Fungal sphingolipids as targets for the development of selective antifungal therapeutics.

Sphingolipids are essential membrane components, present in all eukaryotic cells, but structurally distinct in mammalian and fungal cells. Therefore, they represent an attractive new target for the development of novel antimycotics. This review will briefly highlight sphingolipid biosynthesis and functions in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, naturally occurring antifungal compounds that interact with fungal-specific sphingolipids, resulting in fungal growth arrest, will be discussed regarding their mode of action, and therapeutic value. These compounds include plant and insect defensins, syringomycin E and antifungal antibodies to sphingolipids.

Digital microfluidics for time-resolved cytotoxicity studies on single non-adherent yeast cells.

Single cell analysis (SCA) has gained increased popularity for elucidating cellular heterogeneity at genomic, proteomic and cellular levels. Flow cytometry is considered as one of the most widely used techniques to characterize single cell responses; however, its inability to analyse cells with spatio-temporal resolution poses a major drawback. Here, we introduce a digital microfluidic (DMF) platform as a useful tool for conducting studies on isolated yeast cells in a high-throughput fashion. The reported system exhibits (i) a microwell array for trapping single non-adherent cells by shuttling a cell-containing droplet over the array, and allows (ii) implementation of high-throughput cytotoxicity assays with enhanced spatio-temporal resolution. The system was tested for five different concentrations of the antifungal drug Amphotericin B, and the cell responses were monitored over time by time lapse fluorescence microscopy. The DMF platform was validated by bulk experiments, which mimicked the DMF experimental design. A correlation analysis revealed that the results obtained on the DMF platform are not significantly different from those obtained in bulk; hence, the DMF platform can be used as a tool to perform SCA on non-adherent cells, with spatio-temporal resolution. In addition, no external forces, other than the physical forces generated by moving the droplet, were used to capture single cells, thereby avoiding cell damage. As such, the information on cellular behaviour during treatment could be obtained for every single cell over time making this platform noteworthy in the field of SCA.

Root and Foot Rot on Tomato Caused by Phytophthora infestans Detected in Belgium.

In January 2003, a severe root and foot rot was observed on 2-month-old wilted tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants in a large-scale (2.5 ha) commercial greenhouse setting in Belgium. Tomato plants (10%) produced from healthy nursery-grown seedlings and planted to new, clean rockwool and drip irrigation with UV-disinfected water developed symptoms. Symptom development was restricted to lower plant parts with severe rotting of the entire root system and dark lesions girdling the stem base. No symptoms of disease were observed on the foliage or upper stems. Cross sections of the stem base revealed brown discoloration of internal tissue, including the vascular tissue and pith. Dark brown lesions also occurred on the roots. Sections of the stem base, the upper roots (sampled near to the stem base), and the lower roots (sampled on roots deeper in the rockwool) were plated separately on corn meal agar. The oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary was identified in each sample on the basis of morphological characteristics observed directly with light microscopy. Branched sporangiophores with slight swellings and characteristic lemon-shaped sporangia (35 × 20 µm and ratio length/width of 1.75 µm) at their tips were obvious after incubation in darkness at 24°C. Oospores and chlamydospores were not observed. After multiple soil treatment with oomycete-specific fungicides, the plants recovered. Since the occurrence of P. infestans on roots is unusual, the identity of the pathogen on the diseased plant tissues was confirmed with three techniques, DNA array identification, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing, and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using P. infestans-specific primers. DNA was directly processed from separate samples of upper and lower root and stem base tissue. The DNA array used was originally developed to detect and identify the key fungal pathogens of tomato (2). Among detector probes for other tomato pathogens, this array contains oligonucleotide detector probes for P. infestans (PIN1: 5'-GGT TGT GGA CGC TGC TAT T and PIN2: 5'-AAT GGA GAA ATG CTC GAT TC). These probes are based on ITS sequences (ITS I and ITS II). Using conserved ribosomal primers OOMUP18Sc (5'-TGC GGA AGG ATC ATT ACC ACA C) and ITS4, oomycete DNA was amplified by PCR and simultaneously labeled with alkaline-labile digoxigenin (2). All generated amplicons strongly hybridized to the oligonucleotide detector probes for P. infestans and not to any other pathogen-specific detector probe present on the array. The pathogen could not be detected in roots and stem bases of symptomless plants. In addition, the ITS-region was sequenced and showed 100% homology with multiple GenBank accessions of P. infestans sequences. As a third confirmatory test, a PCR was performed on DNA extracts from infected root and stem base tissues using a primer set specific to P. infestans (O8-3/O8-4 [1]). A band of the expected size was produced for the infected stem base and root samples. Until now, this pathogen was known worldwide to cause late blight on potatoes and tomatoes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of root and foot rot of tomato caused by P. infestans. References: (1) H. S. Judelson and P. W. Tooley. Phytopathology 90:1112, 2000. (2) B. Lievens et al. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 223:113, 2003.

Rapid detection and identification of tomato vascular wilt pathogens using a DNA array.

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, and Verticillium wilt, caused by either Verticillium albo-atrum or V. dahliae, are devastating diseases of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) found worldwide. Monitoring is the cornerstone of integrated pest management of any disease. The lack of rapid, accurate, and reliable means by which plant pathogens can be detected and identified is one of the main limitations in integrated disease management. In this paper, we describe the development of a molecular detection system, based on DNA array technology, for rapid and efficient detection of these vascular wilt pathogens. We demonstrate that by using this array these pathogens can be detected within 24 h from complex substrates like soil, plant material, and samples as they are collected by tomato growers in their greenhouses.

The mode of antifungal action of plant, insect and human defensins.

Defensins are small (~5 kDa), basic, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides that fulfill an important role in the innate immunity of their host by combating pathogenic invading micro-organisms. Defensins can inhibit the growth or virulence of microorganisms directly or can do so indirectly by enhancing the host's immune system. Because of their wide distribution in nature, defensins are believed to be ancient molecules with a common ancestor that arose more than a billion years ago. This review summarizes current knowledge concerning the mode of antifungal action of plant, insect and human defensins.

Ydc1p ceramidase triggers organelle fragmentation, apoptosis and accelerated ageing in yeast.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae dihydroceramidase Ydc1p hydrolyzes ceramide, resulting in accumulation of free long-chain bases and their phosphates. Yeast mutants lacking YDC1 are characterized by increased chronological lifespan. Moreover, we found YDC1 up-regulated in a yeast mutant displaying reduced chronological lifespan. These data suggest an important role for Ydc1p in chronological lifespan determination in yeast. Mitochondria are known to play an important role in chronological lifespan and apoptosis. In this study we demonstrated that overexpression of YDC1 results in reduced chronological lifespan and increased apoptotic cell death. We found YDC1 overexpression to result in mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction. Interestingly, vacuoles also appeared to be fragmented and dysfunctional upon YDC1 overexpressing. Exogenous addition of ceramide to YDC1-overexpressing cultures increased chronological lifespan and restored organelle function. In conclusion, this study describes a direct link between ceramide metabolism in yeast and mitochondrial and vacuolar fragmentation and function, with consequences for chronological lifespan in yeast.