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Functional insights of three RING-finger peroxins in the life cycle of the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana

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Abstract

Peroxisomes play important roles in fungal physiological processes. The RING-finger complex consists of peroxins Pex2, Pex10, and Pex12 and is essential for recycling of receptors responsible for peroxisomal targeting of matrix proteins. In this study, these three peroxins were functionally characterized in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bb). These three peroxins are associated with peroxisomes, in which BbPex2 interacted with BbPex10 and BbPex12. Ablation of these peroxins did not completely block the peroxisome biogenesis, but abolish peroxisomal targeting of matrix proteins via both PTS1 and PTS2 pathways. Three disruptants displayed different phenotypic defects in growth on nutrients and under stress conditions, but have similar defects in acetyl-CoA biosynthesis, development, and virulence. Strikingly, BbPex10 played a less important role in fungal growth on tested nutrients than other two peroxins; whereas, BbPex2 performed a less important contribution to fungal growth under stresses. This investigation reinforces the peroxisomal roles in the lifecycle of entomopathogenic fungi and highlights the unequal functions of different peroxins in peroxisomal biology.

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Data availability

Data used in the present study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Dr. She-Long Zhang (Equipment and Technology Service Platform, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University) for the excellent technical assistance.

Funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31972331).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Jia-Hui Lei, Ting-Fei Sun, Ming-Guang Feng & Sheng-Hua Ying

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  1. Jia-Hui Lei
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  2. Ting-Fei Sun
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  3. Ming-Guang Feng
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  4. Sheng-Hua Ying
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Contributions

JL and SY designed the experiments. JL and TS conducted the experiments and data analyses. JL prepared all figures and wrote the manuscript. MF and SY edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sheng-Hua Ying.

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Communicated by M. Polymenis.

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Lei, JH., Sun, TF., Feng, MG. et al. Functional insights of three RING-finger peroxins in the life cycle of the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Curr Genet 69, 267–276 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-023-01275-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-023-01275-1

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