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The promoter of an antifungal protein gene from Gastrodia elata confers tissue -specific and fungus-inducible expression patterns and responds to both salicylic acid and jasmonic acid.

Gastrodia antifungal proteins (GAFPs) are a group of mannose-binding lectins purified from Gastrodia elata that show strong resistance against a wide spectrum of fungi. The GAFP-2 promoter was analyzed for its ability to control the expression of the reporter gene, beta-glucuronidase (GUS) in transgenic tobacco plants. The GUS assays revealed that the GAFP-2 promoter is expressed in a tissue-specific manner, which mainly expressed in the vascular cells. The highest GUS activity was observed in roots, followed by stems. GAFP-2-GUS expression was strongly induced by the fungus Trichoderma viride and by the plant stress regulators, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid in the stably transformed tobacco plants. The -537 region of the GAFP-2 promoter was sufficient for its tissue-specific and inducible expression of the promoter.

Cyclopentanes↗

Cork workers' occupational asthma: lack of association with allergic sensitisation to fungi of the work environment.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate allergic sensitisation to Chrysonilia sitophila, Penicillium glabrum, and Trichoderma longibrachiatum in cork workers with asthma. METHODS: Skin prick tests with a battery of common allergens and with the three fungi were performed on ten cork workers with asthma and eight non-exposed asthmatics. Based on serial peak expiratory flow measurements, five were classified as having occupational asthma (AO) and five as having non-occupational asthma (NOA). In exposed patients, specific antibodies for the three fungi were also studied by immunoblotting RESULTS: Two out of ten patients with occupational exposure and four out of eight of the control group showed positive results for skin prick tests for common allergens. Moreover, two out of five patients with OA and three out of eight controls exhibited sensitisation to storage mites. All exposed patients (with OA or NOA) had negative skin prick test results for the fungal extracts. In patients with asthma and occupational exposure, immunoblotting results confirmed the absence of specific IgE. However, specific IgG4 was present in some cases. CONCLUSIONS: Atopy does not seem to characterise occupational asthma in cork workers. Despite their long exposure to moulds, we could not find evidence of IgE sensitisation to the three most prevalent cork fungi in patients with OA, which points to the search for other causative agents, such as cork chemical compounds or contaminants.

Adult↗

Lactose metabolism and cellulase production in Hypocrea jecorina: the gal7 gene, encoding galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, is essential for growth on galactose but not for cellulase induction.

Lactose is at present the only soluble carbon source which can be used economically for the production by Hypocrea jecorina (= Trichoderma reesei) of cellulases or heterologous proteins under the control of cellulase expression signals. However, the mechanism by which lactose triggers the formation of cellulases is unknown. To enhance our understanding of lactose metabolism and its relationship to cellulase formation, we have cloned and characterized the gal7 gene (for galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase) of H. jecorina. The gene encodes a polypeptide of 43.8 kDa, the sequence of which exhibits a moderate level of identity (about 50%) to that of the Gal7 proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis, and contains an active-site signature typical for galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase family 1. H. jecorina gal7 is not clustered with other genes of galactose metabolism. A single 1.7-kb transcript is synthesized constitutively during the rapid growth phase and accumulated to twice this level during incubation in the presence of D-galactose and L-arabinose and the corresponding polyols (dulcitol, arabitol). A gal7 deletion mutant, constructed by replacing the gal7 reading frame by the H. jecorina pyr4 gene, was unable to grow on D-galactose between pH 4.5 and 7.5, thus proving that in H. jecorina gal7 is essential for metabolism of D-galactose, whereas the growth rate of the mutant on lactose was only reduced by about 50%. The rate of formation of cellobiohydrolase Cel7A and the abundance of the corresponding (cbh1) transcript during growth on lactose was only slightly lower in the absence of gal7, but a significant delay in decay of the cbh1 transcript was noted during later stages of growth. The results suggest that H. jecorina uses only the Leloir pathway for metabolism of D-galactose and lactose. Furthermore, we conclude that metabolism of lactose past the galactose-1-phosphate step is not essential for cellulase formation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A fermentation system designed to independently evaluate mixing and/or oxygen tension effects in microbial processes: development, application and performance.

