Identification of a Emphasis Type="Italic"Candid

Authors: Alane Beatriz Vermelho Ana Maria Mazotto Ana Cristina Nogueira de Melo Flávia Helena Cardoso Vieira Thalita Rodrigues Duarte Andrew Macrae Marília Martins Nishikawa Elba Pinto da Silva Bon

Publish Date: 2009/08/12

Volume: 169, Issue: 1, Pages: 57-

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Abstract

A yeast strain isolated from feather waste from a chicken processing plant was identified as Candida parapsilosis by biochemical tests and morphological studies The yeast was able to grow in phosphatebuffered saline supplemented with 1 native feather as the sole carbon and nitrogen source A keratin substrate was obtained from the feathers by dimethylsulphoxide extraction A 20fold concentrated culture supernatant from Candida parapsilosis grown on feathers was analysed by SDS–PAGE electrophoresis containing either 1 gelatin or 1 keratin as copolymerised substrates The presence of a single band with an approximate molecular mass of 60 kDa with gelatinolytic and keratinolytic activities was observed This proteolytic activity was fully inhibited by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride These results suggest that the extracellular enzyme belongs to the serine peptidase class This is the first report of an extracellular serine peptidase produced by C parapsilosis with keratinolytic activity The role of this enzyme in yeast–host interactions is discussedThis study was supported by grants from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico MCT/CNPq Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento Pessoal de Nível Superior CAPES Conselho de Ensino para Graduados e Pesquisas CEPG/UFRJ Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro FAPERJ and Fundação Oswaldo Cruz FIOCRUZ

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