| claviceps purpurea: molecular aspects of a unique pathogenic lifestyle. | summary claviceps purpurea is a ubiquitous pathogen of cereals and grasses, causing ergot disease, which results in substitution of grains by sclerotia. these overwintering structures contain ergot-alkaloids, which can cause severe intoxication in mammals. c. purpurea is an interesting model system for the study of host-pathogen interaction. it displays strict organ specificity, attacking exclusively young grass ovaries. it is optimally adapted to this special niche of infection, probably by mim ... | 2004 | 20565614 |
| the major cu,zn sod of the phytopathogen claviceps purpurea is not essential for pathogenicity. | summary superoxide dismutase (sod) activities of the biotrophic pathogen claviceps purpurea, which causes the ergot disease on a wide range of host grasses, were examined in axenic and pathogenic cultures. almost all sod activity in axenic culture originated from a single cu,zn sod; a substantial part of this activity could be separated from lyophilized intact mycelia by gentle washing, indicating that this protein is at least partially secreted. the corresponding gene (cpsod1) was cloned and ch ... | 2002 | 20569304 |
| alkaloid cluster gene ccsa of the ergot fungus claviceps purpurea encodes chanoclavine i synthase, a flavin adenine dinucleotide-containing oxidoreductase mediating the transformation of n-methyl-dimethylallyltryptophan to chanoclavine i. | ergot alkaloids are indole-derived secondary metabolites synthesized by the phytopathogenic ascomycete claviceps purpurea. in wild-type strains, they are exclusively produced in the sclerotium, a hibernation structure; for biotechnological applications, submerse production strains have been generated by mutagenesis. it was shown previously that the enzymes specific for alkaloid biosynthesis are encoded by a gene cluster of 68.5 kb. this ergot alkaloid cluster consists of 14 genes coregulated and ... | 2010 | 20118373 |
| an old yellow enzyme gene controls the branch point between aspergillus fumigatus and claviceps purpurea ergot alkaloid pathways. | ergot fungi in the genus claviceps and several related fungal groups in the family clavicipitaceae produce toxic ergot alkaloids. these fungi produce a variety of ergot alkaloids, including clavines as well as lysergic acid derivatives. ergot alkaloids are also produced by the distantly related, opportunistic human pathogen aspergillus fumigatus. however, this fungus produces festuclavine and fumigaclavines a, b, and c, which collectively differ from clavines of clavicipitaceous fungi in saturat ... | 2010 | 20435769 |
| the history of ergot of rye (claviceps purpurea) iii: 1940-80. | the period 1940-80 in the history of ergot was dominated by two investigators, arthur stoll and albert hofmann. there was great excitement when their group isolated from ergot preparations the powerful psychotropic agent lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd). it was thought that this substance would help to find the cause of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, but it would prove to be a great disappointment and hofmann would say later, in private, that he regretted having spent so much time ... | 2010 | 20503690 |
| the histidine kinase cphk2 has impact on spore germination, oxidative stress and fungicide resistance, and virulence of the ergot fungus claviceps purpurea. | summary histidine kinases are important mediators for adaptation of bacteria and plants to environmental signals. genome analyses of filamentous fungi have revealed the presence of a high number of potential hybrid histidine kinase (hk)-encoding genes; the role of most of these potential sensors is so far unclear, though some members of the class iii histidine kinases were shown to be involved in osmostress responses. here we present a functional analysis of cphk2, a histidine kinase-encoding ge ... | 2007 | 20507528 |
| the history of ergot of rye (claviceps purpurea) ii: 1900-1940. | ergot, in 1900, was a 'chemical mess'. henry wellcome, the pharmaceutical manufacturer, invited henry hallett dale, a physiologist, to join his research department and solve this problem. dale, in turn, recruited an outstanding group of scientists, including george barger, arthur ewins and harold dudley, who would make distinguished contributions not only to the chemistry of ergot but also to the identification of acetylcholine, histamine and tyramine and to studies on their physiological effect ... | 2009 | 20509463 |
| [isolation, identification and insecticidal activity of endophyte from achnatherum inebrians]. | to study endophyte species of achnatherum inebrians and to screen strains with insecticidal activity against cotton insect. | 2010 | 20560358 |
| transgene x environment interactions in genetically modified wheat. | the introduction of transgenes into plants may cause unintended phenotypic effects which could have an impact on the plant itself and the environment. little is published in the scientific literature about the interrelation of environmental factors and possible unintended effects in genetically modified (gm) plants. | 2010 | 20635001 |
| [antony's fire (gangrenous ergotism) and medieval iconography]. | ergotism was known as holy fire or st antony's fire in the middle ages, because of the burning sensations and limb gangrene it entailed. it was a frequent disorder, caused by eating rye flour contaminated by the fungus claviceps purpurea. the hospitable order of st antony was founded near vienne in france, and counted 400 establishments in europe by 1777. ergotism is the subject of an abundant iconography, including statues and paintings. woodcuts show the temptations of st antony, with strange ... | 2009 | 20669555 |
| claviceps nigricans and claviceps grohii: their alkaloids and phylogenetic placement. | claviceps purpurea, c. grohii, c. zizaniae, c. cyperi, and c. nigricans are closely related ergot fungi and form a monophyletic clade inside the genus claviceps. analysis of alkaloid content in c. nigricans sclerotia using uplc detected ergocristine (1), ergosine (2), alpha-ergocryptine (3), and ergocristam (4). alkaloids 1, 3, and 4 were found in the sclerotia of c. grohii. the content of 4 in the mixture of alkaloids from c. nigricans and c. grohii (over 8% and over 20%, respectively) was unus ... | 2008 | 18461998 |
| an oleate hydroxylase from the fungus claviceps purpurea: cloning, functional analysis, and expression in arabidopsis. | claviceps purpurea, a fungal pathogen responsible for ergot diseases in many agriculturally important cereal crops, produces high levels of ricinoleic acid (12-hydroxyoctadec-cis-9-enoic acid) in its sclerotia. it has been believed for many years that the biosynthesis of this fatty acid in c. purpurea involves a hydration process with linoleic acid as the substrate. using degenerate polymerase chain reaction, we cloned a gene from the sclerotia encoding an enzyme (cpfah) that has high sequence s ... | 2008 | 18467452 |
| cellular volume determination of fungus claviceps purpurea sclerotic cells. | | 1986 | 18555306 |
| mathematical modeling of growth and alkaloid production in claviceps purpurea batch fermentation. | an new systematic approach for describing claviceps purpurea growth and ergot alkaloid production during batch fermentation is presented. the model is based on microbial life, as the main characteristic for microbial development during fermentation process. the aging process of the microorganism is represented by life function, defined in microbial life space. the life space is defined as a measure in which the observer follows the development of a biosystem through physiological and morphologic ... | 1993 | 18609581 |
| molecular analysis of ∆6 desaturase and ∆6 elongase from conidiobolus obscurus in the biosynthesis of eicosatetraenoic acid, a ω3 fatty acid with nutraceutical potentials. | conidiobolus obscurus, an entomopathogenic fungus able to infect aphids, was previously reported to produce substantial amounts of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (vlcpufas) that may mediate the insect infection. however, the genes involved in the biosynthesis of these vlcpufas from the order entomophthorales have yet to be identified. using degenerate reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of the cdna end methods, we cloned a ∆6 desaturase cdna (cod6 ... | 2011 | 21210105 |
