Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 116 in total

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  1. Fulltext FAR1 and FAR2 regulate the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae
    bin Yusof MT, Kershaw MJ, Soanes DM, Talbot NJ
    PLoS One, 2014;9(6):e99760.
    PMID: 24949933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099760
    The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae causes plant disease via specialised infection structures called appressoria. These dome-shaped cells are able to generate enormous internal pressure, which enables penetration of rice tissue by invasive hyphae. Previous studies have shown that mobilisation of lipid bodies and subsequent lipid metabolism are essential pre-requisites for successful appressorium-mediated plant infection, which requires autophagic recycling of the contents of germinated spores and germ tubes to the developing appressorium. Here, we set out to identify putative regulators of lipid metabolism in the rice blast fungus. We report the identification of FAR1 and FAR2, which encode highly conserved members of the Zn2-Cys6 family of transcriptional regulators. We generated Δfar1, Δfar2 and Δfar1Δfar2 double mutants in M. oryzae and show that these deletion mutants are deficient in growth on long chain fatty acids. In addition, Δfar2 mutants are also unable to grow on acetate and short chain fatty acids. FAR1 and FAR2 are necessary for differential expression of genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation, acetyl-CoA translocation, peroxisomal biogenesis, and the glyoxylate cycle in response to the presence of lipids. Furthermore, FAR2 is necessary for expression of genes associated with acetyl-CoA synthesis. Interestingly, Δfar1, Δfar2 and Δfar1Δfar2 mutants show no observable delay or reduction in lipid body mobilisation during plant infection, suggesting that these transcriptional regulators control lipid substrate utilization by the fungus but not the mobilisation of intracellular lipid reserves during infection-related morphogenesis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/biosynthesis*; Fungal Proteins/genetics
  2. Virulence, Host-Selective Toxin Production, and Development of Three Cochliobolus Phytopathogens Lacking the Sfp-Type 4'-Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase Ppt1
    Zainudin NA, Condon B, De Bruyne L, Van Poucke C, Bi Q, Li W, et al.
    Mol Plant Microbe Interact, 2015 Oct;28(10):1130-41.
    PMID: 26168137 DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-03-15-0068-R
    The Sfp-type 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase Ppt1 is required for activation of nonribosomal peptide synthetases, including α-aminoadipate reductase (AAR) for lysine biosynthesis and polyketide synthases, enzymes that biosynthesize peptide and polyketide secondary metabolites, respectively. Deletion of the PPT1 gene, from the maize pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus and the rice pathogen Cochliobolus miyabeanus, yielded strains that were significantly reduced in virulence to their hosts. In addition, ppt1 mutants of C. heterostrophus race T and Cochliobolus victoriae were unable to biosynthesize the host-selective toxins (HST) T-toxin and victorin, respectively, as judged by bioassays. Interestingly, ppt1 mutants of C. miyabeanus were shown to produce tenfold higher levels of the sesterterpene-type non-HST ophiobolin A, as compared with the wild-type strain. The ppt1 strains of all species were also reduced in tolerance to oxidative stress and iron depletion; both phenotypes are associated with inability to produce extracellular siderophores biosynthesized by the nonribosomal peptide synthetase Nps6. Colony surfaces were hydrophilic, a trait previously associated with absence of C. heterostrophus Nps4. Mutants were decreased in asexual sporulation and C. heterostrophus strains were female-sterile in sexual crosses; the latter phenotype was observed previously with mutants lacking Nps2, which produces an intracellular siderophore. As expected, mutants were albino, since they cannot produce the polyketide melanin and were auxotrophic for lysine because they lack an AAR.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics*; Fungal Proteins/metabolism
  3. Fulltext Thermotolerance and molecular chaperone function of an SGT1-like protein from the psychrophilic yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica
    Yusof NA, Hashim NH, Beddoe T, Mahadi NM, Illias RM, Bakar FD, et al.
    Cell Stress Chaperones, 2016 Jul;21(4):707-15.
