Three DUF1996 Proteins Localize in Vacuoles and Function in Fungal Responses to Multiple Stresses and Metal Ions

Many annotated fungal genomes harbour high proportions of hypothetical proteins with or without domains of unknown function (DUF). Here, three novel proteins (342-497 amino acids), each containing only a single large DUF1996 (231-250 residues) region with highly conserved head (DPIXXP) and tail (HXDXXXGW) signatures, were expressed as eGFP-tagged fusion proteins and shown to specifically localize in the vacuoles of Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous fungal entomopathogen; therefore, these proteins were named vacuole-localized proteins (VLPs). The VLPs have one to three homologues in other entomopathogenic or non-entomopathogenic filamentous fungi but no homologues in yeasts. The large DUF1996 regions can be formulated as D-X4-P-X5-6-H-X-H-X3-G-X25-26-D-X-S-X-YW-X-P-X123-203-CP-X39-48-H-X-D-X3-GW; the identical residues likely involve in a proton antiport system for intracellular homeostasis. Single deletions of three VLP-coding genes (vlp1-3) increased fungal sensitivities to cell wall perturbation, high osmolarity, oxidation, and several metal ions. Conidial thermotolerance decreased by ~11% in two Δvlp mutants, and UV-B resistance decreased by 41-57% in three Δvlp mutants. All the changes were restored by targeted gene complementation. However, the deletions did not influence fungal growth, conidiation, virulence or Cu(2+) sensitivity. Our findings unveiled a role for the DUF1996 regions of three B. bassiana VLPs in the regulation of multiple stress responses and environmental adaptation.