| the nadph oxidase cpnox1 is required for full pathogenicity of the ergot fungus claviceps purpurea. | the role of reactive oxygen species (ros) in interactions between phytopathogenic fungi and their hosts is well established. an oxidative burst mainly caused by superoxide formation by membrane-associated nadph oxidases is an essential element of plant defence reactions. apart from primary effects, ros play a major role as a second messenger in host response. recently, nadph oxidase (nox)-encoding genes have been identified in filamentous fungi. functional analyses have shown that these fungal e ... | 2008 | 18705873 |
| genetic variation for resistance to ergot (claviceps purpurea [fr.] tul.) among full-sib families of five populations of winter rye (secale cereale l.). | ergot (claviceps purpurea [fr.] tul.) is a serious disease of rye (secale cereale l.) and it adversely affects the quality of grain. the present investigation was undertaken to study genotypic variability among full-sib families (fsf) of five open-pollinated (op) winter rye populations of highly diverse origin, namely dankovskie selekcyine (poland), charkovskaja (ukraine), nem4 (russia), halo and carokurz, both from germany. about 50 fsf were developed at random in each population, and the fsf o ... | 2008 | 18797841 |
| the xylanolytic system of claviceps purpurea: cytological evidence for secretion of xylanases in infected rye tissue and molecular characterization of two xylanase genes. | abstract claviceps purpurea is a common phytopathogenic fungus that colonizes ovarian tissue of grasses. a concerted approach involving cytological and molecular techniques was initiated to investigate the role of the fungus' xylanolytic system in the interaction. using enzyme-gold and immuno-gold electron-microscopic techniques, the presence of arabinoxylans in cell walls of rye ovarian tissues (i.e., along the usual path of infection of c. purpurea) was confirmed; tissue-print and immunostaini ... | 1998 | 18944813 |
| secretion of a fungal extracellular catalase by claviceps purpurea during infection of rye: putative role in pathogenicity and suppression of host defense. | abstract hydrogen peroxide of the host origin accumulates in plant apoplasts in response to pathogen attack and probably functions directly in defense reactions or in signaling, according to a previous study. since claviceps purpurea produces compatible interactions with hundreds of host species, we hypothesized that the fungus might interfere with h(2)o(2)-mediated defense by means of secreted catalases. in axenic culture of c. purpurea, catalase activity accumulated in the medium and was inhib ... | 1998 | 18944879 |
| combinatorial assembly of simple and complex d-lysergic acid alkaloid peptide classes in the ergot fungus claviceps purpurea. | the ergot fungus claviceps purpurea produces both ergopeptines and simple d-lysergic acid alkylamides. in the ergopeptines, such as ergotamine, d-lysergic acid is linked to a bicyclic tripeptide in amide-like fashion, whereas in the d-lysergylalkanolamides it is linked to an amino alcohol derived from alanine. we show here that these compound classes are synthesized by a set of three non-ribosomal lysergyl peptide synthetases (lpss), which interact in a combinatorial fashion for synthesis of the ... | 2009 | 19139103 |
| ergot cluster-encoded catalase is required for synthesis of chanoclavine-i in aspergillus fumigatus. | genes required for ergot alkaloid biosynthesis are clustered in the genomes of several fungi. several conserved ergot cluster genes have been hypothesized, and in some cases demonstrated, to encode early steps of the pathway shared among fungi that ultimately make different ergot alkaloid end products. the deduced amino acid sequence of one of these conserved genes (easc) indicates a catalase as the product, but a role for a catalase in the ergot alkaloid pathway has not been established. we dis ... | 2011 | 21409592 |
| the ergot alkaloid gene cluster: functional analyses and evolutionary aspects. | ergot alkaloids and their derivatives have been traditionally used as therapeutic agents in migraine, blood pressure regulation and help in childbirth and abortion. their production in submerse culture is a long established biotechnological process. ergot alkaloids are produced mainly by members of the genus claviceps, with claviceps purpurea as best investigated species concerning the biochemistry of ergot alkaloid synthesis (eas). genes encoding enzymes involved in eas have been shown to be cl ... | 2009 | 19695648 |
