Novel Antifungal Activity of Q-Griffithsin, a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Lectin.

ABSTRACT: There is a rising global incidence of Candida strains with high levels of resistance to fluconazole and other antifungal drugs, hence the need for novel antifungal treatment strategies. Here, we describe the first evidence of antifungal activity of Q-Griffithsin (Q-GRFT), a recombinant oxidation-resistant variant of Griffithsin, a marine red algal lectin with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. We demonstrated that Q-GRFT binds to α-mannan in the Candida albicans cell wall. We also observed that Q-GRFT binding disrupted cell wall integrity and induced reactive oxidative species (ROS) formation, resulting in cell death. Furthermore, we showed that Q-GRFT inhibited the growth of other Candida species C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei and had modest activity against som

SUBMITTER: Nabeta HW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8557872 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature