title: Inhibition of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis by ajoene is associated with blockade of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis.
abstract: In Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a dimorphic fungus pathogenic for humans, no significant differences were observed in the phospholipid species of both morphological phases. The species observed were phosphatidylcholine (PC, 30-40%), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE, 27-28%), phosphatidylserine (16-19%), phosphatidylinositol (13-17%) and sphingomyelin (3-5%). The main fatty acids found in the yeast (Y) phase were palmitate (56%), linoleate (18%) and oleate (15%), while linoleate predominated (61%) in the mycelial (M) phase, followed by palmitate (27%) and oleate (7%). In the Y phase the main free sterol was ergosta-5,22-dien-3 beta-ol (82%) plus some lanosterol (12%) and ergosterol (6%), while in the M phase, the latter predominated (88%), followed by low levels of ergosta-5,22-dien-3 beta-ol (12%). Ajoene [(E,Z)-4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene 9-oxide], a platelet aggregation inhibitor derived from garlic, induced alterations in phospholipid and fatty acid proportions such that PC was reduced to about 18% in both phases and PE increased to 38% (Y phase) or 44% (M phase), suggesting inhibition of PC synthesis. Ajoene also reduced saturated fatty acids (16:0 and 18:0) from 67 to 35% in the Y phase, with a corresponding increase in the unsaturated components. This effect was not seen in the M phase.
authors.affiliation: Institute Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Centres of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Gioconda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: San-Bias
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Biochemistry Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Julio A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Urbina
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Biochemistry Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchán
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Biochemistry Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Lellys M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.affiliation: Institute Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Centres of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sorais
authors.affiliation: Institute Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Centres of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: San-Blas
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004220:Disulfides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000145:classification; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013454:Sulfoxides
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004220:Disulfides; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013454:Sulfoxides; C048980:ajoene