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PloS One 2022Multifunctional drugs have shown great promise in biomedicine. Organisms with antimicrobial and anticancer activity in combination with antioxidant activity need further...
Multifunctional drugs have shown great promise in biomedicine. Organisms with antimicrobial and anticancer activity in combination with antioxidant activity need further research. The Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf coasts were randomly sampled to find fungi with multifunctional activity. One hundred strains (98 fungi and 2 lichenized forms) were isolated from 15 locations. One-third of the isolates inhibited clinical bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi, S. paratyphi) and fungal pathogens (Talaromycets marneffei, Malassezia globose, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus) and four cancer cell lines (Hep G2 liver, A-549 lung, A-431skin, MCF 7 breast cancer). Bacterial and cancer inhibition was often accompanied by a high antioxidant activity, as indicated by the principal component analysis (PCA). PCA also indicated that fungal and bacterial pathogens appeared to be inhibited mostly by different marine fungal isolates. Strains with multifunctional activity were found more from the Rea Sea than from the Arabian Gulf coasts. The highest potential for multifunctional drugs were observed for Acremonium sp., Acrocalymma sp., Acrocalymma africana, Acrocalymma medicaginis (activity reported for the first time), Aspergillus sp. Cladosporium oxysporum, Emericellopsis alkaline, Microdochium sp., and Phomopsis glabrae. Lung, skin, and breast cancers were inhibited 85%-97% by Acremonium sp, while most of the isolates showed low inhibition (ca 20%). The highest antifungal activity was observed for Acremonium sp., Diaporthe hubeiensis, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, and Nannizia gypsea. One Acremonium sp. is of particular interest to offer a multifunctional drug; it displayed both antifungal and antibacterial activity combined with high antioxidant activity (DPPH scavenging 97%). A. medicaginis displayed combined antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant activity being of high interest. Several genera and some species included strains with both high and low biological activities pointing out the need to study several isolates to find the most efficient strains for biomedical applications.
Topics: Humans; Female; Antioxidants; Antifungal Agents; Breast Neoplasms; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Acremonium
PubMed: 36441723
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276926 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2021Electroporation is a method for the introduction of molecules (usually nucleic acids) into a cell, consisting of submitting the cells to high-voltage and short electric...
Electroporation is a method for the introduction of molecules (usually nucleic acids) into a cell, consisting of submitting the cells to high-voltage and short electric pulses in the presence of the exogenous DNA/molecule. It is a versatile method, adaptable to different types of cells, from bacteria to cultured cells to higher eukaryotes, and thus has applications in many diverse fields, such as environmental biology, biotechnology, genetic engineering, and medicine. Electroporation has some advantages over other genetic transformation strategies, including the simplicity of the method, a wide range of adjustable parameters (possibility of optimization), high reproducibility and avoidance of the use of chemicals toxic to cells. Here we describe an optimized electroporation procedure for the industrially important fungus Acremonium chrysogenum, using germinated conidia and fragmented young mycelium. In both cases, the transformation efficiency was higher compared to the conventional polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated transformation of protoplasts.
Topics: Acremonium; Biotechnology; Electroporation; Fungi; Genetic Engineering; Mycelium; Polyethylene Glycols; Protoplasts; Reproducibility of Results; Transformation, Genetic
PubMed: 33977448
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1358-0_10 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2022() was developed as a microbial cell factory for the heterologous expression of fungal secondary metabolites. This was achieved by inactivation of sorbicillinoid...
() was developed as a microbial cell factory for the heterologous expression of fungal secondary metabolites. This was achieved by inactivation of sorbicillinoid biosynthesis and construction of vectors for the rapid cloning and expression of heterologous fungal biosynthetic genes. Two types of megasynth(et)ases were used to test the strain and vectors, namely a non-reducing polyketide synthase (nr-PKS, ) from and a hybrid highly-reducing PKS non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (hr-PKS-NRPS, ) from . The resulting engineered strains were able to produce the expected natural products 3-methylorcinaldehyde and pretenellin A on waste materials including potato, orange, banana and kiwi peels and barley straw. Developing as a heterologous host for secondary metabolite production represents a new method for waste valorization by the direct conversion of waste biomass into secondary metabolites.