In order to evaluate the independent effects of hydrodynamic conditions and/or oxygen tension on culture physiology and productivity, a fermentation system designed to control dissolved oxygen at constant power drawn (P/V) was developed. The system included a fully instrumented 14 l bioreactor coupled to a PC for data acquisition and control. Power drawn was measured (using a commercial torquemeter coupled to the shaft) and maintained constant by varying the agitation speed; while gas blending was used to control dissolved oxygen concentration. To validate the system, rheological-complex fermentations involving xanthan gum production and filamentous fungal cultivation (using Xanthomonas campestris and Trichoderma harzianum) were developed. In both cases, and despite the changing environmental conditions (due to increased broth viscosities and microbial respiration), both variables were controlled at the desired set points. Through such a system, a rigorous evaluation of the hydrodynamic conditions and/or oxygen tension on culture physiology and productivity is now feasible.

Bioreactors↗

Peptaibiomics: an advanced, rapid and selective analysis of peptaibiotics/peptaibols by SPE/LC-ES-MS.

"Proteomics" and "peptidomics" are used as technical terms to define the analysis and study of all proteins and peptides expressed in an organism or tissue. In analogy we propose the name peptaibiomics for the analysis of a group of fungal peptide antibiotics (peptaibiotics) containing the characteristic amino acid Aib (alpha-aminoisobutyric acid). In analogy to the peptidome the complete expression of peptaibiotics by fungal multienzyme complexes should be named the peptaibiome. Peptaibiotics are defined as peptides containing Aib and exerting a variety of bioactivities. They comprise the sub-groups of N-acetylated peptaibols, characterized also by a C-terminal amide-linked 2-amino alcohol, and lipopeptaibols having in place of an acetyl group a lipophilic fatty acid acyl group. Furthermore, lipoaminopeptides are also known with long-chain fatty acid on the N-termini, a lipoamino acid in position three and a strongly basic secondary or tertiary amine form a subgroup of mixed forms which could not be integrated in one of these three previously mentioned groups. Here we present a specific and rapid screening method on the peptaibiome applicable directly onto filamentous fungi cultured in a single Petri dish. The method comprises solid-phase extraction (SPE) of peptaibiotics followed by on-line reversed-phase HPLC coupled to an ion trap electrospray tandem mass spectrometer (ES-MS). The presence of these peptides is indicated by characteristic mass differences of Deltam = 85.1 Da representing Aib-residues which can be observed in the b-series of acylium fragment ions resulting from ES-MS. Partial sequences can be deduced from the data and compared with structures compiled in electronic peptaibol data bases. The judgement is possible whether or not structures are novel, already known or related to known structures. Suitability of the method is demonstrated with the analysis of strains of Trichoderma and its teleomorph Hypocrea. New sequences of peptaibiotics are presented and those being related to established 10- to 18-residue peptaibols trichovirin, trichogin and trichotoxin, which have been described in the literature.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Domain engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae exoglucanases.

To illustrate the effect of a cellulose-binding domain (CBD) on the enzymatic characteristics of non-cellulolytic exoglucanases, 10 different recombinant enzymes were constructed combining the Saccharomyces cerevisiae exoglucanases, EXG1 and SSG1, with the CBD2 from the Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase, CBH2, and a linker peptide. The enzymatic activity of the recombinant enzymes increased with the CBD copy number. The recombinant enzymes, CBD2-CBD2-L-EXG1 and CBD2-CBD2-SSG1, exhibited the highest cellobiohydrolase activity (17.5 and 16.3 U mg(-1) respectively) on Avicel cellulose, which is approximately 1.5- to 2-fold higher than the native enzymes. The molecular organisation of CBD in these recombinant enzymes enhanced substrate affinity, molecular flexibility and synergistic activity, contributing to their elevated action on the recalcitrant substrates as characterised by adsorption, kinetics, thermostability and scanning electron microscopic analysis.

Adsorption↗

Use of xylanase and arabinofuranosidase for arabinose removal from unbleached kraft pulp.

Preparations of arabinofuranosidase and xylanase, respectively from Aureobasidium pullulans and Trichoderma longibrachiatum, were used to remove selectively xylose and arabinose from kraft pulp. The equilibrium moisture content of pulps treated with both enzymes, at varying relative humidities, revealed a consistently lower percent moisture content at all humidity set points. Shorter fiber lengths indicated some deterioration when pulp was exposed to high concentrations of both enzymes.

