Species-specific Diversification of a Novel Family of K1-Like Killer Toxins Identified in Budding Yeasts of the Saccharomycotina

Killer toxins are extracellular antifungal proteins that are produced by a wide variety of fungi, including Saccharomyces yeasts. Although many Saccharomyces killer toxins have been previously identified, their evolutionary origins remain uncertain given that many of these genes have been mobilized by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses. A survey of yeasts from the Saccharomyces genus has identified a novel killer toxin with a unique spectrum of activity produced by Saccharomyces paradoxus. The expression of this killer toxin is associated with the presence of a dsRNA totivirus and a satellite dsRNA. Genetic sequencing of the satellite dsRNA confirmed that it encodes a killer toxin with homology to the canonical ionophoric K1 toxin from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and has been named K1-like (K1L). Genomic homologs of K1L were identified in six non-Saccharomyces yeast species of the Saccharomycotina subphylum, predominantly in subtelomeric regions of the genome. When ectopically expressed in S. cerevisiae from cloned cDNAs, both K1L and its homologs can inhibit the growth of competing yeast species, confirming the discovery of a family of biologically active K1-like killer toxins. The sporadic distribution of these genes supports their acquisition by horizontal gene transfer followed by diversification, with evidence of gene amplification and positive natural selection. The phylogenetic relationship between K1L and its genomic homologs suggests gene flow via dsRNAs and DNAs across taxonomic divisions. This appears to enable the acquisition of a diverse arsenal of killer toxins by different yeast species for potential use in niche competition.

Identifier
Source https://data.blue-cloud.org/search-details?step=~0128BE81D12750601DCDB77AEF6E18638B6369B7D87
Metadata Access https://data.blue-cloud.org/api/collections/8BE81D12750601DCDB77AEF6E18638B6369B7D87
Provenance
Instrument Illumina MiSeq; ILLUMINA
Publisher Blue-Cloud Data Discovery & Access service; ELIXIR-ENA
Contributor University of Idaho
Publication Year 2024
OpenAccess true
Contact blue-cloud-support(at)maris.nl
Representation
Discipline Marine Science
Spatial Coverage (-4.720W, 41.650S, 130.650E, 42.420N)
Temporal Coverage Begin 1931-01-01T00:00:00Z
Temporal Coverage End 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z