Cyclopiazonic acid production by submerged cultures of Penicillium and Aspergillus strains

Abstract 62 isolates of Penicillium and Aspergillus were screened for cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) production by surface and submerged culture on different media. The production of this mycotoxin was restricted to Penicillium camembertii group II (and its domesticated form P. camembertii ), P. griseofulvum , and Aspergillus flavus (and its domesticated form A. oryzae ). The best yield of CPA was obtained by a strain of P. griseofulvum , but several strains of P. camembertii group II were also good producers. Propionic acid (500 and 1000 mg/l medium) did not enhance the production of CPA. The best yields of CPA were obtained in submerged culture, but in some cases growth and CPA production only occured in surface culture. A simplified procedure for isolation of CPA is described.     

Synthetic conversion of ACAT inhibitor to acetylcholinesterase inhibitor

Natural product acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor pyripyropene A was synthetically converted to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor via heterolitic cleavage of the 2-pyrone ring, followed by gamma-acylation/cyclization with several aroyl chlorides. The 4-pyridyl analogue selectively showed AChE inhibitory activity (IC50 7.9 microM) and no ACAT inhibitory activity IC50 = >1000 microM.     

A monoclonal antibody specific for conidia and mycelium wall layer of Penicillium and Aspergillus.

A monoclonal antibody was obtained from BALB/c mice immunized with Penicillium frequentans mycelium. The specificity of the antibody was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent and indirect immunofluorescence assays against the same mycelium. This IgM antibody cross-reacted with various strains of the Penicillium and Aspergillus genera. By indirect immunofluorescence assays, the antibody was able to stain about 10% of Penicillium and Aspergillus conidia, but major part of conidia did not absorb the fluorescence-labeled antibody before swelling. During germination of P. frequentans conidia, the germ tube wall which constitutes a continuation of an inner wall layer was also stained. During germination of P. griseofulvum, the protrusion of the germ tube wall was not always recognized by the antibody because the germ tube wall was constituted by a continuation of an outer spore wall layer. The study of the staining patterns of the spores and the protrusions suggests that the antibody specifically recognizes an antigen of the inner spore wall layer. The monoclonal antibody reacts with extracellular galactomannans produced by genera Aspergillus and Penicillium but is not directed against beta-(1,5)-linked galactofuranose units.     

Identification of the pathogenic Aspergillus species by nested PCR using a mixture of specific primers to DNA topoisomerase II gene

For PCR-based identification of Aspergillus species, a common primer of the DNA topoisomerase II genes of Candida, Aspergillus and Penicillium, and species-specific primers of the genomic sequences of DNA topoisomerase II of A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. flavus (A. oryzae), A. nidulans and A. terreus were tested for their specificities in PCR amplifications. The method consisted of amplification of the genomic DNA topoisomerase II gene by a common primer set, followed by a second PCR with a primer mix consisting of 5 species-specific primer pairs for each Aspergillus species. By using the common primer pair, a DNA fragment of approximately 1,200 bp was amplified from the Aspergillus and Penicillium genomic DNAs. Using each species-specific primer pair, unique sizes of PCR products were amplified, all of which corresponded to a species of Aspergillus even in the presence of DNAs of several fungal species. The sensitivity of A. fumigatus to the nested PCR was found to be 100 fg of DNA in the reaction mixture. In the nested PCR obtained by using the primer mix (PsIV), the specific DNA fragment of A. fumigatus was amplified from clinical specimens. These results suggest that this nested PCR method is rapid, simple and available as a tool for identification of pathogenic Aspergillus to a species level.     

Selective partitioning of conidia of some Penicillium and Aspergillus species in aqueous two-phase systems.

Conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium brevi-compactum, Penicillium frequentans, Penicillium spinulosum, and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium were subjected to partition at varying pH values in an aqueous two-phase system containing charged polyethylene glycol. In the system, the partition behavior of the conidia of the Penicillium species varied when the pH was raised, while the conidia of the Aspergillus species seemed unaffected. P. brevi-compactum was separated from P. verrucosum var. cyclopium after only 10 transfers when subjected to stepwise partitioning. In the same way, 10 transfers were needed to separate P. verrucosum var. cyclopium from a mixture of conidia of three Aspergillus species. The partition behavior was influenced by the culture media used.     

Selective expression of a major allergen and cytotoxin, Asp f I, in Aspergillus fumigatus. Implications for the immunopathogenesis of Aspergillus-related diseases.

Asp f I is a major 18-kDa Aspergillus fumigatus allergen and a member of the mitogillin family of cytotoxins. The nucleotide sequence of the Asp f I gene was determined by sequencing polymerase chain reaction products amplified from A. fumigatus spore DNA. The entire 678-bp DNA includes an 81-bp leader sequence, preceding the N-terminal alanine codon, a 52-bp intron, and a 444-bp open reading frame, encoding a 149-amino acid protein (M(r) 16,899), which is 99% homologous to mitogillin from Aspergillus restrictus. A mAb-based ELISA was used to compare Asp f I levels in spores, mycelia, and culture filtrate, and to determine the kinetics of allergen production. Disrupted hyphae or spore extracts had a 1000-fold lower level of Asp f I than culture filtrate, suggesting that germination of spores and growth of the fungus are essential for allergen production. Asp f I levels in A. fumigatus and A. restrictus peaked at day 3 (0.87 to 12.1 micrograms/ml), however, the allergen was not detected in Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus nidulans cultures (< 1.5 ng/ml) on either days 3 or 8. Northern analysis confirmed that Asp f I mRNA was detected only in A. fumigatus and A. restrictus, but not in the other four Aspergillus spp. Asp f I-specific DNA was generated after polymerase chain reaction amplification of genomic mycelial DNA obtained from A. fumigatus and A. restrictus, but not from the other Aspergillus spp. The results show that Asp f I is selectively expressed in A. fumigatus, and suggest that this cytotoxin could be a specific virulence factor for A. fumigatus.     

Synthesis and structure–activity relationship of pyripyropene A derivatives as potent and selective acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) inhibitors: Part 1

In an effort to develop potent and selective inhibitors toward ACAT2, structure–activity relationship studies were carried out using derivatives based on pyripyropene A (PPPA, 1). We have successfully developed novel PPPA derivatives with a 7-O-substituted benzoyl substituent that significantly exhibit more potent ACAT2 inhibitory activity and higher ACAT2 isozyme selectivity than 1.     

Mass-production of human ACAT-1 and ACAT-2 to screen isoform-specific inhibitor: a different substrate specificity and inhibitory regulation

Recently, acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase was found to be present as two isoforms, ACAT-1 and ACAT-2, in mammalian tissues with different metabolic functions and tissue-specific locations. In this study, the isoforms were mass-produced individually from insect cells to establish a more sensitive and reliable screening method for specific inhibitors against each isoform. The expressed hACAT-1 and hACAT-2 appeared as a 50 kDa- and a 46 kDa-band on SDS-PAGE, respectively, from Hi5 cells and they preferred to exist in oligomeric form, from dimer to tetramer, during the purification process. They also exhibited an approximate 3.4 to 3.7-fold increase in activities when compared to rat liver microsomal fractions at the same protein concentration. Known ACAT inhibitors, pyripyropene A, oleic acid anilide, and diethyl pyrocarbonate, were tested to evaluate the inhibitory specificity and sensitivity of the expressed enzymes. Interestingly, pyripyropene A inhibited only the hACAT-2 fraction with IC(50)=0.64 microM but not the hACAT-1 fraction; whereas the fatty acid anilide did not show a significant difference in inhibitory activity with either hACAT-1 or hACAT-2. Furthermore, cholesterol was more rapidly utilized by hACAT-1, but hACAT-2 esterified other cholic acid derivatives more efficiently. These results suggest that the specificity of each substrate and inhibitor was highly different, depending on each isoform from the viewpoint of the regulatory site and the substrate binding site location.     

Bioremediation of aflatoxins by some reference fungal strains.

Aspergillus parasiticus RCMB 002001 (2) producing four types of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 was used in this study as an aflatoxin-producer. Penicillium griseofulvum, P. urticae, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Trichoderma viride, Candida utilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as a non-toxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus were found to be able to exhibit growth on aflatoxin B1-containing medium up to a concentration of 500 ppb. It was also found that several fungal strains exhibited the growth in co-culture with A. parasiticus, natural aflatoxins producer, and were able to decreased the total aflatoxin concentration, resulting in the highest inhibition percentage of 67.2% by T viride, followed by P. lilacinus, P. griseofulvum, S. cerevisiae, C. utilis, P. urticae, Rhizopus nigricans and Mucor rouxii with total aflatoxin inhibition percentage of 53.9, 52.4, 52, 51.7, 44, 38.2 and 35.4%, respectively. The separation of bioremediation products using GC/MS revealed that the toxins were degraded into furan moieties.     

Immunological differentiation of Penicillium species

Antisera were obtained from a rabbit immunized with Penicillium verrucosum var. verrucosum. These antisera were characterized by immunofluorescence and by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for their reactivity with 44 strains of moulds. Antigenically, P. verrucosum var. verrucosum (subgenus Penicillium) appears to be similar to strains belonging to subgenus Furcatum, but strongly different from Penicillium frequentans (subgenus Aspergilloides). Specific absorption of antibodies to antigens confirmed the existence of similar biochemical structures on Penicillium frequentans, Aspergillus versicolor, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Immunological procedures may thus significantly contribute to refine the taxonomic classification of moulds.     

Detection of Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae by solid phase cytometry

A rapid method based on solid phase cytometry (SPC) for the detection of Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae is described. With an enzymatic "viability" staining procedure, fungal hyphae can be detected non-specifically within the hour. By combining this procedure with an immunofluorescence labelling, a distinction between Aspergillus spp. and other clinically important fungi is possible, except for Penicillium spp. due to cross-reactivity. To differentiate both genera, microcolonies are generated by incubation at 45 degrees C prior to viability staining. The latter approach in conjunction with immunofluorescence labelling allows a quasi-specific detection of A. fumigatus hyphae and has shown its applicability to samples of bronchoalveolar lavage liquid (BAL).     

Penicillium persicinum, a new griseofulvin, chrysogine and roquefortine C producing species from Qinghai province, China

A unique Penicillium isolate from Chinese soil with terverticillate penicilli and ellipsoidal to cylindrical smooth-walled conidia, produces, in addition to the common metabolite ergosterol, copious amounts of an unknown peach-red pigment and the following secondary metabolites: griseofulvin, dechlorogriseofulvin, lichexanthone, roquefortine C, roquefortine D, chrysogine, 2-pyrovoylaminobenzamide, 2-acetyl-quinazolin-4(3H)-one. This isolate, CBS 111235, is described as Penicillium persicinum sp. nov., which belongs to subgenus Penicillium section Chrysogena but is morphologically similar to P. italicum. On the basis of the production of secondary metabolites it resembles P. griseofulvum and P. coprophilum. Sequence data using part of the beta-tubulin gene showed that it is phylogenetically related to P. chrysogenum and P. aethiopicum in section Chrysogena with which it shares both secondary metabolites and ability to grow at 37 degrees C.     

Identification of the interaction site within acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 2 for the isoform-specific inhibitor pyripyropene A

Targeted deletion of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) (A2), especially in the liver, protects hyperlipidemic mice from diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis, whereas the deletion of ACAT1 (A1) is not as effective, suggesting ACAT2 may be the more appropriate target for treatment of atherosclerosis. Among the numerous ACAT inhibitors known, pyripyropene A (PPPA) is the only compound that has high selectivity (>2000-fold) for inhibition of ACAT2 compared with ACAT1. In the present study we sought to determine the PPPA interaction site of ACAT2. To achieve this goal we made several chimeric proteins where parts of ACAT2 were replaced by the analogous region of ACAT1. Differences in the amino acid sequence and the membrane topology were utilized to design the chimeras. Among chimeras, A2:1-428/A1:444-550 had 50% reduced PPPA selectivity, whereas C-terminal-truncated ACAT2 mutant A2:1-504 (C-terminal last 22 amino acids were deleted) remained selectively inhibited, indicating the PPPA-sensitive site is located within a region between amino acids 440 and 504. Three additional chimeras within this region helped narrow down the PPPA-sensitive site to a region containing amino acids 480-504, representing the fifth putative transmembrane domain of ACAT2. Subsequently, for this region we made single amino acid mutants where each amino acid in ACAT2 was individually changed to its ACAT1 counterpart. Mutation of Q492L, V493L, S494A resulted in only 30, 50, and 70% inhibition of the activity by PPPA, respectively (as opposed to greater than 95% with the wild type enzyme), suggesting these three residues are responsible for the selective inhibition by PPPA of ACAT2. Additionally, we found that PPPA non-covalently interacts with ACAT2 apparently without altering the oligomeric structure of the protein. The present study provides the first evidence for a unique motif in ACAT2 that can be utilized for making an ACAT2-specific drug.     

Enumeration and identification of Aspergillus group and Penicillium species in poultry feeds from Argentina

A total of 180 samples of poultry feeds were collected during 1996 and 1997 from different factories in the south of the province of Córdoba-Argentina. They were examined for the occurrence of Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus group species. Likewise, the capacity to produce aflatoxins by the Aspergillus section flavi group was determined. The predominant species of Aspergillus were A. flavus and A. parasiticus. For Penicillium spp., P. brevicompactum, P. purpurogenum and P. oxalicum were identified. Less frequently isolated were A. candidus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. orizae, A. parvulus, A. tamarii, A. terreus, and P. expansum, P. funiculosum, P. minioluteum, P. pinophylum, P. restrictum, P. variabile and others. The mean value counts ranged from 1 × 103 to 9.5 × 104 CFU/g for the Aspergillus spp. and from 1.2 × 103 to 2.5 × 105 CFU/g for the Penicillium spp. When cultured on autoclaved rice kernels for 1 week in the dark at 25°C, mycotoxin production by strains of A. flavus was as follows: 21 of the 45 assayed strains (47%) produced aflatoxins. From them, 24% of the isolates produced AFB1 and AFB2 with levels from 181 to 14 545 and 6 to 3640 μg/kg respectively. Only 10 strains produced AFB1 with levels from 10 to 920 μg/kg. Fifty percent of the A. parasiticus strain was toxicogenic; six aflatoxicogenic profiles were identified. Only 10% of the strains produced all of the aflatoxins. These results showed that a potential exists for the production of mycotoxins by the Aspergillus section flavi and the Penicillium spp. They also suggested an association of mycotoxicosis with poultry feeds in Argentina. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Toxigenic Aspergilli and Penicillia Isolated from Aged, Cured Meats

Eighty-nine cultures of Aspergillus and 54 cultures of Penicillium isolated from aged, cured meats were tested for toxicity to chicken embryos. Two of 22 isolates of A. ruber, 5 of 28 A. repens, 2 of 12 A. sydowi, 1 of 12 A. restrictus, 2 of 7 A. amstelodami, 1 of 2 A. chevalieri, and an A. fumigatus isolate exhibited toxicity. Similarly, 2 of 15 isolates of P. expansum, 1 of 3 P. notatum, 1 of 2 P. brevi-compactum, and 1 of 8 Penicillium spp. were found to be the most toxic. Among these fungi, the chloroform extract from the growth of an A. sydowi isolate showed the greatest toxicity. There was no direct or indirect evidence that aged, cured meats contain toxic metabolites.     

Isolation,identification and testing for allergenicity of fungi from air-conditioned indoor environments

Twelve fungi were isolated and identified from air-conditioned rooms. Of the 12, 7 were species of Aspergillus, viz. A. niger, A. oryzae, A. fumigatus, A. terreus, A. nidulans, A. versicolor and A. parasiticus. Other fungi were Penicillium citrinum, Fusarium oxysporum, Trichoderma viride, Neurospora crassa and Alternaria alternata. A. niger was present in 80% of the locations. Some of the fungi isolated in this study could be opportunistic fungal pathogens, like A. fumigatus, A. niger and Penicillium citrinum, and were found to be allergenic. Results of this study indicate that air-conditioned rooms could be reservoirs of fungi and may cause allergic problems or infections in healthy or immunocompromised individuals living in these environments.     

