A Wickerhamomyces anomalus killer strain in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi

PLoS One. 2014 May 1;9(5):e95988. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095988. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus has been investigated for several years for its wide biotechnological potential, especially for applications in the food industry. Specifically, the antimicrobial activity of this yeast, associated with the production of Killer Toxins (KTs), has attracted a great deal of attention. The strains of W. anomalus able to produce KTs, called "killer" yeasts, have been shown to be highly competitive in the environment. Different W. anomalus strains have been isolated from diverse habitats and recently even from insects. In the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles stephensi these yeasts have been detected in the midgut and gonads. Here we show that the strain of W. anomalus isolated from An. stephensi, namely WaF17.12, is a killer yeast able to produce a KT in a cell-free medium (in vitro) as well as in the mosquito body (in vivo). We showed a constant production of WaF17.12-KT over time, after stimulation of toxin secretion in yeast cultures and reintroduction of the activated cells into the mosquito through the diet. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of WaF17.12-KT has been demonstrated in vitro against sensitive microbes, showing that strain WaF17.12 releases a functional toxin. The mosquito-associated yeast WaF17.12 thus possesses an antimicrobial activity, which makes this yeast worthy of further investigations, in view of its potential as an agent for the symbiotic control of malaria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anopheles / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism
  • Insect Vectors / microbiology*
  • Malaria / transmission
  • Mycotoxins / metabolism
  • Saccharomycetales / isolation & purification*
  • Saccharomycetales / metabolism

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • Mycotoxins

Grants and funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007-2013] [FP7/2007-2011]) under grant agreement n° 281222 to IR and from Prin 2009 (grant 2009L27YC8_003), from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and by the EU-FP7 Capacities-Infrastructure 2008 (grant 228421) to GF. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.