| deletion of mid1, a putative stretch-activated calcium channel in claviceps purpurea, affects vegetative growth, cell wall synthesis and virulence. | the putative claviceps purpurea homologue of the saccharomyces cerevisiae stretch-activated calcium ion channel mid1 was investigated for its role in vegetative growth, differentiation and pathogenicity on rye (secale cereale). gene replacement mutants of cl. purpurea mid1 were not affected in polar growth and branching in axenic culture but showed a significantly reduced growth rate. the growth defect could not be complemented by ca(2+) supplementation, in contrast to mid1 mutants in yeast, but ... | 2009 | 19762439 |
| the history of ergot of rye (claviceps purpurea) i: from antiquity to 1900. | this article outlines the history of ergot of rye up to 1900. ergot is a fungal disease that affects many grasses but is particularly damaging to rye. it occurs as the result of an infection by the parasitic organism claviceps purpurea, which produces characteristic black spurs on the grass. when incorporated into grain, the ergot fungus can cause severe outbreaks of poisoning in humans called ergotism. there are two main clinical forms of toxicity, gangrenous and convulsive, where coma and deat ... | 2009 | 19847980 |
| [in process citation]. | the frequent epidemics of ergotism were called holy fire or st-antony's fire in the middle ages, because of the burning sensations resulting in gangrene of limbs. it was caused by eating rye bread contaminated with the fungus claviceps purpurea. the hospitable order of st-antony was founded near vienne in france with 300 establishements in europe until 1777. in coptic and byzantine art st-antony is the father of the monks, whereas in occident he is the the master of fire, thaumaturgic, resulting ... | 2010 | 21598563 |
| investigation of the metabolism of ergot alkaloids in cell culture by fourier transformation mass spectrometry. | ergot alkaloids are known toxic secondary metabolites of the fungus claviceps purpurea occurring in various grains, especially rye products. the liver is responsible for converting the ergot alkaloids into metabolites; however, the toxic impact of these end products of metabolism is still unknown. the aim of this study was to analyze the metabolism of ergot alkaloids in colon and liver cell lines (ht-29, hepg2), as well as in human primary renal cells (rptec). it was shown that cells in vitro ar ... | 2011 | 21650459 |
| online detection and quantification of ergot bodies in cereals using near infrared hyperspectral imaging. | the occurrence of ergot bodies (sclerotia of claviceps purpurea) in cereals presents a high toxicity risk for animals and humans due to the alkaloid content. to reduce this risk, the european commission fixed an ergot concentration limit of 0.1% in all feedstuffs containing unground cereals, and a limit of 0.05% in 'intervention' cereals destined for humans. this study sought to develop a procedure based on near infrared hyperspectral imaging and multivariate image analysis to detect and quantif ... | 2011 | 22059559 |
| lumi-ergometrine--structural identification and occurrence in sclerotia. | the fungus claviceps purpurea grows on grasses and cereal grains and produces six predominant ergot alkaloids. these toxic substances undergo different transformation reactions during storage and cereal processing. one of these reactions is the addition of water to a double bond in the ergoline skeleton. since light is required for this process, the substances formed were named lumi-ergot alkaloids. from these, a new asymmetric carbon and consequently two epimers with different polarities are fo ... | 2011 | 23605983 |
| new insights into ergot alkaloid biosynthesis in claviceps purpurea: an agroclavine synthase easg catalyses, via a non-enzymatic adduct with reduced glutathione, the conversion of chanoclavine-i aldehyde to agroclavine. | ergot alkaloids are indole derivatives with diverse structures and biological activities. they are produced by a wide range of fungi with claviceps purpurea as the most important producer for medical use. chanoclavine-i aldehyde is proposed as a branch point via festuclavine or pyroclavine to clavine-type alkaloids in trichocomaceae and via agroclavine to ergoamides and ergopeptines in clavicipitaceae. here we report the conversion of chanoclavine-i aldehyde to agroclavine by easg from claviceps ... | 2011 | 21494745 |