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Identification of an elongation factor 1Bγ protein with glutathione transferase activity in both yeast and mycelial morphologies from human pathogenic Blastoschizomyces capitatus

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Abstract

Blastoschizomyces capitatus is an uncommon, opportunistic pathogenic fungus, which causes invasive and disseminated infections. This microorganism is normally present in both environmental and normal human flora. Within a host, B. capitatus is able to grow in both unicellular yeast and multicellular filamentous growth forms. In this study, we obtained in vitro morphological conversion of B. capitatus from yeast-to-mycelial phase to investigate the presence and expression of glutathione transferase (GST) enzymes in both cell forms. A protein with GST activity using the model substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was detected in both morphologies and identified by tandem mass spectrometry as a eukaryotic elongation factor 1Bγ (eEF1Bγ) protein, a member of the GST superfamily. No significant difference in GST-specific activity and kinetic constants were observed between mycelial and yeast forms, indicating that eEF1Bγ protein did not show differential expression between the two phases.

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Acknowledgment

This work was partially supported by the Italian ‘Ministero per l’Istruzione, l’Università e la Ricerca’ (MIUR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy

    Nerino Allocati, Michele Masulli, Piero Del Boccio, Damiana Pieragostino & Carmine Di Ilio

  2. Center of Excellence on Aging, University “G. d’Annunzio”, 66013, Chieti, Italy

    Piero Del Boccio, Damiana Pieragostino & Carmine Di Ilio

  3. Clinical Microbiology and Virology, Spirito Santo Hospital, 65124, Pescara, Italy

    Domenico D’Antonio

  4. Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland

    David Sheehan

Authors
  1. Nerino Allocati
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  2. Michele Masulli
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  3. Piero Del Boccio
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  4. Damiana Pieragostino
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  5. Domenico D’Antonio
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  6. David Sheehan
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  7. Carmine Di Ilio
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Correspondence to Nerino Allocati.

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Allocati, N., Masulli, M., Del Boccio, P. et al. Identification of an elongation factor 1Bγ protein with glutathione transferase activity in both yeast and mycelial morphologies from human pathogenic Blastoschizomyces capitatus . Folia Microbiol 59, 107–113 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-013-0273-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-013-0273-3

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