Abstract
Rylux BSU and Congo red bind to chitin, interfere with proper cell-wall assembly, and stimulate chitin synthesis by increasing, most probably, chitin synthase 3 (ChS3) levels inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. On the other hand, the antibiotic nikkomycin Z inhibits chitin synthesis competitively. As ChS3 is the critical target of nikkomycin Z, its effect was tested in cells inhibited in growth by Rylux BSU or Congo red. Nikkomycin Z counteracted this inhibition but did not counteract aberrant cell-wall formation. These results indicate that chitin synthesis stimulation is the key step in Rylux BSU and Congo red inhibition and support the idea that increase in chitin synthesis represents a compensatory response to damaged cell-wall structure. As Rylux BSU and Congo red bind to newly synthesized chitin, further damage is caused in the wall and the response works in this case contrariwise. Nikkomycin Z breaks this vicious circle by counteracting the chitin synthesis stimulation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bacon J.S.D., Davidson E.O., Jones D., Taylor I.F.: The location of chitin in the yeast cell wall.Biochem. J.101, 36C-38C (1966).
Bartnicki-Garcia S., Persson J., Chanzy H.: An electron microscope and electron diffraction study of the effect of Calcofluor and Congo red on the biosynthesis of chitinin vitro.Arch. Biochem. Biophys310, 6–15 (1994).
Cid V.J., Durán A., Del Rey F., Snyder M.P., Nombela C., Sánchez M.: Molecular basis of cell integrity and morphogenesis inSaccharomyces cerevisiae Microbiol. Rev.59, 345–386 (1995).
Clemons K.V., Stevens D.A.: Efficacy of nikkomycin Z against experimental pulmonary blastomycosis.Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.41, 2026–2028 (1997).
Davenport K.R., Sohaskey M., Kamada Y., Levin D.E., Gustin M.C.: A second osmosensing signal transduction pathway in yeast. Hypotonic shock activates the PKC1 protein kinase-regulated cell integrity pathway.J. Biol. Chem.270, 30157–30161 (1995).
Decker H., Walz F., Bormann C., Zähner H., Fiedler H.-P., Heitsch H.H., König W.A.: Metabolic products of microorganisms 255. Nikkomycins Wz and Wx, new chitin synthetase inhibitors fromStreptomyces tendae.J. Antibiot.43, 43–48 (1990).
Elorza M.V., Rico H., Sentadreu R.: Calcofluor white alters the assembly of chitin fibrils inSaccharomyces cerevisiae andCandida albicans cells.J. Gen. Microbiol.129, 1577–1582 (1983).
Gaughran J.P., Lai M.H., Kirsch D.R., Silverman S.J.: Nikkomycin Z is a specific inhibitor ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae chitin synthase isozyme ChS3in vitro andin vivo.J. Bacteriol.176, 5857–5860 (1994).
Hapłová J., Farkaš V., Hejtmánek M., Koďousek R., Malínský J.: Effect of the new fluorescent brightener Rylux BSU on morphology and biosynthesis of cell walls inSaccharomyces cerevisiae.Arch. Microbiol.161, 340–344 (1994).
Hector R.F., Zimmer B.L., Pappagianis D.: Evaluation of nikkomycins X and Z in murine model of coccidiomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis.Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.34, 587–593 (1990).
Hejtmánek M., Doležel J., Holubová I.: Staining of fungal cell walls with fluorescent brighteners: flow cytometric analysis.Folia Microbiol.35, 437–442 (1990).
Herth W.: Calcofluor white and Congo red inhibit chitin microfibril assembly ofPoteriochromonas: evidence for a gap between polymerization and microfibril formation.J. Cell Biol.87, 442–450 (1980).
Igual J.C., Johnson A.L., Johnston L.H.: Coordinated expression by the cell cycle transcription factor Swi4 and the protein kinase C MAP kinase pathway for yeast cell integrity.EMBO J.15, 5001–5013 (1996).
Kamada Y., Sung Yung U., Piotrowski J., Levin D.E.: The protein kinase C-activated MAP kinase pathway ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae mediates a novel aspect of the heat shock response.Gen. Dev.9, 1559–1571 (1995).
Kopecká M., Gabriel M.: The influence of Congo red on the cell wall and (1→3)-β-glucan microfibril biogenesis inSaccharomyces cerevisiae.Arch. Microbiol.158, 115–126 (1992).
Kreger D.R., Kopecká M.: The molecular organization of chitin in normal and regenerated walls ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae. A reconsideration of ultrastructural data, pp. 130–134 in D.G. Robinson, H. Quader (Eds).Cell Walls, Proceedings of the 2nd Cell Wall Meeting. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgessellschaft mbH, Stuttgart 1981.
Madden K., Sheu Y.J., Baetz K., Andrews B., Snyder M.: SBF cell cycle regulator as a target of the yeast PKC-MAP kinase pathway.Science275, 1781–1784 (1997).
Maeda H., Ishida N.: Specificity of binding of hexopyranosyl polysaccharides with fluorescent brightener.J. Biochem.62, 276–278 (1967).
Popolo L., Gilardelli D., Bonfante P., Vai M.: Increase in chitin as an essential response to defects in assembly of cell wall polymers in theggp1 mutant ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae.J. Bacteriol.179, 463–469 (1997).
Ram A.F.J., Wolters A., Ten Hoopen R., Klis F.M.: A new approach for isolating cell wall mutants inSaccharomyces cerevisiae by screening for hypersensitivity to Calcofluor white.Yeast10, 1019–1030 (1994).
Roncero C., Durán A.: Effect of Calcofluor white and Congo red on fungal cell wall morphogenesis:in vivo activation of chitin polymerization.J. Bacteriol.163, 1180–1185 (1985).
Roncero C., Valdivieso M.H., Ribas J.C., Durán A.: Effect of Calcofluore white on chitin synthases fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae.J. Bacteriol.170, 1945–1949 (1988).
Rüchel R., Margraf S.: Rapid microscopical diagnosis of deep-seated mycoses following maceration of fresh specimens and staining with optical brighteners.Mycoses36, 239–242 (1992).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Raclavský, V., Novotný, R., Šmígová, J. et al. Nikkomycin Z counteracts rylux BSU and Congo red inhibition ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae growth but does not prevent formation of aberrant cell walls. Folia Microbiol 44, 663–668 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02825658
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02825658