title: The antifungal protein AFP secreted by Aspergillus giganteus does not cause detrimental effects on certain mammalian cells.
abstract: The antifungal protein AFP is a small, cystein-rich protein secreted by the imperfect ascomycete Aspergillus giganteus. The protein efficiently inhibits the growth of filamentous fungi, including a variety of serious human and plant pathogens mainly of the genera Aspergillus and Fusarium, whereas AFP does not affect the growth of yeast and bacteria. This restricted susceptibility range makes it very attractive for medical or biotechnological use to combat fungal infection and contamination. We, therefore, analyzed whether AFP affects the growth or function of a number of mammalian cells. Here we show that the protein neither provokes any cytotoxic effects on human endothelial cells isolated from the umbilical vein nor activates the immune system. Moreover, potassium currents of neurons and astrocytes do not change in the presence of AFP and neither excitatory processes nor the intracellular calcium homeostasis of cultured skeletal muscle myotubes are affected by AFP. Our data, therefore, suggest that AFP is indeed a promising candidate for the therapeutic or biotechnological use as a potential antifungal agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, RCMM, MHSC, University of Debrecen, 98 Nagyerdei krt., Debrecen 4012, Hungary.
authors.forename: Henrietta
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Szappanos
authors.forename: Gyula Péter
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Szigeti
authors.forename: Balázs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pál
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rusznák
authors.forename: Géza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szucs
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rajnavölgyi
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balla
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balla
authors.forename: Emoke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leiter
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pócsi
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Csernoch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000378:metabolism*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C097609:antifungal protein, Aspergillus; D011188:Potassium