Overview of oxidative stress response genes in selected halophilic fungi

Gostinčar, Cene (author), Gunde-Cimerman, Nina (author)

Exposure of microorganisms to stress, including to high concentrations of salt, can lead to increased production of reactive oxygen species in the cell. To limit the resulting damage, cells have evolved a variety of antioxidant defenses. The role of these defenses in halotolerance has been proposed before. Whole genome sequencing for some of the most halotolerant and halophilic fungal species has enabled us to investigate the possible links between oxidative and salt stress tolerance on the genomic level. We identified genes involved in oxidative stress response in the halophilic basidiomycete Wallemia ichthyophaga, and halotolerant ascomycetous black yeasts Hortaea werneckii and Aureobasidium pullulans, and compared them to genes from 16 other fungi, both asco- and basidiomycetes. According to our results, W. ichthyophaga can survive salinities detrimental to most other organisms with only a moderate number of oxidative stress response genes. In other investigated species, however, the maximum tolerated salinity correlated with the number of genes encoding three major enzymes of the cellular oxidative stress response: superoxide dismutases, catalases, and peroxiredoxins. This observation supports the hypothetical link between the antioxidant capacity of cells and their halotolerance.

• Language: English
• Keywords: oxidative stress, reactive oxidative species, halophilic fungi, halotolerant fungi, peroxidase, catalase, Wallemia ichthyophaga, Hortaea werneckii, Aureobasidium pullulans
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2018
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 9, iss. 3, art. 143
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-131860
• UDC: 579
• ISSN on article: 2073-4425
• DOI: 10.3390/genes9030143
• COBISS.SI-ID: 4632911
• Publication date in RUL: 05.10.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Genes
• Shortened title: Genes
• Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
• ISSN: 2073-4425
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523100185

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 06.03.2018