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Oxidative stress and the presence of bacteria increase gene expression of the antimicrobial peptide aclasin, a fungal CSαβ defensin in Aspergillus clavatus

Background Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a broad class of naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds. Plants, invertebrates and fungi produce various AMPs as, for example, defensins. Most of these defensins are characterised by the presence of a cysteine-stabilised α-helical and β-sheet (...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Contreras, Gabriela (Author) , Wang, Nessa (Author) , Schäfer, Holger (Author) , Wink, Michael (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 25 February 2019
In: PeerJ
Year: 2019, Volume: 7
ISSN:2167-8359
DOI:10.7717/peerj.6290
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6290
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://peerj.com/articles/6290
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Author Notes:Gabriela Contreras, Nessa Wang, Holger Schäfer and Michael Wink
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Summary:Background Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a broad class of naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds. Plants, invertebrates and fungi produce various AMPs as, for example, defensins. Most of these defensins are characterised by the presence of a cysteine-stabilised α-helical and β-sheet (CSαβ) motif. The changes in gene expression of a fungal CSαβ defensin by stress conditions were investigated in Aspergillus clavatus. A. clavatus produces the CSαβ defensin Aclasin, which is encoded by the aclasin gene. Methods Aclasin expression was evaluated in submerged mycelium cultures under heat shock, osmotic stress, oxidative stress and the presence of bacteria by quantitative real-time PCR. Results Aclasin expression increased two fold under oxidative stress conditions and in the presence of viable and heat-killed Bacillus megaterium. Under heat shock and osmotic stress, aclasin expression decreased. Discussion The results suggest that oxidative stress and the presence of bacteria might regulate fungal defensin expression. Moreover, fungi might recognise microorganisms as plants and animals do.
Item Description:Gesehen am 10.04.2019
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:2167-8359
DOI:10.7717/peerj.6290

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