Molecular and biochemical characterization of a mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide carrier of Aspergillus fumigatus

Author(s)

Laís de Lourdes de Lima Balico

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2014-11-03

Examining board members

Sergio Akira Uyemura; Marcia Eliana da Silva Ferreira; Nilce Maria Martinez Rossi

• Advisor: Sergio Akira Uyemura

Abstract

The A. fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus and is a major opportunistic pathogen in immunosuppressed patients. Previous studies in our lab has showed that mitochondrias of the P. brasiliensis and A. fumigatus, NAD+ is able to induce the formation of mitochondrial membrane potential, which could be dissipated by FCCP, suggesting the presence of a NAD+/NADH carrier as described in S. cerevisiae. Using bioinformatics tools, it was identified in Aspergillus Gene database a sequence containing 32% of identity with the gene ndt1p of S. cerevisiae. A fragment of cDNA was obtained from the ndt1p mRNA sequence, containing 1194 bp by using PCR-overlaping and cloned in pGEM®-T Easy vector. Then, the sequence was subcloned in pET28-a(+) vector and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant protein was purified from inclusion bodies and the identity confirmed by mass spectrometry and by Western Blotting using anti-His-tag antibody. The recombinant protein was used to produce polyclonal antibody anti-Ndt1 in rabbit. For expression in yeast, the ndt1 cDNA of A. fumigatus was subcloned into pYES2 vector and the yeast S. cerevisiae ?ndt1?ndt2 were transformed. Growth curve and induction of the recombinant protein expression Ndt1 was performed and the protein was detected using a polyclonal anti-Ndt1 antibody after 16 hours of expression. During this period it was found that the yeast were in exponential growth phase. The double mutant strain shows a slower growth rate compared to the strain expressing the recombinant protein growth rate when grown in fermentable medium. The isolated mitochondria from both strains were subjected to measurement of the membrane potential which showed coupling between substrate oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, these measurements evidenced that the strain expressing the recombinant protein NAD+ induced the formation of a membrane potential larger than the control strain. The transport NAD+ was evaluated and showed that the strain expressing the protein Ndt1 has an increase in NADH fluorescence, indicating that NAD+ was able to enter into the mitochondrial matrix and then reduced to NADH by enzymes from the matrix. The determination of the production of reactive oxygen species was performed using the fluorescent probe CM-H2DCFDA and MitoSox Red in spheroplasts of the yeast S. cerevisiae. Both experiments showed no significant difference between the strain expressing Ndt1 protein and strain control. The carbonylated proteins levels were checked using anti-DNP, after the reaction with dinitrophenylhydrazone and there is no significant difference between the strains. Finally, to confirm the cellular localization of the protein Ndt1, spheroplasts of S. cerevisiae were subjected to confocal microscopy, which evidenced the co-location of Ndt1 protein with mitochondria in S. cerevisiae strain transformed with the construction pYES/ndt1. This same profile was not observed in strain ?ndt1?ndt2. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/15861-9 - Biochemical and molecular studies of the mitochondrial components of Aspergillus fumigatus: Cloning and heterologous expression of NAD/NADH carrier.
• Grantee: Laís de Lourdes de Lima Bálico
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master