Genome-Wide Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Analysis of the Penicillium chrysogenum Velvet Protein PcVelA Identifies Methyltransferase PcLlmA as a Novel Downstream Regulator of Fungal Development.

Penicillium chrysogenum is the sole industrial producer of the ß-lactam antibiotic penicillin, which is the most commonly used drug for treating bacterial infections. In P. chrysogenum and other filamentous fungi, secondary metabolism and morphogenesis are controlled by the highly conserved multisubunit velvet complex. Here we present the first chromatin immunoprecipitation next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis of a fungal velvet protein, providing experimental evidence that a velvet homologue in P. chrysogenum (PcVelA) acts as a direct transcriptional regulator at the DNA level in addition to functioning as a regulator at the protein level in P. chrysogenum, which was previously described. We identified many target genes that are related to processes known to be dependent on PcVelA, e.g., secondary metabolism as well as asexual and sexual development. We also identified seven PcVelA target genes that encode putative methyltransferases. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation analyses showed that one of the putative methyltransferases, PcLlmA, directly interacts with PcVelA. Furthermore, functional characterization of PcLlmA demonstrated that this protein is involved in the regulation of conidiosporogenesis, pellet formation, and hyphal morphology, all traits with major biotechnological relevance. IMPORTANCE Filamentous fungi are of major interest for biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications. This is due mainly to their ability to produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites, many of which are relevant as antibiotics. One of the most prominent examples is penicillin, a ß-lactam antibiotic that is produced on the industrial scale by fermentation of P. chrysogenum. In recent years, the multisubunit protein complex velvet has been identified as one of the key regulators of fungal secondary metabolism and development. However, until recently, only a little has been known about how velvet mediates regulation at the molecular level. To address this issue, we performed ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation in combination with next-generation sequencing) on and follow-up analysis of PcVelA, the core component of the velvet complex in P. chrysogenum. We demonstrate direct involvement of velvet in transcriptional control and present the putative methyltransferase PcLlmA as a new downstream factor and interaction partner of PcVelA.

Genetic fate mapping of type-1 stem cell-dependent increase in newborn hippocampal neurons after electroconvulsive seizures.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a uniquely effective treatment for major depressive disorder. An increase in hippocampal neurogenesis is implicated in the recovery from depression. We used an inducible genetic mouse model in which only GFAP-expressing stem-like cells (type-1 cells) and their progeny are selectively labeled with the reporter protein ß-galactosidase to track the process of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus over 3 months following electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), the mouse equivalent of ECT. All ECS protocols tested induced a transient increase in type-1 cell divisions. While this led to an expansion of the type-1 cell pool after high-frequency ECS sessions for 5 consecutive days (5-ECS), asymmetric divisions drove neurogenesis by giving rise to Doublecortin (DCX)-expressing neuroblasts that matured into NeuN+ neurons. Significantly, the increase in newly generated DCX+ and NeuN+ cells after 5-ECS could be traced back to proliferating type-1 cells. Low-frequency continuation ECS (c-ECS) consisting of five single ECS sessions administered every 2 weeks resulted in a similar increase in newborn neurons as the high-frequency 5-ECS protocol. Moreover, the combination of 5-ECS and c-ECS led to a further significant increase in newborn neurons, suggesting a cellular mechanism responsible for the propitious effects of high-frequency ECT followed by continuation ECT in severely depressed patients. The ability of high- and low-frequency ECS to induce normally quiescent type-1 cells to proliferate and generate new neurons sets it apart from other antidepressant treatments and may underlie the superior clinical efficacy of ECT.