1. Cloning and expression of a gene encoding gallerimycin, a cysteine-rich antifungal peptide, from eri-silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini
Kazuhiko Hashimoto, Yoshiaki Yamano, Isao Morishima Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol. 2008 Jun;150(2):229-32. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2008.03.006. Epub 2008 Mar 18.
A cDNA clone encoding gallerimycin was isolated from larval fat body of immunized Samia cynthia ricini and named as Scr-gallerimycin. In naive larvae, no gene expression was detected, but strongly induced in fat body and hemocytes following immune challenge with bacteria or entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Strong expression of the gene was also induced by injection of peptidoglycan and zymosan, but very weakly by non-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus oryzae. Analysis of the sequence upstream from the cDNA shows the presence of motifs homologous to binding sites for NF-kappaB, C/EBP and CRE-BP1.
2. Up-Regulation of Antimicrobial Peptides Gallerimycin and Galiomicin in Galleria mellonella Infected with Candida Yeasts Displaying Different Virulence Traits
Jaroslava Dekkerová-Chupáčová, Elisa Borghi, Giulia Morace, Helena Bujdáková Mycopathologia. 2018 Dec;183(6):935-940. doi: 10.1007/s11046-018-0300-7. Epub 2018 Nov 1.
Galleria mellonella has been described as a cheap and an easy-to-reproduce model for the study of fungal infections. We hypothesized that yeasts with higher virulence potential decrease survival and significantly trigger an immune response in G. mellonella through the regulation of innate immunity-related genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as gallerimycin and galiomicin. Candida albicans SC5314 and Candida dubliniensis CBS 7987, selected because of their different virulence potential, were used for a killing assay followed by the determination of gene expression using qPCR. In vivo results confirmed a significantly (p = 0.0321) lower pathogenicity for C. dubliniensis than for C. albicans. Accordingly, the induction of C. dubliniensis AMPs was lower at all the selected time points post-infection (1 h, 24 h, 48 h). Moreover, we observed an extremely high regulation of the galiomicin gene compared to the gallerimycin one, suggesting a different role of the tested AMPs in protecting G. mellonella from candidiasis.
3. Transgenic expression of gallerimycin, a novel antifungal insect defensin from the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella, confers resistance to pathogenic fungi in tobacco
Gregor Langen, Jafargholi Imani, Boran Altincicek, Gernot Kieseritzky, Karl-Heinz Kogel, Andreas Vilcinskas Biol Chem. 2006 May;387(5):549-57. doi: 10.1515/BC.2006.071.
A cDNA encoding gallerimycin, a novel antifungal peptide from the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella, was isolated from a cDNA library of genes expressed during innate immune response in the caterpillars. Upon ectopic expression of gallerimycin in tobacco, using Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a vector, gallerimycin conferred resistance to the fungal pathogens Erysiphe cichoracearum and Sclerotinia minor. Quantification of gallerimycin mRNA in transgenic tobacco by real-time PCR confirmed transgenic expression under control of the inducible mannopine synthase promoter. Leaf sap and intercellular washing fluid from transgenic tobacco inhibited in vitro germination and growth of the fungal pathogens, demonstrating that gallerimycin is secreted into intercellular spaces. The feasibility of the use of gallerimycin to counteract fungal diseases in crop plants is discussed.
