Cytostatic effect of L-lysine-alpha-oxidase from Trichoderma harzianum Rifai and Trichoderma viride

L-lysine-alpha-oxidase, a new fungal enzyme catalyzing oxidative L-lysine deamination, was shown to have an inhibitory effect on the in vitro synthesis of DNA, RNA and proteins in human carcinoma ovarian (CaOv) cells.     

Proteins Related to the Biocontrol of Pythium Damping-off in Maize with Trichoderma harzianum Rifai

Induced resistance has been evidenced as one of mechanisms of Trichoderma to control plant diseases, however, no study showed the change of host proteomics in Trichoderma-induced resistance of maize against damping-off caused by Pythium ultimum Trow. The mechanism of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai for controlling maize seedling disease caused by Pythium ultimum Trow was investigated firstly by proteome technique and the result suggested that T. harzianum strain T22 was not only able to promote seedling growth but also protein accumulation. One-dimensional electrophoresis assay showed that more bands appeared on the gel with T22 or T22 combined with P. ultimum （T22 ＋ P. ultimum） treatment than with other treatments. Enzyme assay showed that two chitinases of the root sample were more activated in the treatments with T22 than in the other treatments without T22. Proteins in the seedling roots from the various treatments were separated through protein extraction and 2-D electrophoresis technique. In the seedlings produced from the T22-treated seeds, there were 104 up-regulated proteins and 164 down-regulated proteins relative to the control, and 97 and 150, respectively, aftel treatment with T22 ＋ P. ultimum; however, with P. ultimum alone the values were much lower than with the other two treatments. The correlation coefficient values were 0.72, 0.51 and 0.49 for the comparison of protein spot distribution on gel among control with T22, P. ultimum and T22 ＋ P. ultimum, respectively. So it seemed that P. ultimum infection was more effective than T22 in interfering with the host proteome profile. Furthermore, analysis with MALDITOF-MAS showed that some important proteins associated with defensive reactions were identified in T22 or T22 ＋ P. ultimum treatments, including endochitinase, pathogenesis-related protein PRMS （pathogenesis-related maize seed）, GTP-binding protein, isoflavone reductase and other proteins related to respiration. All those proteins are probably part of the network of resistance or development-related proteins. Interestingly, P. ultimum treatment resulted in elimination of pathogenesis-related protein PRMS on gel, and therefore damping-off could be in part attributed to inhibition of the expression of this protein by P. ultimum infection. Some unknown proteins are also related to the defensive reaction of the host.     

Effects of different inoculum densities of Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride against Meloidogyne javanica on tomato

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different inoculum densities of two Saudi isolates of Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride against Meloidogyne javanica on tomato. Four densities (10⁴, 10⁶, 10⁸ and 10¹⁰ spores/g of soil) of each fungus were used. The results indicate that all four inoculum densities of the two Trichoderma species suppressed the nematode reproduction and root galling; and increased the growth of tomato plants, compared to controls. Efficacy of both fungi increased as their inoculum densities increased. Generally, efficacy of T. harzianum was better than that of T. viride, especially at the highest used density (10¹⁰ spore/g soil) which resulted in the best control.     

The effect of acid pH on the growth kinetics of Trichoderma viride.

Batch cultures of Trichoderma viride have been carried out in a 10 liter stirred fermenter a controlled pH values of 2.5, 2.7, 3.0, and 4.0 and without pH control at a temperature of 28 degrees C. Cell and glucose concentrations and dissolved oxygen values are reported. The yield coefficient was found to be constant at 0.40 kg cells/kg glucose and the maximum specific growth rate was linearly correlated with the hydrogen ion concentration.     

Solubilization of Phosphates and Micronutrients by the Plant-Growth-Promoting and Biocontrol Fungus Trichoderma harzianum Rifai 1295-22

We investigated the capability of the plant-growth-promoting and biocontrol fungus Trichoderma harzianum Rifai 1295-22 (T-22) to solubilize in vitro some insoluble or sparingly soluble minerals via three possible mechanisms: acidification of the medium, production of chelating metabolites, and redox activity. T-22 was able to solubilize MnO₂, metallic zinc, and rock phosphate (mostly calcium phosphate) in a liquid sucrose-yeast extract medium, as determined by inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. Acidification was not the major mechanism of solubilization since the pH of cultures never fell below 5.0 and in cultures containing MnO₂ the pH rose from 6.8 to 7.4. Organic acids were not detected by high-performance thin-layer chromatography in the culture filtrates. Fe₂O₃, MnO₂, Zn, and rock phosphate were also solubilized by cell-free culture filtrates. The chelating activity of T-22 culture filtrates was determined by a method based on measurement of the equilibrium concentration of the chrome azurol S complex in the presence of other chelating substances. A size exclusion chromatographic separation of the components of the culture filtrates indicated the presence of a complexed form of Fe but no chelation of Mn. In liquid culture, T. harzianum T-22 also produced diffusible metabolites capable of reducing Fe(III) and Cu(II), as determined by the formation of Fe(II)-Na₂-bathophenanthrolinedisulfonic acid and Cu(I)-Na₂-2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonic acid complexes. This is the first report of the ability of a Trichoderma strain to solubilize insoluble or sparingly soluble minerals. This activity may explain, at least partially, the ability of T-22 to increase plant growth. Solubilization of metal oxides by Trichoderma involves both chelation and reduction. Both of these mechanisms also play a role in biocontrol of plant pathogens, and they may be part of a multiple-component action exerted by T-22 to achieve effective biocontrol under a variety of environmental conditions.     

Purification and characterization of an acid phosphatase from Trichoderma harzianum

An acid phosphatase from Trichoderma harzianum was purified in a single step using a phenyl-Sepharose chromatography column. A typical procedure showed 22-fold purification with 56% yield. The purified enzyme showed as a single band on SDS-PAGE with an apparent molecular weight of 57.8 kDa. The pH optimum was 4.8 and maximum activity was obtained at 55°C. The enzyme retained 60% of its activity after incubation at 55°C for 60 min. The K _m and V _max values for p-nitrophenyl phosphate (p-NPP) as a substrate were 165 nM and 237 nM min^?1, respectively. The enzyme was partially inhibited by inorganic phosphate and strongly inhibited by tungstate. Broad substrate specificity was observed with significant activities for p-NPP, ATP, ADP, AMP, fructose 6-phosphate, glucose 1-phosphate and phenyl phosphate.     

Comparative Characterization of Laminarinases from the Filamentous Marine Fungi Chaetomium Indicum Corda and Trichoderma Aureviride Rifai

Marine filamentous fungi (103 strains) isolated from various marine habitats were studied for their ability to produce extracellular O-glycosylhydrolases. Cultural filtrates of these strains were shown to contain a series of glycanases (laminarinases, amylases, cellulases, pustulanases) and glycosidases (β-glucosidases, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidases, β-galactosidases, α-mannosidases).Two species of marine fungi from different habitats were chosen for isolation of laminarinases and detailed study on enzyme properties. The fungus Chaetomium indicum associated with the alga Fucus evanescens C. Agardh was collected near the Kuril Islands, and T. aureviride was sampled from bottom deposits of South China Sea. Properties of extracellular laminarinases were similar: temperature optimums (40–45 ^∘C), molecular masses (54–56 kDa), K _m (0.1–0.3 mg ml⁻¹). Temperature stability of laminarinase of C. indicum was significantly higher than those from T. aureveride. It is shown that these enzymes are specific to β-1,3-bonds in glucans, release predominantly glucose from laminaran and do not catalyze reaction of transglycosylation. Accoding to these data enzymes are exo-1,3-β-D-glucan-glucanohydrolases (EC 3.2.1.58). Inhibitor analysis demonstrated the significant role of tryptophan and tyrosine residues in the catalytic activity of enzymes. Molecules of T. aureviride laminarinase contained the functionally important thiol group.     

Characterization of a chitinase and an endo-beta-1,3-glucanase from Trichoderma harzianum Rifai T24 involved in control of the phytopathogen Sclerotium rolfsii

Of 24 Trichoderma isolates, T harzianum Rifai (T24) showed a potential for control of the phytopathogenic basidiomycete Sclerotium rolfsii. When T24 was grown on different carbon sources, growth inhibition of S. rolfsii by the T24 culture filtrate correlated with the activity of extracellular chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase. The 43-kilodalton (kDa) chitinase and the 74-kDa beta-1,3-glucanase were purified from the T24 culture filtrate in two and three steps, respectively, using ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography (phenyl-Sepharose) and gel filtration (beta-1,3-glucanase). Km and Kcat were 3.8 g l(-1) and 0.71 s(-1) for the chitinase (chitin) and 1.1 g(-1) and 52 s(-1) for the beta-1,3-glucanase (laminarin). The chitinase showed higher activity on chitin than on less-acetylated substrate analogues (chitosan), while the beta-1,3-glucanase was specific for beta-1,3-linkages in polysaccharides. Both enzymes were stable at 30 degrees C, while at 60 degrees C the chitinase and the beta-1,3-glucanase were rapidly inactivated, showing half-lives of 15 and 20 min, respectively. The enzymes inhibited growth of S. rolfsii in an additive manner showing a promising ED50 (50% effective dose) value of 2.7 microg/ml.     

Inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in Ehrlich tumor cells by periodate-oxidized adenosine and adenylic acid

Periodate-oxidized adenosine and AMP were inhibitory to both RNA and DNA synthesis in Ehrlich tumor cells in culture. With periodate-oxidized adenosine, the inhibition of RNA synthesis paralleled the inhibition of DNA synthesis. Periodate-oxidized AMP, however, was more inhibitory to DNA synthesis than to RNA synthesis. With both compounds, there was a decrease in the conversion of [¹⁴C]cytidine nucleotides to [¹⁴C]deoxycytidine nucleotides in the acid-soluble pool. The borohy-dride-reduced trialcohol derivative of the periodate-oxidized adenosine compound was not inhibitory to DNA or RNA synthesis in the tumor cells. The incorporation of [³H]uridine into 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA was inhibited by both periodate-oxidized adenosine and AMP, but the incorporation of [³H]uridine in 45S, 5S, and 4S RNA was essentially unaffected by these compounds. Periodate-oxidized adenosine inhibited Ehrlich tumor cell growth in vivo.     

Salicylic acid prevents Trichoderma harzianum from entering the vascular system of roots

Trichoderma is a soil‐borne fungal genus that includes species with a significant impact on agriculture and industrial processes. Some Trichoderma strains exert beneficial effects in plants through root colonization, although little is known about how this interaction takes place. To better understand this process, the root colonization of wild‐type Arabidopsis and the salicylic acid (SA)‐impaired mutant sid2 by a green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐marked Trichoderma harzianum strain was followed under confocal microscopy. Trichoderma harzianum GFP22 was able to penetrate the vascular tissue of the sid2 mutant because of the absence of callose deposition in the cell wall of root cells. In addition, a higher colonization of sid2 roots by GFP22 compared with that in Arabidopsis wild‐type roots was detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. These results, together with differences in the expression levels of plant defence genes in the roots of both interactions, support a key role for SA in Trichoderma early root colonization stages. We observed that, without the support of SA, plants were unable to prevent the arrival of the fungus in the vascular system and its spread into aerial parts, leading to later collapse.     

Antagonistic activity of Penicillium oxalicum Corrie and Thom,Penicillium decumbens Thom and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai isolates against fungi,bacteria and insects in vitro

The antibiotic activity of 70 isolates belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria and Trichoderma was tested as preliminary screening. The highest activity was obtained with three Penicillium oxalicum isolates, one Penicillium decumbens isolate and the Trichoderma harzianum isolate. After that, we chose these five isolates in order to carry out other studies with bacteria, fungi and insects. Extracts from these isolates were obtained. The extracts were tested for antibiotic activity with positive results, which implies that metabolite production is involved in this antagonistic effect. The highest activity was shown by T. harzianum and P. oxalicum extracts, but there was high variability among P. oxalicum isolates.     

Kinetic study on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by cellulose from Trichoderma viride

Pure cellulose (Avicel) was hydrolyzed batchwise at 50 degrees C and pH 4.8 by cellulase from Trichoderma viride (Meicelase CEP). Then the effects of the crystallinity of cellulose as well as the thermal deactivation and product (cellubiose and glucose) inhibition to cellulose on the hydrolysis rate were quantitatively investigated. While these factor had evidently retarded the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to a significant extent, the hydrolysis rates observed could not be explained. For practical purposes, an empirical, simple rate expression was developed which included only one parameter: a overall rate retardation constant. This empirical rate expression held for the hydrolysis of at least two kind of cellulosic materials: Avicel and tissue paper.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of a xylanase from Trichoderma harzianum

A 20,000 Mr xylanase from Trichoderma harzianum has been purified and crystallized from 20% (w/v) saturated ammonium sulphate solutions. The unit cell is orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit cell lengths a = 44.2 A, b = 94.1 A, c = 51.6 A. Data from native crystals and several potential heavy-atom derivatives have been collected. An X-ray analysis to at least 2.8 A resolution appears to be feasible.     

Inhibitory effect of new imidazole derivatives on the proliferation and nucleic acid synthesis of leukemic cells

New derivatives of imidazothiazole and imidazobenzothiazole were testedin vitro for their potential antiproliferative activity. Four imidazobenzothiazole derivatives exhibited a cytotoxic activity against two leukemic cell lines, compound I being the most effective. Cell cycle kinetics studies showed that this drug delays the progression of cells from G₁ to S and G₂ M phases. An inhibitory effect on DNA and RNA synthesis was also observed. The antiproliferative effect of this compound, analogue of immunosuppressive agents, suggested that it could be of interest for a therapeutic use and for the synthesis of new derivatives.