Antifungal Activity of Resveratrol Derivatives against Candida Species

trans-Resveratrol (1a) is a phytoalexin produced by plants in response to infections by pathogens. Its potential activity against clinically relevant opportunistic fungal pathogens has previously been poorly investigated. Evaluated herein are the candidacidal activities of oligomers (2a, 3–5) of 1a purified from Vitis vinifera grape canes and several analogues (1b–1j) of 1a obtained through semisynthesis using methylation and acetylation. Moreover, trans-ε-viniferin (2a), a dimer of 1a, was also subjected to methylation (2b) and acetylation (2c) under nonselective conditions. Neither the natural oligomers of 1a (2a, 3–5) nor the derivatives of 2a were active against Candida albicans SC5314. However, the dimethoxy resveratrol derivatives 1d and 1e exhibited antifungal activity against C. albicans with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 29–37 μg/mL and against 11 other Candida species. Compound 1e inhibited the yeast-to-hyphae morphogenetic transition of C. albicans at 14 μg/mL

What Do Human Parasites Do with a Chloroplast Anyway?

The malaria parasite has a chloroplast, which is a holdover from its algal past. The authors discuss the fascinating biology of this organelle and its promise for treatment in light of a seminal new study

Fosmidomycin Uptake into Plasmodium and Babesia-Infected Erythrocytes Is Facilitated by Parasite-Induced New Permeability Pathways

., a mouse malaria parasite. and related parasites. Our data provide further evidence that parasite-induced new permeability pathways may be exploited as routes for drug delivery

The apicomplexan plastid and its evolution

Protistan species belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa have a non-photosynthetic secondary plastid—the apicoplast. Although its tiny genome and even the entire nuclear genome has been sequenced for several organisms bearing the organelle, the reason for its existence remains largely obscure. Some of the functions of the apicoplast, including housekeeping ones, are significantly different from those of other plastids, possibly due to the organelle’s unique symbiotic origin

Genetic Manipulation of Meyerozyma guilliermondii

International audienc

In planta validation of HK1 homodimerization and recruitment of preferential HPt downstream partners involved in poplar multistep phosphorelay systems

International audienceMultistep phosphorelays involve a phosphate transfer from sensor histidine-aspartate kinases (HKs) to response regulators (RRs), via histidine containing phosphotransfer proteins (HPts). In Arabidopsis, some AHK receptors are organized as homodimers and able to interact with HPts (AHPs). However, there are no data available concerning the dimerization of the Arabidopsis osmosensor AHK1. Although only AHP2 is able to interact with AHK1 in yeast, validation of this interaction remains to be clarified in planta. The ability of poplar HK1 osmosensor, homologous to AHK1, to homodimerize and interact with three HPts (HPt2, 7 and 9) as preferential partners has been previously shown by yeast two-hybrid assay. However, protein interaction studies need to use complementary approaches to avoid interaction artifacts. Here, we confirmed in planta homodimerization of the cytoplasmic part of HK1 (HK1-CP) and the functional relevance of HK1-CP/ HPt interactions by bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. This work led us to validate these partnerships and to propose them as probably involved in osmosensing pathway in Populus