Spizellomyces punctatus
Spizellomyces punctatus is a chytrid fungus living in soil. It is a saprotrophic fungus that colonizes decaying plant material. Being an early diverging fungus, S. punctatus retains ancestral cellular features that are also found in animals and amoebae. Its pathogenic relatives, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans, infect amphibians and cause global biodiversity loss. The pure culture of S. punctatus was first obtained by Koch (named Phlyctochytrium punctatum). Genome The genome of S. punctatus strain DAOM BR117 was sequenced under the Origins of Multicellularity project. Its genome size is about 24.13 Mb with a GC content of 47.6%. The genome has 9,424 predicted transcripts and 8,952 predicted protein-coding genes. The DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank accession number is ACOE00000000. Genetic transformation Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Genetic transformation of S. punctatus zoospores by plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 strain is successfully established. Several selection markers have been tested. The growth of S. punctatus is not inhibited by Geneticin (G418), Puromycin, and Phleomycin D10 (Zeocin) up to 800 mg/L. 200 mg/L Hygromycin and 800 mg/L Nourseothricin (CloNAT) completely inhibit S. punctatus growth. The scientists who develop this protocol use Hygromycin as the selection marker. S. punctatus HSP70 and H2B promoters drive sufficient gene expression for Hygromycin resistance and GFP expression tested in yeast. Controlled by stronger H2B promoter, however, GFP may not be successfully folded in S. punctatus. Other fluorescent proteins, including tdTomato, mClover3, mCitrine, and mCerulean3, are functional in S. punctatus. Electroporation A high-efficiency electroporation protocol for S.punctatus and two related chytrids species B. dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans has also been established. The optimal voltage for S. punctatus is 1000 V. The efficiency is about 95% using synchronized zoospores. Electroporation using unsynchronized zoospores can also reach more than 80% efficiency. Life cycle S.punctatus globular zoospores (3–5 mm) lacks a cell wall. The zoospores can swim with a motile cilium (20–24 mm) or crawl on surfaces by actin-filled pseudopods. During encystment, the cilium is disassembled first via axoneme internalization. The initiation of this process is actin-dependent. The axoneme remains intact during internalization and the axonemal tubulin is degraded at least in part by the proteasome. The cell wall is formed after axoneme internalization. Five modes of axoneme internalization occur in S. punctatus: severing, reeling in retraction, lash-around retraction, ciliary compartment loss retraction, and vesicular retraction. First, severing is referred to as cilium detachment. Second, reeling in retraction is concurrent with or without cortical rotation and termed body-twist retraction and straight-in retraction, respectively. Third, during lash-around retraction, the cilium wraps around outside the zoospore with merging of ciliary membrane and plasma membrane. On 120 kPa fibronectin-coated hydrogels, this lash-around retraction occurs within a second. Fourth, for ciliary compartment loss retraction, ciliary membrane expansion is followed by merging of the ciliary compartment with the plasma membrane. Fifth, vesicular retraction is the creation of an axoneme loop bulge within the ciliary membrane before internalization. After the cilium is retracted, the cyst germinates and generates a germ tube. The germ tube is then extended to form the rhizoidal system. Finally, the cyst develops