Fungal proteomics: initial mapping of biological control strain Trichoderma harzianum

Curr Genet. 2004 Mar;45(3):163-9. doi: 10.1007/s00294-003-0474-4. Epub 2003 Dec 18.

Abstract

Trichoderma harzianum is a soil-borne filamentous fungus that exhibits biological control properties. T. harzianum can prevent the growth of pathogenic fungi on many types of plant crops, providing a chemically benign alternative to fungicidal agents currently on the market. A proteomic approach was taken to separate and identify proteins from a strain of T. harzianum with well established biocontrol properties. We developed a method of extracting proteins under acidic conditions that increased the solubilisation of alkaline proteins and eliminated acidic cell wall artefacts from micro-organisms in general. Combined with the use of protease inhibitors, this sample preparation method resulted in hundreds of proteins from T. harzianum being extracted and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins were identified by a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC MS/MS). Manual de novo sequencing was conducted to obtain sequence tags on unidentified proteins. A total of 25 protein spots were positively identified from a whole-cell protein reference map of T. harzianum.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Fungal Proteins / analysis
  • Fungal Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Mapping
  • Pest Control, Biological
  • Proteomics*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Trichoderma / chemistry*

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins