title: Morphological changes of the filamentous fungus Mucor mucedo and inhibition of chitin synthase activity induced by anethole.
abstract: trans-Anethole (anethole), a major component of anise oil, has a broad antimicrobial spectrum with antimicrobial activity relatively weaker than those of well-known antibiotics, and significantly enhances the antifungal activity of polygodial and dodecanol against the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. However, the antifungal mechanism of anethole is unresolved. Anethole demonstrated antifungal activity against the filamentous fungus, Mucor mucedo IFO 7684, accompanied by hyphal morphological changes such as swollen hyphae at the tips. Its minimum growth inhibitory concentration was 0.625 mM. A hyperosmotic condition (1.2 M sorbitol) restricted the induction of morphological changes, while hypoosmotic treatment (distilled water) induced bursting of hyphal tips and leakage of cytoplasmic constituents. Furthermore, anethole dose-dependently inhibited chitin synthase (CHS) activity in permeabilized hyphae in an uncompetitive manner. These results suggest that the morphological changes of M. mucedo could be explained by the fragility of cell walls caused by CHS inhibition.
authors: Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Yutani
authors: Yukie
authors: Y
authors: Hashimoto
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Ogita
authors: Isao
authors: I
authors: Kubo
authors: Toshio
authors: T
authors: Tanaka
authors: Ken-ichi
authors: K
authors: Fujita
mesh_terms: D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000840:Anisoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects; D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009089:Mucor / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000840:Anisoles; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D002687:Chitin Synthase; C006578:anethole