Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors
Fungal pathogens rely on the production of specific virulence factors during infection. Inhibiting such factors generally results in reduced fungal pathogenicity. Most studies in the past have focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of fungal virulence factor expression during mono-culture...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Shared Science Publishers OG
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Microbial Cell |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/breaking-the-bad-bacillus-blocks-fungal-virulence-factors/ |
| _version_ | 1826532053227667456 |
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| author | François L. Mayer James W. Kronstad |
| author_facet | François L. Mayer James W. Kronstad |
| author_sort | François L. Mayer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fungal pathogens rely on the production of specific virulence factors during infection. Inhibiting such factors generally results in reduced fungal pathogenicity. Most studies in the past have focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of fungal virulence factor expression during mono-culture, or during interaction with the host. However, a potentially important, second type of interaction has been less well studied thus far – the interplay of fungal pathogens of humans with other microbes found in their natural habitat. Specifically, whether environmental bacteria may impact fungal virulence factor production is largely unknown. In our recent work, we have identified the soil bacterium, Bacillus safensis, as a potent inhibitor of virulence factor production by two major fungal pathogens of humans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida albicans. We determined that the anti-virulence factor mechanism is, at least in part, based on production of bacterial chitinases that target and destabilize the fungal cell surface. These findings describe a cross-kingdom interaction between an environmental bacterium and pathogenic fungi, and highlight the fungal cell wall as an attractive antifungal drug target. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T03:04:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a1b2b20857474162952d96dc64b24635 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-2638 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-14T01:45:07Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | Shared Science Publishers OG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbial Cell |
| spelling | doaj.art-a1b2b20857474162952d96dc64b246352025-03-12T13:46:42ZengShared Science Publishers OGMicrobial Cell2311-26382017-10-0141138438610.15698/mic2017.11.599Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factorsFrançois L. Mayer0James W. Kronstad1Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Fungal pathogens rely on the production of specific virulence factors during infection. Inhibiting such factors generally results in reduced fungal pathogenicity. Most studies in the past have focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of fungal virulence factor expression during mono-culture, or during interaction with the host. However, a potentially important, second type of interaction has been less well studied thus far – the interplay of fungal pathogens of humans with other microbes found in their natural habitat. Specifically, whether environmental bacteria may impact fungal virulence factor production is largely unknown. In our recent work, we have identified the soil bacterium, Bacillus safensis, as a potent inhibitor of virulence factor production by two major fungal pathogens of humans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida albicans. We determined that the anti-virulence factor mechanism is, at least in part, based on production of bacterial chitinases that target and destabilize the fungal cell surface. These findings describe a cross-kingdom interaction between an environmental bacterium and pathogenic fungi, and highlight the fungal cell wall as an attractive antifungal drug target.http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/breaking-the-bad-bacillus-blocks-fungal-virulence-factors/melanincapsulebiofilmfilamentationchitinchitinase |
| spellingShingle | François L. Mayer James W. Kronstad Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors Microbial Cell melanin capsule biofilm filamentation chitin chitinase |
| title | Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors |
| title_full | Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors |
| title_fullStr | Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors |
| title_short | Breaking the bad: Bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors |
| title_sort | breaking the bad bacillus blocks fungal virulence factors |
| topic | melanin capsule biofilm filamentation chitin chitinase |
| url | http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/breaking-the-bad-bacillus-blocks-fungal-virulence-factors/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT francoislmayer breakingthebadbacillusblocksfungalvirulencefactors AT jameswkronstad breakingthebadbacillusblocksfungalvirulencefactors |