Catalase from the Antarctic Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus I-9-Biosynthesis and Gene Characterization.

Extremely cold habitats are a serious challenge for the existing there organisms. Inhabitants of these conditions are mostly microorganisms and lower mycetae. The mechanisms of microbial adaptation to extreme conditions are still unclear. Low temperatures cause significant physiological and biochemical changes in cells. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the relationship between low-temperature exposure and oxidative stress events, as well as the importance of antioxidant enzymes for survival in such conditions. The catalase is involved in the first line of the cells' antioxidant defense. Published information supports the concept of a key role for catalase in antioxidant defense against cold stress in a wide range of organisms isolated from the Antarctic. Data on representatives of microscopic fungi, however, are rarely found. There is scarce information on the characterization of catalase synthesized by adapted to cold stress organisms. Overall, this study aimed to observe the role of catalase in the survival strategy of filamentous fungi in extremely cold habitats and to identify the gene encoded catalase enzyme. Our results clearly showed that catalase is the main part of antioxidant enzyme defense in fungal cells against oxidative stress caused by low temperature exposure.

Cold-active catalase from the psychrotolerant fungus Penicillium griseofulvum.

Cold-active catalase (CAT) elicits great interest because of its vast prospective at the medical, commercial, and biotechnological levels. The study paper reports the production of cold-active CAT by the strain Penicillium griseofulvum P29 isolated from Antarctic soil. Improved enzyme production was achieved by optimization of medium and culture conditions. Maximum CAT was demonstrated under low glucose content (2%), 10% inoculum size, temperature 20°C, and dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) 40%. An effective laboratory technology based on changing the oxidative stress level through an increase of DO in the bioreactor was developed. The used strategy resulted in a 1.7- and 1.4-fold enhanced total enzyme activity and maximum enzyme productivity. The enzyme was purified and characterized. P. griseofulvum P29 CAT was most active at approximately 20°C and pH 6.0. Its thermostability was in the range between 5°C and 40°C.

Moderate protective effect of Kyotorphin against the late consequences of intracerebroventricular streptozotocin model of Alzheimer's disease.

The established decrease in the level of endogenous kyotorphin (KTP) into the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with an advanced stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the found neuroprotective activity of KTP suggested its participation in the pathophysiology of the disease. We aimed to study the effects of subchronic intracerebroventricular (ICV) treatment (14 days) with KTP on the behavioral, biochemical and histological changes in rats with streptozotocin (STZ-ICV)-induced model of sporadic AD (sAD). Three months after the administration of STZ-ICV, rats developed increased locomotor activity, decreased level of anxiety, impaired spatial and working memory. Histological data from the STZ-ICV group demonstrated decreased number of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus. The STZ-ICV group was characterized with a decrease of total protein content in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex as well as increased levels of the carbonylated proteins in the hippocampus. KTP treatment of STZ-ICV rats normalized anxiety level and regained object recognition memory. KTP abolished the protein loss in prefrontal cortex and decrease the neuronal loss in the CA3 subfield of the hippocampus. STZ-ICV rats, treated with KTP, did not show significant changes in the levels of the carbonylated proteins in specific brain structures or in motor activity and spatial memory compared to the saline-treated STZ-ICV group. Our data show a moderate and selective protective effect of a subchronic ICV administration of the dipeptide KTP on the pathological changes induced by an experimental model of sAD in rats.

Glucose Catabolite Repression Participates in the Regulation of Sialidase Biosynthesis by Antarctic Strain Penicillium griseofulvum P29.

