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PubMed1999

Ergosterol content in various fungal species and biocontaminated building materials

This paper reports the ergosterol content for microbial cultures of six filamentous fungi, three yeast species, and one actinomycete and the ergosterol levels in 40 samples of building materials (wood chip, gypsum board, and glass wool) contaminated by microorganisms. The samples were hydrolyzed in alkaline methanol, and sterols were silylated and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The average ergosterol content varied widely among the fungal species over the range of 2.6 to 42 &mgr;g/ml of dry mass or 0.00011 to 17 pg/spore or cell. Ergosterol could not be detected in the actinomycete culture. The results for both the fungal cultures and building material samples supported the idea that the ergosterol content reflects the concentration of filamentous fungi but it underestimates the occurrence of yeast cells. The ergosterol content in building material samples ranged from 0.017 to 68 &mgr;g/g of dry mass of material. A good agreement between the ergosterol concentration and viable fungal concentrations was detected in the wood chip (r > 0.66, P </= 0.009) and gypsum board samples (r > 0.48, P </= 0.059), whereas no relationship between these factors was observed in the glass wool samples. For the pooled data of the building materials, the ergosterol content correlated significantly with the viable fungal levels (r > 0.63, P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the ergosterol concentration could be a suitable marker for estimation of fungal concentrations in contaminated building materials with certain reservations, including the underestimation of yeast concentrations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2007

Ergosterol production from molasses by genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ergosterol is an economically important metabolite produced by fungi. Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae YEH56(pHXA42) with increased capacity of ergosterol formation was constructed by combined overexpression of sterol C-24(28) reductase and sterol acyltransferase in the yeast strain YEH56. The production of ergosterol by this recombinant strain using cane molasses (CM) as an inexpensive carbon source was investigated. An ergosterol content of 52.6 mg/g was obtained with 6.1 g/l of biomass from CM medium containing 60 g/l of total sugar in 30 h in shake flask. The ergosterol yield was enhanced through the increasing cell biomass by supplementation of urea to a concentration of 6 g/l in molasses medium. Fermentation was performed in 5-l bioreactor using the optimized molasses medium. In batch fermentation, the effect of agitation velocity on ergosterol production was examined. The highest ergosterol yield was obtained at 400 rpm that increased 60.4 mg/l in comparison with the shake flask culture. In fed-batch fermentation, yeast cells were cultivated, firstly, in the starting medium containing molasses with 20 g/l of total sugar, 1.68 g/l of phosphate acid, and 6 g/l of urea (pH 5.4) for 5 h, then molasses containing 350 g/l of total sugar was fed exponentially into the bioreactor to keep the ethanol level in the broth below 0.5%. After 40 h of cultivation, the ergosterol yield reached 1,707 mg/l, which was 3.1-fold of that in the batch fermentation.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed2002

Effect of pollutants on the ergosterol content as indicator of fungal biomass.

Ergosterol content was determined in 20 white-rot fungi isolates and the values ranged from 2380 to 13060 microg g(-1) fungal biomass. Significant changes of ergosterol content according the physiological stage for Bjerkandera adusta 4312 and Coriolopsis gallica 8260 were found, showing the highest values during the stationary phase. However, in the case of Phanerochaete chrysosporium 3642, no changes were detected during growth. The effect of pollutants, such as heavy metals and fungicides, on the ergosterol content of C. gallica was determined. Heavy metals (Cu 80 ppm, Zn 50 ppm or Cd 10 ppm) and fungicides (thiram 3 ppm or pentachlorophenol 1.5 ppm) at concentrations that reduce the metabolic activity between 18% and 53% (pollutant-stressed cultures) did not affect the ergosterol content. Only the fungicide zineb (25 ppm) reduced significantly the ergosterol content in biomass basis. In soil experiments with Cu (80 ppm) or thiram (10 ppm) after 15 and 30 days of incubation, the ergosterol content in soil was linearly correlated to the fungal biomass C in both polluted and control soil cultures. The ergosterol content was independent of the presence or the absence of pollutants. Thus, these results indicate that ergosterol can be a useful indicator for fungal biomass in polluted soils, and can be applied for monitoring bioremediation processes.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2000

Analysis of free and esterified ergosterol in tomato products.

