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Giner-Llorca M, Locascio A, Del Real JA, Marcos JF, Manzanares P. Novel findings about the mode of action of the antifungal protein PeAfpA against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:6811-6829. [PMID: 37688596 PMCID: PMC10589166 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12749-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Antifungal proteins (AFPs) from filamentous fungi offer the potential to control fungal infections that threaten human health and food safety. AFPs exhibit broad antifungal spectra against harmful fungi, but limited knowledge of their killing mechanism hinders their potential applicability. PeAfpA from Penicillium expansum shows strong antifungal potency against plant and human fungal pathogens and stands above other AFPs for being active against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We took advantage of this and used a model laboratory strain of S. cerevisiae to gain insight into the mode of action of PeAfpA by combining (i) transcriptional profiling, (ii) PeAfpA sensitivity analyses of deletion mutants available in the S. cerevisiae genomic deletion collection and (iii) cell biology studies using confocal microscopy. Results highlighted and confirmed the role of the yeast cell wall (CW) in the interaction with PeAfpA, which can be internalized through both energy-dependent and independent mechanisms. The combined results also suggest an active role of the CW integrity (CWI) pathway and the cAMP-PKA signalling in the PeAfpA killing mechanism. Besides, our studies revealed the involvement of phosphatidylinositol metabolism and the participation of ROX3, which codes for the subunit 19 of the RNA polymerase II mediator complex, in the yeast defence strategy. In conclusion, our study provides clues about both the killing mechanism of PeAfpA and the fungus defence strategies against the protein, suggesting also targets for the development of new antifungals. KEY POINTS: • PeAfpA is a cell-penetrating protein with inhibitory activity against S. cerevisiae. • The CW integrity (CWI) pathway is a key player in the PeAfpA killing mechanism. • Phosphatidylinositol metabolism and ROX3 are involved in the yeast defence strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés Giner-Llorca
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Antonella Locascio
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Javier Alonso Del Real
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Jose F Marcos
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Paloma Manzanares
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain.
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Bákány B, Antal R, Szentesi P, Emri T, Leiter É, Csernoch L, Keller NP, Pócsi I, Dienes B. The bZIP-type transcription factors NapA and RsmA modulate the volumetric ratio and the relative superoxide ratio of mitochondria in Aspergillus nidulans. Biol Futur 2023; 74:337-346. [PMID: 37814124 DOI: 10.1007/s42977-023-00184-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors are crucial components of differentiation, cellular homeostasis and the environmental stress defense of eukaryotes. In this work, we further studied the consequence of gene deletion and overexpression of two bZIP transcription factors, NapA and RsmA, on superoxide production, mitochondrial morphology and hyphal diameter of Aspergillus nidulans. We have found that reactive oxygen species production was influenced by both gene deletion and overexpression of napA under tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBOOH) elicited oxidative stress. Furthermore, gene expression of napA negatively correlated with mitochondrial volumetric ratio as well as sterigmatocystin production of A. nidulans. High rsmA expression was accompanied with elevated relative superoxide ratio in the second hyphal compartment. A negative correlation between the expression of rsmA and catalase enzyme activity or mitochondrial volumetric ratio was also confirmed by statistical analysis. Hyphal diameter was independent on either rsmA and napA expression as well as 0.2 mM tBOOH treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadett Bákány
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Molecular Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Réka Antal
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Péter Szentesi
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- ELRN-UD Cell Physiology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tamás Emri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- ELRN-UD Fungal Stress Biology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Éva Leiter
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
- ELRN-UD Fungal Stress Biology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - László Csernoch
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- ELRN-UD Cell Physiology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- ELRN-UD Fungal Stress Biology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Beatrix Dienes
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- ELRN-UD Cell Physiology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
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Giner-Llorca M, Gallego del Sol F, Marcos JF, Marina A, Manzanares P. Rationally designed antifungal protein chimeras reveal new insights into structure-activity relationship. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 225:135-148. [PMID: 36460243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Antifungal proteins (AFPs) are promising antimicrobial compounds that represent a feasible alternative to fungicides. Penicillium expansum encodes three phylogenetically distinct AFPs (PeAfpA, PeAfpB and PeAfpC) which show different antifungal profiles and fruit protection effects. To gain knowledge about the structural determinants governing their activity, we solved the crystal structure of PeAfpB and rationally designed five PeAfpA::PeAfpB chimeras (chPeAFPV1-V5). Chimeras showed significant differences in their antifungal activity. chPeAFPV1 and chPeAFPV2 improved the parental PeAfpB potency, and it was very similar to that of PeAfpA. chPeAFPV4 and chPeAFPV5 showed an intermediate profile of activity compared to the parental proteins while chPeAFPV3 was inactive towards most of the fungi tested. Structural analysis of the chimeras evidenced an identical scaffold to PeAfpB, suggesting that the differences in activity are due to the contributions of specific residues and not to induced conformational changes or structural rearrangements. Results suggest that mannoproteins determine protein interaction with the cell wall and its antifungal activity while there is not a direct correlation between binding to membrane phospholipids and activity. This work provides new insights about the relevance of sequence motifs and the feasibility of modifying protein specificity, opening the door to the rational design of chimeras with biotechnological applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés Giner-Llorca
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisca Gallego del Sol
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV), CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Jaume Roig 11, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jose F Marcos
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alberto Marina
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV), CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Jaume Roig 11, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Paloma Manzanares
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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DMSO-Induced Unfolding of the Antifungal Disulfide Protein PAF and Its Inactive Variant: A Combined NMR and DSC Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021208. [PMID: 36674720 PMCID: PMC9864379 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
PAF and related antifungal proteins are promising antimicrobial agents. They have highly stable folds around room temperature due to the presence of 3-4 disulfide bonds. However, unfolded states persist and contribute to the thermal equilibrium in aqueous solution, and low-populated states might influence their biological impact. To explore such equilibria during dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-induced chemical unfolding, we studied PAF and its inactive variant PAFD19S using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). According to the NMR monitoring at 310 K, the folded structures disappear above 80 v/v% DMSO concentration, while the unfolding is completely reversible. Evaluation of a few resolved peaks from viscosity-compensated 15N-1H HSQC spectra of PAF yielded ∆G = 23 ± 7 kJ/M as the average value for NMR unfolding enthalpy. The NMR-based structures of PAF and the mutant in 50 v/v% DMSO/H2O mixtures were more similar in the mixed solvents then they were in water. The 15N NMR relaxation dynamics in the same mixtures verified the rigid backbones of the NMR-visible fractions of the proteins; still, enhanced dynamics around the termini and some loops were observed. DSC monitoring of the Tm melting point showed parabolic dependence on the DMSO molar fraction and suggested that PAF is more stable than the inactive PAFD19S. The DSC experiments were irreversible due to the applied broad temperature range, but still suggestive of the endothermic unfolding of PAF.
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Holzknecht J, Dubrac S, Hedtrich S, Galgóczy L, Marx F. Small, Cationic Antifungal Proteins from Filamentous Fungi Inhibit Candida albicans Growth in 3D Skin Infection Models. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0029922. [PMID: 35499318 PMCID: PMC9241769 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00299-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerging resistance of human-pathogenic fungi to antifungal drugs urges the development of alternative therapeutic strategies. The small, cationic antifungal proteins (AFPs) from filamentous ascomycetes represent promising candidates for next-generation antifungals. These bio-molecules need to be tested for tolerance in the host and efficacy against fungal pathogens before they can be safely applied in humans. Testing of the efficacy and possible adverse effects of new drug candidates in three-dimensional (3D) human-cell based models represents an advantageous alternative to animal experiments. In, this study, as a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate the usefulness of 3D skin infection models for screening new antifungal drug candidates for topical application. We established a cutaneous infection with the opportunistic human-pathogenic yeast Candida albicans in a commercially available 3D full-thickness (FT) skin model to test the curative potential of distinct AFPs from Penicillium chrysogenum (PAFopt, PAFB, and PAFC) and Neosartorya (Aspergillus) fischeri (NFAP2) in vitro. All tested AFPs were comparably well tolerated by the skin models. The infected 3D models exhibited reduced epidermal permeability barriers, allowing C. albicans to colonize the epidermal and dermal layers, and showed increased secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and the chemokine IL-8. AFP treatment diminished the fungal burden and penetration depth of C. albicans in the infected models. The epidermal permeability barrier was restored and the secretion of IL-8 was decreased following AFP treatment. In summary, our study proves that the tested AFPs exhibit antifungal potential against cutaneous C. albicans infection in a 3D FT skin model. IMPORTANCE Candida albicans represents one of the most prevalent opportunistic fungal pathogens, causing superficial skin and mucosal infections in humans with certain predisposing health conditions and life-threatening systemic infections in immunosuppressed patients. The emerging drug resistance of this human-pathogenic yeast and the limited number of antifungal drugs for prevention and treatment of infections urgently demands the identification of new antifungal compounds with novel mechanisms of action. Small, cationic antifungal proteins (AFPs) from filamentous fungi represent promising candidates for next-generation antifungals for topical application. These bio-molecules need to be tested for tolerance by the host and efficacy in pathogen clearance prior to being involved in clinical trials. In a proof-of-principle study, we provide evidence for the suitability of 3D human-cell based models as advantageous alternatives to animal experiments. We document the tolerance of specific AFPs and their curative efficacy against cutaneous C. albicans infection in a 3D skin model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanett Holzknecht
- Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sandrine Dubrac
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sarah Hedtrich
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - László Galgóczy
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Florentine Marx
- Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Boczonádi I, Jakab Á, Baranyai E, Tóth CN, Daróczi L, Csernoch L, Kis G, Antal M, Pusztahelyi T, Grawunder A, Merten D, Emri T, Fábián I, Kothe E, Pócsi I. Rare earth element sequestration by Aspergillus oryzae biomass. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2021; 42:3725-3735. [PMID: 32134365 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2020.1739146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The fungus Aspergillus oryzae could be shown to be a viable alternative for biosorption of valuable metals from solution. Fungal biomass can be obtained easily in high quantities as a waste of biofermentation processes, and used in a complex, multi-phase solution mimicking naturally occurring, mining-affected water samples. With test solution formulated after natural conditions, formation of secondary Al and Fe phases co-precipitating Ce was recorded in addition to specific biosorption of rare earth elements. Remarkably, the latter were removed from the solution despite the presence of high concentrations of interfering Fe and Al. The biomass was viable even after prolonged incubation in the metal solution, and minimal inhibitory concentrations for single metals were higher than those in the test solution. While precipitation/biosorption of Ce (maximal biosorption efficiency was 58.0 ± 22.3% after 6 h of incubation) coincided with the gross removal of Fe from the metal solution, Y (81.5 ± 11.3% efficiency, 24 h incubation) and Nd (87.4 ± 9.1% efficiency, 24 h incubation) were sequestered later, similarly to Ni and Zn. The biphasic binding pattern specific to single metals could be connected to dynamically changing pH and NH4+ concentrations, which were attributed to the physiological changes taking place in starving A. oryzae biomass. The metals were found extracellularly in minerals associated with the cell wall, and intracellularly precipitated in the vacuoles. The latter process was explained with intracellular metal detoxification resulting in metal resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imre Boczonádi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Jakab
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Edina Baranyai
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Agilent Atomic Spectroscopy Partner Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Csilla Noémi Tóth
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Lajos Daróczi
- Department of Solid State Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Csernoch
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gréta Kis
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Miklós Antal
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tünde Pusztahelyi
- Central Laboratory of Agricultural and Food Products, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Anja Grawunder
- Institute of Geosciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Dirk Merten
- Institute of Geosciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Tamás Emri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Fábián
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Redox and Homogeneous Catalytic Reaction Mechanisms Research Group
| | - Erika Kothe
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty for Bioscience, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Gandía M, Kakar A, Giner-Llorca M, Holzknecht J, Martínez-Culebras P, Galgóczy L, Marx F, Marcos JF, Manzanares P. Potential of Antifungal Proteins (AFPs) to Control Penicillium Postharvest Fruit Decay. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:449. [PMID: 34199956 PMCID: PMC8229795 DOI: 10.3390/jof7060449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Penicillium phytopathogenic species provoke severe postharvest disease and economic losses. Penicillium expansum is the main pome fruit phytopathogen while Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum cause citrus green and blue mold, respectively. Control strategies rely on the use of synthetic fungicides, but the appearance of resistant strains and safety concerns have led to the search for new antifungals. Here, the potential application of different antifungal proteins (AFPs) including the three Penicillium chrysogenum proteins (PAF, PAFB and PAFC), as well as the Neosartorya fischeri NFAP2 protein to control Penicillium decay, has been evaluated. PAFB was the most potent AFP against P. digitatum, P. italicum and P. expansum, PAFC and NFAP2 showed moderate antifungal activity, whereas PAF was the least active protein. In fruit protection assays, PAFB provoked a reduction of the incidence of infections caused by P. digitatum and P. italicum in oranges and by P. expansum in apples. A combination of AFPs did not result in an increase in the efficacy of disease control. In conclusion, this study expands the antifungal inhibition spectrum of the AFPs evaluated, and demonstrates that AFPs act in a species-specific manner. PAFB is a promising alternative compound to control Penicillium postharvest fruit decay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Gandía
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.G.); (M.G.-L.); (P.M.-C.); (J.F.M.)
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Ciencias de la Alimentación, Bromatología, Toxicología y Medicina Legal, Universitat de València, Vicente Andrès Estellès s/n, 46100 Valencia, Spain
| | - Anant Kakar
- Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.K.); (J.H.); (F.M.)
| | - Moisés Giner-Llorca
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.G.); (M.G.-L.); (P.M.-C.); (J.F.M.)
| | - Jeanett Holzknecht
- Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.K.); (J.H.); (F.M.)
| | - Pedro Martínez-Culebras
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.G.); (M.G.-L.); (P.M.-C.); (J.F.M.)
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Ciencias de la Alimentación, Bromatología, Toxicología y Medicina Legal, Universitat de València, Vicente Andrès Estellès s/n, 46100 Valencia, Spain
| | - László Galgóczy
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Florentine Marx
- Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.K.); (J.H.); (F.M.)
| | - Jose F. Marcos
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.G.); (M.G.-L.); (P.M.-C.); (J.F.M.)
| | - Paloma Manzanares
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (M.G.); (M.G.-L.); (P.M.-C.); (J.F.M.)
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Struyfs C, Cammue BPA, Thevissen K. Membrane-Interacting Antifungal Peptides. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:649875. [PMID: 33912564 PMCID: PMC8074791 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.649875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of invasive fungal infections is increasing worldwide, resulting in more than 1.6 million deaths every year. Due to growing antifungal drug resistance and the limited number of currently used antimycotics, there is a clear need for novel antifungal strategies. In this context, great potential is attributed to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are part of the innate immune system of organisms. These peptides are known for their broad-spectrum activity that can be directed toward bacteria, fungi, viruses, and/or even cancer cells. Some AMPs act via rapid physical disruption of microbial cell membranes at high concentrations causing cell leakage and cell death. However, more complex mechanisms are also observed, such as interaction with specific lipids, production of reactive oxygen species, programmed cell death, and autophagy. This review summarizes the structure and mode of action of antifungal AMPs, thereby focusing on their interaction with fungal membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Struyfs
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bruno P A Cammue
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karin Thevissen
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Zhang W, Lv Y, Lv A, Wei S, Zhang S, Li C, Hu Y. Sub3 inhibits Aspergillus flavus growth by disrupting mitochondrial energy metabolism, and has potential biocontrol during peanut storage. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2021; 101:486-496. [PMID: 32643802 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aspergillus flavus, a saprophytic fungus, is regularly detected in oil-enriched seeds. During colonization, this organism releases aflatoxins that pose a serious risk to food safety and human health. Therefore, an eco-friendly biological approach to inhibit the pathogen is desirable. RESULTS Experimental results indicated that A. flavus spores could not germinate in potato dextrose broth culture medium, when the concentration of Sub3 exceeded 0.15 g L-1 . Morphological evaluation performed by flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy indicated that spores were shrunken and pitted following Sub3 exposure. Physiological assessment using propidium iodide, 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolocarbocyanine iodide, 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining revealed damaged cell membranes, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, and elevated large nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity was reduced by 29.42% and 45.48% after treatment with 0.1 and 0.15 g L-1 Sub3, respectively. Additionally, colonization capacity in peanut was significantly decreased, and the number of spores on seeds treated with Sub3 was decreased by 26.86% (0.1 g L-1 ) and 77.74% (0.15 g L-1 ) compared with the control group. CONCLUSION Sub3 likely inhibits A. flavus by crossing the cell wall and targeting the cell membrane, disrupting mitochondrial energy metabolism, and inducing DNA damage, leading to spore death. Thus, Sub3 may provide a useful biocontrol strategy to control A. flavus growth in peanuts. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yangyong Lv
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Ang Lv
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Shan Wei
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Shuaibing Zhang
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Cuixiang Li
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yuansen Hu
- College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
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Czajlik A, Holzknecht J, Galgóczy L, Tóth L, Poór P, Ördög A, Váradi G, Kühbacher A, Borics A, Tóth GK, Marx F, Batta G. Solution Structure, Dynamics, and New Antifungal Aspects of the Cysteine-Rich Miniprotein PAFC. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1183. [PMID: 33504082 PMCID: PMC7865535 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of Penicillium chrysogenum Q176 contains a gene coding for the 88-amino-acid (aa)-long glycine- and cysteine-rich P. chrysogenum antifungal protein C (PAFC). After maturation, the secreted antifungal miniprotein (MP) comprises 64 aa and shares 80% aa identity with the bubble protein (BP) from Penicillium brevicompactum, which has a published X-ray structure. Our team expressed isotope (15N, 13C)-labeled, recombinant PAFC in high yields, which allowed us to determine the solution structure and molecular dynamics by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The primary structure of PAFC is dominated by 14 glycines, and therefore, whether the four disulfide bonds can stabilize the fold is challenging. Indeed, unlike the few published solution structures of other antifungal MPs from filamentous ascomycetes, the NMR data indicate that PAFC has shorter secondary structure elements and lacks the typical β-barrel structure, though it has a positively charged cavity and a hydrophobic core around the disulfide bonds. Some parts within the two putative γ-core motifs exhibited enhanced dynamics according to a new disorder index presentation of 15N-NMR relaxation data. Furthermore, we also provided a more detailed insight into the antifungal spectrum of PAFC, with specific emphasis on fungal plant pathogens. Our results suggest that PAFC could be an effective candidate for the development of new antifungal strategies in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Czajlik
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Jeanett Holzknecht
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.H.); (A.K.)
| | - László Galgóczy
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (L.G.); (L.T.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Liliána Tóth
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (L.G.); (L.T.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Poór
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (P.P.); (A.Ö.)
| | - Attila Ördög
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (P.P.); (A.Ö.)
| | - Györgyi Váradi
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; (G.V.); (G.K.T.)
| | - Alexander Kühbacher
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.H.); (A.K.)
| | - Attila Borics
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Gábor K. Tóth
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; (G.V.); (G.K.T.)
