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Abstract:
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. Through genomic, transcriptomic, and functional analyses, we identified two families of 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 signaling to trigger trap development. This work demonstrates that predatory fungi use multiple GPCRs to sense several distinct nematode-derived cues, enabling robust prey recognition. Furthermore, identification of the ascaroside receptors in A. oligospora sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of cross-kingdom communication via conserved pheromones also sensed by plants and animals.