A new extraction and chromatographic procedure to quantify free and esterified ergosterol in tomato products was devised. The extraction solution was composed of a dichloromethane/methanol mixture in a 2:1 (v/v) ratio. This extraction solvent allowed for higher ergosterol recovery from tomato products (an average of 25% more) compared to hexane, which is frequently employed for ergosterol extraction. Both free and esterified ergosterol were determined by HPLC reverse-phase chromatography employing a Nova-Pak C-18 column (300 x 3.9 mm), filled with 4 mm average particle size and a guard column of the same material. The elution was performed at a flow rate of 1 mL. min(-1) with a linear gradient of solvent A (methanol/water, 80:20, v/v) and solvent B (dichloromethane). The gradient, starting at sample injection, was from 0 to 50% B for 20 min for the free ergosterol analysis and additional 15 min at 50% B to analyze the ergosterol esters. This technique has proven to be more sensitive for ergosterol determination than other reported chromatographic procedures. Moreover, ergosterol esters, extracted from various fungal sources, separated well and were easily quantified.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed2006

Early changes in membrane permeability, production of oxidative burst and modification of PAL activity induced by ergosterol in cotyledons of Mimosa pudica.

Ergosterol (a fungal membrane component) was shown to induce transient influx of protons and membrane hyperpolarization in cotyledonary cells of Mimosa pudica L. By contrast, chitosan (a fungal wall component with known elicitor properties) triggered membrane depolarization. In the processes induced by ergosterol, a specific desensitization was observed, since cells did not react to a second ergosterol application but did respond to a chitosan treatment. This comparative study correspondingly shows that ergosterol and chitosan were perceived in a distinct manner by plant cells. Generation of O2*-, visualized by infiltration with nitroblue tetrazolium, was displayed in organs treated with ergosterol and chitosan. This AOS production was preceded by an increase in activity of NADPH oxidase measured in protein extracts of treated cotyledons. In all the previously described processes, cholesterol had no effect, thereby indicating that ergosterol specifically induced these physiological changes known to participate in the reaction chain activated by characteristic elicitors. Contrary to chitosan, ergosterol did not greatly activate secondary metabolism as shown by the small change in content of free phenolics and by the low modification in activity of PAL, the key enzyme of this metabolic pathway. Therefore, future studies have to clarify the signalling cascade triggered by ergosterol recognition.

Antigens, Fungal↗
PubMed1997

Near-UV-induced absorbance change and photochemical decomposition of ergosterol in the plasma membrane of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

When cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were exposed to near-UV (300-400 nm), their absorption spectra changed slightly within the range 220-300 nm with increasing dosage. Difference spectra, calculated by substracting the curve recorded in cells exposed to near-UV from the curve of unexposed cells, decreased with increasing dosage over a broad band with peaks at 272, 282 and 295 nm and a shoulder at 265 nm. These peaks were in agreement with the absorption maxima of ergosterol, which is one of the major components of the plasma membrane of yeast. Near-UV radiation induced a simultaneous decrease in absorption spectra and reduction of ergosterol content in the plasma membrane. Photochemical decomposition of ergosterol by near-UV radiation was revealed in vivo, although ergosterol is generally known to be photoconverted to previtamin D2 industrially by UV radiation in vitro. In order to remove photosensitizers, liposomes were prepared from phospholipids and glycolipids, with or without ergosterol from purified yeast plasma membranes. Liposomal ergosterol in the orientated state was photochemically decomposed by near-UV radiation but ergosterol in the disorientated state in a homogeneous solution was not. Near-UV radiation also induced a decrease in activity of membrane-bound ATPase. Dose-response curves for the reduction of ATPase activity were similar to that for decomposition of ergosterol, suggesting that near-UV caused membrane function damage.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed2001