- MTA-SZTE Biomimetic Systems Research Group, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 8, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Florentine Marx
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.H.); (A.K.)
| | - Gyula Batta
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
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11
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Li J, Zhi QQ, Zhang J, Yuan XY, Jia LH, Wan YL, Liu QY, Shi JR, He ZM. Synthetic antimicrobial agents inhibit aflatoxin production. Braz J Microbiol 2021; 52:821-835. [PMID: 33447936 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-021-00423-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are biologically active molecules that can eradicate bacteria by destroying the bacterial membrane structure, causing the bacteria to rupture. However, little is known about the extent and effect of AMPs on filamentous fungi. In this study, we synthesized small molecular polypeptides by an inexpensive heat conjugation approach and examined their effects on the growth of Aspergillus flavus and its secondary metabolism. The antimicrobial agents significantly inhibited aflatoxin production, conidiation, and sclerotia formation in A. flavus. Furthermore, we found that the expression of aflatoxin structural genes was significantly inhibited, and the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was reduced. Additionally, the antimicrobial agents can change membrane permeability. Overall, our results demonstrated that antimicrobial agents, safe to mammalian cells, have an obvious impact on aflatoxin production, which indicated that antimicrobial agents may be adopted as a new generation of potential agents for controlling aflatoxin contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Qing-Qing Zhi
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Yuan
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Li-Hong Jia
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Bioscience and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yu-Lin Wan
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Qiu-Yun Liu
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Jian-Rong Shi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210000, China.
| | - Zhu-Mei He
- The Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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Antifungal Activity and Molecular Mechanisms of Partial Purified Antifungal Proteins from Rhinacanthus nasutus against Talaromyces marneffei. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040333. [PMID: 33287246 PMCID: PMC7761713 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antifungal proteins (AFPs) are able to inhibit a wide spectrum of fungi without significant toxicity to the hosts. This study examined the antifungal activity of AFPs isolated from a Thai medicinal plant, Rhinacanthus nasutus, against the human pathogenic fungus Talaromycesmarneffei. This dimorphic fungus causes systemic infections in immunocompromised individuals and is endemic in Southeast Asian countries. The R. nasutus crude protein extract inhibited the growth of T. marneffei. The anti-T. marneffei activity was completely lost when treated with proteinase K and pepsin, indicating that the antifungal activity was dependent on a protein component. The total protein extract from R. nasutus was partially purified by size fractionation to ≤10, 10–30, and ≥30 kDa fractions and tested for the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC). All fractions showed anti-T. marneffei activity with the MIC and MFC values of 32 to 128 μg/mL and >128 μg/mL, respectively. In order to determine the mechanism of inhibition, all fractions were tested with T. marneffei mutant strains affected in G-protein signaling and cell wall integrity pathways. The anti-T. marneffei activity of the 10–30 kDa fraction was abrogated by deletion of gasA and gasC, the genes encoding alpha subunits of heterotrimeric G-proteins, indicating that the inhibitory effect is related to intracellular signaling through G-proteins. The work demonstrates that antifungal proteins isolated from R. nasutus represent sources for novel drug development.
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Masiulionis VE, Pagnocca FC. In vitro study of volatile organic compounds produced by the mutualistic fungus of leaf-cutter ants and the antagonist Escovopsis. FUNGAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.100986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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14
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Szabó Z, Pákozdi K, Murvai K, Kecskeméti Á, Oláh V, Logrieco AF, Madar A, Dienes B, Csernoch L, Emri T, Hornok L, Pócsi I, Leiter É. FvmnSOD is involved in oxidative stress defence, mitochondrial stability and apoptosis prevention in Fusarium verticillioides. J Basic Microbiol 2020; 60:994-1003. [PMID: 33226136 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202000560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Superoxide dismutases are key enzymes in elimination of the superoxide anion radical (O2 •- ) generated intracellularly or by exogenous oxidative stress eliciting agents, like menadione. In this study, we investigated the physiological role of the manganese superoxide dismutase-encoding gene in Fusarium verticillioides via the construction of a gene deletion mutant, ΔFvmnSOD and comparing its phenotype with that of the wild-type parental strain and a ΔFvmnSOD' C strain, complemented with the functional manganese superoxide dismutase gene. Deletion of FvmnSOD had no effect on the relative intracellular superoxide ratio but increased the sensitivity of the fungus to menadione sodium bisulphite on Czapek-Dox stress agar plates. The lack of FvmnSOD caused changes in mitochondrial morphology and physiology: The volumetric ratio of these cell organelles in the second hyphal segment, as well as the total, the KCN-sensitive cytochrome c-dependent and the KCN+SHAM (salicylhidroxamic acid)-resistant residual respiration rates, were higher in the mutant as compared to the wild-type and the complemented strains. Nevertheless, changes in the respiration rates were attributable to the higher volumetric ratio of mitochondria found in the gene deletion mutant. Changes in the mitochondrial functions also brought about higher sensitivity to apoptotic cell death elicited by the Penicillium chrysogenum antifungal protein. The gene deletion mutant developed significantly thinner hyphae in comparison to the wild-type strain. Deletion of FvmnSOD had no effect on fumonisin B1 and B2 production of the fungus grown in Myro medium as a static culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsa Szabó
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Biological Sciences, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Klaudia Pákozdi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Katalin Murvai
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ádám Kecskeméti
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Viktor Oláh
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Antonio F Logrieco
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Council of Research (CNR-ISPA), Bari, Italy
| | - Anett Madar
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Beatrix Dienes
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Csernoch
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tamás Emri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Hornok
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Éva Leiter
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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The Antifungal Protein AfpB Induces Regulated Cell Death in Its Parental Fungus Penicillium digitatum. mSphere 2020; 5:5/4/e00595-20. [PMID: 32848004 PMCID: PMC7449623 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00595-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease-causing fungi pose a serious threat to human health and food safety and security. The limited number of licensed antifungals, together with the emergence of pathogenic fungi with multiple resistance to available antifungals, represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new compounds with high fungal specificity and novel antifungal mechanisms. Antifungal proteins in general, and AfpB from Penicillium digitatum in particular, are promising molecules for the development of novel antifungals. This study on AfpB’s mode of action demonstrates its potent, specific fungicidal activity through the interaction with multiple targets, presumably reducing the risk of evolving fungal resistance, and through a regulated cell death process, uncovering this protein as an excellent candidate for a novel biofungicide. The in-depth knowledge on AfpB mechanistic function presented in this work is important to guide its possible future clinical and agricultural applications. Filamentous fungi produce small cysteine-rich proteins with potent, specific antifungal activity, offering the potential to fight fungal infections that severely threaten human health and food safety and security. The genome of the citrus postharvest fungal pathogen Penicillium digitatum encodes one of these antifungal proteins, namely AfpB. Biotechnologically produced AfpB inhibited the growth of major pathogenic fungi at minimal concentrations, surprisingly including its parental fungus, and conferred protection to crop plants against fungal infections. This study reports an in-depth characterization of the AfpB mechanism of action, showing that it is a cell-penetrating protein that triggers a regulated cell death program in the target fungus. We prove the importance of AfpB interaction with the fungal cell wall to exert its killing activity, for which protein mannosylation is required. We also show that the potent activity of AfpB correlates with its rapid and efficient uptake by fungal cells through an energy-dependent process. Once internalized, AfpB induces a transcriptional reprogramming signaled by reactive oxygen species that ends in cell death. Our data show that AfpB activates a self-injury program, suggesting that this protein has a biological function in the parental fungus beyond defense against competitors, presumably more related to regulation of the fungal population. Our results demonstrate that this protein is a potent antifungal that acts through various targets to kill fungal cells through a regulated process, making AfpB a promising compound for the development of novel biofungicides with multiple fields of application in crop and postharvest protection, food preservation, and medical therapies. IMPORTANCE Disease-causing fungi pose a serious threat to human health and food safety and security. The limited number of licensed antifungals, together with the emergence of pathogenic fungi with multiple resistance to available antifungals, represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new compounds with high fungal specificity and novel antifungal mechanisms. Antifungal proteins in general, and AfpB from Penicillium digitatum in particular, are promising molecules for the development of novel antifungals. This study on AfpB’s mode of action demonstrates its potent, specific fungicidal activity through the interaction with multiple targets, presumably reducing the risk of evolving fungal resistance, and through a regulated cell death process, uncovering this protein as an excellent candidate for a novel biofungicide. The in-depth knowledge on AfpB mechanistic function presented in this work is important to guide its possible future clinical and agricultural applications.
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16
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Song J, Chen H, Wei Y, Liu J. Synthesis of carboxymethylated β-glucan from naked barley bran and its antibacterial activity and mechanism against Staphylococcus aureus. Carbohydr Polym 2020; 242:116418. [DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Martín JF. Insight into the Genome of Diverse Penicillium chrysogenum Strains: Specific Genes, Cluster Duplications and DNA Fragment Translocations. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113936. [PMID: 32486280 PMCID: PMC7312703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: There are eighteen species within the Penicillium genus section chrysogena, including the original penicillin producers Penicillium notatum (Fleming strain) and Penicillium chrysogenum NRRL 1951. Other wild type isolates of the Penicillium genus are relevant for the production of useful proteins and primary or secondary metabolites. The aim of this article is to characterize strain specific genes and those genes which are involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, particularly the mutations that have been introduced during the β-lactams strain improvement programs. Results: The available genomes of several classical and novel P. chrysogenum strains have been compared. The first genome sequenced was that of the reference strain P. chrysogenum Wis54-1255, which derives from the wild type P. chrysogenum NRRL 1951; its genome size is 32.19 Mb and it encodes 12,943 proteins. Four chromosomes were resolved in P. chrysogenum and P. notatum by pulse field gel electrophoresis. The genomes of three industrial strains have a similar size but contain gene duplications and truncations; the penicillin gene cluster copy number ranges from one in the wild type to twelve in the P. chrysogenum ASP-E1 industrial strain and is organized in head to tail tandem repeats. The genomes of two new strains, P. chrysogenum KF-25, a producer of antifungal proteins isolated from a soil sample, and P. chrysogenum HKF2, a strain with carbohydrate-converting activities isolated from a sludge treatment plant, showed strain specific genes. Conclusions: The overall comparison of all available P. chrysogenum genomes indicates that there are a significant number of strain-specific genes, mutations of structural and regulatory genes, gene cluster duplications and DNA fragment translocations. This information provides important leads to improve the biosynthesis of enzymes, antifungal agents, prebiotics or different types of secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Martín
- Área de Microbiología, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
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18
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Tong S, Li M, Keyhani NO, Liu Y, Yuan M, Lin D, Jin D, Li X, Pei Y, Fan Y. Characterization of a fungal competition factor: Production of a conidial cell-wall associated antifungal peptide. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008518. [PMID: 32324832 PMCID: PMC7200012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Competition is one of the fundamental driving forces of natural selection. Beauveria bassiana is a soil and plant phylloplane/root fungus capable of parasitizing insect hosts. Soil and plant environments are often enriched with other fungi against which B. bassiana competes for survival. Here, we report an antifungal peptide (BbAFP1), specifically expressed and localized to the conidial cell wall and is released into the surrounding microenvironment inhibiting growth of competing fungi. B. bassiana strains expressing BbAFP1, including overexpression strains, inhibited growth of Alternaria brassicae in co-cultured experiments, whereas targeted gene deletion of BbAFP1 significantly decreased (25%) this inhibitory effect. Recombinant BbAFP1 showed chitin and glucan binding abilities, and growth inhibition of a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi by disrupting membrane integrity and eliciting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. A phenylalanine residue (F50) contributes to chitin binding and antifungal activity, but was not required for the latter. Expression of BbAFP1 in tomato resulted in transgenic plants with enhanced resistance to plant fungal pathogens. These results highlight the importance of fungal competition in shaping primitive competition strategies, with antimicrobial compounds that can be embedded in the spore cell wall to be released into the environment during the critical initial phases of germination for successful growth in its environmental niche. Furthermore, these peptides can be exploited to increase plant resistance to fungal pathogens. Microbial competition exerts powerful selective pressures for the development of defensive and offensive methods of suppressing potential competitors. One of the most vulnerable stages for any fungi is the initial germination of resting spores in potentially hostile environments. Currently, we know little about how fungi defend other microbial competitors during the beginning stage of conidial germination. Here, we report on an antifungal peptide from B. bassiana (BbAFP1) that is specifically expressed in mature aerial conidia, with the protein localized exclusively to the conidial cell wall. The “pre-loaded” BbAFP1 is released into the surrounding microenvironment where it can act to inhibit the growth of competing fungi during the initial stages of fungal germination, i.e. largely before actual germ tubes are apparent, thus conferring an advantage to B. bassiana in out-competing susceptible competitors in the microenvironment surrounding the spore. The effects of BbAFP1 on membrane integrity were characterized and a key amino acid (F50) was shown to function in chitin binding and antifungal activity. Transgenic tomato overexpressing BbAFP1 were shown to exhibit enhanced resistance to plant fungal pathogens. Our study provides new insights into the microbial competition and genes involved in this process that can be exploited to increase plant disease resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Tong
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Maolian Li
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Nemat O. Keyhani
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Min Yuan
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Dongmei Lin
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Dan Jin
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Xianbi Li
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Yan Pei
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Yanhua Fan
- Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
- * E-mail:
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Two small, cysteine-rich and cationic antifungal proteins from Penicillium chrysogenum: A comparative study of PAF and PAFB. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183246. [PMID: 32142818 PMCID: PMC7138148 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum Q176 secretes the antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) PAF and PAFB, which share a compact disulfide-bond mediated, β-fold structure rendering them highly stable. These two AMPs effectively inhibit the growth of human pathogenic fungi in micromolar concentrations and exhibit antiviral potential without causing cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells in vitro and in vivo. The antifungal mechanism of action of both AMPs is closely linked to - but not solely dependent on - the lipid composition of the fungal cell membrane and requires a strictly regulated protein uptake into the cell, indicating that PAF and PAFB are not canonical membrane active proteins. Variations in their antifungal spectrum and their killing dynamics point towards a divergent mode of action related to their physicochemical properties and surface charge distribution. In this review, we relate characteristic features of PAF and PAFB to the current knowledge about other AMPs of different sources. In addition, we present original data that have never been published before to substantiate our assumptions and provide evidences that help to explain and understand better the mechanistic function of PAF and PAFB. Finally, we underline the promising potential of PAF and PAFB as future antifungal therapeutics. Penicillium chrysogenum secretes the small, cysteine-rich proteins PAF and PAFB. Both exhibit antifungal activity, but with differences in their mode of action. Structure, membrane interaction and cellular uptake determine their function. PAF and PAFB are well tolerated by mammalian cells. They promise applicability in medicine, plant protection and food industry.
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Khani S, Seyedjavadi SS, Hosseini HM, Goudarzi M, Valadbeigi S, Khatami S, Ajdary S, Eslamifar A, Amani J, Imani Fooladi AA, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Effects of the antifungal peptide Skh-AMP1 derived from Satureja khuzistanica on cell membrane permeability, ROS production, and cell morphology of conidia and hyphae of Aspergillus fumigatus. Peptides 2020; 123:170195. [PMID: 31704210 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2019.170195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Skh-AMP1 (GRTSKQELCTWERGSVRQADKTIAG) is an antifungal peptide isolated from Satureja khuzistanica which has been shown to have strong antifungal activity against Aspergillus and Candida species, but no obvious hemolytic effects or cell cytotoxicity in vitro. In the present study, Skh-AMP1 was synthesized, and its mode of action on the plasma membrane, mitochondria, and morphological and ultrastructural changes against conidia and hyphae of Aspergillus fumigatus were evaluated. The results indicated that Skh-AMP1 had sporicidal activities against the non-germinated conidia of A. fumigatus at concentrations of 40 and 80 μM. Skh-AMP1 induced the release of K+ and the uptake of propidium iodide and enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the conidia and hyphae of the fungus. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed deformation and shrinkage of the hyphae and conidia, cell membrane disruption and detachment from the cell wall, microvesicle formation, vacuolation and depletion of cytoplasm and organelles of the hyphae of A. fumigatus exposed to 40-80 μM of the peptide. The results further demonstrated that the antifungal activity of Skh-AMP1 may be related to its ability to disrupt fungal cell membrane permeabilization and induce enhanced ROS production. Therefore, Skh-AMP1 can be introduced as a novel antifungal candidate for developing new therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soghra Khani
- Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Hamideh Mahmoodzadeh Hosseini
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Goudarzi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Shohreh Khatami
- Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheila Ajdary
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Eslamifar
- Department of Clinical Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Amani
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Imani Fooladi
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Király A, Hámori C, Gyémánt G, Kövér KE, Pócsi I, Leiter É. Characterization of gfdB, putatively encoding a glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in Aspergillus nidulans. Fungal Biol 2019; 124:352-360. [PMID: 32389297 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The genome of Aspergillus nidulans accommodates two glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes, gfdA and gfdB. Previous studies confirmed that GfdA is involved in the osmotic stress defence of the fungus. In this work, the physiological role of GfdB was characterized via the construction and functional characterization of the gene deletion mutant ΔgfdB. Unexpectedly, ΔgfdB strains showed oxidative stress sensitivity in the presence of a series of well-known oxidants including tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (tBOOH), diamide as well as hydrogen peroxide. Moderate sensitivity of the mutant towards the cell wall stress inducing agent CongoRed was also observed. Hence, both Gfd isoenzymes contributed to the environmental stress defence of the fungus but their functions were stress-type-specific. Furthermore, the specific activities of certain antioxidant enzymes, like catalase and glutathione peroxidase, were lower in ΔgfdB hyphae than those recorded in the control strain. As a consequence, mycelia from ΔgfdB cultures accumulated reactive species at higher levels than the control. On the other hand, the specific glutathione reductase activity was higher in the mutant, most likely to compensate for the elevated intracellular oxidative species concentrations. Nevertheless, the efficient control of reactive species failed in ΔgfdB cultures, which resulted in reduced viability and, concomitantly, early onset of programmed cell death in mutant hyphae. Inactivation of gfdB brought about higher mannitol accumulation in mycelia meanwhile the erythritol production was not disturbed in unstressed cultures. After oxidative stress treatment with tBOOH, only mannitol was detected in both mutant and control mycelia and the accumulation of mannitol even intensified in the ΔgfdB strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Király
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; University of Debrecen, Pál Juhász-Nagy Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Hungary
| | - Csaba Hámori
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gyöngyi Gyémánt
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Katalin E Kövér
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Éva Leiter
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
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22
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Wang M, Ma Y, Mou H, Kong Q. Bacillomycin D lipopeptides from marine
Bacillus megaterium
as antimicrobial and preservative agents for large yellow croaker,
Larimichthys crocea. J Food Saf 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jfs.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mengjuan Wang
- Division of Applied MicrobiologyCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China Qingdao Shandong China
| | - Yunxiao Ma
- Division of Applied MicrobiologyCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China Qingdao Shandong China
| | - Haijin Mou
- Division of Applied MicrobiologyCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China Qingdao Shandong China
| | - Qing Kong
- Division of Applied MicrobiologyCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China Qingdao Shandong China
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23
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Calderón CE, Rotem N, Harris R, Vela‐Corcía D, Levy M. Pseudozyma aphidis activates reactive oxygen species production, programmed cell death and morphological alterations in the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2019; 20:562-574. [PMID: 30537338 PMCID: PMC6637909 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Many types of yeast have been studied in the last few years as potential biocontrol agents against different phytopathogenic fungi. Their ability to control plant diseases is mainly through combined modes of action. Among them, antibiosis, competition for nutrients and niches, induction of systemic resistance in plants and mycoparasitism have been the most studied. In previous work, we have established that the epiphytic yeast Pseudozyma aphidis inhibits Botrytis cinerea through induced resistance and antibiosis. Here, we demonstrate that P. aphidis adheres to B. cinerea hyphae and competes with them for nutrients. We further show that the secreted antifungal compounds activate the production of reactive oxygen species and programmed cell death in B. cinerea mycelium. Finally, P. aphidis and its secreted compounds negatively affect B. cinerea hyphae, leading to morphological alterations, including hyphal curliness, vacuolization and branching, which presumably affects the colonization ability and infectivity of B. cinerea. This study demonstrates additional modes of action for P. aphidis and its antifungal compounds against the plant pathogen B. cinerea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia E. Calderón
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot76100Israel
| | - Neta Rotem
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot76100Israel
| | - Raviv Harris
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot76100Israel
| | - David Vela‐Corcía
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot76100Israel
| | - Maggie Levy
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot76100Israel
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24
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Alex JM, Rennie ML, Engilberge S, Lehoczki G, Dorottya H, Fizil Á, Batta G, Crowley PB. Calixarene-mediated assembly of a small antifungal protein. IUCRJ 2019; 6:238-247. [PMID: 30867921 PMCID: PMC6400181 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252519000411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic macrocycles such as calixarenes and cucurbiturils are increasingly applied as mediators of protein assembly and crystallization. The macrocycle can facilitate assembly by providing a surface on which two or more proteins bind simultaneously. This work explores the capacity of the sulfonato-calix[n]arene (sclx n ) series to effect crystallization of PAF, a small, cationic antifungal protein. Co-crystallization with sclx4, sclx6 or sclx8 led to high-resolution crystal structures. In the absence of sclx n , diffraction-quality crystals of PAF were not obtained. Interestingly, all three sclx n were bound to a similar patch on PAF. The largest and most flexible variant, sclx8, yielded a dimer of PAF. Complex formation was evident in solution via NMR and ITC experiments, showing more pronounced effects with increasing macrocycle size. In agreement with the crystal structure, the ITC data suggested that sclx8 acts as a bidentate ligand. The contributions of calixarene size/conformation to protein recognition and assembly are discussed. Finally, it is suggested that the conserved binding site for anionic calixarenes implicates this region of PAF in membrane binding, which is a prerequisite for antifungal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimi M. Alex
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Martin L. Rennie
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Sylvain Engilberge
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Gábor Lehoczki
- Institute of Chemistry, Centre of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Hajdu Dorottya
- Institute of Chemistry, Centre of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ádám Fizil
- Institute of Chemistry, Centre of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gyula Batta
- Institute of Chemistry, Centre of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Peter B. Crowley
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, University Road, Galway, Ireland
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25
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Effect of a novel antifungal peptide P852 on cell morphology and membrane permeability of Fusarium oxysporum. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:532-539. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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26
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Leiter É, Csernoch L, Pócsi I. Programmed cell death in human pathogenic fungi - a possible therapeutic target. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2018; 22:1039-1048. [PMID: 30360667 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2018.1541087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diseases caused by pathogenic fungi are increasing because of antibiotic overuse, the rise of immunosuppressive therapies, and climate change. The limited variety of antimycotics and the rapid adaptation of pathogenic fungi to antifungal agents serve to exacerbate this issue. Unfortunately, about 1.6 million people are killed by fungal infections annually. Areas covered: The discovery of the small antimicrobial proteins produced by microorganisms, animals, humans, and plants will hopefully overcome challenges in the treatment of fungal infections. These small proteins are highly stable and any resistance to them rarely evolves; therefore, they are potentially good candidates for the treatment and prevention of infections caused by pathogenic fungi. Some of these proteins target the programmed cell death machinery of pathogenic fungi; this is potentially a novel approach in antimycotic therapies. In this review, we highlight the elements of apoptosis in human pathogenic fungi and related model organisms and discuss the possible therapeutic potential of the apoptosis-inducing, small, antifungal proteins. Expert opinion: Small antimicrobial proteins may establish a new class of antimycotics in the future. The rarity of resistance and their synergistic effects with other frequently used antifungal agents may help pave the way for their use in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Leiter
- a Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology , University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
| | - László Csernoch
- b Department of Physiology , University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- a Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology , University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
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27
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Fizil Á, Sonderegger C, Czajlik A, Fekete A, Komáromi I, Hajdu D, Marx F, Batta G. Calcium binding of the antifungal protein PAF: Structure, dynamics and function aspects by NMR and MD simulations. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204825. [PMID: 30321182 PMCID: PMC6188699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium ions (Ca2+) play an important role in the toxicity of the cysteine-rich and cationic antifungal protein PAF from Penicillium chrysogenum: high extracellular Ca2+ levels reduce the toxicity of PAF in the sensitive model fungus Neurospora crassa in a concentration dependent way. However, little is known about the mechanistic details of the Ca2+ ion impact and the Ca2+ binding capabilities of PAF outside the fungal cell, which might be the reason for the activity loss. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations we demonstrated that PAF weakly, but specifically binds Ca2+ ions. MD simulations of PAF predicted one major Ca2+ binding site at the C-terminus involving Asp53 and Asp55, while Asp19 was considered as putative Ca2+ binding site. The exchange of Asp19 to serine had little impact on the Ca2+ binding, however caused the loss of antifungal activity, as was shown in our recent study. Now we replaced the C-terminal aspartates and expressed the serine variant PAFD53S/D55S. The specific Ca2+ binding affinity of PAFD53S/D55S decreased significantly if compared to PAF, whereas the antifungal activity was retained. To understand more details of Ca2+ interactions, we investigated the NMR and MD structure/dynamics of the free and Ca2+-bound PAF and PAFD53S/D55S. Though we found some differences between these protein variants and the Ca2+ complexes, these effects cannot explain the observed Ca2+ influence. In conclusion, PAF binds Ca2+ ions selectively at the C-terminus; however, this Ca2+ binding does not seem to play a direct role in the previously documented modulation of the antifungal activity of PAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Fizil
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Christoph Sonderegger
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - András Czajlik
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila Fekete
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Komáromi
- Division of Clinical Laboratory Science, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Dorottya Hajdu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Florentine Marx
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- * E-mail: (GB); (FM)
| | - Gyula Batta
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (GB); (FM)
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28
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Characterization of a novel cysteine-rich antifungal protein from Fusarium graminearum with activity against maize fungal pathogens. Int J Food Microbiol 2018; 283:45-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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29
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Sonderegger C, Váradi G, Galgóczy L, Kocsubé S, Posch W, Borics A, Dubrac S, Tóth GK, Wilflingseder D, Marx F. The Evolutionary Conserved γ-Core Motif Influences the Anti- Candida Activity of the Penicillium chrysogenum Antifungal Protein PAF. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1655. [PMID: 30079061 PMCID: PMC6062912 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small, cysteine-rich and cationic antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) from filamentous ascomycetes represent ideal bio-molecules for the development of next-generation antifungal therapeutics. They are promising candidates to counteract resistance development and may complement or even replace current small molecule-based antibiotics in the future. In this study, we show that a 14 amino acid (aa) long peptide (Pγ) spanning the highly conserved γ-core motif of the Penicillium chrysogenum antifungal protein (PAF) has antifungal activity against the opportunistic human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. By substituting specific aa we elevated the positive net charge and the hydrophilicity of Pγ and created the peptide variants Pγvar and Pγopt with 10-fold higher antifungal activity than Pγ. Similarly, the antifungal efficacy of the PAF protein could be significantly improved by exchanging the respective aa in the γ-core of the protein by creating the protein variants PAFγvar and PAFγopt. The designed peptides and proteins were investigated in detail for their physicochemical features and mode of action, and were tested for cytotoxicity on mammalian cells. This study proves for the first time the important role of the γ-core motif in the biological function of an AMP from ascomycetes. Furthermore, we provide a detailed phylogenetic analysis that proves the presence and conservation of the γ-core motif in all AMP classes from Eurotiomycetes. We emphasize the potential of this common protein motif for the design of short antifungal peptides and as a protein motif in which targeted aa substitutions enhance antimicrobial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Sonderegger
- Biocenter, Division of Molecular Biology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Györgyi Váradi
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Galgóczy
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Kocsubé
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Wilfried Posch
- Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Attila Borics
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sandrine Dubrac
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergy, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gábor K. Tóth
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- MTA-SZTE Biomimetic Systems Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Doris Wilflingseder
- Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Florentine Marx
- Biocenter, Division of Molecular Biology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
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30
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Zhao P, Ren A, Dong P, Sheng Y, Li D. Antimicrobial Peptaibols, Trichokonins, Inhibit Mycelial Growth and Sporulation and Induce Cell Apoptosis in the Pathogenic Fungus Botrytis cinerea. APPL BIOCHEM MICRO+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s0003683818040154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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31
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Moravej H, Moravej Z, Yazdanparast M, Heiat M, Mirhosseini A, Moosazadeh Moghaddam M, Mirnejad R. Antimicrobial Peptides: Features, Action, and Their Resistance Mechanisms in Bacteria. Microb Drug Resist 2018; 24:747-767. [PMID: 29957118 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2017.0392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, because of increased resistance to conventional antimicrobials, many researchers have started to study the synthesis of new antibiotics to control the disease-causing effects of infectious pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are among the newest antibiotics; these peptides are integral compounds in all kinds of organisms and play a significant role in microbial ecology, and critically contribute to the innate immunity of organisms by destroying invading microorganisms. Moreover, AMPs may encourage cells to produce chemokines, stimulate angiogenesis, accelerate wound healing, and influence programmed cell death in multicellular organisms. Bacteria differ in their inherent susceptibility and resistance mechanisms to these peptides when responding to the antimicrobial effects of AMPs. Generally, the development of AMP resistance mechanisms is driven by direct competition between bacterial species, and host and pathogen interactions. Several studies have shown diverse mechanisms of bacterial resistance to AMPs, for example, some bacteria produce proteases and trapping proteins; some modify cell surface charge, change membrane fluidity, and activate efflux pumps; and some species make use of biofilms and exopolymers, and develop sensing systems by selective gene expression. A closer understanding of bacterial resistance mechanisms may help in developing novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of infections caused by pathogenic organisms that are successful in developing extensive resistance to AMPs. Based on these observations, this review discusses the properties of AMPs, their targeting mechanisms, and bacterial resistance mechanisms against AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoda Moravej
- 1 Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisoning Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Moravej
- 2 Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Yazdanparast
- 3 Department of Pharmacology, Experimental Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Heiat
- 4 Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Mirhosseini
- 5 Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisoning Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Reza Mirnejad
- 1 Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisoning Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
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32
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Meyer V, Jung S. Antifungal Peptides of the AFP Family Revisited: Are These Cannibal Toxins? Microorganisms 2018; 6:microorganisms6020050. [PMID: 29865265 PMCID: PMC6027536 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms6020050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of pathogenic fungi resistant to currently used antifungal drugs represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. The use of smart antimicrobials, so-called “dirty drugs” which affect multiple cellular targets, is one strategy to prevent resistance. Of special interest is the exploitation of the AFP family of antimicrobial peptides, which include its founding member AFP from Aspergillus giganteus. This latter is a highly potent inhibitor of chitin synthesis and affects plasma membrane integrity in many human and plant pathogenic fungi. A transcriptomic meta-analysis of the afp-encoding genes in A. giganteus and A. niger predicts a role for these proteins during asexual sporulation, autophagy, and nutrient recycling, suggesting that AFPs are molecules important for the survival of A. niger and A. giganteus under nutrient limitation. In this review, we discuss parallels which exist between AFPs and bacterial cannibal toxins and provide arguments that the primary function of AFPs could be to kill genetically identical siblings. We hope that this review inspires computational and experimental biologists studying alternative explanations for the nature and function of antimicrobial peptides beyond the general assumption that they are mere defense molecules to fight competitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Meyer
- Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Biotechnology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, D-13355 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sascha Jung
- Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Biotechnology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, D-13355 Berlin, Germany.
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33
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Regulated Cell Death as a Therapeutic Target for Novel Antifungal Peptides and Biologics. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2018; 2018:5473817. [PMID: 29854086 PMCID: PMC5944218 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5473817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The rise of microbial pathogens refractory to conventional antibiotics represents one of the most urgent and global public health concerns for the 21st century. Emergence of Candida auris isolates and the persistence of invasive mold infections that resist existing treatment and cause severe illness has underscored the threat of drug-resistant fungal infections. To meet these growing challenges, mechanistically novel agents and strategies are needed that surpass the conventional fungistatic or fungicidal drug actions. Host defense peptides have long been misunderstood as indiscriminant membrane detergents. However, evidence gathered over the past decade clearly points to their sophisticated and selective mechanisms of action, including exploiting regulated cell death pathways of their target pathogens. Such peptides perturb transmembrane potential and mitochondrial energetics, inducing phosphatidylserine accessibility and metacaspase activation in fungi. These mechanisms are often multimodal, affording target pathogens fewer resistance options as compared to traditional small molecule drugs. Here, recent advances in the field are examined regarding regulated cell death subroutines as potential therapeutic targets for innovative anti-infective peptides against pathogenic fungi. Furthering knowledge of protective host defense peptide interactions with target pathogens is key to advancing and applying novel prophylactic and therapeutic countermeasures to fungal resistance and pathogenesis.
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34
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Gonçalves AP, Heller J, Daskalov A, Videira A, Glass NL. Regulated Forms of Cell Death in Fungi. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1837. [PMID: 28983298 PMCID: PMC5613156 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell death occurs in all domains of life. While some cells die in an uncontrolled way due to exposure to external cues, other cells die in a regulated manner as part of a genetically encoded developmental program. Like other eukaryotic species, fungi undergo programmed cell death (PCD) in response to various triggers. For example, exposure to external stress conditions can activate PCD pathways in fungi. Calcium redistribution between the extracellular space, the cytoplasm and intracellular storage organelles appears to be pivotal for this kind of cell death. PCD is also part of the fungal life cycle, in which it occurs during sexual and asexual reproduction, aging, and as part of development associated with infection in phytopathogenic fungi. Additionally, a fungal non-self-recognition mechanism termed heterokaryon incompatibility (HI) also involves PCD. Some of the molecular players mediating PCD during HI show remarkable similarities to major constituents involved in innate immunity in metazoans and plants. In this review we discuss recent research on fungal PCD mechanisms in comparison to more characterized mechanisms in metazoans. We highlight the role of PCD in fungi in response to exogenic compounds, fungal development and non-self-recognition processes and discuss identified intracellular signaling pathways and molecules that regulate fungal PCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pedro Gonçalves
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jens Heller
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Asen Daskalov
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Arnaldo Videira
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do PortoPorto, Portugal.,I3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em SaúdePorto, Portugal
| | - N Louise Glass
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
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35
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Liew PX, Kim JH, Lee WY, Kubes P. Antibody-dependent fragmentation is a newly identified mechanism of cell killing in vivo. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10515. [PMID: 28874772 PMCID: PMC5585239 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10420-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevailing view is that therapeutic antibodies deplete cells through opsonization and subsequent phagocytosis, complement-dependent lysis or antibody-dependent cellular-cytotoxicity. We used high resolution in vivo imaging to identify a new antibody-dependent cell death pathway where Kupffer cells ripped large fragments off crawling antibody-coated iNKT cells. This antibody-dependent fragmentation process resulted in lethality and depletion of crawling iNKT cells in the liver sinusoids and lung capillaries. iNKT cell depletion was Fcy-receptor dependent and required iNKT cell crawling. Blood, spleen or joint iNKT cells that did not crawl were not depleted. The antibody required high glycosylation for sufficiently strong binding of the iNKT cells to the Fc Receptors on Kupffer cells. Using an acetaminophen overdose model, this approach functionally depleted hepatic iNKT cells and affected the severity of liver injury. This study reveals a new mechanism of antibody-dependent killing in vivo and raises implications for the design of new antibodies for cancer and auto-reactive immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Xiong Liew
- Snyder institute of Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jung Hwan Kim
- Snyder institute of Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Woo-Yong Lee
- Snyder institute of Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Paul Kubes
- Snyder institute of Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
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Wang X, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Wei X. Farnesol induces apoptosis-like cell death in the pathogenic fungusAspergillus flavus. Mycologia 2017; 106:881-8. [PMID: 24895430 DOI: 10.3852/13-292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yuguang Zhou
- China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No 3 1st West Beichen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xinli Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No 3 1st West Beichen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
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Cotoras M, Castro P, Vivanco H, Melo R, Mendoza L. Farnesol induces apoptosis-like phenotype in the phytopathogenic fungusBotrytis cinerea. Mycologia 2017; 105:28-33. [DOI: 10.3852/12-012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Milena Cotoras
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulo Castro
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Herman Vivanco
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Melo
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Leonora Mendoza
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universídad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
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Sonderegger C, Fizil Á, Burtscher L, Hajdu D, Muñoz A, Gáspári Z, Read ND, Batta G, Marx F. D19S Mutation of the Cationic, Cysteine-Rich Protein PAF: Novel Insights into Its Structural Dynamics, Thermal Unfolding and Antifungal Function. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169920. [PMID: 28072824 PMCID: PMC5224997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cysteine-rich, cationic, antifungal protein PAF is abundantly secreted into the culture supernatant of the filamentous Ascomycete Penicillium chrysogenum. The five β-strands of PAF form a compact β-barrel that is stabilized by three disulphide bonds. The folding of PAF allows the formation of four surface-exposed loops and distinct charged motifs on the protein surface that might regulate the interaction of PAF with the sensitive target fungus. The growth inhibitory activity of this highly stable protein against opportunistic fungal pathogens provides great potential in antifungal drug research. To understand its mode of action, we started to investigate the surface-exposed loops of PAF and replaced one aspartic acid at position 19 in loop 2 that is potentially involved in PAF active or binding site, with a serine (Asp19 to Ser19). We analysed the overall effects, such as unfolding, electrostatic changes, sporadic conformers and antifungal activity when substituting this specific amino acid to the fairly indifferent amino acid serine. Structural analyses revealed that the overall 3D solution structure is virtually identical with that of PAF. However, PAFD19S showed slightly increased dynamics and significant differences in the surface charge distribution. Thermal unfolding identified PAFD19S to be rather a two-state folder in contrast to the three-state folder PAF. Functional comparison of PAFD19S and PAF revealed that the exchange at residue 19 caused a dramatic loss of antifungal activity: the binding and internalization of PAFD19S by target cells was reduced and the protein failed to trigger an intracellular Ca2+ response, all of which are closely linked to the antifungal toxicity of PAF. We conclude that the negatively charged residue Asp19 in loop 2 is essential for full function of the cationic protein PAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Sonderegger
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ádám Fizil
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Laura Burtscher
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dorottya Hajdu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Alberto Muñoz
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Zoltán Gáspári
- Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nick D. Read
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Gyula Batta
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Florentine Marx
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Application of a low molecular weight antifungal protein from Penicillium chrysogenum (PAF) to treat pulmonary aspergillosis in mice. Emerg Microbes Infect 2016; 5:e114. [PMID: 27826143 PMCID: PMC5148020 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2016.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PAF, a small antifungal protein from Penicillium chrysogenum, inhibits the growth of several pathogenic filamentous fungi, including members of the Aspergillus genus. PAF has been proven to have no toxic effects in vivo in mice by intranasal application. To test its efficacy against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), experiments were carried out in mice suffering from IPA. Adult mice were immunosuppressed and then infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. After stable infection, the animals were inoculated with PAF intranasally at a concentration of 2.7 mg/kg twice per day. At this concentration—which is highly toxic in vitro to A. fumigatus—the mortality of the animals was slightly delayed but finally all animals died. Histological examinations revealed massive fungal infections in the lungs of both PAF-treated and untreated animal groups. Because intranasally administered PAF was unable to overcome IPA, modified and combined therapies were introduced. The intraperitoneal application of PAF in animals with IPA prolonged the survival of the animals only 1 day. Similar results were obtained with amphotericin B (AMB), with PAF and AMB being equally effective. Combined therapy with AMB and PAF—which are synergistic in vitro—was found to be more effective than either AMB or PAF treatment alone. As no toxic effects of PAF in mammals have been described thus far, and, moreover, there are so far no A. fumigatus strains with reported inherent or acquired PAF resistance, it is worth carrying out further studies to introduce PAF as a potential antifungal drug in human therapy.
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Pereira CB, Pereira de Sá N, Borelli BM, Rosa CA, Barbeira PJS, Cota BB, Johann S. Antifungal activity of eicosanoic acids isolated from the endophytic fungus Mycosphaerella sp. against Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii. Microb Pathog 2016; 100:205-212. [PMID: 27693577 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2016.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The antifungal effects of two eicosanoic acids, 2-amino-3,4-dihydroxy-2-25-(hydroxymethyl)-14-oxo-6,12-eicosenoic acid (compound 1) and myriocin (compound 2), isolated from Mycosphaerella sp. were evaluated against Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii. The compounds displayed antifungal activities against several isolates of C. neoformans and C. gattii, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.49 to 7.82 μM for compound 1 and 0.48-1.95 μM for compound 2. In the checkerboard microtiter test, both compounds exhibited synergistic activity with amphotericin B against C. gattii. Ultrastructural analysis revealed several signs of damage in C. gattii and C. neoformans cells treated with compounds 1 and 2, including deformities in cell shape, depressions on the surface, and withered cells. The cells of C. gattii treated with compounds 1 and 2 showed less loss of cellular material in comparison to those treated with amphotericin B. The difference in cellular material loss increased in a test compound concentration-dependent manner. Consistent with this observation, compounds 1 and 2 were able to internalize propidium iodide (PI) in C. gattii cells. In addition, compound 2 induced the formation of several pseudohyphae, suggesting that it could reduce virulence in C. gattii cells. The study results show that these natural products led to membrane damage; however, this may not be the main target of action. These compounds have potential antifungal activity and could be useful in further studies for developing more effective combination therapies with amphotericin B and reducing side effects in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane Bigatti Pereira
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Laboratório de Química de Produtos Naturais Bioativos, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Nívea Pereira de Sá
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Martins Borelli
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlos Augusto Rosa
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Paulo Jorge Sanches Barbeira
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Betania Barros Cota
- Laboratório de Química de Produtos Naturais Bioativos, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Susana Johann
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Polli F, Meijrink B, Bovenberg RA, Driessen AJ. New promoters for strain engineering of Penicillium chrysogenum. Fungal Genet Biol 2016; 89:62-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Shirazi F, Ferreira JAG, Stevens DA, Clemons KV, Kontoyiannis DP. Biofilm Filtrates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Isolated from Cystic Fibrosis Patients Inhibit Preformed Aspergillus fumigatus Biofilms via Apoptosis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150155. [PMID: 26930399 PMCID: PMC4773012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) and Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) colonize cystic fibrosis (CF) patient airways. Pa culture filtrates inhibit Af biofilms, and Pa non-CF, mucoid (Muc-CF) and nonmucoid CF (NMuc-CF) isolates form an ascending inhibitory hierarchy. We hypothesized this activity is mediated through apoptosis induction. One Af and three Pa (non-CF, Muc-CF, NMuc-CF) reference isolates were studied. Af biofilm was formed in 96 well plates for 16 h ± Pa biofilm filtrates. After 24 h, apoptosis was characterized by viability dye DiBAc, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, DNA fragmentation and metacaspase activity. Muc-CF and NMuc-CF filtrates inhibited and damaged Af biofilm (p<0.0001). Intracellular ROS levels were elevated (p<0.001) in NMuc-CF-treated Af biofilms (3.7- fold) compared to treatment with filtrates from Muc-CF- (2.5- fold) or non-CF Pa (1.7- fold). Depolarization of mitochondrial potential was greater upon exposure to NMuc-CF (2.4-fold) compared to Muc-CF (1.8-fold) or non-CF (1.25-fold) (p<0.0001) filtrates. Exposure to filtrates resulted in more DNA fragmentation in Af biofilm, compared to control, mediated by metacaspase activation. In conclusion, filtrates from CF-Pa isolates were more inhibitory against Af biofilms than from non-CF. The apoptotic effect involves mitochondrial membrane damage associated with metacaspase activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazal Shirazi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, United States of America
| | - Jose A. G. Ferreira
- Div. of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305, United States of America
- California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, California, 95128, United States of America
| | - David A. Stevens
- Div. of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305, United States of America
- California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, California, 95128, United States of America
| | - Karl V. Clemons
- Div. of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305, United States of America
- California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, California, 95128, United States of America
| | - Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, United States of America
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Ghosh P, Roy A, Hess D, Ghosh A, Das S. Deciphering the mode of action of a mutant Allium sativum Leaf Agglutinin (mASAL), a potent antifungal protein on Rhizoctonia solani. BMC Microbiol 2015; 15:237. [PMID: 26502719 PMCID: PMC4623900 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-015-0549-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mutant Allium sativum leaf agglutinin (mASAL) is a potent, biosafe, antifungal protein that exhibits fungicidal activity against different phytopathogenic fungi, including Rhizoctonia solani. Methods The effect of mASAL on the morphology of R.solani was monitored primarily by scanning electron and light microscopic techniques. Besides different fluorescent probes were used for monitoring various intracellular changes associated with mASAL treatment like change in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induction of programmed cell death (PCD). In addition ligand blot followed by LC-MS/MS analyses were performed to detect the putative interactors of mASAL. Results Knowledge on the mode of function for any new protein is a prerequisite for its biotechnological application. Detailed morphological analysis of mASAL treated R. solani hyphae using different microscopic techniques revealed a detrimental effect of mASAL on both the cell wall and the plasma membrane. Moreover, exposure to mASAL caused the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the subsequent intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the target organism. In conjunction with this observation, evidence of the induction of programmed cell death (PCD) was also noted in the mASAL treated R. solani hyphae. Furthermore, we investigated its interacting partners from R. solani. Using ligand blots followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses, we identified different binding partners including Actin, HSP70, ATPase and 14-3-3 protein. Conclusions Taken together, the present study provides insight into the probable mode of action of the antifungal protein, mASAL on R. solani which could be exploited in future biotechnological applications. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-015-0549-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prithwi Ghosh
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P1/12, CIT Scheme, VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, 700054, West Bengal, India.
