6
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009
SCIENCE
Components of fungi may help to fight cancer
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
Bert Oakley, professor of molecular biology, has developed a process to activate genes of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans that may yield compounds effective for treating diseases. Some of these compounds, such as penicilline, lovastatin, and terrequinone are already used for medicinal benefit.
Research team has metabolic breakthrough
BY HANNAH DECLERK
hdeclerk@kansan.com
A research team at the University has discovered a potential cancerfighting mechanism in fungi compounds.
Fungi have been a long-time component of finding cures for disease. A team of researchers, including Berl Oakley, the Irving S. Johnson distinguished professor of molecular biology, is studying a chemical reaction known as secondary metabolism. Oakley said secondary metabolism is a chemical reaction in the fungi that allowed the fungi to eliminate surrounding organisms. For example, if the fungi in soil are surrounded by other organisms, then the fungi naturally compete with the organisms and become larger and stronger. Oakley said because of the secondary metabolism, fungi have become medically useful, allowing the fungi
to adapt and eliminate harmful surrounding bacteria.
Oakley and his research team have taken the method a step further by taking out certain genes in the fungi, allowing them to study the products of secondary metabolism in a lab setting.
"What we are studying may seem incredibly boring, but it is not." Oakley said, "Fungi kill cells naturally. In doing so, these cells have compounds that kill dividing cells, then they could selectively kill cancer cells."
Oakley and his research team did just that by discovering ways to manipulate the genes in a lab setting.
Chromatin, which consists of various proteins, is packed tightly around the DNA, Oakley said, making it difficult to genetically study the fungi in
SEE FUNGION PAGE 7
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