title: Comparison of in vitro characteristics of and experimental lesions produced by a clinical and an environmental isolate of Aspergillus flavus.
abstract: In the present study, two strains of Aspergillus flavus (one from a human corneal ulcer and one from the environment) were found to be strikingly similar in vitro in terms of thermotolerance, inability to grow in an anaerobic environment and in secreting proteinases; however, one obvious difference was that the clinical isolate produced 120 ppb of aflatoxin B1 in glucose salt medium while the environmental isolate did not produce this toxic metabolite. Alterations in the activities of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutathione-S-transferase were observed in the liver, kidney and serum in an experimental rat model, irrespective of whether the animal had been challenged with the clinical isolate or the environmental isolate of A. flavus. In rats that had been challenged with the clinical isolate, a significant decrease in the activity of kidney ALP was noted, whereas in rats that had been challenged with the environmental isolate, the reverse was observed. While these differential alterations may have occurred due to differences in the toxin-producing ability of the two isolates, further investigation is warranted to clarify whether other phenotypic, or genotypic, differences are also involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli-620 024, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saraswathy
authors.forename: D Arvind
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Prasanth
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geraldine
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chandrasekaran
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D016604:Aflatoxin B1; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases