Solution Structure of a Novel Anti-fungal Defensin, MtDEF4, from Medicago truncatula (barrel clover)
EMSL Project ID
47398
Abstract
The short-term goal of this proposal is to understand the modes of action of naturally occurring, potent, anti-fungal proteins called defensins. The long-term goal is to leverage these findings to control fungal infections in humans and plants. In humans, fungal infections are difficult to control and antifungal drugs often have serious side effects. Such infections are particularly lethal to immunocompromised patients. For example, Pneumocystis jiroveci (Pneumocystis carinii) pneumonia is the most common opportunistic infection among HIV patients. In food, numerous contaminating fungi produce some of the most cancerogenic compounds known to man. For example, the potent human hepatocarcinogen, aflatoxin, is produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. These molds occur in warm climates and produce aflatoxin in drought-stressed maize and groundnuts in the field. They also affect crops that are stored under improper conditions of temperature and humidity. In other words, impoverished communities with inadequate food supplies, infrastructure, and resources are most at risk for exposure to extremely high levels of these toxic agents. To understand the molecular details on how these anti-fungal proteins work so that we can improve their activity and specificity we request instrument time to determine the structure of the novel, 47-residue plant defensin MtDEF4.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2012-03-13
End Date
2012-05-13
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Sagaram US, K El-Mounadi, GW Buchko, HR Berg, J Kaur, R Pandurangi, TJ Smith, and D Shah. 2013. "Structural and functional studies of a phosphatidic acid-binding antifungal plant defensin MtDef4: Identification of an RGFRRR motif governing fungal cell entry." PLoS One 8(12):e82485. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082485