Nature microbiology

The nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora detects prey pheromones via G protein-coupled receptors

• Chih-Yen Kuo, 
• Rebecca J. Tay, 
• Hung-Che Lin, 
• Sheng-Chian Juan, 
• Guillermo Vidal-Diez de Ulzurrun, 
• Yu-Chu Chang, 
• Jason Hoki, 
• Frank C. Schroeder & 
• Yen-Ping Hsueh 

Nature Microbiology (2024)

The ability to sense prey-derived cues is essential for predatory lifestyles. Under low-nutrient conditions, Arthrobotrys oligospora and other nematode-trapping fungi develop dedicated structures for nematode capture when exposed to nematode-derived cues, including a conserved family of pheromones, the ascarosides. A. oligospora senses ascarosides via conserved MAPK and cAMP–PKA pathways; however, the upstream receptors remain unknown. Here, using genomic, transcriptomic and functional analyses, we identified two families of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in sensing distinct nematode-derived cues. GPCRs homologous to yeast glucose receptors are required for ascaroside sensing, whereas Pth11-like GPCRs contribute to ascaroside-independent nematode sensing. Both GPCR classes activate conserved cAMP–PKA signalling to trigger trap development. This work demonstrates that predatory fungi use multiple GPCRs to sense several distinct nematode-derived cues for prey recognition and to enable a switch to a predatory lifestyle. Identification of these receptors reveals the molecular mechanisms of cross-kingdom communication via conserved pheromones also sensed by plants and animals.

Read on: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01679-w