57 Results Found

The killer systems of S. cerevisiae are defined by the co-infection of two viral agents, an M virus and a helper virus. Each killer toxin is determined by the type of M virus (ScV-M1, ScV-M2, ScV-M28, and ScV-Mlus), which encodes a specific toxin (K1...

The initial discovery of killer toxin-secreting brewery strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) in the mid-sixties of the last century marked the beginning of intensive research in the yeast virology field. So far, four different S. cerev...

The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus has several applications in the food industry due to its antimicrobial potential and wide range of biotechnological properties. In particular, a specific strain of Wickerhamomyces anomalus isolated from the malaria...

The isolation and characterization from the sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus of a Wickerhamomyces anomalus yeast strain (Wa1F1) displaying the killer phenotype was recently reported. In the present work, the killer toxin (KT) produced by Wa1F1 was pu...

The killer phenomenon is defined as the ability of some yeast to secrete toxins that are lethal to other sensitive yeasts and filamentous fungi. Since the discovery of strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae capable of secreting killer toxins, much infor...

Mycoviruses infect a large number of diverse fungal species, but considering their prevalence, relatively few high-quality genome sequences have been determined. Many mycoviruses have linear double-stranded RNA genomes, which makes it technically cha...

Possible implications and applications of the yeast killer phenomenon in the fight against infectious diseases are reviewed, with particular reference to some wide-spectrum killer toxins (KTs) produced by Wickerhamomyces anomalus and other related sp...

The killer strains of Debaryomyces hansenii and Wickerhamomyces anomalus species secrete antimicrobial proteins called killer toxins which are active against selected fungal phytopathogens. In our research, we attempted to investigate the role of pla...

Yeasts within the Saccharomyces sensu stricto cluster can produce different killer toxins. Each toxin is encoded by a medium size (1.5–2.4 Kb) M dsRNA virus, maintained by a larger helper virus generally called L-A (4.6 Kb). Different types of L-A ar...

The soil yeast Tetrapisispora phaffii secretes a killer toxin, named Kpkt, that shows β-glucanase activity and is lethal to wine spoilage yeasts belonging to Kloeckera/Hanseniaspora, Saccharomycodes and Zygosaccharomyces. When expressed in Komagatael...

Wickerhamomyces anomalus strain WaF17.12 is a yeast with an antiplasmodial property based on the production of a killer toxin. For its symbiotic association with Anopheles mosquitoes, it has been proposed for the control of malaria. In an applied vie...

The spoilage of wine caused by Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Hanseniaspora uvarum poses a significant challenge for winemakers, necessitating the development of effective and reliable strategies to control the growth of these yeasts, such as grape m...

Yeasts can have additional genetic information in the form of cytoplasmic linear dsDNA molecules called virus-like elements (VLEs). Some of them encode killer toxins. The aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence of such elements in D. hanse...

KP4 killer toxins are secreted proteins that inhibit cell growth and induce cell death in target organisms. In Fusarium graminearum, KP4-like (KP4L) proteins contribute to fungal virulence in wheat seedling rot and are expressed during Fusarium head...

M. bicuspidata var. bicuspidata is a pathogenic yeast which can affect aquacultured and marine-cultured animals such as brine shrimp, ridgetail white prawn, chinook salmon, giant freshwater prawn, the Chinese mitten crab, marine crab, the mud crab, t...

Wickerhamomyces anomalus strain 18, isolated from a natural underground cheese ripening pit, secretes a mycocin named WA18 that inhibits wine spoilage yeasts belonging to Brettanomyces bruxellensis species, with a broad-spectrum of activity. WA18 was...

The yeasts constitute a large group of microorganisms characterized by the ability to grow and survive in different and stressful conditions and then to colonize a wide range of environmental and human ecosystems. The competitive traits against other...

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) have been widely used to treat a variety of clinical ailments associated with pain. The inhibitory action of BoNTs on synaptic vesicle fusion blocks the releases of various pain-modulating neurotransmitters, including gl...

Three killer toxins that were previously investigated, one excreted by Kluyveromyces wickerhamii and two by different strains of Wickerhamomyces anomalus, were produced at the pilot scale, lyophilized and characterized, and the formulates were assess...

(1) Background: Wine yeast research offers the possibility of isolating new strains with distinct metabolic properties due to the geographical location of the vineyard and the processes used in winemaking. Our study deals with the isolation and ident...

In the context of the growing concern regarding the appearance and spread of emerging pathogens with high resistance to chemically synthetized biocides, the development of new agents for crops and human protection has become an emergency. In this con...

The idea that bacterial toxins are not only killers but also execute more sophisticated roles during bacteria–host interactions by acting as negotiators has been highlighted in the past decades. Depending on the toxin, its cellular target and mode of...

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells are killed by zymocin, a tRNase ribotoxin complex from Kluyveromyces lactis, which cleaves anticodons and inhibits protein synthesis. Zymocin’s action requires specific chemical modification of uridine bases in the anti...

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Today, the production and use of various samples of recombinant protein/polypeptide toxins is known and is actively developing. This review presents state-of-the-art in research and development of such toxins and their mechanisms of action and useful...

