The antifungal peptide AnAFP from Aspergillus niger promotes nutrient mobilization through autophagic recycling during asexual development.

ABSTRACT: Antifungal peptides are promising drug candidates to fight fungal infections in the clinics and agriculture. However, recent data suggest that antifungal peptides might also play a role within their own producing organism to survive nutrient limiting conditions. We have therefore studied the function of the antifungal AnAFP in Aspergillus niger in more detail. To achieve this, we established a Tet-on controlled anafp expression system, which allowed us to study a null and an overexpression phenotype in the same isolate. We observed that increased intracellular AnAFP expression reduces growth of A. niger and prematurely activates autophagy. Comparative transcriptome analyses of glucose-starving mycelium demonstrated that increased anafp expression strongly impact

SUBMITTER: Starke S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11802824 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature