Secretion of Proteases by an Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum. 2017

Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

Scedosporium aurantiacum is an opportunistic filamentous fungus increasingly isolated from the sputum of cystic fibrosis patients, and is especially prevalent in Australia. At the moment, very little is known about the infection mechanism of this fungus. Secreted proteases have been shown to contribute to fungal virulence in several studies with other fungi. Here we have compared the profiles of proteases secreted by a clinical isolate Scedosporium aurantiacum (WM 06.482) and an environmental strain (WM 10.136) grown on a synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium supplemented with casein or mucin. Protease activity was assessed using class-specific substrates and inhibitors. Subtilisin-like and trypsin-like serine protease activity was detected in all cultures. The greatest difference in the secretion of proteases between the two strains occurred in mucin-supplemented medium, where the activities of the elastase-like, trypsin-like and aspartic proteases were, overall, 2.5-75 fold higher in the clinical strain compared to the environmental strain. Proteases secreted by the two strains in the mucin-supplemented medium were further analyzed by mass spectrometry. Six homologs of fungal proteases were identified from the clinical strain and five from the environmental strain. Of these, three were common for both strains including a subtilisin peptidase, a putative leucine aminopeptidase and a PA-SaNapH-like protease. Trypsin-like protease was identified by mass spectrometry only in the clinical isolate even though trypsin-like activity was present in all cultures. In contrast, high elastase-like activity was measured in the culture supernatant of the clinical strain but could not be identified by mass spectrometry searching against other fungi in the NCBI database. Future availability of an annotated genome will help finalise identification of the S. aurantiacum proteases.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009181 Mycoses Diseases caused by FUNGI. Fungus Diseases,Fungal Diseases,Fungal Infections,Fungus Infections,Disease, Fungal,Disease, Fungus,Diseases, Fungal,Diseases, Fungus,Fungal Disease,Fungal Infection,Fungus Disease,Fungus Infection,Infection, Fungal,Infection, Fungus,Infections, Fungal,Infections, Fungus
D009894 Opportunistic Infections An infection caused by an organism which becomes pathogenic under certain conditions, e.g., during immunosuppression. Infection, Opportunistic,Infections, Opportunistic,Opportunistic Infection
D010447 Peptide Hydrolases Hydrolases that specifically cleave the peptide bonds found in PROTEINS and PEPTIDES. Examples of sub-subclasses for this group include EXOPEPTIDASES and ENDOPEPTIDASES. Peptidase,Peptidases,Peptide Hydrolase,Protease,Proteases,Proteinase,Proteinases,Proteolytic Enzyme,Proteolytic Enzymes,Esteroproteases,Enzyme, Proteolytic,Hydrolase, Peptide
D003550 Cystic Fibrosis An autosomal recessive genetic disease of the EXOCRINE GLANDS. It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRANSMEMBRANE CONDUCTANCE REGULATOR expressed in several organs including the LUNG, the PANCREAS, the BILIARY SYSTEM, and the SWEAT GLANDS. Cystic fibrosis is characterized by epithelial secretory dysfunction associated with ductal obstruction resulting in AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION; chronic RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS; PANCREATIC INSUFFICIENCY; maldigestion; salt depletion; and HEAT PROSTRATION. Mucoviscidosis,Cystic Fibrosis of Pancreas,Fibrocystic Disease of Pancreas,Pancreatic Cystic Fibrosis,Pulmonary Cystic Fibrosis,Cystic Fibrosis, Pancreatic,Cystic Fibrosis, Pulmonary,Fibrosis, Cystic,Pancreas Fibrocystic Disease,Pancreas Fibrocystic Diseases
D004789 Enzyme Activation Conversion of an inactive form of an enzyme to one possessing metabolic activity. It includes 1, activation by ions (activators); 2, activation by cofactors (coenzymes); and 3, conversion of an enzyme precursor (proenzyme or zymogen) to an active enzyme. Activation, Enzyme,Activations, Enzyme,Enzyme Activations
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013379 Substrate Specificity A characteristic feature of enzyme activity in relation to the kind of substrate on which the enzyme or catalytic molecule reacts. Specificities, Substrate,Specificity, Substrate,Substrate Specificities
D021681 Scedosporium A mitosporic fungal genus previously called Monosporium. Teleomorphs include PSEUDALLESCHERIA. Lomentospora prolificans,Pseudallescheria apiosperma,Scedosporium inflatum,Monosporium,Monosporium apiospermum,Scedosporium apiospermum,Scedosporium prolificans,Monosporiums,Scedosporiums
D040901 Proteomics The systematic study of the complete complement of proteins (PROTEOME) of organisms. Peptidomics

Related Publications

Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
January 2015, PloS one,
Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
March 2019, Scientific reports,
Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
February 2015, Genome announcements,
Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
January 2021, Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology,
Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
March 2008, International journal of biological macromolecules,
Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
June 2022, Microorganisms,
Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
January 2023, Current research in microbial sciences,
Zhiping Han, and Liisa Kautto, and Helena Nevalainen
December 2019, Virulence,
Copied contents to your clipboard!