This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Calera, J A Articles by Leal, F Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Calera, J A Articles by Leal, F

research-article

Variability of Aspergillus nidulans antigens with media and time and temperature of growth.

Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicias, Spain.

ABSTRACT

The influence of culture medium and time and temperature of growth on the appearance of Aspergillus nidulans antigens was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by silver staining or Western blot (immunoblot), of the proteins present in total cellular extracts or culture supernatants. Samples in the exponential, deceleration, and stationary growth phases were selected by biochemical, morphological, and ultrastructural criteria. Protein and antigen patterns (detected with rabbit antibodies) from total extracts were very similar in all cases, and the major differences observed seemed to depend on the age of the cultures. Culture supernatant patterns were highly dependent on the type of medium (complex or defined) and the age of the culture. Temperature did not significantly influence these results. The reproducible reactivity of selected human sera from aspergilloma-affected individuals was strictly associated with the use of defined media, especially Czapek Dox-AOAC, in both total extracts and culture supernatants. Extended growth times were necessary in the case of metabolic antigens (those obtained from culture supernatants). Screening of a battery of 10 selected human serum samples from patients with aspergilloma or invasive aspergillosis demonstrated that two of the antigens (96 to 98 and 45 kDa) from stationary-phase culture supernatants in Czapek Dox-AOAC medium were consistently reactive. When considered together as one unit, both antigens reacted with more than 50% of the sera, and at least one or the other of the antigens reacted with more than 90% of the sera. Less consistent results were obtained for two somatic antigens (from total cell extracts) of 45 to 50 and 20 to 22 kDa.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Vicentefranqueira, R., Moreno, M. A., Leal, F., Calera, J. A. (2005). The zrfA and zrfB Genes of Aspergillus fumigatus Encode the Zinc Transporter Proteins of a Zinc Uptake System Induced in an Acid, Zinc-Depleted Environment. Eukaryot Cell 4: 837-848 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Segurado, M., Lopez-Aragon, R., Calera, J. A., Fernandez-Abalos, J. M., Leal, F. (1999). Zinc-Regulated Biosynthesis of Immunodominant Antigens from Aspergillus spp.. Infect. Immun. 67: 2377-2382 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Banerjee, B., Greenberger, P. A., Fink, J. N., Kurup, V. P. (1998). Immunological Characterization of Asp f 2, a Major Allergen from Aspergillus fumigatus Associated with Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis. Infect. Immun. 66: 5175-5182 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Calera, J., Ovejero, M., Lopez-Medrano, R, Lopez-Aragon, R, Puente, P, Leal, F (1998). The recombinant antigen ASPND1r from Aspergillus nidulans is specifically recognized by sera from patients with aspergilloma. Microbiology 144: 561-567 [Abstract]