    PMID: 27154490 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-016-0696-2
    The ability of eukaryotes to adapt to an extreme range of temperatures is critically important for survival. Although adaptation to extreme high temperatures is well understood, reflecting the action of molecular chaperones, it is unclear whether these molecules play a role in survival at extremely low temperatures. The recent genome sequencing of the yeast Glaciozyma antarctica, isolated from Antarctic sea ice near Casey Station, provides an opportunity to investigate the role of molecular chaperones in adaptation to cold temperatures. We isolated a G. antarctica homologue of small heat shock protein 20 (HSP20), GaSGT1, and observed that the GaSGT1 mRNA expression in G. antarctica was markedly increased following culture exposure at low temperatures. Additionally, we demonstrated that GaSGT1 overexpression in Escherichia coli protected these bacteria from exposure to both high and low temperatures, which are lethal for growth. The recombinant GaSGT1 retained up to 60 % of its native luciferase activity after exposure to luciferase-denaturing temperatures. These results suggest that GaSGT1 promotes cell thermotolerance and employs molecular chaperone-like activity toward temperature assaults.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics; Fungal Proteins/metabolism*; Fungal Proteins/chemistry
  4. Cgl-SLT2 is required for appressorium formation, sporulation and pathogenicity in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
    Yong HY, Bakar FD, Illias RM, Mahadi NM, Murad AM
    Braz J Microbiol, 2013 Dec;44(4):1241-50.
    PMID: 24688518
    The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways has been implicated in the pathogenicity of various pathogenic fungi and plays important roles in regulating pathogenicity-related morphogenesis. This work describes the isolation and characterization of MAP kinase gene, Cgl-SLT2, from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. A DNA sequence, including 1,633 bp of Cgl-SLT2 open-reading frame and its promoter and terminator regions, was isolated via DNA walking and cloned. To analyze gene function, a gene disruption cassette containing hygromycin-resistant gene was constructed, and Cgl-SLT2 was inactivated via gene deletion. Analysis on Cgl-slt2 mutant revealed a defect in vegetative growth and sporulation as compared to the wild-type strain. When grown under nutrient-limiting conditions, hyperbranched hyphal morphology was observed in the mutant. Conidia induction for germination on rubber wax-coated hard surfaces revealed no differences in the percentage of conidial germination between the wild-type and Cgl-slt2 mutant. However, the percentage of appressorium formation in the mutant was greatly reduced. Bipolar germination in the mutant was higher than in the wild-type at 8-h post-induction. A pathogenicity assay revealed that the mutant was unable to infect either wounded or unwounded mangoes. These results suggest that the Cgl-SLT2 MAP kinase is required for C. gloeosporioides conidiation, polarized growth, appressorium formation and pathogenicity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics; Fungal Proteins/metabolism*
  5. Fulltext Insight into different environmental niches adaptation and allergenicity from the Cladosporium sphaerospermum genome, a common human allergy-eliciting Dothideomycetes
    Yew SM, Chan CL, Ngeow YF, Toh YF, Na SL, Lee KW, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2016 05 31;6:27008.
    PMID: 27243961 DOI: 10.1038/srep27008
    Cladosporium sphaerospermum, a dematiaceous saprophytic fungus commonly found in diverse environments, has been reported to cause allergy and other occasional diseases in humans. However, its basic biology and genetic information are largely unexplored. A clinical isolate C. sphaerospermum genome, UM 843, was re-sequenced and combined with previously generated sequences to form a model 26.89 Mb genome containing 9,652 predicted genes. Functional annotation on predicted genes suggests the ability of this fungus to degrade carbohydrate and protein complexes. Several putative peptidases responsible for lung tissue hydrolysis were identified. These genes shared high similarity with the Aspergillus peptidases. The UM 843 genome encodes a wide array of proteins involved in the biosynthesis of melanin, siderophores, cladosins and survival in high salinity environment. In addition, a total of 28 genes were predicted to be associated with allergy. Orthologous gene analysis together with 22 other Dothideomycetes showed genes uniquely present in UM 843 that encode four class 1 hydrophobins which may be allergens specific to Cladosporium. The mRNA of these hydrophobins were detected by RT-PCR. The genomic analysis of UM 843 contributes to the understanding of the biology and allergenicity of this widely-prevalent species.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics*; Fungal Proteins/immunology
  6. Fulltext Genome-based proteomic analysis of Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden sclerotium
    Yap HY, Fung SY, Ng ST, Tan CS, Tan NH
    Int J Med Sci, 2015;12(1):23-31.