PubMed: 35448586
DOI: 10.3390/jof8040355 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2022Pyrethroids are a class of insecticides structurally similar to that of natural pyrethrins. The application of pyrethrins in agriculture and pest control lead to many...
Pyrethroids are a class of insecticides structurally similar to that of natural pyrethrins. The application of pyrethrins in agriculture and pest control lead to many kinds of environmental pollution affecting human health and loss of soil microbial population that affect soil fertility and health. Natural pyrethrins have been used since ancient times as insect repellers, and their synthetic versions especially type 2 pyrethroids could be highly toxic to humans. PBO (Piperonyl butoxide) is known to enhance the toxicity of prallethrin in humans due to the resistance in its metabolic degradation. Pyrethroids are also known to cause plasma biochemical profile changes in humans and they also lead to the production of high levels of reactive oxygen species. Further they are also known to increase SGPT activity in humans. Due to the toxicity of pyrethrins in water bodies, soils, and food products, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable approaches to reduce their levels in the respective fields, which are eco-friendly, economically viable, and socially acceptable for on-site remediation. Keeping this in view, an attempt has been made to analyse the advances and prospects in using pyrethrins and possible technologies to control their harmful effects. The pyrethroid types, composition and biochemistry of necessary pyrethroid insecticides have been discussed in detail, in the research paper, along with their effect on insects and humans. It also covers the impact of pyrethroids on different plants and soil microbial flora. The second part deals with the microbial degradation of the pyrethroids through different modes, i.e., bioaugmentation and biostimulation. Many microbes such as Acremonium, Aspergillus, Microsphaeropsis, Westerdykella, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus have been used in the individual form for the degradation of pyrethroids, while some of them such as Bacillus are even used in the form of consortia.
Topics: Humans; Insecticides; Piperonyl Butoxide; Pyrethrins
PubMed: 35296421
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154561 -
Biology Dec 2023Environmental pollutants such as toxic heavy metals and oxygen-demanding solids are generated by leather manufacturing. In most tanneries, wastewaters are treated with...
Environmental pollutants such as toxic heavy metals and oxygen-demanding solids are generated by leather manufacturing. In most tanneries, wastewaters are treated with physico-chemical methods but overly high levels of pollutants remain in surface waters. The efficiency of tanning wastewater treatment with conventional techniques was evaluated in four tanneries in Saudi Arabia. It was observed that the wastewaters contained high amounts of pollutants, needing further treatment. We isolated microorganisms from the wastewaters and carried out experiments to treat the effluents with different bacteria, fungi, and their consortia. We hypothesized that a consortium of microorganisms is more efficient than the single microorganisms in the consortium. The efficiency of five single bacterial and five fungal species from different genera was tested. In a consortium experiment, the efficiency of nine bacterial-fungal consortia was studied. The bacterium and the fungus sp. were the most efficient in the single-microbe treatment. In the consortium treatment, the consortium of these two was the most efficient at treating the effluent. The factory wastewater treatment reduced total dissolved solids (TDS) from 1885 mg/L to 880 mg/L. treatment reduced TDS to 150 mg/L and sp. to 140 mg/L. The consortium of these two reduced TDS further to 80 mg/L. Moreover, the factory treatment reduced BOD from 943 mg/L to 440 mg/L, to 75 mg/L, and sp. 70 mg/L. The consortium reduced BOD further to 20 mg/L. The total heavy-metal concentration (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Pb) was reduced by the factory treatment from 43 μg/L to 26 μg/L and by the consortium to 0.2 μg/L. The collagen concentration that was studied using hydroxyproline assay decreased from 120 mg/L to 39 mg/L. It was shown that the consortium of the bacterium and the fungus sp. was more efficient in reducing the pollutants than the single species. The consortium reduced almost all parameters to below the environmental regulation limit for wastewater discharge to the environment in Saudi Arabia. The consortium should be studied further as an additional treatment to the existing conventional tannery wastewater treatments.
PubMed: 38132333
DOI: 10.3390/biology12121507 -
Allergologie Select 2018Allergic skin and respiratory diseases range among the most frequent afflictions in industrialized countries. Due to this fact the importance of indoor mold pollution... (Review)
Review
Allergic skin and respiratory diseases range among the most frequent afflictions in industrialized countries. Due to this fact the importance of indoor mold pollution based on dampness is discussed. In a sentinel health study of the State Health Agency (LGA) children attending of 4th grade of a primary school were tested by an in-vitro allergy screening (UniCap 100/Phadia) for the mold allergens mx1 (Penicillium chrysogenum m1, Cladosporium herbarum m2, Aspergillus fumigatus m3 and Alternaria alternata m6). Primarily about 5% of the children were sensitized against molds which are associated with the ambient air. The investigations showed that most of the children were sensitized against Alternaria alternata and concerning the IgE-concentration (kU/l) Alternaria alternata had the highest concentration among the tested allergens. Commonly children with sensitization against molds were polysensitized. It is unclear if the allergy screening against mold mx1 includes molds with indication for indoor mold pollution such as Acremonium spp., Aspergillus penicillioides, Aspergillus restrictus, Aspergillus versicolor, Chaetomium spp., Phialophora spp., Stachybotrys chartarum, Tritirachium (Engyodontium) album und Trichoderma spp. by means of crossreaction. Therefore, such investigations do not admit any conclusion about health problems as a result of indoor mold pollution. At the present state of knowledge exposure measurements of indoor mold pollutions are not possible, at most a semiquantitative assessment. Although it is generally accepted that dwellings with moisture and mold represent a health risk, knowledge about indoor mold pollution and the related health problems is lacking.
PubMed: 31826039
DOI: 10.5414/ALX01296E -
Annals of Agricultural and... Dec 2020In recent years, the number of diseases caused by fungal pathogens has increased significantly. Many species of fungi are pathogenic for plants, causing a threat to food...
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the number of diseases caused by fungal pathogens has increased significantly. Many species of fungi are pathogenic for plants, causing a threat to food production and to humans, and are among the causes of chronic diseases.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is to determine the enzyme profiles of fungi, depending on the different types of fruit with which they have contact, and to determine the differences in these profiles in relation to the substrate on which they are grown.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Six strains of fungi identified as and , isolated from fruits, were selected and analyzed for enzymatic profiles. The enzymatic activity was assessed using the API ZYM test (bioMerieux, France).
RESULTS
In the majority of the 6 fungal strains isolated from fruits, enzymes belonging to glycol-hydrolases were the most active. The exception was Acremonium strictum, where phosphatases dominated. Among most fungal isolates, the enzymes β- glucosidase and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase showed the highest activity. The highest β-glucosidase activities were found in and . On the other hand, lipase, α-fucosidase and α-chymotrypsin showed the least activity. The least activity of these enzymes or their complete absence was observed in and .
CONCLUSIONS
The activity of hydrolytic enzymes in the isolated fungi depended on the addition of fruit and the type of medium. Individual fruits can increase or decrease the activity of the enzymes. Fungi present in fruit have pathogenic properties and can be possible risk factors for fungal infections.
