Downregulation of the ypdA Gene Encoding an Intermediate of His-Asp Phosphorelay Signaling in Aspergillus nidulans Induces the Same Cellular Effects as the Phenylpyrrole Fungicide Fludioxonil.

Many eukaryotic histidine-to-aspartate (His-Asp) phosphorelay systems consist of three types of signal transducers: a His-kinase (HK), a response regulator (RR), and a histidine-containing phosphotransfer intermediate (HPt). In general, the HPt acts as an intermediate between the HK and the RR and is indispensable for inducing appropriate responses to environmental stresses. In a previous study, we attempted but were unable to obtain deletion mutants of the ypdA gene in order to characterize its function in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. In the present study, we constructed the CypdA strain in which ypdA expression is conditionally regulated by the A. nidulans alcA promoter. We constructed CypdA strains with RR gene disruptions (CypdA-sskAΔ, CypdA-srrAΔ, and CypdA-sskAΔsrrAΔ). Suppression of YpdA induced by ypdA downregulation activated the downstream HogA mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. YpdA suppression caused severe growth defects and abnormal hyphae, with features such as enhanced septation, a decrease in number of nuclei, nuclear fragmentation, and hypertrophy of vacuoles, both regulated in an SskA-dependent manner. Fludioxonil treatment caused the same cellular responses as ypdA suppression. The growth-inhibitory effects of fludioxonil and the lethality caused by ypdA downregulation may be caused by the same or similar mechanisms and to be dependent on both the SskA and SrrA pathways.

Effects of the inclusion of biological activated carbon on membrane fouling in combined process of ozonation, coagulation and ceramic membrane filtration for water reclamation.

We investigated the effects of the inclusion of biological activated carbon (BAC) on membrane fouling in combined process of ozonation, coagulation and ceramic membrane filtration (O3 + PACl + CMF) for treating secondary effluent. Inclusion of BAC between ozonation and coagulation reduced membrane permeability. The normalized flux decreased to 90% of the initial value after 305 h of operation in O3 + PACl + CMF, while it decreased to 20% in combined process of ozonation, BAC, coagulation and ceramic membrane filtration. BAC not only decreased residual ozone that is helpful to mitigate ceramic membrane fouling, but also released microorganisms. In addition, BAC doubled the integrated fluorescence intensity of soluble microbial products (SMP), which cause irreversible fouling. The SMP produced and accumulated by microorganisms on the BAC bed likely flowed into the BAC effluent with the microorganisms. The proportion of SMP in the extracted foulant increased from 25% without BAC to 31% with BAC. Moreover, the inclusion of BAC nearly doubled the concentration of protein in the extracted foulant to 13 g/m2 and quadrupled that of carbohydrate to 6 g/m2. BAC was effective in improving the quality of ceramic membrane permeates and reducing health risk associated with formaldehyde and N-nitrosodimethylamine. However, the release of SMP from BAC accelerated membrane fouling in subsequent ceramic membrane filtration.