Melanin Pigments of Fungi under Extreme Environmental Conditions (Review)

Гесслер, Н. Н.; Егорова, А. С.; Belozerskaya, T. A.

doi:10.7868/s0555109914020093

Cited by 63 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…This fungus may use a wide array of substrates, such as D-and L-dopamine [81], homogentisic acid [82], catecholamines, and other phenolic compounds [83], maximizing its ability to produce melanin. Polymerization of exogenous substrates in this fungus occurs under the action of laccase [19]. However, it is important to emphasize that different properties are observed for melanins derived from different substrates.…”

Section: Pathways Of Melanin Biosynthesismentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Several biological functions of melanins are closely associated to their chemical composition and structure. The presence of unpaired electrons in the melanin structure is responsible for various properties, including antioxidant, semiconductor, optical, electronic, and radio-and photoprotective [19].…”

Section: Biological Activities Of Melaninmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Radionuclide contamination also led to a change in fungal communities, with an increased proportion of melanized fungi. For example, melanized fungal species as Cladosporium spp., Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans, and Hormoconis resinae were found to colonize the walls of the damaged reactor at Chernobyl where they are exposed to a high constant radiation field [18,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since melanin has characteristics of functional materials and bioorganic, a growing number of researchers see this pigment with great interest, taking advantage of their properties for numerous biotechnological applications in cosmetics, pharmaceutical, electronic, and food processing industries [12,19,35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Production of Melanin Pigment by Fungi and Its Biotechnological Applications

Sponchiado¹,

Sousa²,

Andrade³

et al. 2017

Melanin

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Production of the microbial pigments is one of the emerging fields of research due to a growing interest of the industry for safer products, easily degradable and eco-friendly. Fungi constitute a valuable source of pigments because they are capable of producing high yields of the substance in the cheap culture medium, making the bioprocess economically viable on the industrial scale. Some fungal species produce a dark-brown pigment, known as melanin, by oxidative polymerization of phenolic compounds, such as glutaminyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzene (GDHB) or catechol or 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) or 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). This pigment has been reported to act as "fungal armor" due to its ability to protect fungi from adverse conditions, neutralizing oxidants generated in response to stress. Apart from the scavenging activity, melanin exhibits other biological activities, including thermoregulatory, radio-and photoprotective, antimicrobial, antiviral, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory. Studies have shown that the media composition and cultivation conditions affect the pigment production in fungi and the manipulation of these parameters can result in an increase in pigment yield for large-scale pigment production. This chapter presents a comprehensive discussion of the research on fungal melanin, including the recently discovered biological activities and the potential use of this pigment for various biotechnological applications in the fields of biomedicine, dermocosmetics, materials science, and nanotechnology.

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Section: Pathways Of Melanin Biosynthesismentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Biological Activities Of Melaninmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Production of Melanin Pigment by Fungi and Its Biotechnological Applications

Sponchiado¹,

Sousa²,

Andrade³

et al. 2017

Melanin

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“…Melanin has been referred to as 'fungal armour' owing to the ability of the polymer to protect micro-organisms against a broad range of toxic insults, warranting the survival of fungi in the environment and during infection (Gó mez & Nosanchuk, 2003). Melanization reduces the susceptibility to enzymic degradation, the toxicity of heavy metals, UV and nuclear radiation, extremes of temperature, and oxygen and nitrogen free radicals, which may afford the fungus protection against similar insults in the environment (Wang & Casadevall, 1994a, b;Rosas & Casadevall, 1997, 2001Taborda et al, 2008;Gessler et al, 2014). Melanin also reduces the susceptibilities of pathogenic fungi to different antifungal drugs (van Duin et al, 2002;Nosanchuk & Casadevall, 2006) and to different immune mechanisms in the host, especially phagocytosis (Steenbergen et al, 2004).…”

Section: Melaninmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sporothrix schenckii complex biology: environment and fungal pathogenicity

et al. 2014

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Sporothrix schenckii is a complex of various species of fungus found in soils, plants, decaying vegetables and other outdoor environments. It is the aetiological agent of sporotrichosis in humans and several animals. Humans and animals can acquire the disease through traumatic inoculation of the fungus into subcutaneous tissue. Despite the importance of sporotrichosis, it being currently regarded as an emergent disease in several countries, the factors driving its increasing medical importance are still largely unknown. There have only been a few studies addressing the influence of the environment on the virulence of these pathogens. However, recent studies have demonstrated that adverse conditions in its natural habitats can trigger the expression of different virulence factors that confer survival advantages both in animal hosts and in the environment. In this review, we provide updates on the important advances in the understanding of the biology of Spor. schenckii and the modification of its virulence linked to demonstrated or putative environmental factors.

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Endophytic and Epiphytic Phyllosphere Fungal Communities Are Shaped by Different Environmental Factors in a Mediterranean Ecosystem

et al. 2018

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The diversity and factors influencing fungal assemblages in phyllosphere of Mediterranean tree species have been barely studied, especially when endophytic and epiphytic communities are simultaneously considered. In this work, the endophytic and epiphytic fungal communities from olive tree phyllosphere were studied. This tree species is natural from the Mediterranean region and adapted to grow under adverse climatic conditions. The main objectives were to determine whether there are differences between both fungal communities and to examine whether different abiotic (climate-related) and biotic (plant organs) factors play a pivotal role in structuring these communities. Both communities differed in size and composition, with epiphytic community being richer and more abundant, displaying also a dominance of melanized fungi. Season was the major driver of community composition, especially of epiphytes. Other drivers shaping epiphytes were wind speed and temperature, while plant organ, rainfall, and temperature were the major drivers for endophytic composition. In contrast, canopy orientation caused slight variations in community composition of fungi, but with distinct effects in spring and autumn seasons. In conclusion, epiphytic and endophytic communities are not driven by the same factors. Several sources of variation undergo complex interactions to form and maintain phyllosphere fungal community in Mediterranean climates. Climatic parameters have influence on these fungal communities, suggesting that they are likely to be affected by climate changes in a near future.

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Melanin Pigments of Fungi under Extreme Environmental Conditions (Review)

Cited by 63 publications

References 93 publications

Production of Melanin Pigment by Fungi and Its Biotechnological Applications

Production of Melanin Pigment by Fungi and Its Biotechnological Applications

Sporothrix schenckii complex biology: environment and fungal pathogenicity

Endophytic and Epiphytic Phyllosphere Fungal Communities Are Shaped by Different Environmental Factors in a Mediterranean Ecosystem

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