Arabinose↗

Bioconversion of lignocellulosic waste from selected dumping sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The poor management of solid wastes in Tanzania urban centers is a chronic problem that has increasingly become a source of environmental pollution. Bioconversion offers a cheap and safe method of not only disposing these wastes, but also it has the potential to convert lignocellulosic wastes into usable forms such as reducing sugars that could be used as food. This paper reports a preliminary study on the physical characteristics, acid pretreatment, saccharification by cellulase from Trichoderma reesei and fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae of the lignocellulosic component of the solid wastes collected from various dumping sites located in Kinondoni Municipality, Dar es Salaam city. The results showed that overall, the lignocellulosic component constitute about 50% of solid wastes dumped in the study areas. Maximum production of reducing sugars was obtained after 6h of saccharification while highest concentrations of bioethanol were achieved after 48 h of fermentation. Microbial bioconversion of lignocellulose component yielded up to 21% bioethanol.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Enhancing biological control of basal stem rot disease (Ganoderma boninense) in oil palm plantations.

Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease caused by Ganoderma boninense is the most destructive disease in oil palm, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. The available control measures for BSR disease such as cultural practices and mechanical and chemical treatment have not proved satisfactory due to the fact that Ganoderma has various resting stages such as melanised mycelium, basidiospores and pseudosclerotia. Alternative control measures to overcome the Ganoderma problem are focused on the use of biological control agents and planting resistant material. Present studies conducted at Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI) are focused on enhancing the use of biological control agents for Ganoderma. These activities include screening biological agents from the oil palm rhizosphere in order to evaluate their effectiveness as biological agents in glasshouse and field trials, testing their antagonistic activities in large scale experiments and eradicating potential disease inoculum with biological agents. Several promising biological agents have been isolated, mainly Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, Gliocladium viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus sp. A glasshouse and field trial for Ganoderma control indicated that treatment with T. harzianum and G. viride was superior to Bacillus sp. A large scale trial showed that the disease incidence was lower in a field treated with biological agents than in untreated fields. In a short term programme, research activities at IOPRI are currently focusing on selecting fungi that can completely degrade plant material in order to eradicate inoculum. Digging holes around the palm bole and adding empty fruit bunches have been investigated as ways to stimulate biological agents.

Arecaceae↗

Enzymatic kinetic of cellulose hydrolysis: inhibition by ethanol and cellobiose.

The ethanol effect on the Trichoderma reesei cellulases was studied to quantify and clarify this inhibition type. To determine inhibition parameters of crude cellulase and purified exoglucanase Cel7A, integrated Michaelis-Menten equations were used assuming the presence of two inhibitors: cellobiose as the reaction product and ethanol as a possible bioproduct of cellulose fermentation. It was found that hydrolysis of cellulose by crude enzyme follows a model that considers noncompetitive inhibition by ethanol, whereas Cel7A is very slightly competitively inhibited. Crude cellulase is much more inhibited (K(iul) = K(icl) = 151.9 mM) than exoglucanase Cel7A (K(icl) = 1.6 x 1015 mM). Also, calculated inhibition constants showed that cellobiose inhibition is more potent than ethanol inhibition both for the crude enzyme as well as exoglucanase Cel7A.

Cellobiose↗

A method for the detection and differentiation of cellulase components in polyacrylamide gels.

Endoglucanase and exoglucanase components of cellulase can be detected and differentiated after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by performing activity stains. Endoglucanase activity was visualized in carboxymethyl cellulose agar replicas of gels by staining with Congo red. General beta-1,4-glucanase activity was located by soaking the gel in a solution of NaBH4-reduced cellulooligosaccharides, and detecting the formation of reducing sugars by reaction with triphenyl tetrazolium chloride. Endoglucanases are active in both assays, while exoglucanases can be distinguished by their activity in the cellulo-oligosaccharide assay only. This methodology has facilitated the purification and characterization of cellulase components from Trichoderma reesei and Microbispora bispora.

Cellulase↗

An automated method for the quasi-continuous analysis of degradation and transfer products during the enzymatic hydrolysis of oligosaccharides.

A method is presented which allows for the automated quasi-continuous analysis of the degradation and transfer products developing during the enzymatic hydrolysis of oligosaccharides. A liquid chromatographic system is integrated into the bypass of a small batch reactor which makes it possible to take oligomer spectra without any manual sample processing being necessary. The time intervals between analyses are substantially reduced by making use of an overlapping analysis technique. Postcolumn derivatization with an orcinol sulfuric acid reagent gives a high sensitivity for carbohydrates. The great potential of this method is demonstrated for the characterization of a beta-glucosidase (pI 8.4) from Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 and an alpha 1,4-glucan glucohydrolase from Aspergillus niger with cellotetraose and maltohexaose as examplary substrates.

Aspergillus niger↗

Construction of cDNA libraries by blunt-end ligation: high-frequency cloning of long cDNAs from filamentous fungi.

A simplified cDNA synthesis and cloning method, suitable for efficient generation of cDNA libraries at frequencies up to 10(6) clones/micrograms mRNA, is described. Routine synthesis of transcripts of well over 4 kb is facilitated by the use of high-quality RNA template isolated from materials rich in RNases. Laborious cloning steps, like tailing or addition of linkers, can be omitted by the use of efficient blunt-end ligation to plasmid vectors, and rapid verification as well as characterization of the clones is possible by double-stranded plasmid sequencing. Using this method we have constructed several cDNA libraries of different filamentous fungi and show here the synthesis and cloning of cDNA copies larger than 1.8 kb corresponding to three Trichoderma reesei cellulases.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

Continuous photometric determination of endo-1,4-beta-D-glucanase (cellulase) activity using 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-cellobioside as a substrate.

A very simple and sensitive procedure for the determination of the activity of highly purified endo-1,4-beta-glucanase from the microscopic fungus Trichoderma reesei using 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-cellobioside has been developed. The HPLC study has shown that this substrate is cleaved by endo-1,4-beta-glucanase to form predominantly free 4-methylumbelliferone, Km and kcat being 1.25 mM and 7.9 s-1, respectively (30 degrees C, pH 5.0). The possibility of continuous photometric determination of the enzyme using the difference absorptivity coefficient of 1600 M-1 cm-1 at 350 nm has been demonstrated.

Cellulase↗

Acceptor requirements for GDP-fucose:xyloglucan 1,2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase activity solubilized from pea epicotyl membranes.

GDP-fucose:xyloglucan (XG) fucosyltransferase from growing Pisum epicotyl tissue was solubilized in detergent and used to examine the capacity of intact XG from Tamarindus seeds, and its partial hydrolysis products, to act as fucose acceptors with GDP-[14C]fucose as donor. Native seed XG (Mr greater than 10(6) Da) was partially depolymerized by incubation with Trichoderma cellulase for various periods of time. Cellulase was inactivated and reaction mixtures were incubated with GDP-[14C]fucose plus solubilized pea fucosyltransferase and then fractionated on columns of Sepharose CL-6B or Bio-Gel P4. Specific activities (Bq/microgram carbohydrate) of fragments with Mr ranging from 10(6) to 10(4) Da were constant throughout the size ranges, indicating that all stretches of the XG chains were available for fucosylation. More complete cellulase hydrolysis yielded subunit oligosaccharides that chromatographed in a cluster of hepta-, octa-, and nonasaccharides, none of which acted as fucosyl acceptors when incubated with pea fucosyltransferase. However, a substantial amount (up to half of hydrolysate) of larger transient oligosaccharides was also formed with a size equivalent to three of the oligosaccharide subunits. Octasaccharide subunits in this trimer were readily fucosylated. This fucosyltransfer was inhibited by uncombined (free) subunit oligosaccharides, which implies that the latter could bind to the transferase and displace at least part of the trimer, even though they could not themselves be fucosylated. Reduction of the trimer oligosaccharide with NaB3H4, followed by further hydrolysis with cellulase, resulted in tritiated nonasaccharide and unlabeled octasaccharide in a concentration ratio of 1:2. The tamarind XG trimer which accepts fucose is therefore composed mainly of the subunit sequence: octa-octa-nonasaccharide (reducing). One of the terminal oligosaccharide subunits in this trimer, probably the nonasaccharide, appears to be required as a recognition (binding) site in fucosyltransferase in order for adjacent octasaccharide(s) to be fucosylated by the active (catalytic) enzyme site.

