Airborne and waterborne fungal spores were compared with respect to cytoplasmic viscosity and the presence of ergosterol. These parameters differed markedly between the two spore types and correlated with spore survival. This suggests that the mode of spore dispersal has a bearing on cellular composition, which is relevant for the eradication of industrially relevant fungal propagules.

The lantibiotic nisin inhibits growth of vegetative Gram-positive bacteria by binding to lipid II, which disrupts cell wall biosynthesis and facilitates pore formation. Nisin also inhibits the outgrowth of bacterial spores, including spores of Bacillus anthracis, whose structural and biochemical properties are fundamentally different from those of vegetative bacteria. The molecular basis of nis...

BACKGROUND Bacterial spores have been proposed as vehicles to display heterologous proteins for the development of mucosal vaccines, biocatalysts, bioremediation and diagnostic tools. Two approaches have been developed to display proteins on the spore surface: a recombinant approach, based on the construction of gene fusions between DNA molecules coding for a spore surface protein (carrier) and...

Bacterial spores are resistant to a wide range of chemical and physical insults that are normally lethal for the vegetative form of the bacterium. While the integrity of the protein coat of the spore is crucial for spore survival in vitro, far less is known about how the coat provides protection in vivo against predation by ecologically relevant hosts. In particular, assays had characterized th...

Fungal spores are known to trigger allergic respiratory diseases. Very little is known about airborne fungal spore presence in Trieste. This paper reports the seasonal (June-October) Alternaria (1993-2004) and Epicoccum (1994-2004) spore concentrations during these years, using a Hirst sampler. Daily spore counts fluctuate considerably from one day to the next. Airborne spores of Alternaria and...

Berberine, an alkaloid originally extracted from the plant Coptis chinensis and other herb plants, has been used as a pharmacological substance for many years. The therapeutic effect of berberine has been attributed to its interaction with nucleic acids and blocking cell division. However, levels of berberine entering individual microbial cells minimal for growth inhibition and its effects on b...

Spores are an essential cell type required for long-term survival across diverse organisms in the tree of life and are a hallmark of fungal reproduction, persistence, and dispersal. Among human fungal pathogens, spores are presumed infectious particles, but relatively little is known about this robust cell type. Here we used the meningitis-causing fungus Cryptococcus neoformans to determine the...