Although Yarrowia lipolytica is a model yeast for the study of lipid metabolism, its diversity is poorly known, as studies generally consider only a few standard laboratory strains. To extend our knowledge of this biotechnological workhorse, we inves...

Cancer immunobiology is one of the hot topics of discussion amongst researchers today, and immunotherapeutic modalities are among the selected few emerging approaches to cancer treatment that have exhibited a promising outlook. However, immunotherapy...

Yeasts are the most used microorganisms for biotechnological purposes. Although they have been mainly recognized for their application in the beverage and bioethanol industries, these microorganisms can be efficiently employed in pharmaceutical and f...

Killer toxin K1 is a heterodimeric protein toxin secreted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains infected with the M1 double-stranded RNA ‘killer’ virus. After binding to a primary receptor at the level of the cell wall, K1 interacts with its secondary...

Yeasts produce numerous antimicrobial agents such as killer toxins, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other secondary metabolites, establishing themselves in developing natural and sustainable biocontrol strategies for agriculture and food prese...

Viral M-dsRNAs encoding yeast killer toxins share similar genomic organization, but no overall sequence identity. The dsRNA full-length sequences of several known M-viruses either have yet to be completed, or they were shorter than estimated by agaro...

Polyphenols, widely found in edible plants, influence the immune system. Nevertheless, the immunomodulatory properties of hesperidin, the predominant flavanone in oranges, have not been deeply studied. To establish the effect of hesperidin on in vivo...

The Saccharomycetaceae yeast family recently became recognized for expanding of the repertoire of different dsRNA-based viruses, highlighting the need for understanding of their cross-dependence. We isolated the Saccharomyces paradoxus AML-15-66 kill...

It was recently discovered that Ssm Spooky Toxin (SsTx) with 53 residues serves as a key killer factor in red-headed centipede’s venom arsenal, due to its potent blockage of the widely expressed KCNQ channels to simultaneously and efficiently d...

Phobalysin P (PhlyP, for photobacterial lysin encoded on a plasmid) is a recently described small β-pore forming toxin of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae (Pdd). This organism, belonging to the family of Vibrionaceae, is an emerging patho...

The ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 regulate immune responses by balancing extracellular ATP and adenosine in inflammation and are likely to be involved in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Here, we analyzed CD39 and CD73 on different lymphocyte popul...

Venom expressed by the nearly 50,000 species of spiders on Earth largely remains an untapped reservoir of a diverse array of biomolecules with potential for pharmacological and agricultural applications. A large fraction of the noxious components of...

The previously described decapeptide AKVTMTCSAS (killer peptide, KP), derived from the variable region of a recombinant yeast killer toxin-like anti-idiotypic antibody, proved to exert a variety of antimicrobial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activ...

The control of spoilage yeasts in wines is crucial to avoid organoleptic deviations in wine production. Traditionally, sulfur dioxide (SO2) was used to control them; nevertheless, SO2 influence on human health and its use is criticized. Biocontrol em...

Staphylococcus aureus, a major cause of bovine mastitis, produces a wide range of immune-evasion molecules. The bi-component leukocidin LukMF’ is a potent killer of bovine neutrophils in vitro. Since the role of LukMF’ in development of bovine mastit...

Novel wine yeast strains have the potential to satisfy customer demand for new sensorial experiences and to ensure that wine producers have strains that can produce wine as efficiently as possible. In this respect, hybrid yeast strains have recently...

In recent decades, therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has remained relatively unchanged, with chemotherapy regimens primarily consisting of an induction regimen based on a daunorubicin and cytarabine backbone, followed by consolidation chemothe...

Cancer immunotherapy aims to selectively target and kill tumor cells whilst limiting the damage to healthy tissues. Controlled delivery of plant, bacterial and human toxins or enzymes has been shown to promote the induction of apoptosis in cancerous...

Assassin bugs are venomous insects that prey on other arthropods. Their venom has lethal, paralytic, and liquifying effects when injected into prey, but the toxins responsible for these effects are unknown. To identify bioactive assassin bug toxins,...

The objective of this study was to improve the quality attributes of red wines by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (BCRC 21685) mutant CM8 with overexpression of high-mannose mannoproteins, with respective to phenolic compositions, colorimetric parameters, a...

The role of biocontrol products is expected to increase worldwide consumer demand and facilitate the implementation of sustainable agricultural policies. New biocontrol agents must allow for an effective crop-protection strategy in sustainable agricu...

Sauerkraut is the most important fermented vegetable obtained in Europe. It is produced traditionally by spontaneous fermentation of cabbage. The aim of this study was to determine biodiversity of yeasts present during fermentation of eight varieties...

Insect symbionts and their metabolites are complex and diverse and are gradually becoming an important source of new medical materials. Some culturable symbionts from insects produce a variety of active compounds with medical potential. Among them, f...

Aspergillus flavus has been found to be an effective entomopathogenic fungus for various arthropods, including ticks. In particular, natural fungal infections in cattle ticks show promise for biocontrol of the Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus tick...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by lipid accumulation within the liver affecting 1 in 4 people worldwide. As the new silent killer of the twenty-first century, NAFLD impacts on both the request and the availability of new l...