title: Isolation and characterization of a 30 kD antifungal protein from seeds of Sorghum bicolor.
abstract: An antifungal protein of about 30,000 Da was isolated from seeds of Sorghum bicolor L. using chromatographic techniques, including gel filtration, ion exchange, and high-performance liquid chromatography in a reverse-phase column. This protein (termed 30 kD protein) showed a minimal inhibitory concentration of 36 microg/ml for Candida parapsilosis and C. tropicalis, and 18 microg/ml for C. albicans. The 30 kD protein inhibited adherence to the cover glass and formation of a germinative tube of C. albicans at concentrations over 300 and 150 microg/ml, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy of yeast forms of C. albicans after incubation with 18 mug/ml of the 30 kD protein for 24 h revealed marked ultrastructural changes in the fungus. No toxicity of the 30 kD protein to the culture of Hep2 cells at concentrations equal to or less than 1,000 microg/ml was observed.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900 Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia Costa
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Mincoff
authors.forename: Diógenes Aparício
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Garcia Cortez
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda-Nakamura
authors.forename: Celso Vataru
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Benedito Prado
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Dias Filho
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D041022:Candida tropicalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D005898:Glass; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D045868:Sorghum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010940:Plant Proteins