Implications of FPS1 deletion and membrane ergosterol content for glycerol efflux from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The deletion of the gene encoding the glycerol facilitator Fps1p was associated with an altered plasma membrane lipid composition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The S. cerevisiae fps1delta strain respectively contained 18 and 26% less ergosterol than the wild-type strain, at the whole-cell level and at the plasma membrane level. Other mutants with deficiencies in glycerol metabolism were studied to investigate any possible link between membrane ergosterol content and intracellular glycerol accumulation. In these mutants a modification in intracellular glycerol concentration, or in intra- to extracellular glycerol ratio was accompanied by a reduction in plasma membrane ergosterol content. However, there was no direct correlation between ergosterol content and intracellular glycerol concentration. Lipid composition influences the membrane permeability for solutes during adaptation of yeast cells to osmotic stress. In this study, ergosterol supplementation was shown to partially suppress the hypo-osmotic sensitivity phenotype of the fps1delta strain, leading to more efficient glycerol efflux, and improved survival. The erg-1 disruption mutant, which is unable to synthesise ergosterol, survived and recovered from the hypo-osmotic shock more successfully when the concentration of exogenously supplied ergosterol was increased. The results obtained suggest that a higher ergosterol content facilitates the flux of glycerol across the plasma membrane of S. cerevisiae cells.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1975

Studies on tetrahymena membranes. Modification of surface membrane lipids by replacement of tetrahymanol by exogenous ergosterol in Tetrahymena pyriformis.

Tetrahymena pyriformis WH-14 cells were grown in the medium supplemented with ergosterol (1 mg/100 ml) and the effects of replacement of tetrahymanol by ergosterol upon the lipid composition in the surface membranes (cilia and pellicles) were examined. 1. By scanning and freeze-etch electron microscopy it was suggested that exogenous ergosterol would be inserted into the lipid regions in the surface membranes. Although freeze-etched faces of filipin-treated membranes containing the native tetrahymanol showed a random distribution of 85-a protein particles, the ergosterol-replaced membranes after the same polyene treatment revealed the marked ultrastructural alterations on the fracture faces. 2. The replacement of tetrahymanol in membranes by ergosterol induced a profound alteration in the phospholipid class composition and a marked increase in phosphatidylethanolamine with a compensatory decrease in phosphatidylcholine and 2-aminoethylphosphonolipid. 3. There are significant and quantitative but not qualitative changes in the fatty acid composition of total lipids from the ergosterol-replaced membranes. There are also increases in saturated and decreases in unsaturated fatty acids. Phosphatidylethanolamine acyl chains particularly become more saturated, as compared with two other phospholipids, in ergosterol-replaced pellicles. This increase in saturation is due to an appreciable increase in C14:0, C16:0 and iso-C17:0, and a decrease in C18:1(delta9), C18:2(delta9,12) and C18:3(delta6,9,12). 4. These results suggest that profound alterations in phospholipids as well as in their fatty acyl chains are required to modify the overall membrane lipid composition for the maintenance of proper membrane fluidity. Our data would also support the thesis that polat head groups are involved in the membrane lipid organization and that sterols interact selectively with phospholipid molecules containing the appropriate fatty acyl chain composition in biological membranes.

Acetates↗
PubMed2004

Ergosterol as a measure of living fungal biomass: persistence in environmental samples after fungal death.

The membrane lipid ergosterol is found almost exclusively in fungi, and is frequently used by environmental microbiologists as an indicator of living fungal biomass, based on the assumption that ergosterol is labile, and therefore rapidly degraded after the death of fungal hyphae. We studied the degradation of ergosterol in environmental samples without living fungi. Under the conditions used in this study, ergosterol was very stable both when added as a pure compound and when associated with dead fungi. The decrease of ergosterol was at most 34% during 2 months when protected from sunlight. Presence of a natural bacterial assemblage did not enhance degradation over this time period, as compared to sterile controls. However, photochemical degradation was significant, and led to a 43% decrease of in ergosterol content during 24 h. These results suggest that ergosterol should be used cautiously as a biomarker for living fungi.

Biomass↗
PubMed1998

The structuring effects of amphotericin B on pure and ergosterol- or cholesterol-containing dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers: a differential scanning calorimetry study.

Amphotericin B (AmB) is the most widely used polyene antibiotic to treat systemic fungal infections which affect an increasing number of immunocompromised patients. It is generally thought that AmB forms pores within the fungi membranes by interacting with ergosterol, the main sterol of fungi. However, it also interacts with the cholesterol contained in mammalian cells, hence its toxicity. In order to have a better understanding of the interactions prevailing between AmB and sterols, differential scanning calorimetry was used to study various mixtures incorporating from 6.5 to 25 mol% of AmB in pure dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles and in ergosterol- or cholesterol-containing DPPC vesicles. The sterol concentration was kept constant at 12.5 mol% with respect to the phospholipid. Our results show that three phases co-exist when AmB is dispersed in the pure phospholipid. One corresponds to the phospholipid phase alone. The two others are characterised by a broad transition at temperatures higher than the main transition temperature of the pure phospholipid, corresponding to the drug in interaction with the aliphatic chains of the lipid. The fact that the transition temperatures of these additional components are higher than that of the pure phospholipid suggests that AmB interacts strongly with the aliphatic chains of the lipid, consistent with the idea prevailing in the literature that AmB by itself may form pores in a lipid matrix. When AmB interacts with cholesterol-containing bilayers the thermograms also present three components. Upon increasing the concentration of AmB, though, an important broadening of these components is observed which is explained in terms of destabilisation of the organisation of the aliphatic chains. The situation is strikingly different if ergosterol is present in the lipid matrix. The thermograms remain unmodified as the concentration of AmB is increased and a broad transition, now involving only two components when the thermograms are decomposed, is observed. An analysis of the results shows that various interacting units, e.g. AmB+DPPC and (AmB+ergosterol)+DPPC, are present within the membrane. These units involve the phospholipid and hence contribute to its structurisation. The important differences between the thermograms obtained with the ergosterol- as compared to the cholesterol-containing bilayers, in spite of the structural similarity of these two sterols, provides strong evidence for the selectivity of interaction of AmB with ergosterol as compared to cholesterol. It is thus clear that the action of AmB on cholesterol- as compared to ergosterol-containing membranes results from different mechanisms. Finally, UV-visible spectra of AmB in pure as well as sterol-containing DPPC vesicles show the presence of absorption bands that give support to the interpretation derived from the calorimetric data.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗
PubMed1992

[Cold storage of wheat. 1. Ergosterol, ochratoxin A and citrinin after inoculation with Penicillium verrucosum].

Seed wheat was inoculated without having been sterilized with an ochratoxin A and citrinin forming strain of Penicillium verrucosum and stored at moisture contents of 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26% at 10 and 4 degrees C. The production of ergosterol, a chemical indicator of fungal biomass, started within the storage time investigated (240 days). Only at 18% H2O/4 degrees C an increase of the ergosterol content was not observed. Ochratoxin A and Citrinin were not detected at 18% H2O/4 degrees C and 20% H2O/4 degrees C within 240 days (detection limit: 10 and 25 micrograms/kg, respectively). At the other combinations of moisture content and temperature the first detection of the two toxins approximately coincided with the onset of ergosterol production. With increasing moisture content and temperature the time up to the start of ergosterol production decreased, whereas the production rates of ergosterol, ochratoxin A and citrinin increased. Both toxins were produced with about the same rate during a first phase of accumulation. At 20-26% H2O there was no influence of moisture content and temperature on the relation between toxin content and the simultaneously reached ergosterol content. It is recommended that wheat highly contaminated with Penicillium verrucosum should not be stored beyond the start of ergosterol production.

Citrinin↗
PubMed2000

Genome-wide expression patterns in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: comparison of drug treatments and genetic alterations affecting biosynthesis of ergosterol.

Enzymes in the ergosterol-biosynthetic pathway are the targets of a number of antifungal agents including azoles, allylamines, and morpholines. In order to understand the response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to perturbations in the ergosterol pathway, genome-wide transcript profiles following exposure to a number of antifungal agents targeting ergosterol biosynthesis (clotrimazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole, terbinafine, and amorolfine) were obtained. These profiles were compared to the transcript profiles of strains containing deletions of one of the late-stage ergosterol genes: ERG2, ERG5, or ERG6. A total of 234 genes were identified as responsive, including the majority of genes from the ergosterol pathway. Expression of several responsive genes, including ERG25, YER067W, and YNL300W, was also monitored by PCR over time following exposure to ketoconazole. The kinetics of transcriptional response support the conditions selected for the microarray experiment. In addition to ergosterol-biosynthetic genes, 36 mitochondrial genes and a number of other genes with roles related to ergosterol function were responsive, as were a number of genes responsive to oxidative stress. Transcriptional changes related to heme biosynthesis were observed in cells treated with chemical agents, suggesting an additional effect of exposure to these compounds. The expression profile in response to a novel imidazole, PNU-144248E, was also determined. The concordance of responsive genes suggests that this compound has the same mode of action as other azoles. Thus, genome-wide transcript profiles can be used to predict the mode of action of a chemical agent as well as to characterize expression changes in response to perturbation of a metabolic pathway.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1996

Transcriptional regulation by ergosterol in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Sterol biosynthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an energy-expensive, aerobic process, requiring heme and molecular oxygen. Heme, also synthesized exclusively during aerobic growth, not only acts as an enzymatic cofactor but also is directly and indirectly responsible for the transcriptional control of several yeast genes. Because of their biosynthetic similarities, we hypothesized that ergosterol, like heme, may have a regulatory function. Sterols are known to play a structural role in membrane integrity, but regulatory roles have not been characterized. To test possible regulatory roles of sterol, the promoter for the ERG3 gene, encoding the sterol C-5 desaturase, was fused to the bacterial lacZ reporter gene. This construct was placed in strains making aberrant sterols, and the effect of altered sterol composition on gene expression was monitored by beta-galactosidase activity. The absence of ergosterol resulted in a 35-fold increase in the expression of ERG3 as measured by beta-galactosidase activity. The level of ERG3 mRNA was increased as much as ninefold in erg mutant strains or wild-type strains inhibited in ergosterol biosynthesis by antifungal agents. The observed regulatory effects of ergosterol on ERG3 are specific for ergosterol, as several ergosterol derivatives failed to elicit the same controlling effect. These results demonstrate for the first time that ergosterol exerts a regulatory effect on gene transcription in S. cerevisiae.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed2005

Effects of culture conditions on ergosterol biosynthesis by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ergosterol is an essential component of yeast cells that maintains the integrity of the membrane. It was investigated as an important factor in the ethanol tolerance of yeast cells. We investigated the effects of brewing conditions on the ergosterol contents of S. cerevisiae K-9, sake yeast, several kinds of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that produce more than 20% ethanol, and X2180-1A, laboratory yeast. K-9 had a higher total ergosterol contents under all the conditions we examined than X2180-1A. Ethanol and hypoxia were found to have negative and synergistic effects on the total ergosterol contents of both strains, and significantly reduced the free ergosterol contents of X2180-1A but only slightly reduced those of K-9. The maintenance of free ergosterol contents under brewing conditions might be an important character of sake yeast strains. DNA microarray analysis also showed higher expression of ergosterol biosynthesis genes in K-9 than in X2180-1A.

Alcoholic Beverages↗
PubMed2006

[Determination of ergosterol amount in house dust of different indoor environment in Shanghai City by HPLC].

