Zhang, Y.·Wang, J.·Du, M.·Yang, Y.·Cai, J. J.·Yang, E.

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Abstract

The dynamic transition between yeast and hypha is a crucial adaptive mechanism for many human pathogenic fungi, including Talaromyces marneffei, a thermodimorphic fungus responsible for causing fatal talaromycosis. In the current study, we elucidated the roles of the MADS-box gene family in fine-tuning the dimorphic transition in T. marneffei through functional diversification. Utilizing adaptive laboratory evolution, we identified an enrichment of MADS-box genes in mutants deficient in yeast-to- mycelium transition. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed a significant expansion of MADS-box gene family within T. marneffei. Functional genetic manipulations revealed that overexpression of mads9, as opposed to its paralog mads10, effectively impeded the hyphal-to-yeast transition. Through integrating RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), we demonstrated that mads9 and the previously characterized madsA modulated the rate of hyphal-to-yeast conversion by orchestrating metabolic pathways and membrane dynamics, respectively, with mutual regulation via shared target genes. Our findings illuminated the distinct functional roles of the MADS-box family in regulating dimorphic transitions in T. marneffei, offering new insights into fungal adaptability.

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Hu, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, J., Du, M., Yang, Y., Cai, J. J., Yang, E.. 2024-12-18. Functional diversification of the MADS-box gene family in fine-tuning the dimorphic transition of Talaromyces marneffei. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.16.628698

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