title: Inhibitory effects of sulfur nanoparticles on membrane lipids of Aspergillus niger: a novel route of fungistasis.
abstract: Orthorhombic (spherical; ~10 nm) and monoclinic (cylindrical; ~50 nm) sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) were synthesized and examined for their effects on the total lipid content and desaturase enzymes of Aspergillus niger. Synthesized SNPs were characterized for size with transmission electron microscopy, elemental composition with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and allotropic nature with X-ray diffraction pattern. Both the SNPs considerably reduced total lipid content of the treated fungal isolates with significant down regulation of the expression of various desaturase enzymes (linoleoyl-CoA desaturase, stearoyl-CoA 9-desaturase and phosphatidylcholine desaturase). Unusual high accumulation of saturated fatty acids with depleted lipid layer can be inferred as one of the major reasons of SNPs mediated fungistasis.
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Division, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India. samratroychoudhury@gmail.com
authors.forename: Samrat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy Choudhury
authors.forename: Mahua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Arunava
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goswami
mesh_terms: D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000382:microbiology; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D013455:Sulfur; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases