Comparative Study of Potential Virulence Factors in Human Pathogenic and Saprophytic Trichoderma longibrachiatum Strains

Abstract

Potential virulence factors of 9 saprophytic and 12 clinical Trichoderma longibrachiatum strains were examined in the present study to compare their capacity to cause human infection. All of the strains were able to grow at temperatures up to 40 °C and at pH values ranging from 2.0 to 9.0. In the carbon and nitrogen source utilization experiments it was revealed that all of the strains were able to utilize a series of basic amino acids both as sole carbon and nitrogen sources. The MIC value of the antifungal drugs were found to be between 0.016 and 8 µg/ml for amphotericin B, 64 and 256 µg/ml for fluconazole, 0.5 and 32 µg/ml for itraconazole, 0.008 and 1 µg/ml for ketoconazole in the case of Trichoderma isolates. Metabolites of the strains inhibited the growth of different bacteria, furthermore, in the case of three clinical Trichoderma strains they reduced motility of boar spermatozoa, indicating their toxicity to mammalian cells as well. On the whole, there were no significant differences in the examined features between strains derived from clinical or soil samples. The question, however, whether all environmental Trichoderma longibrachiatum strains have the capacity to cause infections or not, remains unanswered.

Structural Behavior of the Peptaibol Harzianin HK VI in a DMPC Bilayer: Insights from MD Simulations

“…Functional studies showed HZ, its homologs (Ac-Aib-Asn-Lxx-Lxx-Aib-Pro-Lxx-Lxx-Aib-Pro-Lxxol), or mixtures containing HZ to exert embryotoxicity against Crassostrea gigas (13) as well as chlorpromazine-level neuroleptic effects in male mice (14). Crude extracts from HZ-producing fungi inhibited motility of the boar spermatozoa and quenched the mitochondrial transmembrane potential of the sperm cells at low exposure concentrations (14,15).…”

“…Furthermore, the helix-stabilizing effect of Aib in a foreign sequence even overrides the effects of helix-breaking AAs (3). Peptaibols are classified into: 1) long-sequence peptaibols (18)(19)(20) AA, typically with a centrally located Pro, and Gln residues near both termini); 2) short-sequence peptaibols (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16) AA, with several Aib-Pro motives, and typically either Ac-Aib-Asn-or Ac-Aib-Gln-as N-terminus); and 3) ultrashort lipopeptaibols (7 or 11 AA, with a high content in Gly and N-terminal AA acylated by a C8-C15 fatty acid).…”

Biology and biotechnology of Trichoderma

“…longibrachiatum and H. orientalis are the most common ones. Interestingly, no specific phylogenetic characteristics of the clinical isolates as compared to environmental isolates could be found, and no correlation between virulence or pathogenicity and genomic structure was detected (Antal et al 2005, 2006; Druzhinina et al 2008). However, most intriguingly, T. longibrachiatum not only causes disease; at the same time, it seems to be a source for potential antifungal drugs efficient against Candida and Aspergillus species (Vicente et al 2001).…”

20‐Residue and 11‐residue peptaibols from the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum are synergistic in forming Na+/K+‐permeable channels and adverse action towards mammalian cells

“…The metabolites named trilongins BI-BIV and trilongin AI formed voltage-dependent, Na + /K + conductive channels in biomembranes. T. longibrachiatum is an emerging human pathogen and the main pathogen in the fungal genus Trichoderma [5,27,38]. This species is also the most common species colonizing mould troubled indoor space [9].…”

“…Crude extracts of various T. longibrachiatum isolates have been reported to contain thermostable substances that inhibited motility of boar spermatozoa and quenched the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨ m ) of the sperm cells at low exposure concentrations [27]. In the present study, we describe the isolation, structure, toxicity and ion channel-forming activities, as well as synergistic properties, of two different sizes of peptaibols produced by T. longibrachiatum isolates originating from agricultural and clinical samples, and also from an indoor environment where serious buildingrelated symptoms of ill health were claimed.…”