No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The fungus Stagonospora nodorum is the causal agent of leaf and glume blotch disease on wheat and is an emerging model for the study of the interaction between plants and necrotrophic fungal pathogens. Signal transduction plays a critical role during infection by allowing the pathogen to sense and appropriately respond to environmental changes. The role of signal transduction in the pathogenicity of S. nodorum was analysed by the targeted inactivation of genes encoding a Gá subunit (Gna1) and a mitogen-activated protein kinase (Mak2). Strains carrying the inactivated genes were impaired in virulence and demonstrated a host of phenotypic impairments such as abolished sporulation. Therefore, it was hypothesised that Gna1 and Mak2 regulate downstream effector molecules that are critical for pathogenic development. A 2D gel-based proteomic approach was used to compare the extracellular and intracellular proteomes of the wild-type fungus and signalling mutants for differences in protein abundance. Tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis and patternmatching against the S. nodorum genome sequence led to the identification of 26 genes from 34 differentially abundant protein spots. These genes possess probable roles in protein cycling, plant cell wall degradation, stress response, nucleotide metabolism, proteolysis, quinate and secondary metabolism. A putative short-chain dehydrogenase gene (Sch1) was identified and its expression was shown to be reduced in both signalling mutants. The transcript level of Sch1 increased during the latter period of infection coinciding with pycnidiation. Sch1 was inactivated by targeted gene deletion. Mutants were able to effectively colonise the host but asexual sporulation was dramatically reduced and pycnidial ontogeny was severely disrupted. Furthermore, the sch1 mutants showed alterations in the metabolome. GC-MS analysis identified a metabolite which accumulated in the sch1 mutants. Computational and database analyses indicated that the compound possesses a cyclic carbon backbone. Based on these findings, Sch1 may be a suitable target for fungicides that inhibit asexual sporulation and the accumulated compound may be used to design novel antifungal compounds. 2D SDS-PAGE analysis identified increased abundance of another putative short-chain dehydrogenase (Sch2) and a nitroreductase in the sch1-deleted background. It was also shown that Sch2 was regulated by Gna1.

Orientador: Luis Henrique Souza Guimarães / Banca: João Atilio Jorge / Banca: Rosane Marina Peralta / Resumo: A tanase (EC 3.1.1.20) é uma enzima induzível que age sobre os taninos hidrolisando suas ligações éster e depsídicas obtendo-se como produtos a glicose e o ácido elágico ou ácido gálico, sendo este último, um importante substrato para as indústrias farmacêutica e química. Entre os diferentes organismos capazes de produzir tanases, os microorganismos, de modo especial os fungos filamentosos, vêm se destacando uma vez que são mais versáteis na degradação de diferentes tipos de taninos. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar as tanases intra e extracelulares do fungo filamentoso Emericella nivea produzidas em Fermentação Submersa (FSbm) e em Fermentação em Substrato Sólido (FSS), purificando-as e caracterizando-as bioquimicamente, além de imobilizá-las em suportes de agarose. Em princípio, foi realizada a seleção da melhor cepa produtora de tanases, submetendo-se 42 linhagens fúngicas a FSbm em meio de cultura Khanna com 2% de ácido tânico como fonte de carbono, por 3 a 4 dias a 30ºC, tendo sido o fungo Emericella nivea selecionado para prosseguimento do trabalho. Para este microorganismo os maiores nívies enzimáticos extracelulares foram obtidos em 3 dias de cultivo em FSbm e 8 dias em FSS, sendo para esta última utilizados produtos agroindustriais e folhas de vegetais de diferentes espécies secas trituradas umedecidas com água de torneira (1:1; p/v). As tanases extra e intracelular foram purificadas 61 e 2,5 vezes com recuperação de 30% e 8,8%, respectivamente. Eletroforese em condições não desnaturantes (PAGE 7%) mostrou a presença de uma única banda protéica revelada por prata e para atividade tanásica com a mesma mobilidade relativa. A forma extracelular possui massa molecular nativa de aproximadamente 322kDa com 50% de conteúdo de carboidratos. Já a enzima intracelular apresentou massa molecular nativa de 258kDa e 17% de... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Tannases (EC 3.1.1.20) are inducible enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of ester and depside bonds in hydrolysable tannins releasing glucose and ellagic acid or gallic acid, which is an important compound used in pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Among different organisms able to produce these enzymes, the microorganisms, especially filamentous fungi deserve attention since they can act on different tannins degradation ways. In this context, the aim of this work was to study the intra and extracellular tannases from the filamentous fungus Emericella nivea produced in Submerged Fermentation (SbmF) and Solid Substrate Fermentation (SSF), purifying and characterizing them biochemically, as well to immobilize the extracellular enzyme in agarose supports. First of all, it was selected the best tannase producer among 42 strains, in Khanna culture medium with 2% tannic acid as carbon source for 3-4 days at 30°C, and the fungus Emericella nivea was selected. This fungus produced high levels of extracellular enzyme at 3 and 8 days when cultivated in SbmF and SSF at 30°C, respectivally. FSS was performed with agroindustrial products or crushed dried leaves of different plants umidified with tap water (1:1, w/v). The extra and intracellular tannases were purified 61 times and 2.5-times, with recovery of 30% and 8.8%, respectivally. Non-denaturing electrophoresis (PAGE 7%), showed a unique proteic band stained by silver and for activity, both with the same relative mobility. The extracellular enzyme, probably, is a hetero-dimeric protein with native molecular mass of 322 kDa with 50% of carbohydrate content and the intracellular with native molecular mass of 258 kDa and 17% of carbohydrate. The optimum temperature were 45ºC and 50°C for the extra and intracellular enzymes, respectively and the optimum pH for both enzymes was 5.0. The soluble tannases were thermostable with... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The potential of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus to act as an opportunistic pathogen may be related to its ability to resist the host defence network. Whilst phagocytic cells are clearly important in host defences against invading microorganisms their precise role in the killing of A. fumigatus remains undefined. The purpose of this study was to examine the basic interactions between phagocytic cells, from humans and rodents, with spores of A. fumigatus. In particular the mechanisms whereby phagocytic cells bind and kill spores of A. fumigatus, when compared with the relatively non-pathogenic fungus Penicillium ochrochloron were investigated. In order to investigate why people with asthma may develop some hypersensitivity reactions to A. fumigatus, in particular, rather than to the many other fungi in the atmosphere, the possibility that there may be a defect in the handling of the fungus by such patients has been tested. A comparison of the fungal handling by phagocytes from asthmatic patients, both sensitised and unsensitised to A. fumigatus with phagocytes from non-asthmatic subjects has been made. The principal findings from this study are that spores of A. fumigatus bind to the surface of the phagocytic cell yet are relatively resistant to phagocytosis. The spores also fail to trigger the phagocytic cells into releasing the potentially microbicidal reactive oxygen intermediates. These results may be related to a further finding which is that spores of A. fumigatus release a low molecular weight substance (diffusate) which interferes with various aspects of phagocytic cell activation. Spore diffusates were shown to inhibit the phagocytosis of radiolabelled antibody-coated sheep red blood cells and to suppress the spontaneous release of reactive oxygen intermediates by Corynebacterium parvum stimulated mouse peritoneal exudate cells. In addition spores diffusates inhibited the ability of phagocytic cells to spread on glass and reduce the number of phagocytic cells migrating towards a known chemoattractant. Studies on spore killing showed that spores of A. fumigatus opsonised in autologous serum were more resistant to killing by phagocytic cells from humans and rodents than similarly opsonised spores of P. ochrochloron. However, the ability of the phagocytic cells to kill spores of A. fumigatus was substantially increased when the spores were opsonised in sera which had been heat-treated for 30 minutes at 56?C. No increased killing was found with P. ochrochloron. People with asthma sensitised to A. fumigatus showed significant differences in their handling of A. fumigatus in vitro when compared with the control group. Monocytes from these sensitised patients killed significantly fewer spores of A. fumigatus (opsonised in auto? logous sera) whilst their polymorphonuclear leucocytes killed significantly more. No such differences were found for P. ochrochloron. The work reported in this Thesis has given us a clearer understanding of why Aspergillus fumigatus is an important cause of disease in man, and how the defence mechanisms that it has evolved in its natural environment the soil, enable it to act as a saprophyte or parasite in the lungs of humans and animals. The results also suggest a mechanism whereby heat-labile serum components may be an advantage to the survival of the fungus, thus perhaps explaining why it may be a particular problem in the airways of asthmatic patients.

Systemic candidiasis is most commonly studied in animal models, particularly the murine intravenous (IV) challenge model, where infection with a virulent Candida albicans strain leads to increasing fungal kidney burdens and increasing pro-inflammatory cytokines in the kidneys. Based upon the finding that early renal levels of the chemokine KC correlate with infection outcome, a new in vitro model, utilising the murine renal M-1 cortical collecting duct epithelial cell line, was developed to evaluate virulence of C. albicans isolates and mutants, in attempts to reduce the number of mice used in C. albicans virulence studies, addressing the 3Rs. The epithelial cells were shown to respond only to live fungal cells, unlike immune cells, responding more robustly to hyphae rather than to cells growing as yeasts. We also demonstrate that non-albicans Candida species, which are attenuated in the mouse IV challenge model, are unable to elicit chemokine responses from mouse kidney epithelial cells, despite increasing the inoculums used. Renal epithelial cell responses observed in the new model reflect early events in the mouse model, with chemokines KC and MIP-2 produced in response to virulent C. albicans strains or mutants. This chemokine production correlates with C. albicans damage to epithelial cells. Some involvement of TLR4 signalling was demonstrated as blocking of TLR4 signalling reduced epithelial KC production, and it was demonstrated that the renal epithelial cells respond strongly to more complex glycan molecules. Using this new in vitro model we have confirmed that renal epithelial cells are able to discriminate between virulent and attenuated strains of C. albicans, allowing this model to be used as an initial screen for altered virulence and for investigating how renal epithelial cells detect the presence of pathogenic fungi.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.