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Antifungal Activity of PvD1 Defensin Involves Plasma Membrane Permeabilization, Inhibition of Medium Acidification, and Induction of ROS in Fungi Cells

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Abstract

In recent years, studies have demonstrated the function of many antimicrobial peptides against an extensive number of microorganisms that have been isolated from different plant species and that have been used as models for the study of various cellular processes linked to these peptides’ activities. Recently, a new defensin from Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) seeds, named PvD1, was isolated and characterized. PvD1 was purified through anion exchange and phase-reverse chromatography. PvD1’s antifungal activity was tested. A SYTOX Green uptake assay revealed that the defensin PvD1 is capable of causing membrane permeabilization in the filamentous fungi Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Fusarium laterithium and in yeast strains Candida parapsilosis, Pichia membranifaciens, Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans, Kluyveromyces marxiannus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae at a concentration of 100 μg/ml. Ultrastructural analysis of C. albicans and C. guilliermondii cells treated with this defensin revealed disorganization of both cytoplasmic content and the plasma membrane. PvD1 is also able to inhibit glucose-stimulated acidification of the medium by yeast cells and filamentous fungi, as well as to induce the production of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide in C. albicans and F. oxysporum cells.

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Acknowledgments

This study forms part of the M.Sc. degree dissertation and DSc degree thesis of EOM, first author of this article, carried out at the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Brazilian agencies CNPq, CAPES, and FAPERJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil

    Erica O. Mello, Suzanna F. F. Ribeiro, André O. Carvalho, Izabela S. Santos & Valdirene M. Gomes

  2. Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil

    Maura Da Cunha & Claudete Santa-Catarina

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  1. Erica O. Mello
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  2. Suzanna F. F. Ribeiro
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  3. André O. Carvalho
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  4. Izabela S. Santos
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  5. Maura Da Cunha
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  6. Claudete Santa-Catarina
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  7. Valdirene M. Gomes
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Correspondence to Valdirene M. Gomes.

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Mello, E.O., Ribeiro, S.F.F., Carvalho, A.O. et al. Antifungal Activity of PvD1 Defensin Involves Plasma Membrane Permeabilization, Inhibition of Medium Acidification, and Induction of ROS in Fungi Cells. Curr Microbiol 62, 1209–1217 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9847-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9847-3

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