Topics: Food Microbiology; Fruit; Fungal Proteins; Fungi
PubMed: 33356061
DOI: 10.26444/aaem/127557 -
Fungal Biology and Biotechnology 2020Fungal secondary metabolites are synthesized by complex biosynthetic pathways catalized by enzymes located in different subcellular compartments, thus requiring traffic... (Review)
Review
Fungal secondary metabolites are synthesized by complex biosynthetic pathways catalized by enzymes located in different subcellular compartments, thus requiring traffic of precursors and intermediates between them. The β-lactam antibiotics penicillin and cephalosporin C serve as an excellent model to understand the molecular mechanisms that control the subcellular localization of secondary metabolites biosynthetic enzymes. Optimal functioning of the β-lactam biosynthetic enzymes relies on a sophisticated temporal and spatial organization of the enzymes, the intermediates and the final products. The first and second enzymes of the penicillin pathway, ACV synthetase and IPN synthase, in and are cytosolic. In contrast, the last two enzymes of the penicillin pathway, phenylacetyl-CoA ligase and isopenicillin N acyltransferase, are located in peroxisomes working as a tandem at their optimal pH that coincides with the peroxisomes pH. Two MFS transporters, PenM and PaaT have been found to be involved in the import of the intermediates isopenicillin N and phenylacetic acid, respectively, into peroxisomes. Similar compartmentalization of intermediates occurs in two enzymes isopenicillin N-CoA ligase and isopenicillin N-CoA epimerase, that catalyse the conversion of isopenicillin N in penicillin N, are located in peroxisomes. Two genes encoding MFS transporters, and are located in the early cephalosporin gene cluster. These transporters have been localized in peroxisomes by confocal fluorescence microscopy. A third gene of , , encodes an MFS protein, located in the cell membrane involved in the secretion of cephalosporin C, although -disrupted mutants are still able to export cephalosporin by redundant transporters. The secretion of penicillin from peroxisomes to the extracellular medium is still unclear. Attempts have been made to identify a gene encoding the penicillin secretion protein among the 48 ABC-transporters of . The highly efficient secretion system that exports penicillin against a concentration gradient may involve active penicillin extrusion systems mediated by vesicles that fuse to the cell membrane. However, there is no correlation of pexophagy with penicillin or cephalosporin formation since inactivation of pexophagy leads to increased penicillin or cephalosporin biosynthesis due to preservation of peroxisomes. The penicillin biosynthesis finding shows that in order to increase biosynthesis of novel secondary metabolites it is essential to adequately target enzymes to organelles.
PubMed: 32351700
DOI: 10.1186/s40694-020-00096-y -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2022Onychomycosis is a fungal disease of the nail that is found worldwide and is difficult to diagnose accurately. This study used metagenomics to investigate the...
Onychomycosis is a fungal disease of the nail that is found worldwide and is difficult to diagnose accurately. This study used metagenomics to investigate the microbiology of 18 clinically diagnosed mycotic nails and two normal nails for fungi and bacteria using the ITS2 and 16S loci. Four mycotic nails were from Bass Coast, six from Melbourne Metropolitan and eight from Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. The mycotic nails were photographed and metagenomically analysed. The ITS2 sequences for and averaged over 90% of hits in 14/18 nails. The high abundance of sequences of a single dermatophyte, compared to all other fungi in a single nail, made it the most likely infecting agents (MLIA). and interdigitale/mentagrophytes were found in Bass Coast and Shepparton while only was found in Melbourne. Two nails with mixed with high abundance non-dermatophyte moulds (NDMs) (, ) were also observed. The two control nails contained chiefly and . For bacteria, was in every nail and was the most abundant, including the control nails, with an overall mean rate of 66.01%. , , and also featured.
PubMed: 36422019
DOI: 10.3390/jof8111198 -
ACS Chemical Biology Jan 2022Ferrichromes are a family of fungal siderophores with cyclic hexapeptide structures. Most fungi produce one or two ferrichrome-type siderophores. MF-347833 produces...
Ferrichromes are a family of fungal siderophores with cyclic hexapeptide structures. Most fungi produce one or two ferrichrome-type siderophores. MF-347833 produces ferrichrome-like potent Trojan horse antifungal antibiotics ASP2397 and AS2488053, the aluminum- and iron-chelating forms of AS2488059, respectively. Here, we show by gene sequencing followed by gene deletion experiments that MF-347833 possesses two nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes responsible for AS2488059 and ferricrocin assembly. AS2488059 was produced under iron starvation conditions and excreted into the media to serve as a defense metabolite and probably an iron courier. In contrast, ferricrocin was produced under iron-replete conditions and retained inside the cells, likely serving as an iron-sequestering molecule. Notably, the phylogenetic analyses suggest the different evolutionary origin of AS2488059 from that of conventional ferrichrome-type siderophores. Harnessing two ferrichrome-type siderophores with distinct biological properties may give a competitive advantage for surviving the natural environment.
Topics: Acremonium; Coordination Complexes; Data Mining; Ferrichrome; Fungal Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Genome, Fungal; Peptides, Cyclic; Phylogeny; Siderophores
PubMed: 35000376
DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00867