• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.473-477
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• 2009

Previously, the 9-mer analog peptides, 9Pbw2 and 9Pbw4, were designed based on a defensin-like peptide, protaetiamycine isolated from Protaetia brevitarsis. In this study, antifungal effects of the analog peptides were investigated. The antifungal susceptibility testing exhibited that 9Pbw4 contained more potent antifungal activities than 9Pbw2. A PI influx assay confirmed the effects of the analog peptides and demonstrated that the peptides exerted their activity by a membrane-active mechanism, in an energy-independent manner. As the noteworthy potency of 9Pbw4, the mechanism(s) of 9Pbw4 were further investigated. The membrane studies, using rhodamine-labeled giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran loaded liposome, suggested that the membrane-active mechanism of 9Pbw4 could have originated from the pore-forming action and the radii of pores was presumed to be anywhere from 1.8 nm to 3.3 nm. These results were confirmed by 3D-flow cytometric contour-plot analysis. The present study suggests a potential of 9Pbw4 as a novel antifungal peptide.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.234-239
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• 2011

Glycycoumarin, a 3-arylcoumarine isolated from Glycyrrhizae radix (a family of Leguminosae), is reported to have anti-bacterial activity. However, its antifungal activity is still unknown. In this present study, the antifungal activity of glycycoumarin (GLM) against Candida albicans, a polymorphic fungus was investigated. Possible mechanism such as blocking of the hyphal induction was also analyzed. By the in-vitro susceptibility analysis, GLM showed anticandidal activity, resulting in an almost complete inhibition of the fungal growth at a concentration of 320 ${\mu}g/ml$, which was equivalent to the efficacy of fluconazole at the same dose. In the murine model of disseminated candidiasis GLM enhanced resistance of mice against the disseminated disease (P<0.05), resulting in 60% protection of GLM-treated mice group during a period of 21-day observation. As for its mechanism of the antifungal activity, GLM blocked hyphal production, one of the important of virulence factors by the fungus, from the yeast form of C. albicans (P<0.01). These data indicate that GLM may contribute to the perspectives that focus on the development of a novel agent with antifungal activity specific for C. albicans infection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.354-358
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• 2014

A screening test showed that lycorine exhibited significant antifungal activity against 24 pathogenic crop fungi at concentrations of 500 ${\mu}g/ml$ and 100 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Fusarium graminearum was selected for antifungal mechanism studies by observing its mycelial morphology and investigating the variations in its conductivity. In addition, the substance absorption and metabolism of F. graminearum were explored. The mechanism was revealed as being one by which lycorine destroyed the cellular membrane and further influenced substance absorption and cell metabolism.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.242-249
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• 2019

Betaine derivatives are considered major ingredients of shampoos and are commonly used as antistatic and viscosity-increasing agents. Several studies have also suggested that betaine derivatives can be used as antimicrobial agents. However, the antifungal activity and mechanism of action of betaine derivatives have not yet been fully understood. In this study, we investigated the antifungal activity of six betaine derivatives against Malassezia restricta, which is the most frequently isolated fungus from the human skin and is implicated in the development of dandruff. We found that, among the six betaine derivatives, lauryl betaine showed the most potent antifungal activity. The mechanism of action of lauryl betaine was studied mainly using another phylogenetically close model fungal organism, Cryptococcus neoformans, because of a lack of available genetic manipulation and functional genomics tools for M. restricta. Our genome-wide reverse genetic screening method using the C. neoformans gene deletion mutant library showed that the mutants with mutations in genes for cell membrane synthesis and integrity, particularly ergosterol synthesis, are highly sensitive to lauryl betaine. Furthermore, transcriptome changes in both C. neoformans and M. restricta cells grown in the presence of lauryl betaine were analyzed and the results indicated that the compound mainly affected cell membrane synthesis, particularly ergosterol synthesis. Overall, our data demonstrated that lauryl betaine influences ergosterol synthesis in C. neoformans and that the compound exerts a similar mechanism of action on M. restricta.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.296-305
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• 2024

Peach tree gummosis is a botanical anomaly distinguished by the secretion of dark-brown gum from the shoots of peach trees, and Botryosphaeria dothidea has been identified as one of the fungal species responsible for its occurrence. In South Korea, approximately 80% of gummosis cases are linked to infections caused by B. dothidea. In this study, we isolated microbes from the soil surrounding peach trees exhibiting antifungal activity against B. dothidea. Subsequently, we identified several bacterial strains as potential candidates for a biocontrol agent. Among them, Bacillus velezensis KTA01 displayed the most robust antifungal activity and was therefore selected for further analysis. To investigate the antifungal mechanism of B. velezensis KTA01, we performed tests to assess cell wall degradation and siderophore production. Additionally, we conducted reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis based on whole-genome sequencing to confirm the presence of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of lipopeptide compounds, a well-known characteristic of Bacillus spp., and to compare gene expression levels. Moreover, we extracted lipopeptide compounds using methanol and subjected them to both antifungal activity testing and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The experimental findings presented in this study unequivocally demonstrate the promising potential of B. velezensis KTA01 as a biocontrol agent against B. dothidea KACC45481, the pathogen responsible for causing peach tree gummosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

