Anethole induces apoptotic cell death accompanied by reactive oxygen species production and DNA fragmentation in Aspergillus fumigatus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (21st January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fujita, Ken‐Ichi; Tatsumi, Miki; Ogita, Akira; Kubo, Isao; Tanaka, Toshio
• Is Part Of: FEBS journal. Volume 281:Number 4(2014)
• Page Start: 1304
• Page End: 1313
• Publication Date: 2014-01-21
• Subjects: Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 572
• DOI: 10.1111/febs.12706
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-464X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="febs12706-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p> <italic>trans</italic>‐Anethole (anethole), a major component of anise oil, has a broad antimicrobial spectrum, and antimicrobial activity that is weaker than that of other antibiotics on the market. When combined with polygodial, nagilactone E, and <italic>n</italic>‐dodecanol, anethole has been shown to possess significant synergistic antifungal activity against a budding yeast, <italic>Saccharomyces</italic> <italic>cerevisiae</italic>, and a human opportunistic pathogenic yeast, <italic>Candida albicans</italic>. However, the antifungal mechanism of anethole has not been completely determined. We found that anethole stimulated cell death of a human opportunistic pathogenic fungus, <italic>Aspergillus fumigatus</italic>, in addition to <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic>. The anethole‐induced cell death was accompanied by reactive oxygen species production, metacaspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. Several mutants of <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic>, in which genes related to the apoptosis‐initiating execution signals from mitochondria were deleted, were resistant to anethole. These results suggest that anethole‐induced cell death could be explained by oxidative stress‐dependent apoptosis via typical mitochondrial death cascades in fungi, including <italic>A. fumigatus</italic> and <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic>.</p> </abstract>