Abstract
The anti-mitochondrial antifungal hypothesis implies a link between mitochondrial activity, fungal fruiting structures and susceptibility towards mitochondrial inhibitors. Here it is shown that the oomycete, Phytophthora nicotianae fits the hypothesis. Fruiting structures (zoosporangia) of this oomycete showed increased beta (β)-oxidation when probing levels of 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OH oxylipins) with specific polyclonal antibodies. In addition, increased mitochondrial activity was also observed in the zoosporangia when the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψm) probe, Rhodamine 123 was added to the culture. This indicates increased mitochondrial activity in the zoosporangia when compared to the hyphae. When the anti-mitochondrial drug acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) was added to cultures of this oomycete, the zoosporangia were, as expected, most susceptible and were drastically inhibited in the presence of 1 mM of this compound. Similar ASA inhibition results were recorded for P. citrophthora. It is concluded that anti-mitochondrial compounds may find application in combating these devastating plant pathogens and that urgent further research is needed in this direction. Key words: Acetylsalicylic acid, antifungal, anti-mitochondrial, asci, Phytophthora, plant pathogen.
Highlights
Increased mitochondrial activity was observed in the zoosporangia when the mitochondrial transmembrane potential ( m) probe, Rhodamine 123 was added to the culture
In 2007, Kock and co-workers proposed the Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) Antifungal Hypothesis, stating that the sexual stages in yeast life cycles have increased mitochondrial activity when compared to asexual vegetative stages and that the former is most susceptible to mitochondrial inhibitors
Increased mitochondrial activity in sexual cells was observed in many yeasts using different fluorescing probes to determine transmembrane potential ( m), a polyclonal antibody to locate 3-hydroxy (OH) fatty acids [3-OH oxylipins from mitochondrial beta ( )-oxidation], as well as a monoclonal antibody to locate mitochondria
Summary
In 2007, Kock and co-workers proposed the Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) Antifungal Hypothesis, stating that the sexual stages in yeast life cycles have increased mitochondrial activity when compared to asexual vegetative stages and that the former is most susceptible to mitochondrial inhibitors. Increased mitochondrial activity in sexual cells was observed in many yeasts using different fluorescing probes to determine transmembrane potential ( m), a polyclonal antibody to locate 3-hydroxy (OH) fatty acids [3-OH oxylipins from mitochondrial beta ( )-oxidation], as well as a monoclonal antibody (specific for prohibitin) to locate mitochondria This is to be expected since an increase in energy is probably needed to produce multiple ascospores inside the ascus. Based on the above mentioned studies, Kock and coworkers investigated the possibility that this characteristic could be conserved amongst other fungi They obtained positive results for fruiting structures (sporangia and phialide-conidia structures) for various non-yeast fungi and fungi-like organisms including Aspergillus, Mucor and Rhizopus. In this study two pathogenic species of the oomycete genus, Phytophthora were investigated to assess if they fit the hypothesis This group includes the notorious destructive crop pathogens and is considered a distinct lineage of fungi-like eukaryotes that are related to organisms such as brown algae and diatoms. 1992; Judelson, 1997; Haverkort et al, 2008; Haas et al, 2009)
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