Proteinases as potential targets for new generation anti-sapstain chemicals

Disrupting nitrogen acquisition by targeted chemicals is a potential strategy for controlling fungal growth of sapstaining fungi in wood. Detailed analyses of pine and aspen sapwood confirmed that very little of the limited available nitrogen is inorganic. Since proteins are the primary nitrogen sou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forest products journal 1997-09, Vol.47 (9), p.57-62
Main Authors: ABRAHAM, L, BREUIL, C, BRADSHAW, D. E, MORRIS, P. I, BYRNE, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Chemicals
Degradation and preservation
Exact sciences and technology
Forest products industry
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fungi
Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects
Nitrogen
Other applications
Polymer industry, paints, wood
Preservatives
Processes
Proteins
Studies
Timber
Variance analysis
Wood
Wood. Paper. Non wovens
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Summary:Disrupting nitrogen acquisition by targeted chemicals is a potential strategy for controlling fungal growth of sapstaining fungi in wood. Detailed analyses of pine and aspen sapwood confirmed that very little of the limited available nitrogen is inorganic. Since proteins are the primary nitrogen source in wood, and proteolyte activity was detected in wood infected with the staining fungus Ophiostoma piceae, proteinase inhibitors were tested for their effect on fungal growth. Heavy metals and several chelators inhibited growth on artificial media containing protein or inorganic nitrogen, suggesting that they were toxic to the fungus rather than specific to the proteinase. However, chymostatin, hen egg white, and the commercial sapstain control product PQ-8 appeared to be specific proteinase inhibitors, because they caused a decrease in growth on a protein-supplemented medium that induces proteinase production, but had little effect on growth in a medium containing inorganic nitrogen.
ISSN:0015-7473
2376-9637