FK506, also known as tacrolimus, is a clinically important immunosuppressant drug and has promising therapeutic potentials owing to its antifungal, neuroprotective, and neuroregenerative activities. To generate various FK506 derivatives, the structure of FK506 has been modified by chemical methods or biosynthetic pathway engineering. Herein, we describe the mode of the antifungal action of FK506 and the structure-activity relationship of FK506 derivatives in the context of immunosuppressive and antifungal activities. In addition, we discuss the neurotrophic mechanism of FK506 known to date, along with the neurotrophic FK506 derivatives with significantly reduced immunosuppressive activity. This review suggests the possibility to generate novel FK506 derivatives as antifungal as well as neuroregenerative/neuroprotective agents.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.312-316
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• 2004

In oder to select the powerful rhizophere-dorminatable biocontrol agent, we had isolated an indigenous antagonistic bacterium which produced antibiotic and siderophore from a disease suppressive local field soil of Gyungsan, Korea. And we could select the Pseudomosp. 4059 which can strongly antagonize against Fusarium oxysporum and Phytophthora capsici by two kinds of antifungal mechanism that can be caused by the antibiotic of Phenazin, a siderophore and a auxin like subThe selected strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens (biotype A) 4059 by biochemical tests, API $\textregistered$ test, MicroLog TM system and 16S rDNA analysis. The selected antagonistic microorganism, Pseudomosp. 4059 had an antifungal mechanism of antifungal antibiotic and sidrophore. And we were confirmed the antagonistic activity of P fluorescens 4059 with in vitro antifungal test against Phytophthora capsici and in vivo by red-pepper.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1729-1734
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• 2008

Chitosan, a cationic polysaccharide, has been widely used as a dietary supplement and in a variety of pharmacological and biomedical applications. The antifungal activity and mechanism of action of low molecular weight water-soluble chitosan (LMWS-chitosan) were studied in fungal cells and vesicles containing various compositions of fungal lipids. LMWS-chitosan showed strong antifungal activity against various pathogenic yeasts and hyphae-forming fungi but no hemolytic activity or cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. The degree of calcein leakage was assessed on the basis of lipid composition (PC/CH; 10:1, w/w). Our result showing that LMWS-chitosan interacts with liposomes demonstrated that chitosan induces leakage from zwitterionic lipid vesicles. Confocal microscopy revealed that LMWS-chitosan was located in the plasma membrane. Finally, scanning electron microscopy revealed that LMWS-chitosan causes significant morphological changes on fungal surfaces. Its potent antibiotic activity suggests that LMWS-chitosan is an excellent candidate as a lead compound for the development of novel anti-infective agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1185-1188
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• 2010

Previously, papiliocin was isolated from the swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus and its antimicrobial activity was suggested. In this study, the antifungal mechanism of papiliocin against Candida albicans was investigated. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) fluorescence analysis indicated that papiliocin disturbed the fungal plasma membrane. Moreover, the assessment of the release of FITC-dextran (FD) from liposomes further demonstrated that the antifungal mechanism of papiliocin could have originated from the pore-forming action and that the radius of the pores was presumed to be anywhere from 2.3 to 3.3 nm.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1771-1781
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• 2018

The emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, as well as fungal infectious diseases that further threaten health, especially in immunodeficient populations, is a major global problem. The development of new antifungal agents in clinical trials is inferior to the incidence of drug resistance, and the available antifungal agents are restricted. Their mechanisms aim at certain characteristics of the fungus in order to avoid biological similarities with the host. Synthesis of the cell wall and ergosterol are mainly targeted in clinical use. The need for new approaches to antifungal therapeutic agents or development alternatives has increased. This review explores new perspectives on mechanisms to effectively combat fungal infections and effective antifungal activity. The clinical drug have a common feature that ultimately causes caspase-dependent cell death. The drugs-induced cell death pathway is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, including mitochondrial membrane depolarization and cytochrome c release. This mechanism of action also reveals antimicrobial peptides, the primary effector molecules of innate systems, to highlight new alternatives. Furthermore, drug combination therapy is suggested as another strategy to combat fungal infection. The proposal for a new approach to antifungal agents is not only important from a basic scientific point of view, but will also assist in the selection of molecules for combination therapy.