Journal of Proteomics & Bioinformatics
Open Access
ISSN: 0974-276X
ISSN: 0974-276X
Varsha Kelkar-Mane
University of Mumbai, India
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Proteomics Bioinform
In a wit to out-survive each other, bacteria and fungi have been competing to each other for not only nutrients but also by producing antifungals as well as antibacterials respectively. Whence most of the fungi seem to grow in environmental extremes, bacteria especially those of bacillus species survive and at times out number them by producing potential antifungal compounds that include small molecular weight proteins as well as peptides. Fungi are known to possess the capability to use any surface, inert or nutritive as for their growth. In the last two decades, the incidence of immune compromised human fungal infections has dramatically increased. However with advances in medicine and improved understanding of the ICU patient�s risk factors to develop invasive fungal infections, newer life-saving antifungal drugs are brought into the market. It is however ironic that though the medication treats the primary disease; patients succumb to fungal infections for which there may be few or no drugs available. Encouragingly naturally occurring antifungal proteins and peptides, as well as synthetic derivatives, have the potential of being interesting clinical leads. As with animals, plants are also exposed to a large number of pathogenic fungi impairing their growth and subsequently their yield. In a quest to search for newer, effective antifungals this study isolates a few strains of Bacillus from sources that are protected from fungal invasions due the presence of the former. One of such protein has been characterized and found to be a low molecular weight protein. The protein has been effectively tested against an array of potentially pathogenic fungi. The amino acid sequence of the protein is being obtained so as to understand its characters and hence further define its applications. With its stability to adverse environmental conditions like pH, temperature, the enzyme seems to be an ideal candidate to be put to use as a potential antifungal. The protein is being immobilized on nanoparticles for wider applications in the field of healthcare.
Email: drvkelkar@mu.ac.in