Fungal Melanin Biosynthesis Pathway as Source for Fungal Toxins

Gao, Jia; Wenderoth, Max; Doppler, Maria; Schuhmacher, Rainer; Marko, Doris; Fischer, Reinhard

doi:10.1128/mbio.00219-22

Cited by 27 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…In some melanized fungi, Ywa1 serves as precursor and can be hydrolyzed to 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalen (T4HN). T4HN may then be converted to 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (1,8-DHN) melanin through the DHN pathway 32 . However, Lim et al 28 concluded that P. variotii does not produce true melanin as the pigmentation was maintained when the DHN-melanin pathway was inhibited.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating changes in growth and pigmentation of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Paecilomyces variotii in response to gamma and ultraviolet irradiation

Bland

Gribble

Hamel

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Melanin-containing fungi (black molds) have the capacity to thrive under extreme environmental conditions such as the elevated radiation levels inside the former Chernobyl reactors. These fungi have been hypothesized to grow toward and use gamma radiation as an energy source, but the literature does not clearly address which energies of the electromagnetic spectrum, if any, positively affect fungal growth. The goal of this work was to characterize the response of non-melanized and melanized fungi to two distinct electromagnetic wavelengths, i.e., ultraviolet (UV) and gamma ray, keeping absorption and other potentially confounding variables constant. Exposure to UV or gamma radiation induced significant changes in fungi pigmentation, but not growth rate of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Paecilomyces variotii. Specifically, increased pigmentation of both fungi was observed in samples exposed to UV, while decreased pigmentation was observed for gamma-irradiated samples. These results provide new insights into the role of electromagnetic energies on growth of fungi and provide an impetus to examine additional energies and types of radiation to develop a fundamental understanding of this phenomenon.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating changes in growth and pigmentation of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Paecilomyces variotii in response to gamma and ultraviolet irradiation

Bland

Gribble

Hamel

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…The reasons for this increase were unclear given that regulation of secondary metabolite pathways are complex. It has recently been shown in Alternaria alternata that the biosynthetic pathway for altertoxin production utilises many of the enzymes of the DHN-melanin pathway, indicating this pathway as a source for fungal toxin production 27 . Despite the increased roquefortine C levels observed in certain DHN-melanin gene deletants, it is important to note that levels still remained relatively low and of the same overall magnitude of the 74-88 production strain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, they occur at su ciently low enough concentrations in blue cheeses that they have been deemed a negligible risk to human health 25,26 . Though it has recently been reported that the melanin biosynthetic pathway itself can lead to production of certain mycotoxins 27 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti

Dyer

Cleere

Novodvorska

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Penicillium roqueforti is used worldwide in the production of blue-veined cheese. The blue-green colour derives from pigmented spores formed by fungal growth. Using a combination of bioinformatics, targeted gene deletions, and heterologous gene expression we discovered that pigment formation was due to a DHN-melanin biosynthesis pathway. Systematic deletion of pathway genes altered the arising spore colour, yielding white to yellow-green to red-pink-brown phenotypes, demonstrating the potential to generate novel coloured strains. There was no consistent impact on mycophenolic acid production as a result of pathway interruption although levels of roquefortine C were altered in some deletants. Importantly, levels of methyl-ketones associated with blue-cheese flavour were not impacted. UV-induced colour mutants, allowed in food production, were then generated. A range of colours were obtained and certain phenotypes were successfully mapped to pathway gene mutations. Selected colour mutants were subsequently used in cheese production and generated expected novel colourations with no elevated mycotoxins, offering the exciting prospect of use in future cheese manufacture.

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“…Although thorough investigations on the biosynthesis of the BjF-derived toxins were not performed, some details are still known: The biosynthesis seems to be strongly correlated with the melanin pathway with 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene ( 45 ) and 1,3,8-trihydroxynaphthalene ( 46 ) as possible intermediates. ,, Actually, the feeding of 45 to Annulohypoxylon sp. led to an up to 3-fold production of daldinones B and H .…”

Section: Biosynthesis Of Benzo[j]fluoranthene-derived Natural Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benzo[j]fluoranthene-Derived Natural Products

Podlech,

Gutsche

2023

J. Nat. Prod.

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In this overview the literature on benzo[j]fluoranthene-derived toxins produced by fungi is discussed with a view on isolation, structure, biological activities, biosynthesis, and total syntheses of the natural products. This class of compounds consists until now of 33 naturally occurring compounds, where 25 are chiral and eight contain no stereogenic centers. The relative configuration of xylarenol was clarified by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra, and absolute configurations of four toxins were corrected. The compounds show various biological activities including antibiotic and cytotoxic properties.

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Fungal Melanin Biosynthesis Pathway as Source for Fungal Toxins

Abstract: Mycotoxins are a major threat for human health. Food safety control relies on the identification of the toxins or the detection of the expression of the respective genes.

Cited by 27 publications

References 72 publications

Evaluating changes in growth and pigmentation of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Paecilomyces variotii in response to gamma and ultraviolet irradiation

Evaluating changes in growth and pigmentation of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Paecilomyces variotii in response to gamma and ultraviolet irradiation

New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti

Benzo[j]fluoranthene-Derived Natural Products

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