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Dr. Milena Cotoras

Charge: 
Biology Department. Mycology Laboratory
E-mail: 
milena.cotoras@usach.cl
PhD. Milena Cotoras studied Biochemistry at the Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Universidad de Chile and did her graduate thesis on DNA polymerases from thermophilic bacteria. Then, she worked at the Biochemistry Laboratory from the Universidad Catolica, as a assistant researcher, on bacterial enzymes with DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Later, she worked at the Biochemistry Department from the University of  Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in the United States, in bacterial proteins type era.
She did a doctorate in Sciences with a mention in Microbiology at the Faculty of Sciences from the Universidad de Chile and her doctoral thesis was on the regulation of endoglucanase expression in fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum.
In 1995 she was hired full-time academic from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile
During her stay at the University, she has developed activities in administration as Head of the Biochemistry Career, Academic Secretary of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology and Director of the Department of Biology
Currently PhD. Cotoras belongs to the Society of Microbiology and Phytopathology of Chile
 

 

The figure, in a and b shows the chromatograms of compounds obtained from culture medium of an endophytic fungus isolated from Echinopsis chiloensis, an endemic columnar cactus that grows in the foothills of central Chile. This fungus secretes a series of compounds, some of which have activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Botryris cinerea. Antifungal activity is visualized, by bioautography technique, as an inhibition halo in migration zone from polar compounds (c).

Compounds extracted from an endophytic fungus and their antifungal activity on B. cinerea. (a) Chromatogram from  extract visualized with UV light at 254 nm. (b Chromatogram from extract revealed with 25% H2SO4. Line 1, compounds extracted from culture medium without inoculation with the endophytic fungus. Line 2, compounds extracted from culture medium inoculated with the endophytic fungus. Mobile phase CHCl3 / MeOH 95 : 5. (c) Bioautography obtained from culture medium extract from endophytic fungus inoculated with B. cinérea

 

Research Area: 

Her research area is based on antifungal characterization activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea from natural compounds obtained from plants and endophytic fungi and also from synthetic hemi compounds.

 

Projects: 
  • 2018-2020 Researcher  Dicyt project  "Characterization of compounds with antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea produced by endophytic fungi isolated from plants that grow in the foothills from the Metropolitan Region"
  • 2015-2017 Researcher  Dicyt project "Identification of molecular action mechanism of extracts or pure compounds against Botrytis cinerea"
  • 2013-2016 Co-researcher in Dicyt project "Synthesis catalyzed by the laccase enzyme of dimeric phenolic compounds with antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea"
  • 2013-2016 Co-researcher in FONDECYT project (1130389) Improvement of antifungal and antibacterial activities from extracts or phenolic compounds obtained from winery by-products by structural modification or combination with antibiotics.

 

Latest Publications: 
  • Vidal, A., Parada, R., Mendoza, L., Cotoras, M. (2020) Endophytic fungi isolated from plants growing in Central Andean Precordillera of Chile with antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea.  J. Fungi 6, 149.
  • Castro, P., Mendoza, L., Vasquez, C., Cornejo Pereira, P., Navarro, F., Lizama, K., Santander, R., Cotoras, M. (2019) Antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea of 2,6-Dimethoxy-4-(phenylimino)cyclohexa-2,5-dienone derivatives. Molecules 24(4), 706.
  • Mendoza L, Vivanco M, Melo R, Castro P, Araya-Maturana R, Cotoras M. (2019) Detoxification mechanism of 8,8-Dimethyl-3-[(R-phenyl)amino]-1,4,5(8H)-naphthalentrione derivatives by Botrytis cinerea. Molecules 24(3), 544.
  • Melo, R., Sanhueza, L., Mendoza, L., Cotoras, M. (2019) Characterization of the fungitoxic activity on Botrytis cinerea of the aristolochic acids I and II. Lett Appl Microbiol. 68(1), 48-55
  • Torrent, C., Gil-Durán, C., Rojas-Aedo, JF., Medina, E., Vaca, I., Castro P., García-Rico, RO.,  Cotoras, M., Mendoza, L., Levicán, G., Chávez, R. (2017) Role of sfk1 Gene in the Filamentous Fungus Penicillium roqueforti. Front Microbiol.  8: 2424.
  • Silva, W., Romero, J., Morales, E., Melo, R., Mendoza, L. Cotoras, M. (2017) Red wine extract obtained by membrane-based supercritical fluid extraction: preliminary characterization of chemical properties.  Brazilian J Chem Eng 34(2), 567 – 581.
  • Morales, J., Mendoza, L., Cotoras, M. (2017)  Alteration of oxidative phosphorylation as a possible mechanism of the antifungal action of p-coumaric acid against Botrytis cinerea. J Appl Microbiol. 123(4), 969-976.
  • Mendoza, L., Castro, P., Melo, R., Campos, AM., Zúñiga, G., Guerrero, J., Cotoras, M. (2016) Improvement of the antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea of syringic acid, a phenolic acid from grape pomace. J. Chil. Chem. Soc., 61(3), 3039-3042.
  • Campos, AM., Mendoza, L., Vasquez, J., Melo, R., Salas, J., Cotoras, M. (2016)  Lacasse catalyzed-synthesis of 4,4’-biphenyldiamine from p-chloroaniline. Evaluation of antifungal and antioxidant activities. J. Chil. Chem. Soc., 61(3), 3031-3033.
  • Mendoza, L., Sepúlveda, C., Melo, R., Cotoras, M. (2015) Characterization of the antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea of sclareol and 13-epi-sclareol, two labdane-type diterpenoids, J. Chil. Chem. Soc. 60(3), 3024-3028.
  • Mendoza, L., Ribera, A., Saavedra, A., Silva, E., Araya-Maturana, R., Cotoras, M. (2015) Action mechanism for 3-hydroxykaurenoic acid and 4,4-dimethylanthracene- 1,9,10(4H)-trione on Botrytis cinerea, Mycologia, 107(4),  661–666.