- Yesupatham Sathishkumar1,
- Natarajan Velmurugan2,
- Hyun Mi Lee3,
- Kalyanaraman Rajagopal1,4,
- Chan Ki Im1 &
- …
- Yang Soo Lee1
962Accesses
16Citations
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Abstract
Phenotypic and genotypic changes inAspergillus niger andPenicillium chrysogenum, spore forming filamentous fungi, with respect to central chitin metabolism were studied under low shear modeled microgravity, normal gravity and static conditions. Low shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) response showed a similar spore germination rate with normal gravity and static conditions. Interestingly, high ratio of multiple germ tube formation ofA. niger in LSMMG condition was observed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of calcofluor flurophore stainedA. niger andP. chrysogenum showed no significant variations between different conditions tested. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed number of mitochondria increased inP. chrysogenum in low shear modeled microgravity condition but no stress related-woronin bodies in fungal hyphae were observed. To gain additional insight into the cell wall integrity under different conditions, transcription level of a key gene involved in cell wall integritygfaA, encoding the glutamine: fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase enzyme, was evaluated using qRT-PCR. The transcription level showed no variation among different conditions. Overall, the results collectively indicate that the LSMMG has shown no significant stress on spore germination, mycelial growth, cell wall integrity of potentially pathogenic fungi,A. niger andP. chrysogenum.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant No. 1201002467 funded by the Korean Government. K. Rajagopal was supported by the Brain Pool Program funded by the Korean Federation of Science Technology Societies Grant by Korea Government (MEST, Basic Research Promotion Fund). Assistance by Ms. Eun-Jin Choi, Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Center for University Wide Research Facilities, Chonbuk National University for transmission electron microscopy is gratefully acknowledged.
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Department of Forest Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 561-756, Republic of Korea
Yesupatham Sathishkumar, Kalyanaraman Rajagopal, Chan Ki Im & Yang Soo Lee
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea
Natarajan Velmurugan
Department of Forest Resources Utilization, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul, 130-712, Republic of Korea
Hyun Mi Lee
Department of Biotechnology, Vels University, Chennai, 600 117, India
Kalyanaraman Rajagopal
- Yesupatham Sathishkumar
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- Natarajan Velmurugan
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- Hyun Mi Lee
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Correspondence toYang Soo Lee.
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Sathishkumar, Y., Velmurugan, N., Lee, H.M.et al. Effect of low shear modeled microgravity on phenotypic and central chitin metabolism in the filamentous fungiAspergillus niger andPenicillium chrysogenum .Antonie van Leeuwenhoek106, 197–209 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-014-0181-9
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