Ethanol physiology in the warehouse-staining fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis

The fungus Baudoinia compniacensis colonizes the exterior surfaces of a range of materials, such as buildings, outdoor furnishings, fences, signs, and vegetation, in regions subject to periodic exposure to low levels of ethanol vapour, such as those in the vicinity of distillery aging warehouses and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mycological research 2008-11, Vol.112 (11), p.1373-1380
Main Authors: Ewaze, Juliet O., Summerbell, Richard C., Scott, James A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
Alcohol dehydrogenase
Alcohol Dehydrogenase - metabolism
Aldehyde Oxidoreductases - metabolism
Ascomycota - enzymology
Ascomycota - growth & development
Ascomycota - metabolism
Baudouinia
Baudouinia compniacensis
Biodeterioration
Capnodiales
Environmental Microbiology
enzyme activity
ethanol
Ethanol - metabolism
fungal proteins
Fungal Proteins - metabolism
Glyoxylate cycle
isocitrate dehydrogenase
Isocitrate Dehydrogenase - metabolism
isocitrate lyase
malate synthase
Mycelium - growth & development
Mycelium - metabolism
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Torula compniacensis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The fungus Baudoinia compniacensis colonizes the exterior surfaces of a range of materials, such as buildings, outdoor furnishings, fences, signs, and vegetation, in regions subject to periodic exposure to low levels of ethanol vapour, such as those in the vicinity of distillery aging warehouses and commercial bakeries. Here we investigated the basis of ethanol metabolism in Baudoinia and investigate the role of ethanol in cell germination and growth. Germination of mycelia of Baudoinia was enhanced by up to roughly 1 d exposure to low ethanol concentrations, optimally 10 ppm when delivered in vapour form and 5 m m in liquid form. However, growth was strongly inhibited following exposure to higher ethanol concentrations for shorter durations (e.g., 1.7 m for 6 h). We found that ethanol was catabolized into central metabolism via alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ACDH). Isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDHs) were active in cells grown on glucose, but these enzymes were not expressed when ethanol was provided as a sole or companion carbon source. The glyoxylate cycle enzymes isocitrate lyase (ICL) and malate synthase (MS) activities observed in cells grown on acetate were comparable to those reported for other microorganisms. By replenishing tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates, it is likely that the functionality of the glyoxylate cycle is important in the establishment of luxuriant growth of Baudoinia compniacensis on ethanol-exposed, nutrient-deprived, exposed surfaces. In other fungi, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ADH II catalyses the conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde, which then can be metabolized via the TCA cycle. ADH II is known to be strongly repressed in the presence of glucose.
ISSN:0953-7562
1469-8102
DOI:10.1016/j.mycres.2008.05.003