Mites and fungi in heavily infested stores in the Czech Republic

Toxigenic and allergen-producing fungi represent a serious hazard to human food and animal feed safety. Ninety-four fungal species were isolated from mite-infested samples of seeds taken from Czech seed stores. Fungi were isolated from the surface of four kinds of seeds (wheat, poppy, lettuce, and mustard) and from the gut and external surface of five species of mites (i.e., Acarus siro L., 1758, Caloglyphus rhizoglyphoides (Zachvatkin, 1973), Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank, 1781), Tyrophagus putrescentnae (Schrank, 1781) and Cheyletus malaccensis Oudemans 1903) separately. Multivariate analysis of fungi complex composition showed that the frequency of fungal was species significantly influenced by the kind of seed. Fungal frequencies differed between mites gut and exoskeleton surface and between the surfaces of mites and seeds. Three groups of fungal species were recognized: 1) mite surface-associated fungi: Penicillium brevicompactum, Alternaria alternata, and Aspergillus versicolor; 2) mite surface- and seed-associated fungi: Aspergillus niger, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Aspergillus flavus; and 3) seed-associated fungi: Cladosporium herbarum, Mucor dimorphosporus f. dimorphosporus, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium griseofulvum, and Eurotium repens. Mite-carried species of microfungi are known to produce serious mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin B1, cyclopiazonic acid, sterigmatocystin, ochratoxin A, and nephrotoxic glycopeptides) as well as allergen producers (e.g., A. alternata and P. brevicompactum). Storage mites may play an important role in the spread of some medically hazardous micromycetes. In addition, these mite-fungi associations may heighten the risk of occurrence of mycotoxins in food and feed stuffs and cause mixed contamination by fungal and mite allergens.     

Fungi isolated from olive ecosystems and screening of their potential biotechnological use

This study investigated the fungi diversity of fresh olive (Olea europaea L.) fruits, olive paste (crushed olives) and olive pomace (solid waste) and screened and quantified enzymatic activities with biotechnological applications. Fungi were randomly isolated from olive cultivars from Castilla La Mancha region (Spain). Identification included comparison of their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA region, followed by nucleotide sequence analysis. Fourteen different species with DNA sequences of different similarities were identified, belonging to seven different genera (Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizomucor, Mucor, Rhizopus, Lichtheimia and Galactomyces). Aspergillus fumigatus, followed by Galactomyces geotrichum, Penicillium commune and Rhizomucor variabilis var. regularior were the most frequent species. Specific enzyme screening was assayed on agar plates, using cellobiose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), polygalacturonic acid and CaCl(2)/Tween 80 as substrates for β-glucosidase, carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase), polygalacturonase and lipase, respectively. Species exhibiting the best activities were: Aspergillus fumigatus (for β-glucosidase, CMCase and lipase); Rhizopus oryzae (for β-glucosidase and lipase); Rhizomucor variabilis (for β-glucosidase, CMCase and polygalacturonase); Mucor fragilis (β-glucosidase, CMCase and lipase); Galactomyces geotrichum (for β-glucosidase, polygalacturonase and lipase) and Penicillium commune and Penicillium crustosum (for lipase). The species that had shown the best enzymatic activities were grown on hemicellulose, cellulose and pectin and some activities were quantified (xylanase, cellulase, β-glucosidase and pectinase). An isolate of A. fumigatus and one of A. niger showed the best cellulase and xylanase activities, while no species presented good pectinase and β-glucosidase activities. The selected species with potential enzymatic activities could be used for future applications of industrial interest.     

Effect of 3-phenylpropanoic Acid on growth of and cellulose utilization by cellulolytic ruminal bacteria

Patulin production by Penicillium griseofulvum was monitored with Sep-Pak cartridges and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Determination and quantification of this metabolite proved to be very simple, and our method saved time and a large amount of organic solvents.