Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity

Gliotoxin (GT) is a mycotoxin produced by some species of ascomycete fungi including the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. In order to produce GT the host organism needs to have evolved a self-protection mechanism. GT contains a redox-cycling disulfide bridge that is important in m...

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Main Authors: Elizabeth B. Smith, Stephen K. Dolan, David A. Fitzpatrick, Sean Doyle, Gary W. Jones
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Shared Science Publishers OG 2016-02-01
Series:Microbial Cell
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Online Access:http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/towards-understanding-the-gliotoxin-detoxification-mechanism-in-vivo-thiomethylation-protects-yeast-from-gliotoxin-cytotoxicity/
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author Elizabeth B. Smith
Stephen K. Dolan
David A. Fitzpatrick
Sean Doyle
Gary W. Jones
author_facet Elizabeth B. Smith
Stephen K. Dolan
David A. Fitzpatrick
Sean Doyle
Gary W. Jones
author_sort Elizabeth B. Smith
collection DOAJ
description Gliotoxin (GT) is a mycotoxin produced by some species of ascomycete fungi including the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. In order to produce GT the host organism needs to have evolved a self-protection mechanism. GT contains a redox-cycling disulfide bridge that is important in mediating toxicity. Recently is has been demonstrated that A. fumigatus possesses a novel thiomethyltransferase protein called GtmA that has the ability to thiomethylate GT in vivo, which aids the organism in regulating GT biosynthesis. It has been suggested that thiomethylation of GT and similar sulfur-containing toxins may play a role in providing self-protection in host organisms. In this work we have engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a GT-naïve organism, to express A. fumigatus GtmA. We demonstrate that GtmA can readily thiomethylate GT in yeast, which results in protection of the organism from exogenous GT. Our work has implications for understanding the evolution of GT self-protection mechanisms in organisms that are GT producers and non-producers.
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issn 2311-2638
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series Microbial Cell
spelling doaj-art-c444a62d0be44dfab2e464dacdad6a772025-08-20T02:53:21ZengShared Science Publishers OGMicrobial Cell2311-26382016-02-013312012510.15698/mic2016.03.485Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicityElizabeth B. Smith0Stephen K. Dolan1David A. Fitzpatrick2Sean Doyle3Gary W. Jones4Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.Gliotoxin (GT) is a mycotoxin produced by some species of ascomycete fungi including the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. In order to produce GT the host organism needs to have evolved a self-protection mechanism. GT contains a redox-cycling disulfide bridge that is important in mediating toxicity. Recently is has been demonstrated that A. fumigatus possesses a novel thiomethyltransferase protein called GtmA that has the ability to thiomethylate GT in vivo, which aids the organism in regulating GT biosynthesis. It has been suggested that thiomethylation of GT and similar sulfur-containing toxins may play a role in providing self-protection in host organisms. In this work we have engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a GT-naïve organism, to express A. fumigatus GtmA. We demonstrate that GtmA can readily thiomethylate GT in yeast, which results in protection of the organism from exogenous GT. Our work has implications for understanding the evolution of GT self-protection mechanisms in organisms that are GT producers and non-producers.http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/towards-understanding-the-gliotoxin-detoxification-mechanism-in-vivo-thiomethylation-protects-yeast-from-gliotoxin-cytotoxicity/gliotoxinAspergillus fumigatusSaccharomyces cerevisiaeoxidoreductase GliTthio-methyltransferase GtmA
spellingShingle Elizabeth B. Smith
Stephen K. Dolan
David A. Fitzpatrick
Sean Doyle
Gary W. Jones
Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity
Microbial Cell
gliotoxin
Aspergillus fumigatus
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
oxidoreductase GliT
thio-methyltransferase GtmA
title Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity
title_full Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity
title_fullStr Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity
title_full_unstemmed Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity
title_short Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity
title_sort towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism in vivo thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity
topic gliotoxin
Aspergillus fumigatus
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
oxidoreductase GliT
thio-methyltransferase GtmA
url http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/towards-understanding-the-gliotoxin-detoxification-mechanism-in-vivo-thiomethylation-protects-yeast-from-gliotoxin-cytotoxicity/
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