Interactions between statins and Penicillium chrysogenum antifungal protein (PAF) to inhibit the germination of sporangiospores of different sensitive Zygomycetes

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2007 May;270(1):109-15. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2007.00661.x. Epub 2007 Feb 16.

Abstract

This study reports on the antifungal activities of statins combined with an antifungal compound secreted by Penicillium chrysogenum, PAF. Several species belonging in the class Zygomycetes are considered to be agents of human or animal mycoses; other species have significance as postharvest plant pathogens. In the present work, four species (Rhizopus stolonifer, Mortierella wolfii, Syncephalastrum racemosum and Mycotypha africana) that exhibited different sensitivities to lovastatin and PAF in previous experiments were investigated. The efficiencies with which four statins (lovastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin) inhibited sporangiospore germination in the absence or in the presence of a constant concentration of PAF were studied. PAF and lovastatin acted synergistically on the sporangiospore germination of Mycotypha africana, and similar effects of the combinations PAF-rosuvastatin and PAF-atorvastatin were observed on S. racemosum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Atorvastatin
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Synergism
  • Fluorobenzenes / pharmacology
  • Fungi / drug effects*
  • Fungi / growth & development
  • Heptanoic Acids / pharmacology
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Lovastatin / pharmacology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Penicillium chrysogenum / metabolism*
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Pyrroles / pharmacology
  • Rosuvastatin Calcium
  • Simvastatin / pharmacology
  • Spores, Fungal / drug effects*
  • Spores, Fungal / growth & development
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Fluorobenzenes
  • Heptanoic Acids
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Pyrimidines
  • Pyrroles
  • Sulfonamides
  • Rosuvastatin Calcium
  • Lovastatin
  • Atorvastatin
  • Simvastatin