Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
search against translations of the A. fumigatus genomic DNA to search for a
metacaspase homologue. Interestingly the study reported that two different
regions were identifi ed with a 56% and a 38% homology to metacaspase
from S. cerevisiae and S. pombe. From this result the researchers concluded
that the apoptotic machinery may be more complex in A. fumigatus than
in the yeasts. Mousavi and Robson also perceived that the development
of microarray technology will be crucial if rapid advances are to be made
in understanding how A. fumigatus participates in its own death and may
ultimately reveal unique novel targets for a new generation of antifungal
agents.
Indeed, comparative genomic analysis has shown that several predicted
components of the apoptotic machinery in A. fumigatus are either absent
from yeast or have more in common with their mammalian counterparts
than they do with yeast (Fedorova et al. 2005). This again suggests that
the Aspergilli may serve as alternative models to study the complexities of
metazoan cell death pathways.
Finally, investigations aimed at testing the general applicability of a
newly elucidated pathway and the role of metacaspases, and conservation
of such systems seem to be relevant. In such approaches, microorganisms
such as fungi are experimentally manageable systems that can serve as
model systems to decipher basic mechanisms, which owing to practical or
ethical reasons cannot be approached directly in higher systems.
CONCLUSION
It can certainly no longer be disputed that metacaspases do indeed exist
in fungi and these metacaspases play an important role in apoptosis
among other processes. With ongoing progress in scientifi c research,
differences and similarities between fungal metacaspases and their
metazoan counterparts will continue to emerge. As more fungal genomic
sequences are constructed the abundance of fungal metacaspases will be
apparent and the characterisation of their genes will help provide a more
in-depth insight into the biological role for metacaspases. The discovery of
the induction mechanisms and the natural biological substrates or target
proteins of these fungal metacaspases will bring us closer to understanding
the exact role of metacaspases in fungal cell death pathways. This
information will provide us with the knowledge required to control
these apoptotic pathways. Until then all the possible biotechnological
applications of fungal metacaspases cannot be fully exploited. However, it
remains certain that the ability to manipulate fungal cell death pathways
poses very attractive advantages.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search