Cell Membrane↗

Structural and membrane modifying properties of suzukacillin, a peptide antibiotic related to alamethicin. Part A. Sequence and conformation.

The primary structure and conformation of the polypeptide antibiotic suzukacillin A are investigated. Suzukacillin A is isolated from the Trichoderma viride strain 1037 and exhibits membrane modifying and lysing properties similar to those of alamethicin. A combined gas chromatographic mass spectrometric analysis of the trifluoroacetylated peptide methyl esters of partial hydrolysates revealed a tentative sequence of 23 residues including 10 2-methylalanines and one phenylalaninol, which shows many fragments known from alamethicin: Ac-Aib-Pro-Val-Aib-Val-Ala-Aib-Ala-Aib-Aib-Gln-Aib-Leu-Aib-Gly-Leu-Aib-Pro-Val-Aib-Aib-Glu(Pheol)-Gln-OH. All chiral amino acids and phenylalainol have L-configuration. Ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism in various solvents and in particular 13C nuclear magnetic resonance have been used for a comparative study of suzukacillin with alamethicin. Suzukacillin has a partially alpha-helical structure and the helix content increases largely from polar to lipophilic solvents. Suzukacillin aggregates more strongly than alamethicin in aqueous medis due to a longer alpha-helical part and higher number of aliphatic residues. A part of the alpha-helix is exceptionally stabilized due to 2-methylalanine residues shielding the peptide bonds from interactions with polar solvents. In lipophilic solvents and lecithin vesicles particularly large temperature induced reductions of the high alpha-helix content are found for alamethicin. Suzukacillin shows similar temperature coefficients in lipophilic media, however, in contrast to alamethicin a more linear change in intensity of the Cotton effects is observed.

Alamethicin↗

Structural and membrane modifying porperties of suzukacillin, a peptide antibiotic related to alamethicin. Part B. Pore formation in black lipid films.

Suzukacillin, a polypeptide consisting of presumably 23 amino acids and 1 phenylalaninol, is produced by a Trichoderma viride strain No. 1037 and it can be isolated from the culture medium. It shows membrane-modifying properties similar to those of alamethicin. Discrete condustance fluctuations indicate the formation of oligomer pores of varying diameter. On the basis of voltage jump relaxation experiments evidence is given that the dimer is the nucleation state from which pore formation starts and the oligomer disappears. According to the voltage-current characteristics, voltage-dependent and voltage-independent conductances are observed. A slow process is involved, which can be interpreted as a change in the equilibrium distribution between different conformations of the suzukacillin monomer at the membrane interphase. This change results from its interaction with the lipid matrix. Differences in experimental observations between suzukacillin and alamethicin are attributed to the relatively larger alpha-helix and higher number of aliphatic side chains of the suzukacillin monomer and to a more intense interaction with the lipid membrane. This leads to a higher probability of forming dimers from monomers and to the occurrence of "inactivation".

Alamethicin↗

Alamethicin biosynthesis: acetylation of the amino terminus and attachment of phenylalaninol.

Alamethicin synthetase was extracted from the fungus Trichoderma viride at the end of its exponential growth phase. It is multienzyme complex with a molecular weight of approx. 480 000. The biosynthesis of alamethicin is initiated on the synthetase by acetylation of thiolester-bound aminoisobutyric acid, which remains enzyme bound. Acetyl-CoA serves as the acetate donor. Of the alamethicin constituents, glycine, alanine and valine are also acetylated when incubated alone. This acetylation is prevented by added aminoisobutyric acid, which indicates that the site on alamethicin synthetase catalyzing the acetylation has a preference for aminoisobutyric acid. Alamethicin formation on the synthetase is terminated by linkage of phenylalaninol to the carboxyl terminus of the peptide. It is unlikely that the amino alcohol is a degradation product of alamethicin or that it had been split off from the synthetase complex. Thus it is probably the reaction product of a separate enzyme system.

Acetylation↗