    PMID: 25552915 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.10019
    Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden (Polyporales, Basidiomycota), also known as the tiger milk mushroom, has received much interest in recent years owing to its wide-range ethnobotanical uses and the recent success in its domestication. The sclerotium is the part with medicinal value. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry analysis, a total of 16 non-redundant, major proteins were identified with high confidence level in L. rhinocerotis sclerotium based on its genome as custom mapping database. Some of these proteins, such as the putative lectins, immunomodulatory proteins, superoxide dismutase, and aegerolysin may have pharmaceutical potential; while others are involved in nutrient mobilization and the protective antioxidant mechanism in the sclerotium. The findings from this study provide a molecular basis for future research on potential pharmacologically active proteins of L. rhinocerotis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/isolation & purification*; Fungal Proteins/pharmacology*
  7. Fulltext The genome of the Tiger Milk mushroom, Lignosus rhinocerotis, provides insights into the genetic basis of its medicinal properties
    Yap HY, Chooi YH, Firdaus-Raih M, Fung SY, Ng ST, Tan CS, et al.
    BMC Genomics, 2014;15:635.
    PMID: 25073817 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-635
    The sclerotium of Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden or Tiger milk mushroom (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) is a valuable folk medicine for indigenous peoples in Southeast Asia. Despite the increasing interest in this ethnobotanical mushroom, very little is known about the molecular and genetic basis of its medicinal and nutraceutical properties.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics; Fungal Proteins/metabolism
  8. New mechanical disruption method for extraction of whole cell protein from Candida albicans
    Wong SF, Mak JW, Pook PC
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2007 May;38(3):512-8.
    PMID: 17877228
    Cell disruption or lysis is a crucial step to obtain cellular components for various biological studies. We subjected different concentrations of Candida albicans to 5, 10, 15 and 20 cycles of disruption. The degree of cell lysis was observed using light microscopy and the yields obtained were measured and analysed. The optimum extraction with 1 x 10(10) yeast cells/ml was achieved after 5 cycles of disruption with 1.0 mm diameter glass beads at 5,000 rpm. Approximately 80% of the cells were lysed and the protein yield was 6,000 microg/ml. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed approximately 25 distinct protein bands with molecular weights ranging from 8 kDa to 220 kDa. We conclude that this mechanical disruption of fungal cells is a rapid, efficient and inexpensive technique for extracting whole cell proteins from yeast cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/isolation & purification*
  9. Isozyme and morphological characteristics of the anaerobic fungus Piromyces mae isolated from the duodenum, rumen and faeces of sheep
    Wong MV, Ho YW, Tan SG, Abdullah N, Jalaludin S
    FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1995 Dec 01;134(1):9-14.
    PMID: 8593960
    Isolates of anaerobic fungi obtained from the rumen, duodenum and faeces of sheep were identified as Piromyces mae based on their morphological characteristics observed using light microscopy. There was no significant morphological variation among the isolates of P. mae from the rumen, duodenum and faeces. Isozymes of 12 isolates of P. mae (one each from the rumen, duodenum and faeces from 4 different sheep) were analysed by PAGE. A total of 12 isozymes were studied and 5 isozyme loci were successfully typed. They were malic enzyme, malate dehydrogenase, shikimate dehydrogenase, alpha-esterase and beta-esterase. All the isolates of P. mae regardless of whether they were from the rumen, duodenum or faeces or from different animals produced very similar isozyme banding patterns for each of the enzyme systems. The similar isozyme profiles of the isolates indicate that they are of the same species although they exist in different regions of the alimentary tract.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/analysis
  10. Efficient removal of lignin with the maintenance of hemicellulose from kenaf by two-stage pretreatment process
    Wan Azelee NI, Md Jahim J, Rabu A, Abdul Murad AM, Abu Bakar FD, Md Illias R
    Carbohydr Polym, 2014 Jan;99:447-53.
    PMID: 24274529 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.08.043
    The enhancement of lignocellulose hydrolysis using enzyme complexes requires an efficient pretreatment process to obtain susceptible conditions for the enzyme attack. This study focuses on removing a major part of the lignin layer from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) while simultaneously maintaining most of the hemicellulose. A two-stage pretreatment process is adopted using calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)₂, and peracetic acid, PPA, to break the recalcitrant lignin layer from other structural polysaccharides. An experimental screening of several pretreatment chemicals, concentrations, temperatures and solid-liquid ratios enabled the production of an optimally designed pretreatment process for kenaf. Our results showed that the pretreatment process has provide 59.25% lignin removal while maintaining 87.72% and 96.17% hemicellulose and cellulose, respectively, using 1g of Ca(OH)₂/L and a 8:1 (mL:g) ratio of liquid-Ca(OH)₂ at 50 °C for 1.5 h followed by 20% peracetic acid pretreatment at 75 °C for 2 h. These results validate this mild approach for aiding future enzymatic hydrolysis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/chemistry
  11. Fulltext Characterisation of potential antidiabetic-related proteins from Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quél. (grey oyster mushroom) by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry
    Wahab NA, Abdullah N, Aminudin N
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:131607.
    PMID: 25243114 DOI: 10.1155/2014/131607
    Pleurotus pulmonarius has been reported to have a potent remedial effect on diabetic property and considered to be an alternative for type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment. This study aimed to investigate the antidiabetic properties of ammonium sulphate precipitated protein fractions from P. pulmonarius basidiocarps. Preliminary results demonstrated that 30% (NH4)2SO4 precipitated fraction (F30) inhibited Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-glucosidase activity (24.18%), and 100% (NH4)2SO4 precipitated fraction (F100) inhibited porcine pancreatic α-amylase activity (41.80%). Following RP-HPLC purification, peak 3 from F30 fraction demonstrated inhibition towards α-glucosidase at the same time with meagre inhibition towards α-amylase activity. Characterisation of proteins using MALDI-TOF/TOF MS demonstrated the presence of four different proteins, which could be implicated in the regulation of blood glucose level via various mechanisms. Therefore, this study revealed the presence of four antidiabetic-related proteins which are profilin-like protein, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-like protein, trehalose phosphorylase-like (TP-like) protein, and catalase-like protein. Hence, P. pulmonarius basidiocarps have high potential in lowering blood glucose level, reducing insulin resistance and vascular complications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/pharmacology*
  12. Functional analysis of hydrophobin genes in sexual development of Botrytis cinerea
    Terhem RB, van Kan JA
    Fungal Genet. Biol., 2014 Oct;71:42-51.
    PMID: 25181040 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2014.08.002
    Hydrophobins are small secreted fungal proteins that play roles in growth and development of filamentous fungi, i.e. in the formation of aerial structures and the attachment of hyphae to hydrophobic surfaces. In Botrytis cinerea, three hydrophobin genes have been identified. Studies by Mosbach et al. (2011) showed that hydrophobins are neither involved in conferring surface hydrophobicity to conidia and aerial hyphae of B. cinerea, nor are they required for virulence. The present study investigated the role of hydrophobins in sclerotium and apothecium development. Expression analysis revealed high expression of the Bhp1 gene during different stages of apothecium development. Two Bhp1 splice variants were detected that differ by an internal stretch of 13 amino acid residues. Seven different mutants in which either a single, two or three hydrophobin genes were knocked out, as well as two wild type strains of opposite mating types, were characterized for sclerotium and apothecium development. No aberrant morphology was observed in sclerotium development when single deletion mutants in hydrophobin genes were analyzed. Sclerotia of double knock out mutant ΔBhp1/ΔBhp3 and the triple knock out mutant, however, showed easily wettable phenotypes. For analyzing apothecium development, a reciprocal crossing scheme was setup. Morphological aberrations were observed in crosses with two hydrophobin mutants. When the double knock out mutant ΔBhp1/ΔBhp2 and the triple knock out mutant were used as the maternal parent (sclerotia), and fertilized with wild type microconidia, the resulting apothecia were swollen, dark brown in color and had a blotched surface. After initially growing upwards toward the light source, the apothecia in many cases collapsed due to loss of structural integrity. Aberrant apothecium development was not observed in the reciprocal cross, when these same mutants were used as the paternal parent (microconidia). These results indicate that the presence of hydrophobins in maternal tissue is important for normal development of apothecia of B. cinerea.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics*; Fungal Proteins/metabolism
  13. Structure and dynamics of Candida rugosa lipase: the role of organic solvent
    Tejo BA, Salleh AB, Pleiss J
    J Mol Model, 2004 Dec;10(5-6):358-66.
    PMID: 15597204
    The effect of organic solvent on the structure and dynamics of proteins was investigated by multiple molecular dynamics simulations (1 ns each) of Candida rugosa lipase in water and in carbon tetrachloride. The choice of solvent had only a minor structural effect. For both solvents the open and the closed conformation of the lipase were near to their experimental X-ray structures (C(alpha) rms deviation 1-1.3 A). However, the solvents had a highly specific effect on the flexibility of solvent-exposed side chains: polar side chains were more flexible in water, but less flexible in organic solvent. In contrast, hydrophobic residues were more flexible in organic solvent, but less flexible in water. As a major effect solvent changed the dynamics of the lid, a mobile element involved in activation of the lipase, which fluctuated as a rigid body about its average position. While in water the deviations were about 1.6 A, organic solvent reduced flexibility to 0.9 A. This increase rigidity was caused by two salt bridges (Lys85-Asp284, Lys75-Asp79) and a stable hydrogen bond (Lys75-Asn 292) in organic solvent. Thus, organic solvents stabilize the lid but render the side chains in the hydrophobic substrate-binding site more mobile. [figure: see text]. Superimposition of open (black, PDB entry 1CRL) and closed (gray, PDB entry 1TRH) conformers of C. rugosa lipase. The mobile lid is indicated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/drug effects; Fungal Proteins/chemistry*
  14. Novel lipase purification methods - a review of the latest developments
    Tan CH, Show PL, Ooi CW, Ng EP, Lan JC, Ling TC
    Biotechnol J, 2015 Jan;10(1):31-44.
    PMID: 25273633 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400301
    Microbial lipases are popular biocatalysts due to their ability to catalyse diverse reactions such as hydrolysis, esterification, and acidolysis. Lipases function efficiently on various substrates in aqueous and non-aqueous media. Lipases are chemo-, regio-, and enantio-specific, and are useful in various industries, including those manufacturing food, detergents, and pharmaceuticals. A large number of lipases from fungal and bacterial sources have been isolated and purified to homogeneity. This success is attributed to the development of both conventional and novel purification techniques. This review highlights the use of these techniques in lipase purification, including conventional techniques such as: (i) ammonium sulphate fractionation; (ii) ion-exchange; (iii) gel filtration and affinity chromatography; as well as novel techniques such as (iv) reverse micellar system; (v) membrane processes; (vi) immunopurification; (vi) aqueous two-phase system; and (vii) aqueous two-phase floatation. A summary of the purification schemes for various bacterial and fungal lipases are also provided.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/isolation & purification; Fungal Proteins/metabolism; Fungal Proteins/chemistry
  15. Comprehensive studies on optimization of cellulase and xylanase production by a local indigenous fungus strain via solid state fermentation using oil palm frond as substrate
    Tai WY, Tan JS, Lim V, Lee CK
    Biotechnol Prog, 2019 05;35(3):e2781.
    PMID: 30701709 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2781
    The high cost of cellulases remains the most significant barrier to the economical production of bio-ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. The goal of this study was to optimize cellulases and xylanase production by a local indigenous fungus strain (Aspergillus niger DWA8) using agricultural waste (oil palm frond [OPF]) as substrate. The enzyme production profile before optimization indicated that the highest carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCase), filter paper (FPase), and xylanase activities of 1.06 U/g, 2.55 U/g, and 2.93 U/g were obtained on day 5, day 4, and day 5 of fermentation, respectively. Response surface methodology was used to study the effects of several key process parameters in order to optimize cellulase production. Of the five physical and two chemical factors tested, only moisture content of 75% (w/w) and substrate amount of 2.5 g had statistically significant effect on enzymes production. Under optimized conditions of 2.5 g of substrate, 75% (w/w) moisture content, initial medium of pH 4.5, 1 × 106 spores/mL of inoculum, and incubation at ambient temperature (±30°C) without additional carbon and nitrogen, the highest CMCase, FPase, and xylanase activities obtained were 2.38 U/g, 2.47 U/g, and 5.23 U/g, respectively. Thus, the optimization process increased CMCase and xylanase production by 124.5 and 78.5%, respectively. Moreover, A. niger DWA8 produced reasonably good cellulase and xylanase titers using OPF as the substrate when compared with previous researcher finding. The enzymes produced by this process could be further use to hydrolyze biomass to generate reducing sugars, which are the feedstock for bioethanol production.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/biosynthesis*
  16. Inhibition and kinetic studies of cellulose- and hemicellulose-degrading enzymes of Ganoderma boninense by naturally occurring phenolic compounds
    Surendran A, Siddiqui Y, Ali NS, Manickam S
    J Appl Microbiol, 2018 Jun;124(6):1544-1555.
    PMID: 29405525 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13717
    AIM: Ganoderma sp, the causal pathogen of the basal stem rot (BSR) disease of oil palm, secretes extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. These play an important role in the pathogenesis of BSR by nourishing the pathogen through the digestion of cellulose and hemicellulose of the host tissue. Active suppression of hydrolytic enzymes secreted by Ganoderma boninense by various naturally occurring phenolic compounds and estimation of their efficacy on pathogen suppression is focused in this study.

    METHODS AND RESULTS: Ten naturally occurring phenolic compounds were assessed for their inhibitory effect on the hydrolytic enzymes of G. boninense. The enzyme kinetics (Vmax and Km ) and the stability of the hydrolytic enzymes were also characterized. The selected compounds had shown inhibitory effect at various concentrations. Two types of inhibitions namely uncompetitive and noncompetitive were observed in the presence of phenolic compounds. Among all the phenolic compounds tested, benzoic acid was the most effective compound suppressive to the growth and production of hydrolytic enzymes secreted by G. boninense. The phenolic compounds as inhibitory agents can be a better replacement for the metal ions which are known as conventional inhibitors till date. The three hydrolytic enzymes were stable in a wide range of pH and temperature.

    CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the efficacy of the applications of phenolic compounds to control Ganoderma.

    SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The study has proved a replacement for chemical controls of G. boninense with naturally occurring phenolic compounds.

    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors; Fungal Proteins/metabolism; Fungal Proteins/chemistry
  17. Oxidant-specific regulation of protein synthesis in Candida albicans
    Sundaram A, Grant CM
    Fungal Genet. Biol., 2014 Jun;67:15-23.
    PMID: 24699161 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2014.03.005
    Eukaryotic cells typically respond to stress conditions by inhibiting global protein synthesis. The initiation phase is the main target of regulation and represents a key control point for eukaryotic gene expression. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian cells this is achieved by phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α). We have examined how the fungal pathogen Candida albicans responds to oxidative stress conditions and show that oxidants including hydrogen peroxide, the heavy metal cadmium and the thiol oxidant diamide inhibit translation initiation. The inhibition in response to hydrogen peroxide and cadmium largely depends on phosphorylation of eIF2α since minimal inhibition is observed in a gcn2 mutant. In contrast, translation initiation is inhibited in a Gcn2-independent manner in response to diamide. Our data indicate that all three oxidants inhibit growth of C. albicans in a dose-dependent manner, however, loss of GCN2 does not improve growth in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or cadmium. Examination of translational activity indicates that these oxidants inhibit translation at a post-initiation phase which may account for the growth inhibition in a gcn2 mutant. As well as inhibiting global translation initiation, phosphorylation of eIF2α also enhances expression of the GCN4 mRNA in yeast via a well-known translational control mechanism. We show that C. albicans GCN4 is similarly induced in response to oxidative stress conditions and Gcn4 is specifically required for hydrogen peroxide tolerance. Thus, the response of C. albicans to oxidative stress is mediated by oxidant-specific regulation of translation initiation and we discuss our findings in comparison to other eukaryotes including the yeast S. cerevisiae.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/biosynthesis*; Fungal Proteins/genetics
  18. Isozyme analysis and relationships among three species in Malaysian Trichoderma isolates
    Siddiquee S, Tan SG, Yusof UK
    J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2010 Sep;20(9):1266-75.
    PMID: 20890090
    Isozyme and protein electrophoresis data from mycelial extracts of 27 isolates of Trichoderma harzianum, 10 isolates of T. aureoviride and 10 isolates of T. longibrachiatum from Southern Peninsular Malaysia were investigated. The eight enzyme and a single protein pattern systems were analyzed. Three isozyme and total protein patterns were shown to be useful for the detection of three Trichoderma species. The isozyme and protein data were analyzed using the Nei and Li Dice similarity coefficient for pairwise comparison between individual isolates, species isolate group, and for generating a distance matrix. The UPGMA cluster analysis showed a higher degree of relationship between T. harzianum and T. aureoviride than to T. longibrachiatum. These results suggested that the T. harzianum isolates had high levels of genetic variation compared to the other isolates of Trichoderma species.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/genetics*
  19. Fulltext Solution structures, dynamics, and ice growth inhibitory activity of peptide fragments derived from an antarctic yeast protein
    Shah SH, Kar RK, Asmawi AA, Rahman MB, Murad AM, Mahadi NM, et al.
    PLoS One, 2012;7(11):e49788.
    PMID: 23209600 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049788
    Exotic functions of antifreeze proteins (AFP) and antifreeze glycopeptides (AFGP) have recently been attracted with much interest to develop them as commercial products. AFPs and AFGPs inhibit ice crystal growth by lowering the water freezing point without changing the water melting point. Our group isolated the Antarctic yeast Glaciozyma antarctica that expresses antifreeze protein to assist it in its survival mechanism at sub-zero temperatures. The protein is unique and novel, indicated by its low sequence homology compared to those of other AFPs. We explore the structure-function relationship of G. antarctica AFP using various approaches ranging from protein structure prediction, peptide design and antifreeze activity assays, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies and molecular dynamics simulation. The predicted secondary structure of G. antarctica AFP shows several α-helices, assumed to be responsible for its antifreeze activity. We designed several peptide fragments derived from the amino acid sequences of α-helical regions of the parent AFP and they also showed substantial antifreeze activities, below that of the original AFP. The relationship between peptide structure and activity was explored by NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation. NMR results show that the antifreeze activity of the peptides correlates with their helicity and geometrical straightforwardness. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation also suggests that the activity of the designed peptides can be explained in terms of the structural rigidity/flexibility, i.e., the most active peptide demonstrates higher structural stability, lower flexibility than that of the other peptides with lower activities, and of lower rigidity. This report represents the first detailed report of downsizing a yeast AFP into its peptide fragments with measurable antifreeze activities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/metabolism; Fungal Proteins/chemistry*
  20. Studies of reaction parameters on synthesis of Citronellyl laurate ester via immobilized Candida rugosa lipase in organic media
    Serri NA, Kamaruddin AH, Long WS
    Bioprocess Biosyst Eng, 2006 Oct;29(4):253-60.
    PMID: 16868763
    Immobilized Candida rugosa lipase was used for the synthesis of citronellyl laurate from citronellol and lauric acid. Screening of different types of support (Amberlite MB-1 and Celite) for immobilization of lipase and solvent (n-hexane, n-heptane, and iso-octane) and optimization of reaction conditions, such as catalyst loading, effect of substrates molar ratio and temperature, have been studied. The maximum enzyme activity was obtained at 310 K. The immobilized C. rugosa lipase onto Amberlite MB-1 support was found to be the best support with a conversion of 89% of citronellyl laurate ester in iso-octane compared to Celite 545. Deactivation of C. rugosa lipase at 313, 318 and 323 K were observed. Ordered bi bi mechanism with dead end complex of lauric acid was found to fit the initial rate data and the kinetic parameters were obtained by non-linear regression analysis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungal Proteins/chemistry*
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