Carbonic anhydrases in fungi

Abstract

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are metalloenzymes that catalyse the interconversion of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate with high efficiency. This reaction is fundamental to biological processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, pH homeostasis, CO2 transport and electrolyte secretion. CAs are distributed among all three domains of life, and are currently divided into five evolutionarily unrelated classes (α, β, γ, δ and ζ). Fungal CAs have only recently been identified and characterized in detail. While Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans each have only one β-CA, multiple copies of β-CA- and α-CA-encoding genes are found in other fungi. Recent work demonstrates that CAs play an important role in the CO2-sensing system of fungal pathogens and in the regulation of sexual development. This review focuses on CA functions in S. cerevisiae, the fungal pathogens C. albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, and the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora.

Phenols and Polyphenols as Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors

“…The flavone luteolin (61), the two flavonols kaempferol (65) and isorhamnetin (68), as well as the flavonol glycosides quercetin-3-O-glucoside (77), quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (87) and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside (88) are ubipresent flavonoids in most vegetables and fruits daily consumed, while galangin (80) is present in honey and propolis [73,74]. Among the flavonoids considered were the flavanones naringenin (81), eriodictyol (82) and hesperitin (83), which are abundant in edible Citrus spp. (e.g., orange, mandarin) and possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumoral properties [75].…”

“…Both fungal strains are adapted to extremely low concentrations of CO 2 . However, once the infection occurs, elevated concentrations of CO 2 promote distinct structural and developmental procedures which influence the survival, virulence and pathogenesis of these fungi [82].…”

The role of soil pH on soil carbonic anhydrase activity

“…Indeed, α-and β-CA classes are not represented equally in all kingdoms. Very schematically, α-CAs tend to be more abundant in algae and micro-algae while β-CAs are more commonly found in fungi (Elleuche and Poggeler, 2010;Moroney et al, 2001). In addition, α-CAs can be extracellular enzymes unlike β-CAs that are, to our knowledge, only intracellular enzymes.…”

“…Furthermore, large differences between the oxygen isotope composition of soil and leaf water pools exist and can be used to track rapidly the relative contributions of soil and leaf CO 2 exchange (Ciais et al, 1997;Farquhar et al, 1993;Francey and Tans, 1987;Welp et al, 2011;Wingate et al, 2010). This large-scale and rapid hydration of CO 2 by the biosphere is accelerated by the family of carbonic anhydrase enzymes (CAs), which are ubiquitous in bacteria, algae, fungi and plants (Badger, 2003;Elleuche and Poggeler, 2010;Moroney et al, 2001;Smith and Ferry, 2000). In leaves the activity and concentration of CAs are high enough to expect that CO 2 diffusing out of the leaf is in nearly full isotopic equilibrium with leaf water (Farquhar and Cernusak, 2012;Gillon and Yakir, 2001).…”

Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isozymes I and II with natural products extracted from plants, mushrooms and honey

“…CAs, of which many diverse isoforms are currently known, effectively catalyze a slow, but fundamental physiological reaction, the conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons 3,4 . CAs are classified in five distinct classes, the α, β, γ, δ and ζ families 5 . These types of CAs are present in different organisms, but the α-CAs are the only such enzymes found in mammals.…”