Sensitivity of Fungi to Nikkomycin Z

• Published in: Fungal genetics and biology 1996-03, Vol.20 (1), p.4-11
• Main Authors: Tariq, Vicki N., Devlin, Pauline L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents - metabolism; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; antibiotic resistance; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Antifungal antibiotics; antifungal properties; Biological Transport; Cell Wall - drug effects; Chitin - biosynthesis; Culture Media; damage; dipeptides; Dipeptides - metabolism; drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici; Genetic Variation; Geotrichum candidum; growth rate; hyphae; Hypocrea koningii; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Sequence Data; Mucor; mucor plumbeus; nikkomycin Z; nikkomycins; oligopeptides; Oligopeptides - metabolism; peptide uptake; species differences; Species Specificity; tripeptides; uptake
• ISSN: 1087-1845; 1096-0937
• DOI: 10.1006/fgbi.1996.0003

Nikkomycin Z inhibited colony radial extension (Kr) and hyphal density inGeotrichum candidum, Trichoderma koningii, Mucor plumbeus,andFusarium oxysporum,although the level of inhibition varied with the fungal species and was influenced by the concentration of nutrients in the culture medium. WhileG. candidumandM. plumbeuswere sensitive to the inhibitory effects of nikkomycin Z,T. koningiiandF. oxysporumwere relatively tolerant of concentrations of the antibiotic up to 100 μmol. Nikkomycin Z also caused significant decreases in rates of hyphal extension (Emax) and swelling and bursting of hyphal apices inG. candidumandM. plumbeus.The sensitivity ofG. candidumandM. plumbeusto the effects of the antibiotic was due in part to their ability to remove nikkomycin from a liquid culture medium; the nikkomycin-tolerant speciesT. koningiiandF. oxysporumwere unable to transport this nucleoside dipeptide antibiotic. Although bothG. candidumandF. oxysporumappeared capable of removing the di- and tripeptides, dialanine and trialanine, from a liquid medium, rate of dipeptide uptake was greater inF. oxysporum,while rate of tripeptide uptake was greater inG. candidum.However, overall rate of uptake of peptides was greater inG. candidumthan inF. oxysporum.