scholarly journals Preliminary Structural Elucidation of β-(1,3)-glucan Synthase from Candida glabrata Using Cryo-Electron Tomography

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Cristina Jiménez-Ortigosa ◽  
Jennifer Jiang ◽  
Muyuan Chen ◽  
Xuyuan Kuang ◽  
Kelley R. Healey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Glabrata ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Fungal Cell Wall ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Glucan Synthase ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography

Echinocandin drugs have become a front-line therapy against Candida spp. infections due to the increased incidence of infections by species with elevated azole resistance, such as Candida glabrata. Echinocandins target the fungal-specific enzyme ß-(1,3)-glucan synthase (GS), which is located in the plasma membrane and catalyzes the biosynthesis of ß-(1,3)-glucan, the major component of the fungal cell wall. However, resistance to echinocandin drugs, which results from hotspot mutations in the catalytic subunits of GS, is an emerging problem. Little structural information on GS is currently available because, thus far, the GS enzyme complex has resisted homogenous purification, limiting our understanding of GS as a major biosynthetic apparatus for cell wall assembly and an important therapeutic drug target. Here, by applying cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and subtomogram analysis, we provide a preliminary structure of the putative C. glabrata GS complex as clusters of hexamers, each subunit with two notable cytosolic domains, the N-terminal and central catalytic domains. This study lays the foundation for structural and functional studies of this elusive protein complex, which will provide insight into fungal cell wall synthesis and the development of more efficacious antifungal therapeutics.

scholarly journals Length Specificity and Polymerization Mechanism of (1,3)-β-d-Glucan Synthase in Fungal Cell Wall Biosynthesis

Biochemistry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Chhetri ◽  
Anna Loksztejn ◽  
Hai Nguyen ◽  
Kaila M. Pianalto ◽  
Mi Jung Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Fungal Cell Wall ◽  
Cell Wall Biosynthesis ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Glucan Synthase ◽  
Polymerization Mechanism

scholarly journals Differential Regulation of Echinocandin Targets Fks1 and Fks2 in Candida glabrata by the Post-Transcriptional Regulator Ssd1

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Kelley R. Healey ◽  
Padmaja Paderu ◽  
Xin Hou ◽  
Cristina Jimenez Ortigosa ◽  
Nicole Bagley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Glabrata ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Differential Regulation ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Protein Ratio ◽  
Glucan Synthase ◽  
Invasive Infections ◽  
Echinocandin Resistance

Invasive infections caused by the opportunistic pathogen Candida glabrata are treated with echinocandin antifungals that target β-1,3-glucan synthase, an enzyme critical for fungal cell wall biosynthesis. Echinocandin resistance develops upon mutation of genes (FKS1 or FKS2) that encode the glucan synthase catalytic subunits. We have analyzed cellular factors that influence echinocandin susceptibility and here describe effects of the post-transcriptional regulator Ssd1, which in S. cerevisiae, can bind cell wall related gene transcripts. The SSD1 homolog in C. glabrata was disrupted in isogenic wild type and equivalent FKS1 and FKS2 mutant strains that demonstrate echinocandin resistance (MICs ˃ 0.5 µg/mL). A reversal of resistance (8- to 128-fold decrease in MICs) was observed in FKS1 mutants, but not in FKS2 mutants, following SSD1 deletion. Additionally, this phenotype was complemented upon expression of SSD1 from plasmid (pSSD1). All SSD1 disruptants displayed susceptibility to the calcineurin inhibitor FK506, similar to fks1∆. Decreases in relative gene expression ratios of FKS1 to FKS2 (2.6- to 4.5-fold) and in protein ratios of Fks1 to Fks2 (2.7- and 8.4-fold) were observed in FKS mutants upon SSD1 disruption. Additionally, a complementary increase in protein ratio was observed in the pSSD1 expressing strain. Overall, we describe a cellular factor that influences Fks1-specific mediated resistance and demonstrates further differential regulation of FKS1 and FKS2 in C. glabrata.

Recent Status and Advancements in the Development of Antifungal Agents: Highlights on Plant and Marine Based Antifungals

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 812-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Marie Arockianathan ◽  
Monika Mishra ◽  
Rituraj Niranjan
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Fungal Diseases ◽  
Fungal Cell Wall ◽  
Fungal Resistance ◽  
Ergosterol Biosynthesis ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Ergosterol Synthesis ◽  
Glucan Synthesis ◽  
Anti Fungal

The developing resistance in fungi has become a key challenge, which is being faced nowadays with the available antifungal agents in the market. Further search for novel compounds from different sources has been explored to meet this problem. The current review describes and highlights recent advancement in the antifungal drug aspects from plant and marine based sources. The current available antifungal agents act on specific targets on the fungal cell wall, like ergosterol synthesis, chitin biosynthesis, sphingolipid synthesis, glucan synthesis etc. We discuss some of the important anti-fungal agents like azole, polyene and allylamine classes that inhibit the ergosterol biosynthesis. Echinocandins inhibit β-1, 3 glucan synthesis in the fungal cell wall. The antifungals poloxins and nikkomycins inhibit fungal cell wall component chitin. Apart from these classes of drugs, several combinatorial therapies have been carried out to treat diseases due to fungal resistance. Recently, many antifungal agents derived from plant and marine sources showed potent activity. The renewed interest in plant and marine derived compounds for the fungal diseases created a new way to treat these resistant strains which are evident from the numerous literature publications in the recent years. Moreover, the compounds derived from both plant and marine sources showed promising results against fungal diseases. Altogether, this review article discusses the current antifungal agents and highlights the plant and marine based compounds as a potential promising antifungal agents.

Fungal Cell Wall‐Graphene Oxide Microcomposite Membrane for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration

2021 ◽  
pp. 2100110
Author(s):  
Liyuan Zhang ◽  
Mengchen Zhang ◽  
Gongping Liu ◽  
Wanqin Jin ◽  
Xiaoyan Li
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Graphene Oxide ◽  
Organic Solvent ◽  
Fungal Cell Wall ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Organic Solvent Nanofiltration
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