Disruption of the glucosylceramide biosynthetic pathway in Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus by inhibitors of UDP‐Glc:ceramide glucosyltransferase strongly affects spore germination, cell cycle, and hyphal growth
- 11 July 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in FEBS Letters
- Vol. 525 (1-3) , 59-64
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03067-3
Abstract
The opportunistic mycopathogen Aspergillus fumigatus expresses both glucosylceramide and galactosylceramide (GlcCer and GalCer), but their functional significance in Aspergillus species is unknown. We here identified and characterized a GlcCer from Aspergillus nidulans, a non-pathogenic model fungus. Involvement of GlcCer in fungal development was tested on both species using a family of compounds known to inhibit GlcCer synthase in mammals. Two analogs, D-threo-1-phenyl-2-palmitoyl-3-pyrrolidinopropanol (P4) and D-threo-3',4'-ethylenedioxy-P4, strongly inhibited germination and hyphal growth. Neutral lipids from A. fumigatus cultured in the presence of these inhibitors displayed a significantly reduced GlcCer/GalCer ratio. These results suggest that synthesis of GlcCer is essential for normal development of A. fumigatus and A. nidulans.Keywords
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