A small protein that fights fungi: AFP as a new promising antifungal agent of biotechnological value |
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Authors: | Vera Meyer |
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Institution: | (1) TU Berlin, Institut für Biotechnologie, Fachgebiet Mikrobiologie und Genetik, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany |
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Abstract: | As fungal infections are becoming more prevalent in the medical or agricultural fields, novel and more efficient antifungal
agents are badly needed. Within the scope of developing new strategies for the management of fungal infections, antifungal
compounds that target essential fungal cell wall components are highly preferable. Ideally, newly developed antimycotics should
also combine major aspects such as sustainability, high efficacy, limited toxicity and low costs of production. A naturally
derived molecule that possesses all the desired characteristics is the antifungal protein (AFP) secreted by the filamentous
ascomycete Aspergillus giganteus. AFP is a small, basic and cysteine-rich peptide that exerts extremely potent antifungal activity against human- and plant-pathogenic
fungi without affecting the viability of bacteria, yeast, plant and mammalian cells. This review summarises the current knowledge
of the structure, mode of action and expression of AFP, and highlights similarities and differences concerning these issues
between AFP and its related proteins from other Ascomycetes. Furthermore, the potential use of AFP in the combat against fungal
contaminations and infections will be discussed. |
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Keywords: | Antifungal protein Aspergillus giganteus Pathogenic fungi Cell wall integrity Chitin biosynthesis Antifungal treatment |
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