Isolation of trichogin, an antifungal protein from fresh fruiting bodies of the edible mushroom Tricholoma giganteum.

An antifungal protein was isolated from the mushroom Tricholoma giganteum var. golden blessings. The protocol included ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose, and gel filtration by fast protein liquid chromatography on Superdex 75. The antifungal protein, designated trichogin, was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose but was adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and CM-cellulose. It exhibited antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, Mycosphaerella arachidicola and Physalospora piricola. Trichogin inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC50 of 83 nM.