title: Evidence of multiple extracellular phospholipase activities of Aspergillus fumigatus.
abstract: Extracellular phospholipase activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several bacterial infections. Recently, extracellular phospholipase activity has been proposed as a virulence factor in the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most pathogenic member of its genus, responsible for > 90% of infections. Previously, no specific virulence factors have been determined. We investigated the ability of A. fumigatus to produce extracellular phospholipases at 37 degrees C. Fast atom bombardment was used to compare lipid-containing media before and at 5-h intervals during shaking culture of A. fumigatus. Lipids were extracted and analyzed. Many anions corresponding to phospholipid breakdown products were identified. Specific anion species identified indicated phospholipase A, B, C (PLC), and D activities. PLC activity was further investigated by using the synthetic substrate p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine. PLC activity was initially observed after 30 h of growth and accumulated in broth cultures up to 50 h. At 55 h, there was a sharp increase in PLC activity which coincided with cultures reaching the stationary phase. Activity of the PLC was measured at different temperatures, with greater activity occurring at 37 degrees C than at lower temperatures. Phospholipases could represent a virulence determinant in A. fumigatus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Denning
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000201:enzymology*; D010740:Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010743:Phospholipids; D010740:Phospholipases; D010738:Type C Phospholipases