Search results for "aspergillus"
showing 10 items of 221 documents
Granulocyte functions are independent of arginine availability.
2014
Abstract Arginine depletion via myeloid cell arginase is critically involved in suppression of the adaptive immune system during cancer or chronic inflammation. On the other hand, arginine depletion is being developed as a novel anti-tumor metabolic strategy to deprive arginine-auxotrophic cancer cells of this amino acid. In human immune cells, arginase is mainly expressed constitutively in PMNs. We therefore purified human primary PMNs from healthy donors and analyzed PMN function as the main innate effector cell and arginase producer in the context of arginine deficiency. We demonstrate that human PMN viability, activation-induced IL-8 synthesis, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, generation of RO…
Crowdsourced analysis of fungal growth and branching on microfluidic platforms
2021
Fungal hyphal growth and branching are essential traits that allow fungi to spread and proliferate in many environments. This sustained growth is essential for a myriad of applications in health, agriculture, and industry. However, comparisons between different fungi are difficult in the absence of standardized metrics. Here, we used a microfluidic device featuring four different maze patterns to compare the growth velocity and branching frequency of fourteen filamentous fungi. These measurements result from the collective work of several labs in the form of a competition named the “Fungus Olympics.” The competing fungi included five ascomycete species (ten strains total), two basidiomycete…
Growth characteristics of Aspergillus chevalieri and other fungi from under-coating of chocolate truffles
1997
Growth characteristics of fungi, which occasionally affected chocolate truffles, have been studied, using moulded and non-moulded samples. A whitish mycelial growth, located at the filling-coating interface is identified as Eurotium/Aspergillus chevalieri. The spores of other xerophilic molds (Aspergillus fumigatus, A. penicilloides and Penicillium verrucosum) were also found at the filling-coating interface. The water activity of chocolate coating was low enough to prevent fungal growth on the external surface of the truffles. However, the water activity of the filling, due to presence of cream, is sufficient enough to allow the growth of xerophilic moulds. The data on growth characteristi…
Inhibition of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 production by Aspergillus parasiticus in nuts using yellow and oriental mustard flours
2015
Abstract Aflatoxins (AFs) are naturally occurring mycotoxin compounds produced by several species of Aspergillus, as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus and are mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic compounds that have been implicated as causative agents in human hepatic and extra hepatic carcinogenesis. In this study, the reduction of the AFs present in dried fruits (peanut, cashew, walnut, almond, hazelnut and pistachio), produced by A. parasiticus CECT 2681, by isothiocyanates (ITCs) generated by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the glucosinolates (GLCs) present in oriental and yellow mustard flours was evaluated. The AFs reduction activity through ITCs application in dried frui…
Pelējumsēņu mikrobioloģiskais piesārņojums garšvielās un garšaugos
2016
Uz pelējumsēņu mikrobioloģisko piesārņojumu testēti 80 garšvielu (69 %) un garšaugu (31 %) paraugi. Salīdzināts piesārņojums starp atvērtos (tirgus) un slēgtos (lielveikals) iepakojumos iegādātiem paraugiem. Darba mērķis - noteikt pelējumsēņu koncentrāciju garšvielās un garšaugos un identificēt tajos esošās pelējumsēnes. Identifikācijai izmantotas divas metodes: Matricas veicinātā lāzera desorbcijas/jonizācijas metode un identificēšana pēc morfoloģiskām īpašībām. Konstatēts, ka 24 % paraugu nesaturēja dzīvas pelējumsēnes. 20 % no paraugiem pārsniedza ICMSF normas. Visizplatītākās bija Aspergillus un Penicillium ģintis. Dominējošās sugas – Aspergillus niger, A. flavus un A. glaucus. Nebija s…
Effect of storage conditions (relative humidity, duration, and temperature) on the germination time of Aspergillus carbonarius and Penicillium chryso…
2012
Fungal conidia are disseminated, often in the air, for a certain period of time, prior to contaminating food products. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the relative humidity, RH (%), time (day), and temperature (°C) during this period of time, called "storage", on the germination time, τ (h), of Aspergillus carbonarius and Penicillium chrysogenum. A Doehlert design was used in the range, 20-100% RH, 2-28 days, and 5-25 °C. As compared to un-stored conidia, the germination time of conidia stored at 60% RH, 15 days, 5 °C was increased by 23 and 28%, for A. carbonarius and P. chrysogenum, respectively. Stored conidia exhibited a minimum τ value at 60% RH, and 100% RH f…
Solid-State Fermentations of the Genus Aspergillus
1994
For the majority of filamentous fungal species, solid-state media are the natural life media. Growth can occur on the surface or within the whole substrate, depending on the porosity. Industrial solid-state fermentations have been developed largely in traditional food industries such as cheese, Oriental fermentations, fermented vegetables, meat, and other products, and in modern biotechnological industries such as antibiotics and enzymes. At the industrial scale, the latter fermentations allow for a decrease in the drying costs of the final products.
Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus: A global phenomenon originating in the environment?
2019
Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus is the predominant etiological agent of invasive aspergillosis (IA), a difficult-to-manage fungal disease associated with a high case fatality rate. Azole antifungals, particularly voriconazole, have significantly improved the survival rate of patients with IA. However, the clinical advances made possible through the use of medical azoles could be threatened by the emergence of azole-resistant strains which has been reported in an ever-increasing number of countries over the last 10 years. The major resistance mechanism, that combines point mutation(s) in the coding sequence of cyp51A gene and an insertion of a tandem repeat in the promoter region of this gene…
Synthesis, structure, properties and antimicrobial activity of para trifluoromethyl phenylboronic derivatives
2021
The [2-formyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]boronic acid as well as its benzoxaborole and bis(benzoxaborole) derivatives were obtained and their properties studied. The 2-formyl compound displays an unusual structure in the crystalline state, with a significant twist of the boronic group, whereas in DMSO solution it tautomerizes with formation of a cyclic isomer. All the studied compounds exhibit relatively high acidity as well as a reasonable antimicrobial activity. Docking studies showed interactions of all the investigated compounds with the binding pocket of Candida albicans LeuRS. High activity against Bacillus cereus was determined for the 2-formyl compound as well as for the novel bis(be…
Specific Zn(II)-binding site in the C-terminus of Aspf2, a zincophore from Aspergillus fumigatus
2022
Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus, one of the most widespread opportunistic human fungal pathogens, adapts to zinc limitation by secreting a 310 amino acid Aspf2 zincophore, able to specifically bind Zn(II) and deliver it to a transmembrane zinc transporter, ZrfC. In this work, we focus on the thermodynamics of Zn(II) complexes with unstructured regions of Aspf2; basing on a variety of spectrometric and potentiometric data, we show that the C-terminal part has the highest Zn(II)-binding affinity among the potential binding sites, and Ni(II) does not compete with Zn(II) binding to this region. The 14 amino acid Aspf2 C-terminus coordinates Zn(II) via two Cys thiolates and two His imidazoles and…