OBJECTIVE: A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of the amount of ergosterol in house dust, and was examined the feasibility on determination of ergosterol in house dust. According to the established method, different house dusts derived from different functional indoor air was sampled and determined. We expected to regard ergosterol as an indicator of fungal biomass. METHODS: We picked up dust samples from nine typical functional indoor area to represent different room temperature, ventilation, air conditioning, human activities, pet-feeding, et al, during Dec 2004 to Jan 2005. The house dust was sampled with a dust collector, and filtrated with a filter. Fine house dusts were extracted by ultrasonic blending, filtration, refluxing, saponification and evaporation. High liquid chromatography was carried out and combined with gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) to analyze the molecular structure. RESULTS: A linearity association was observed in the range of 0.02 to 0.8 g/L ergosterol. The detection concentration was 0.0005 g/L. The intra-and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSD) were in the range of 10.2% - 11.7% and 4.54% - 7.34%, respectively. The absolute recoveries ranged between 77.1% and 80.1%. Survey results showed the amount of ergosterol differed greatly from the different sampling spots. The amount of ergosterol had a positive correlation with room temperature and people denseness, while had a negative correlation with natural ventilation, briefly. The highest amount was 66.08 microg/g (house dust). CONCLUSION: The method is sensitive, accurate and feasible. It can examine different ergosterol content in environmental matrix. Followed by GC-MS, the reliability of the results can be further checked. The sampling data show there are different degrees of fungal contamination in typical indoor air of Shanghai City.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1968

The mechanism of the elaboration of ring B in ergosterol biosynthesis.

Methods for the preparation of [3alpha-(3)H]ergosta-7,22-dien-3beta-ol (5,6-dihydro-ergosterol), [5,6-(3)H(2)]ergosta-7,22-dien-3beta-ol and [3alpha-(3)H]ergosta-7,22-diene-3beta,5alpha-diol are described. It is shown that 5,6-dihydro[3alpha-(3)H]ergosterol on incubation under aerobic conditions with whole cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae LK(2)G(12) is efficiently converted into ergosterol. Studies carried out with dihydro[5alpha,6alpha-(3)H(2)]-ergosterol demonstrate that the introduction of the 5,6-double bond in ergosterol biosynthesis is attended by an overall cis-elimination of two hydrogen atoms. To differentiate between a hydroxylation-dehydration mechanism and a dehydrogenation mechanism, the metabolism of [3alpha-(3)H]ergosta-7,22-diene-3beta,5alpha-diol was studied. It was shown that this diol is converted into ergosterol only under aerobic conditions. It is therefore suggested that the introduction of the 5,6-double bond of ergosterol does not occur through a hydroxylation-dehydration mechanism.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1995

Minimizing Ergosterol Loss during Preanalytical Handling and Shipping of Samples of Plant Litter.

Common preliminary treatments of samples of decaying material can involve changes in water content (e.g., via storage in relatively dry air or rinsing) that could conceivably result in loss or gain of fungal membranes and, consequently, ergosterol. A related problem is that collecting of ergosterol content data from widely distributed locales by shipment of samples ideally requires an inexpensive, safe alternative to submerging the samples in methanol for prevention of ergosterol loss. Experimental testing showed that fungal occupants of decaying salt marsh grass leaves did not exhibit loss or gain of ergosterol during air drying (to a water potential of <-8 MPa) or rewetting (to -0.8 MPa). Wet leaves of one grass species (Juncus roemerianus, black needlerush) could be fixed and dried for shipment by microwaving, or by fully drying after alcoholic or pentane fixation, without ergosterol loss, but those of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) lost about 40% of their ergosterol content by all three of these drying methods. Ergosterol content of wet leaves of cordgrass could be maintained by alcoholic fixation and subsequent drying down to a thin film of alcohol.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1988

Determination of ergosterol as a measure of fungal growth using Si 60 HPLC.

In order to determine to fungal growth of Fusarium graminearum 480, a method was developed for the extraction and estimation of ergosterol, a sterol specific for fungi. This method includes the direct saponification of bound ergosterol to fungal mycelia followed by n-hexane extraction and quantification using. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-detection. This procedure proved to be superior compared with other methods, since the yield of ergosterol yields was higher (up to 40%). n-Hexane extracts contained minor impurities which interfered with the UV-detection and the retention time of the compound was halved using Si 60 HPLC. The protein and ergosterol contents in F. graminearum cultures increased proportionally over a 3-week incubation period. The fungal formation of the mycotoxin zearalenone started at a level of 50 mg/kg ergosterol and increased rapidly in the stationary phase of growth, which was characterized by decreasing rates of ergosterol formation.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