33 research outputs found
Aspergillus fumigatus: cell wall polysaccharides, their biosynthesis and organization
Aspergillus fumigatus is the most prevalent thermophilic inhabitants of decaying vegetation and one of the most important human opportunistic fungal pathogens. Like other fungi, A. fumigatus cells are covered by a cell wall, which is both a protective, rigid exoskeleton and a dynamic structure, undergoing constant modification depending on its environment. The cell wall, in the majority of fungi, is composed of polysaccharides, and understanding the biochemical organization and biogenesis of an A. fumigatus cell wall is essential as this envelop is continuously in contact with the environment/host cell and acts as a sieve and reservoir for molecules, such as enzymes and toxins that play an active role during infection. This article is intended to give an overview of the biosynthesis of constituent cell wall polysaccharides and their postsynthetic modification in A. fumigatus, it also discusses the antifungal drugs that affect cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis
Conductance and persistent current of a quantum ring coupled to a quantum wire under external fields
The electronic transport of a noninteracting quantum ring side-coupled to a
quantum wire is studied via a single-band tunneling tight-binding Hamiltonian.
We found that the system develops an oscillating band with antiresonances and
resonances arising from the hybridization of the quasibound levels of the ring
and the coupling to the quantum wire. The positions of the antiresonances
correspond exactly to the electronic spectrum of the isolated ring. Moreover,
for a uniform quantum ring the conductance and the persistent current density
were found to exhibit a particular odd-even parity related with the ring-order.
The effects of an in-plane electric field was also studied. This field shifts
the electronic spectrum and damps the amplitude of the persistent current
density. These features may be used to control externally the energy spectra
and the amplitude of the persistent current.Comment: Revised version, 7 pages and 9 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
SUN proteins belong to a novel family of β-(1,3)-glucan-modifying enzymes involved in fungal morphogenesis
BACKGROUND: SUN proteins are involved in yeast morphogenesis, but their function is unknown.
RESULTS: SUN protein plays a role in the Aspergillus fumigatus morphogenesis. Biochemical properties of recombinant SUN proteins were elucidated.
CONCLUSION: Both Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus sun proteins show a β-(1,3)-glucanase activity.
SIGNIFICANCE: The mode of action of SUN proteins on β-(1,3)-glucan is unique, new, and original. In yeasts, the family of SUN proteins has been involved in cell wall biogenesis. Here, we report the characterization of SUN proteins in a filamentous fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus. The function of the two A. fumigatus SUN genes was investigated by combining reverse genetics and biochemistry. During conidial swelling and mycelial growth, the expression of AfSUN1 was strongly induced, whereas the expression of AfSUN2 was not detectable. Deletion of AfSUN1 negatively affected hyphal growth and conidiation. A closer examination of the morphological defects revealed swollen hyphae, leaky tips, intrahyphal growth, and double cell wall, suggesting that, like in yeast, AfSun1p is associated with cell wall biogenesis. In contrast to AfSUN1, deletion of AfSUN2 either in the parental strain or in the AfSUN1 single mutant strain did not affect colony and hyphal morphology. Biochemical characterization of the recombinant AfSun1p and Candida albicans Sun41p showed that both proteins had a unique hydrolysis pattern: acting on β-(1,3)-oligomers from dimer up to insoluble β-(1,3)-glucan. Referring to the CAZy database, it is clear that fungal SUN proteins represent a new family of glucan hydrolases (GH132) and play an important morphogenetic role in fungal cell wall biogenesis and septation
Wall synthesis in the entomophthorales and its role in the immune reaction of infected insects.
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The role of surface components of the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga aulicae in the cellular immune response of Galleria mellonella(Lepidoptera)..
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Longitudinal study of Aspergillus fumigatus strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients
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Interactions entre Aspergillus fumigatus et les cellules épithéliales bronchiques
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