Bioorg Chem
October 2024
The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains stimulates the discovery of new drug candidates. Among them are 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) derivatives that exhibited antimicrobial properties. Unfortunately, there is a lack of data assessing possible targets for this class mainly against Mycobacterium tuberculosis enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (MtInhA), a validated target in this field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosurfactants (BSFs) are molecules produced by microorganisms from various carbon sources, with applications in bioremediation and petroleum recovery. However, the production cost limits large-scale applications. This study optimized BSFs production by Bacillus velezensis (strain MO13) using residual glycerin as a substrate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bronchiectasis is a condition characterized by abnormal and irreversible bronchial dilation resulting from lung tissue damage and can be categorized into two main groups: cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF bronchiectasis (NCFB). Both diseases are marked by recurrent infections, inflammatory exacerbations, and lung damage. Given that infections are the primary drivers of disease progression, characterization of the respiratory microbiome can shed light on compositional alterations and susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs in these cases compared to healthy individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study explores the potential of geranium essential oil as a natural solution for combating marine biofouling, addressing the environmental concerns associated with commercial antifouling coatings. Compounds with bactericidal activities were identified by Carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (C NMR). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed minimal impact on film thermal stability, maintaining suitability for antifouling applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcus gattii is a primary pathogenic fungus that causes pneumonia. This species is also responsible for an outbreak in Vancouver, Canada, and spreading to the mainland and United States. The use of medical devices is often complicated by infections with biofilm-forming microbes with increased resistance to antimicrobial agents and host defense mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMutat Res Genet Toxicol Environ Mutagen
October 2023
Callingcard Vine (Entada polystachya (L.) DC. var.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Appl Microbiol
July 2023
Aims: We investigated the putative fungistatic and fungicidal activities of pomegranate sarcotesta lectin (PgTeL) against Cryptococcus neoformans B3501 (serotype D), specifically the ability of PgTeL to inhibit yeast capsule and biofilm formation in this strain.
Methods And Results: PgTeL showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 172.0 μg ml-1, at which it did not exhibit a fungicidal effect.
The concept of "one target, one drug, one disease" is not always true, as compounds with previously described therapeutic applications can be useful to treat other maladies. For example, acridine derivatives have several potential therapeutic applications. In this way, identifying new potential targets for available drugs is crucial for the rational management of diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To evaluate the antimicrobial activity and to determine the pharmacodynamic characteristics of three 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives (8-HQs) against Pythium insidiosum, the causative agent of pythiosis.
Methods And Results: Antimicrobial activity was tested by broth microdilution and MTT assays. The antimicrobial mode of action was investigated using sorbitol protection assay, ergosterol binding assay, and scanning electron microscopy.
The genus Paracoccidioides comprises the species complex causing paracoccidioidomycoses (PCM). These fungi are a serious public health problem due to the long-term drug therapy, follow-up treatment, and frequent sequelae generated by the infection, such as pulmonary fibrosis. In this sense, the objective of this work was to generate bioluminescent reporter strains of Paracoccidioides spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
December 2021
This study reports the development of conjugates based on quantum dots (QD)s and lectins from Schinus terebinthifolia leaves (SteLL) and Punica granatum sarcotesta (PgTeL). Cryptococcus neoformans cells were chosen to evaluate the efficiency of the conjugates. Lectins were conjugated to QDs via adsorption, and the optical parameters (emission and absorption) were monitored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are the etiological agents of cryptococcosis, a high mortality disease. The development of such disease depends on the interaction of fungal cells with macrophages, in which they can reside and replicate. In order to dissect the molecular mechanisms by which cryptococcal cells modulate the activity of macrophages, a genome-scale comparative analysis of transcriptional changes in macrophages exposed to Cryptococcus spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe first line of the Arthropods defense against infections is the hard-structured exoskeleton, a physical barrier, usually rich in insoluble chitin. For entomopathogenic fungi that actively penetrate the host body, an arsenal of hydrolytic enzymes (as chitinases and N-acetylglucosaminidases), that break down chitin, is essential. Notably, twenty-one putative chitinase genes have been identified in the genome of Metarhizium anisopliae, a generalist entomopathogenic fungus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall RNAs (sRNAs) are key factors in the regulation of gene expression. Recently, a new class of regulatory sRNAs derived from tRNAs was described, the tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs). Such RNAs range in length from 14 to 30 nucleotides and are produced from both mature and primary tRNA transcripts, with very specific cleavage sites along the tRNA sequence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPectinases and other carbohydrate-active enzymes are important for the food industry, mainly for juice processing. In addition, the use of peels to produce enzymes can aggregate value to these agro-industrial residues and at the end of the process enhance qualitatively and quantitatively the juice production. In this work, three different extracts produced by LS09 using agro-industrial residues were optimized and analyzed by mass spectrometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcus neoformans is the etiological agent of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. The recommended available treatment has low efficiency, with high toxicity and resistance as recurrent problems. In the search of new treatment protocols, the proposal of new pharmacological approaches is considered an innovative strategy, mainly nanotechnological systems considering fungal diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcus gattii is one of the causes of cryptococcosis, a life-threatening disease generally characterized by pneumonia and/or meningitis. Zinc is an essential element for life, being required for the activity of many proteins with catalytic and structural roles. Here, we characterize ZRG1 (zinc-related gene 1), which codes a product involved in zinc metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOnychomycosis infections currently show a significant increase, affecting about 10 % of the world population. is the main agent responsible for about 80 % of the reported infections. The clinical cure for onychomycosis is extremely difficult and effective new antifungal therapy is needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe complex (, , and var. ) is composed of emerging, opportunistic human fungal pathogens able to cause invasive infections with high rates of clinical treatment failure. This fungal complex typically demonstrates resistance to first-line antifungals, including fluconazole.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcosis is a fungal infection caused mainly by the pathogenic yeasts and . The infection initiates with the inhalation of propagules that are then deposited in the lungs. If not properly treated, cryptococci cells can disseminate and reach the central nervous system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntracellular calcium (Ca) is crucial for signal transduction in , the major cause of fatal fungal meningitis. The calcineurin pathway is the only Ca-requiring signaling cascade implicated in cryptococcal stress adaptation and virulence, with Ca binding mediated by the EF-hand domains of the Ca sensor protein calmodulin. In this study, we identified the cryptococcal ortholog of neuronal calcium sensor 1 (Ncs1) as a member of the EF-hand superfamily.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcus gattii is an etiologic agent of cryptococcosis, a potentially fatal disease that affects humans and animals. The successful infection of mammalian hosts by cryptococcal cells relies on their ability to infect and survive in macrophages. Such phagocytic cells present a hostile environment to intracellular pathogens via the production of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species, as well as low pH and reduced nutrient bioavailability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFungal infections that affect humans and plants have increased significantly in recent decades. However, these pathogens are still neglected when compared to other infectious agents. Due to the high prevalence of these infections, the need for new molecules with antifungal potential is recognized, as pathogenic species are developing resistance to the main drugs available.
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