| | - Amit Roy
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P1/12, CIT Scheme, VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, 700054, West Bengal, India. .,Present address: Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, SE-230 53, Sweden.
| | - Daniel Hess
- The Protein Analysis Facility, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Anupama Ghosh
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P1/12, CIT Scheme, VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, 700054, West Bengal, India.
| | - Sampa Das
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P1/12, CIT Scheme, VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, 700054, West Bengal, India.
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Increased chitin biosynthesis contributes to the resistance of Penicillium polonicum against the antifungal protein PgAFP. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 100:371-83. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-7020-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 08/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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46
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Impact of the antifungal protein PgAFP from Penicillium chrysogenum on the protein profile in Aspergillus flavus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:8701-15. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6731-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Chen Y, Duan Z, Chen P, Shang Y, Wang C. The Bax inhibitor MrBI-1 regulates heat tolerance, apoptotic-like cell death, and virulence in Metarhizium robertsii. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10625. [PMID: 26023866 PMCID: PMC4448503 DOI: 10.1038/srep10625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bax inhibitor 1 (BI-1) is a highly conserved protein originally identified as a suppressor of the proapoptotic protein Bax to inhibit cell death in animals and plants. The orthologs of BI-1 are widely distributed in filamentous fungi but their functions remain largely unknown. Herein, we report the identification and characterizations of MrBI-1, an ortholog of BI-1, in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. First, we found that MrBI-1 could partially rescue mammalian Bax-induced cell death in yeast. Deletion of MrBI-1 impaired fungal development, virulence and heat tolerance in M. robertsii. We also demonstrated that inactivation of MrBI-1 reduced fungal resistance to farnesol but not to hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that MrBI-1 contributes to antiapoptotic-like cell death via the endoplasmic reticulum stress-signaling pathway rather than the classical mitochondrium-dependent pathway. In particular, we found that unlike the observations in yeasts and plants, expression of mammalian Bax did not lead to a lethal effect in M. robertsii; however, it did aggravate the fungal apoptotic effect of farnesol. The results of this study advance our understanding of BI-1-like protein functions in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhibing Duan
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.,Current address:Department of Neuroscience &Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Peilin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yanfang Shang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chengshu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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Virágh M, Marton A, Vizler C, Tóth L, Vágvölgyi C, Marx F, Galgóczy L. Insight into the antifungal mechanism of Neosartorya fischeri antifungal protein. Protein Cell 2015; 6:518-28. [PMID: 25994413 PMCID: PMC4491047 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-015-0167-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Small, cysteine-rich, highly stable antifungal proteins secreted by filamentous Ascomycetes have great potential for the development of novel antifungal strategies. However, their practical application is still limited due to their not fully clarified mode of action. The aim of this work was to provide a deep insight into the antifungal mechanism of Neosartorya fischeri antifungal protein (NFAP), a novel representative of this protein group. Within a short exposure time to NFAP, reduced cellular metabolism, apoptosis induction, changes in the actin distribution and chitin deposition at the hyphal tip were observed in NFAP-sensitive Aspergillus nidulans. NFAP did show neither a direct membrane disrupting-effect nor uptake by endocytosis. Investigation of A. nidulans signalling mutants revealed that NFAP activates the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway via G-protein signalling which leads to apoptosis and inhibition of polar growth. In contrast, NFAP does not have any influence on the cell wall integrity pathway, but an unknown cell wall integrity pathway-independent mitogen activated protein kinase A-activated target is assumed to be involved in the cell death induction. Taken together, it was concluded that NFAP shows similarities, but also differences in its mode of antifungal action compared to two most investigated NFAP-related proteins from Aspergillus giganteus and Penicillium chrysogenum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Virágh
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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Binder U, Benčina M, Fizil Á, Batta G, Chhillar AK, Marx F. Protein kinase A signaling and calcium ions are major players in PAF mediated toxicity against Aspergillus niger. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:1266-71. [PMID: 25882631 PMCID: PMC4424949 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus niger is highly susceptible to the antifungal protein PAF. Ca2+ and cAMP/PKA signalling are interconnected in response to PAF. PAF toxicity requires the activation of the cAMP/PkaA signaling cascade. PAF evokes a sustained increase in the [Ca2+]c resting level. Only a functional PAF protein interferes with the fungal Ca2+ homeostasis. PAF represents a promising molecule to develop new antifungal strategies.
The Penicillium chrysogenum antifungal protein PAF is toxic against potentially pathogenic Ascomycetes. We used the highly sensitive aequorin-expressing model Aspergillus niger to identify a defined change in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ dynamics in response to PAF. This Ca2+ signature depended on an intact positively charged lysine-rich PAF motif. By combining Ca2+ measurements in A. niger mutants with deregulated cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling, we proved the interconnection of Ca2+ perturbation and cAMP/PKA signaling in the mechanistic function of PAF. A deep understanding of the mode of action of PAF is an invaluable prerequisite for its future application as new antifungal drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Binder
- Biocenter, Division of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Schöpfstrasse 41, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mojca Benčina
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ádám Fizil
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gyula Batta
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Anil K Chhillar
- Biocenter, Division of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Centre for Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, IN-124001 Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Florentine Marx
- Biocenter, Division of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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Fizil Á, Gáspári Z, Barna T, Marx F, Batta G. "Invisible" conformers of an antifungal disulfide protein revealed by constrained cold and heat unfolding, CEST-NMR experiments, and molecular dynamics calculations. Chemistry 2015; 21:5136-44. [PMID: 25676351 PMCID: PMC4464532 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201404879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transition between conformational states in proteins is being recognized as a possible key factor of function. In support of this, hidden dynamic NMR structures were detected in several cases up to populations of a few percent. Here, we show by two- and three-state analysis of thermal unfolding, that the population of hidden states may weight 20-40 % at 298 K in a disulfide-rich protein. In addition, sensitive (15) N-CEST NMR experiments identified a low populated (0.15 %) state that was in slow exchange with the folded PAF protein. Remarkably, other techniques failed to identify the rest of the NMR "dark matter". Comparison of the temperature dependence of chemical shifts from experiments and molecular dynamics calculations suggests that hidden conformers of PAF differ in the loop and terminal regions and are most similar in the evolutionary conserved core. Our observations point to the existence of a complex conformational landscape with multiple conformational states in dynamic equilibrium, with diverse exchange rates presumably responsible for the completely hidden nature of a considerable fraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Fizil
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen (Hungary)
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