Taxonomic group: fungi / Ascomycota
(Phylum: Ascomycota)
Organ / tissue: cell wall
NCBI PubMed ID: 29420778Publication DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myx082Journal NLM ID: 9815835Publisher: Oxford: Oxford University Press
Correspondence: El-Ganiny AM <amiraganiny
yahoo.com>
Institutions: Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt, Zagazig University Hospitals, Zagazig, Egypt, Biology Department, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Systemic human fungal infections are increasingly common. Aspergillus species cause most of the airborne fungal infections. Life-threatening invasive aspergillosis was formerly found only in immune-suppressed patients, but recently some strains of A. fumigatus have become primary pathogens. Many fungal cell wall components are absent from mammalian systems, so they are potential drug targets. Cell-wall-targeting drugs such as echinocandins are used clinically, although echinocandin-resistant strains were discovered shortly after their introduction. Currently there are no fully effective anti-fungal drugs. Fungal cell wall glycoconjugates modulate human immune responses, as well as fungal cell adhesion, biofilm formation, and drug resistance. Guanosine diphosphate (GDP) mannose transporters (GMTs) transfer GDP-mannose from the cytosol to the Golgi lumen prior to mannosylation. Aspergillus nidulans GMTs are encoded by gmtA and gmtB. Here we elucidate the roles of A. nidulans GMTs. Strains engineered to lack either or both GMTs were assessed for hyphal and colonial morphology, cell wall ultrastructure, antifungal susceptibility, spore hydrophobicity, adherence and biofilm formation. The gmt-deleted strains had smaller colonies with reduced sporulation and with thicker hyphal walls. The gmtA deficient spores had reduced hydrophobicity and were less adherent and less able to form biofilms in vitro. Thus, gmtA not only participates in maintaining the cell wall integrity but also plays an important role in biofilm establishment and adherence of A. nidulans. These findings suggested that GMTs have roles in A. nidulans growth and cell-cell interaction and could be a potential target for new antifungals that target virulence determinants.
adherence, Biofilm, Aspergillus nidulans, GDP-mannose transporters, spore hydrophobicity
Structure type: structural motif or average structure
Location inside paper: p. 628, column 1, paragraph 4
Trivial name: chitin
Compound class: cell wall polysaccharide, glucan
Contained glycoepitopes: IEDB_135813,IEDB_137340,IEDB_141807,IEDB_151531,IEDB_153212,IEDB_241099,IEDB_423114,IEDB_423150,SB_74,SB_85
Methods: biological assays, genetic methods, SEM, Congo Red assay, TEM
Biological activity: higher contents detected in disrupted strains; compensates for missing mannans synthesis
Related record ID(s): 48634, 48636, 48650, 48651, 48652, 48689, 48691, 48694, 48715, 48752, 48757, 48764, 48769, 48785, 48794, 48795, 48804, 48828, 48853, 48859, 48872, 48900, 48901, 48902, 48984
NCBI Taxonomy refs (TaxIDs): 162425Reference(s) to other database(s): GTC:G97099AY
Show glycosyltransferases
There is only one chemically distinct structure:
Found 
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