Comparative proteome analysis of Penicillium verrucosum grown under light of short wavelength shows an induction of stress-related proteins associated with modified mycotoxin biosynthesis

• A method for protein extraction for P. verrucosum was established and optimized.
• Light of short wavelength leads to oxidative stress which could be monitored on protein level.
• Oxidative stress leads to a mutual biosynthesis of ochratoxin and citrinin.
• Proteome analyses of P. verrucosum revealed differential expressed stress related Proteins.

In this study the differentially expressed protein population of Penicillium verrucosum grown either in the dark or under light with a wavelength of 450 nm has been analyzed. Light of short wavelength led to oxidative stress in the fungal cell; under this condition the mycotoxin biosynthesis revealed a mutual shift from ochratoxin A to citrinin. Using a proteomic approach combining an optimized protein extraction method with 2-dimensional SDS-PAGE followed by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS/MS mass spectrometric analysis, initially 56 significantly differential proteins (light vs. dark) were detected comprising proteins of a broad range of isoelectric points and molecular masses. In total, 46 proteins could be identified further by database query, most of these proteins are assumed to be involved in response to stress (e.g. antioxidative proteins, heat shock proteins) and general metabolic processes (e.g. glycolysis, ATP supply). Proteome analyses are necessary to unravel the regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis at a translational level. This may enable identification of proteins which are involved in mycotoxin biosynthesis, adaption processes or even stress compensation mechanisms. This study depicts the first proteome analysis of P. verrucosum.