Isolation and characterization of Neosartorya fischeri antifungal protein (NFAP)

A novel 6.6 kDa antifungal peptide (NFAP) from the culture supernatant of the mold, Neosartorya fischeri (anamorf: Aspergillus fischerianus), and its encoding gene were isolated in this study. NFAP is a small, basic and cysteine-rich protein consisting of 57 amino acid residues. It shows 37.9-50% homology to similar proteins described in literature from Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus giganteus, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium chrysogenum. The in silico presumed tertiary structure of NFAP, e.g. the presence of five antiparallel β-sheet connected with filaments, and stabilized by three disulfide bridges, is very similar to those of the defensin-like molecules. NFAP exhibited growth inhibitory action against filamentous fungi in a dose-dependent manner, and maintained high antifungal activity within broad pH and temperature ranges. Furthermore, it exhibited relevant resistance to proteolysis. All these characteristics make NFAP a promising candidate for further in vitro and in vivo investigations aiming at the development of new antifungal compounds.     

The antifungal protein PAF interferes with PKC/MPK and cAMP/PKA signalling of Aspergillus nidulans

The Penicillium chrysogenum antifungal protein PAF inhibits polar growth and induces apoptosis in Aspergillus nidulans. We report here that two signalling cascades are implicated in its antifungal activity. PAF activates the cAMP/protein kinase A (Pka) signalling cascade. A pkaA deletion mutant exhibited reduced sensitivity towards PAF. This was substantiated by the use of pharmacological modulators: PAF aggravated the effect of the activator 8‐Br‐cAMP and partially relieved the repressive activity of caffeine. Furthermore, the Pkc/mitogen‐activated protein kinase (Mpk) signalling cascade mediated basal resistance to PAF, which was independent of the small GTPase RhoA. Non‐functional mutations of both genes resulted in hypersensitivity towards PAF. PAF did not increase MpkA phosphorylation or induce enzymes involved in the remodelling of the cell wall, which normally occurs in response to activators of the cell wall integrity pathway. Notably, PAF exposure resulted in actin gene repression and a deregulation of the chitin deposition at hyphal tips of A. nidulans, which offers an explanation for the morphological effects evoked by PAF and which could be attributed to the interconnection of the two signalling pathways. Thus, PAF represents an excellent tool to study signalling pathways in this model organism and to define potential fungal targets to develop new antifungals.     

Discovery of cercosporamide, a known antifungal natural product, as a selective Pkc1 kinase inhibitor through high-throughput screening

The Pkc1-mediated cell wall integrity-signaling pathway is highly conserved in fungi and is essential for fungal growth. We thus explored the potential of targeting the Pkc1 protein kinase for developing broad-spectrum fungicidal antifungal drugs through a Candida albicans Pkc1-based high-throughput screening. We discovered that cercosporamide, a broad-spectrum natural antifungal compound, but previously with an unknown mode of action, is actually a selective and highly potent fungal Pkc1 kinase inhibitor. This finding provides a molecular explanation for previous observations in which Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall mutants were found to be highly sensitive to cercosporamide. Indeed, S. cerevisiae mutant cells with reduced Pkc1 kinase activity become hypersensitive to cercosporamide, and this sensitivity can be suppressed under high-osmotic growth conditions. Together, the results demonstrate that cercosporamide acts selectively on Pkc1 kinase and, thus, they provide a molecular mechanism for its antifungal activity. Furthermore, cercosporamide and a beta-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitor echinocandin analog, by targeting two different key components of the cell wall biosynthesis pathway, are highly synergistic in their antifungal activities. The synergistic antifungal activity between Pkc1 kinase and beta-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitors points to a potential highly effective combination therapy to treat fungal infections.     

Manganese activates autophagy to alleviate endoplasmic reticulum stress–induced apoptosis via PERK pathway

Overexposure to manganese (Mn) is neurotoxic. Our previous research has demonstrated that the interaction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy participates in the early stage of Mn‐mediated neurotoxicity in mouse. However, the mechanisms of ER stress signalling pathways in the initiation of autophagy remain confused. In the current study, we first validated that ER stress–mediated cell apoptosis is accompanied by autophagy in SH‐SY5Y cells. Then, we found that inhibiting ER stress with 4‐phenylbutyrate (4‐PBA) decreased ER stress–related protein expression and reduced cell apoptosis, whereas blocking autophagy with 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA) increased cell apoptosis. These data indicate that protective autophagy was activated to alleviate ER stress–mediated apoptosis. Knockdown of the protein kinase RNA‐like ER kinase (PERK) gene inhibited Mn‐induced autophagy and weakened the interaction between ATF4 and the LC3 promoter. Our results reveal a novel molecular mechanism in which ER stress may regulate autophagy via the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 signalling pathway. Additionally, Mn may activate protective autophagy to alleviate ER stress–mediated apoptosis via the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 signalling pathway in SH‐SY5Y cells.     

Structural features of the glycogen branching enzyme encoding genes from aspergilli

A maltose binding protein, p78, was purified to homogeneity from Aspergillus nidulans by a single column chromatography step on cross-linked amylose. The partial amino acid sequence was highly homologous to the glycogen branching enzymes (GBEs) of human and yeast, and p78 did show branching enzyme activity. The genomic gene and its cDNA encoding GBE (p78) were isolated from the A. nidulans genomic and cDNA libraries. Furthermore, a cDNA encoding A. oryzae GBE was entirely sequenced. A. nidulans GBE shared overall and significant amino acid sequence identity with GBEs from A. oryzae (83.9%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (61.1%) and human (63.0%), and with starch branching enzymes from green plants (55–56%).     

抗真菌感染新药研究进展

随着免疫功能缺陷人群的增多,侵袭性真菌感染（invasive fungal infections,IFIs）的发病率和死亡率逐年上升,严重威胁人类健康。目前临床常用抗侵袭性真菌感染药物有三唑类（氟康唑）、多烯类（两性霉素B）、棘白菌素类（卡泊芬净）等,然而这些药物并不能满足临床需要,侵袭性真菌感染的死亡率仍居高不下。因此,本文着重于目前处于临床研究阶段的抗真菌感染新药,根据作用靶点不同依次介绍：作用于细胞壁的新型葡聚糖合成酶抑制剂CD101和SCY-078、几丁质合成酶抑制剂尼可霉素Z、GPI锚定蛋白抑制剂APX001;作用于细胞膜的CYP51抑制剂VT-1161和VT-1129、破坏细胞膜通透性药物CAmB;影响细胞代谢的嘧啶合成抑制剂F901318,以及生物制剂包括细胞表面凝集素样序列3蛋白疫苗（NDV-3）和抗真菌感染抗体Mycograb。本文主要综述了上述新药的研究进展,包括作用机制、体内外活性、临床研究结果等,为相关药物的研发与未来的临床应用提供参考。     

Asymmetric synthesis of arylselenoalcohols by means of the reduction of organoseleno acetophenones by whole fungal cells

A series of novel organoseleno acetophenones (3a–f) have been synthesized. The microbial reduction of the seleno ketones (3) has been evaluated using whole cells of Rhizopus oryzae CCT 4964, Aspergillus terreus CCT 3320, A. terreus CCT 4083 and Emericella nidulans CCT 3119. These microorganisms showed Prelog and anti-Prelog stereoselectivity, leading to the arylselenoalcohols in moderate to high enantiomeric excesses. The organoselenium compounds were compatible with the biocatalytic conditions employed.     

昆虫抗真菌肽

随着对昆虫抗菌肽理论和应用研究的不断深入,已陆续发现了10多种昆虫抗真菌肽。文章就昆虫抗真菌肽的类型、结构和功能的关系、作用机理、应用等方面的新进展进行简要介绍和分析,为昆虫抗真菌肽的理论研究和发展新型抗生素等提供了必要的信息。     

作用于细胞壁的抗真菌药物研究进展

与人类细胞相比,细胞壁为真菌的特有结构,因此作用于细胞壁的抗真菌药物相较于其他类型抗真菌药物而言具有高效、低毒的特点,是迄今为止安全性最高的一类抗真菌药物。本文对作用于细胞壁的抗真菌药物进行综述,根据作用机制及靶点的不同分别介绍葡聚糖合成酶抑制剂、几丁质合成酶抑制剂及糖基磷脂酰肌(glycosylphosphatidylinositol,GPI)锚定蛋白抑制剂,对其进行总结和归纳,为相关药物的研发及将来的临床应用前景提供参考。     

Reciprocal regulation of Notch and PI3K/Akt signalling in T-ALL cells in vitro

Notch signalling plays an important role in hematopoiesis and in the pathogenesis of T-ALL. Notch is known to interact with Ras and PTEN/PI3K (phosphoinositide-3 kinase)/Akt pathways. We investigated the interaction of Notch with these pathways and the possible reciprocal regulation of these signalling systems in T-ALL cells in vitro. Our analyses indicate that the PI3K/Akt pathway is constitutively active in the four T-ALL cell lines tested. Akt phosphorylation was not altered by the sequestration of growth factors, that is, Akt activation seems to be less dependent on but not completely independent of growth factors, possibly being not subject to negative feedback regulation. PTEN expression was not detected in 3/4 cell lines tested, suggesting the loss of PTEN-mediated Akt activation. Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway arrests growth and enhances apoptosis, but with no modulation of expression of Bax-alpha and Bcl-2 proteins. We analysed the relationship between Notch-1 and the PI3K/Akt signalling and show that inhibition of the Akt pathway changes Notch expression; Notch-1 protein decreased in all the cell lines upon treatment with the inhibitor. Our studies strongly suggest that Notch signalling interacts with PI3K/Akt signalling and further that this occurs in the absence of PTEN expression. The consequences of this to the signalling outcome are yet unclear, but we have uncovered a significant inverse relationship between Notch and PI3K/Akt pathway, which leads us to postulate the operation of a reciprocal regulatory loop between Notch and Ras-PI3K/Akt in the pathogenesis of T-ALL.     

Kinetics of ERK1/2 activation determine sensitivity of acute myeloid leukaemia cells to the induction of apoptosis by the novel small molecule ingenol 3-angelate (PEP005)

The novel small molecule ingenol 3-angelate (PEP005) has been shown previously to induce apoptosis in leukaemic cell lines and primary AML cells, an effect that requires the expression of protein kinase C-delta (PKCδ). Here we have investigated signalling events downstream of PKCδ that determine sensitivity of AML cells to PEP005. We show that activation of ERK1/2 MAP kinase occurred in both sensitive and resistant cells and that induction of apoptosis required sustained signalling through the ERK1/2 pathway. Inhibition of ERK1/2 signalling using the MEK inhibitor PD98059 inhibited PEP005-induced apoptosis and activation of ERK1/2 was shown to occur downstream of PKC activation. The data show that PEP005-induced apoptosis is both PKC and ERK1/2 dependent and indicate that chronic activation of ERK1/2 in leukaemic cells delivers a pro-apoptotic rather than a proliferative or survival signal.     

不同交配型马尔尼菲篮状菌的抗真菌药物敏感性

马尔尼菲篮状菌是马尔尼菲篮状菌病的致病菌,具有不同交配型,且交配型分布具有地域差异。交配型是影响某些真菌药物敏感性的因素之一,但是否影响马尔尼菲篮状菌的药物敏感性不详。为了解马尔尼菲篮状菌交配型和其药物敏感性的关系,本研究检测了不同交配型马尔尼菲篮状菌对7种抗真菌药物的敏感性。结果显示,与MAT-1型马尔尼菲篮状菌相比,MAT-2型马尔尼菲篮状菌对伊曲康唑的敏感性较低,提示马尔尼菲篮状菌交配型可能与马尔尼菲唑类耐药相关。     

GHR is involved in gastric cell growth and apoptosis via PI3K/AKT signalling

Growth hormone receptor (GHR), the cognate receptor of growth hormone (GH), is a membrane bound receptor that belongs to the class I cytokine receptor superfamily. GH binding GHR induces cell differentiation and maturation, initiates the anabolism inside the cells and promotes cell proliferation. Recently, GHR has been reported to be associated with various types of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism of GHR in gastric cancer has not been defined. Our results showed that silence of GHR inhibited the growth of SGC-7901 and MGC-803 cells, and tumour development in mouse xenograft model. Flow cytometry showed that GHR knockout significantly stimulated gastric cancer cell apoptosis and caused G1 cell cycle arrest, which was also verified by Western blot that GHR deficiency induced the protein level of cleaved-PARP, a valuable marker of apoptosis. In addition, GHR deficiency inhibited the activation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. On the basis of the results, that GHR regulates gastric cancer cell growth and apoptosis through controlling G1 cell cycle progression via mediating PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. These findings provide a novel understanding for the role of GHR in gastric cancer.     

Regulation of CaMKII In vivo: The Importance of Targeting and the Intracellular Microenvironment

CaMKII (calcium/calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II) is a multifunctional protein kinase that regulates normal neuronal function. CaMKII is regulated by multi-site phosphorylation, which can alter enzyme activity, and targeting to cellular microdomains through interactions with binding proteins. These proteins integrate CaMKII into multiple signalling pathways, which lead to varied functional outcomes following CaMKII phosphorylation, depending on the identity and location of the binding partner. A new phosphorylation site on CaMKII (Thr253) has been identified in vivo. Thr253 phosphorylation controls CaMKII purely by targeting, does not effect enzyme activity, and occurs in response to physiological and pathological stimuli in vivo, but only in CaMKII molecules present in specific cellular locations. This new phosphorylation site offers a potentially novel regulatory mechanism for controlling functional responses elicited by CaMKII that are restricted to specific subcellular locations and/or certain cell types, by controlling interactions with proteins that are expressed in the cell at that location.