Sialidases (neuraminidases) catalyze the removal of terminal sialic acid residues from glycoproteins. Novel enzymes from non-clinical isolates are of increasing interest regarding their application in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The present study aimed to evaluate the participation of carbon catabolite repression (CCR) in the regulation of cold-active sialidase biosynthesis by the psychrotolerant fungal strain Penicillium griseofulvum P29, isolated from Antarctica. The presence of glucose inhibited sialidase activity in growing and non-growing fungal mycelia in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The same response was demonstrated with maltose and sucrose. The replacement of glucose with glucose-6-phosphate also exerted CCR. The addition of cAMP resulted in the partial de-repression of sialidase synthesis. The CCR in the psychrotolerant strain P. griseofulvum P29 did not depend on temperature. Sialidase might be subject to glucose repression by both at 10 and 25 °C. The fluorescent assay using 4MU-Neu5Ac for enzyme activity determination under increasing glucose concentrations evidenced that CCR may have a regulatory role in sialidase production. The real-time RT-PCR experiments revealed that the sialidase gene was subject to glucose repression. To our knowledge, this is the first report that has studied the effect of CCR on cold-active sialidase, produced by an Antarctic strain.

Exploring the mechanism underlying the antifungal activity of chitosan-based ZnO, CuO, and SiO2 nanocomposites as nanopesticides against Fusarium solani and Alternaria solani.

Chitosan-based nanocomposites (CS NCs) are gaining considerable attention as multifaceted antifungal agents. This study investigated the antifungal activity of NCs against two phytopathogenic strains: Fusarium solani (F. solani) and Alternaria solani (A. solani). Moreover, it sheds light on their underlying mechanisms of action. The NCs, CS-ZnO, CS-CuO, and CS-SiO2, were characterized using advanced methods. Dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering techniques revealed their size range (60-170 nm) and cationic nature, as indicated by the positive zeta potential values (from +16 to +22 mV). Transmission electron microscopy revealed the morphology of the NCs as agglomerates formed between the chitosan and oxide components. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed crystalline structures with specific peaks indicating their constituents. Antifungal assessments using the agar diffusion technique demonstrated significant inhibitory effects of the NCs on both fungal strains (1.5 to 4-fold), surpassing the performance of the positive control, nystatin. Notably, the NCs exhibited superior antifungal potency, with CS-ZnO NCs being the most effective. A. solani was the most sensitive strain to the studied agents. Furthermore, the tested NCs induced oxidative stress in fungal cells, which elevated stress biomarker levels, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and protein carbonyl content (PCC), 2.5 and 6-fold for the most active CS-CuO in F. solani respectively. Additionally, they triggered membrane lipid peroxidation up to 3-fold higher compared to control, a process that potentially compromises membrane integrity. Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy highlighted alterations in the molecular organization of fungal cell membranes induced by the NCs. CS-CuO NCs induced a membrane rigidifying effect, while CS-SiO2 and CS-ZnO could rigidify membranes in A. solani and fluidize them in F. solani. In summary, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the interactions of CS-based NCs with two fungal strains, showing their antifungal activity and offering insights into their mechanisms of action. These findings emphasize the potential of these NCs as effective and versatile antifungal agents.

Structural and functional characterization of cold-active sialidase isolated from Antarctic fungus Penicillium griseofulvum P29.

The fungal strain, Penicillium griseofulvum P29, isolated from a soil sample taken from Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica, was found to be a good producer of sialidase (P29). The present study was focused on the purification and structural characterization of the enzyme. P29 enzyme was purified using a Q-Sepharose column and fast performance liquid chromatography separation on a Mono Q column. The determined molecular mass of the purified enzyme of 40 kDa by SDS-PAGE and 39924.40 Da by matrix desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) analysis correlated well with the calculated mass (39903.75 kDa) from the amino acid sequence of the enzyme. P29 sialidase shows a temperature optimum of 37 °C and low-temperature stability, confirming its cold-active nature. The enzyme is more active towards α(2 â†’ 3) sialyl linkages than those containing α(2 â†’ 6) linkages. Based on the determined amino acid sequence and 3D structural modeling, a 3D model of P29 sialidase was presented, and the properties of the enzyme were explained. The conformational stability of the enzyme was followed by fluorescence spectroscopy, and the new enzyme was found to be conformationally stable in the neutral pH range of pH 6 to pH 9. In addition, the enzyme was more stable in an alkaline environment than in an acidic environment. The purified cold-active enzyme is the only sialidase produced and characterized from Antarctic fungi to date.