Truffles contain endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes and anandamide

Pacioni, Giovanni; Rapino, Cinzia; Zarivi, Osvaldo; Falconi, Atilio; Leonardi, Marco; Battista, Natalia; Colafarina, Sabrina; Sergi, Manuel; Bonfigli, Antonella; Miranda, Marta; Barsacchi, D; Maccarrone, Mauro

doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.11.012

Cited by 37 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Moreover, mass spectrometry analysis revealed that infectious L3 N. brasiliensis produced extremely high levels of AEA, reaching 100 to 1,000 times that found in tissue or blood of mice. A recent study showed that truffles, the fruiting bodies of fungi, produce AEA potentially as an attractant and feeding stimulant for animals to ensure its dissemination (48). Given that AEA is anti-inflammatory, high-level synthesis at the infectious stage may also function to dampen the host immune response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host- and Helminth-Derived Endocannabinoids That Have Effects on Host Immunity Are Generated during Infection

et al. 2018

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Helminths have coevolved with their hosts, resulting in the development of specialized host immune mechanisms and parasite-specific regulatory products. Identification of new pathways that regulate helminth infection could provide a better understanding of host-helminth interaction and may identify new therapeutic targets for helminth infection. Here we identify the endocannabinoid system as a new mechanism that influences host immunity to helminths. Endocannabinoids are lipid-derived signaling molecules that control important physiologic processes, such as feeding behavior and metabolism. Following murine infection with , an intestinal nematode with a life cycle similar to that of hookworms, we observed increased levels of endocannabinoids (2-arachidonoylglycerol [2-AG] or anandamide [AEA]) and the endocannabinoid-like molecule oleoylethanolamine (OEA) in infected lung and intestine. To investigate endocannabinoid function in helminth infection, we employed pharmacological inhibitors of cannabinoid subtype receptors 1 and 2 (CBR and CBR). Compared to findings for vehicle-treated mice, inhibition of CBR but not CBR resulted in increased worm burden and egg output, associated with significantly decreased expression of the T helper type 2 cytokine interleukin 5 (IL-5) in intestinal tissue and splenocyte cultures. Strikingly, bioinformatic analysis of genomic and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) data sets identified putative genes encoding endocannabinoid biosynthetic and degradative enzymes in many parasitic nematodes. To test the novel hypothesis that helminth parasites produce their own endocannabinoids, we measured endocannabinoid levels in by mass spectrometry and quantitative PCR and found that parasites produced endocannabinoids, especially at the infectious larval stage. To our knowledge, this is the first report of helminth- and host-derived endocannabinoids that promote host immune responses and reduce parasite burden.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host- and Helminth-Derived Endocannabinoids That Have Effects on Host Immunity Are Generated during Infection

et al. 2018

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“…FAAH is the principal enzyme responsible for the degradation of AEA in mammals and NAEs in general, and in plants this enzyme exerts biochemical functions similar to that found in animals56 ( vide infra ). The presence of AEA in chocolate (assuming that it originated from Theobroma cacao beans)33 and the recent finding of its occurrence in the Ascomycota Tuber melanosporum (black truffle)57 are hitherto the only reports of AEA to date from non-animal organisms. To date, the occurrence of 2-AG in plants has not yet been reported, although a 2-AG analogue derived from ScA has been detected in the seeds of the conifer Sciadopitys verticillata 58.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Targeted metabolomics shows plasticity in the evolution of signaling lipids and uncovers old and new endocannabinoids in the plant kingdom

Gachet

Schubert

Calarco

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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The remarkable absence of arachidonic acid (AA) in seed plants prompted us to systematically study the presence of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids, stearic acid, oleic acid, jasmonic acid (JA), N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) and endocannabinoids (ECs) in 71 plant species representative of major phylogenetic clades. Given the difficulty of extrapolating information about lipid metabolites from genetic data we employed targeted metabolomics using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS to study these signaling lipids in plant evolution. Intriguingly, the distribution of AA among the clades showed an inverse correlation with JA which was less present in algae, bryophytes and monilophytes. Conversely, ECs co-occurred with AA in algae and in the lower plants (bryophytes and monilophytes), thus prior to the evolution of cannabinoid receptors in Animalia. We identified two novel EC-like molecules derived from the eicosatetraenoic acid juniperonic acid, an omega-3 structural isomer of AA, namely juniperoyl ethanolamide and 2-juniperoyl glycerol in gymnosperms, lycophytes and few monilophytes. Principal component analysis of the targeted metabolic profiles suggested that distinct NAEs may occur in different monophyletic taxa. This is the first report on the molecular phylogenetic distribution of apparently ancient lipids in the plant kingdom, indicating biosynthetic plasticity and potential physiological roles of EC-like lipids in plants.

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“…For example, anandamide (a stimulant of melanin synthesis) is not detectable during the early maturation stage of T . melanosporum [ 51 ]. Different meanings of maturation (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Insights into the Complex Relationship between Weight and Maturity of Burgundy Truffles (Tuber aestivum)

Büntgen

Bagi²,

Fekete³

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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Despite an increasing demand for Burgundy truffles (Tuber aestivum), gaps remain in our understanding of the fungus’ overall lifecycle and ecology. Here, we compile evidence from three independent surveys in Hungary and Switzerland. First, we measured the weight and maturity of 2,656 T. aestivum fruit bodies from a three-day harvest in August 2014 in a highly productive orchard in Hungary. All specimens ranging between 2 and 755 g were almost evenly distributed through five maturation classes. Then, we measured the weight and maturity of another 4,795 T. aestivum fruit bodies harvested on four occasions between June and October 2015 in the same truffière. Again, different maturation stages occurred at varying fruit body size and during the entire fruiting season. Finally, the predominantly unrelated weight and maturity of 81 T. aestivum fruit bodies from four fruiting seasons between 2010 and 2013 in Switzerland confirmed the Hungarian results. The spatiotemporal coexistence of 7,532 small-ripe and large-unripe T. aestivum, which accumulate to ~182 kg, differs from species-specific associations between the size and ripeness that have been reported for other mushrooms. Although size-independent truffle maturation stages may possibly relate to the perpetual belowground environment, the role of mycelial connectivity, soil property, microclimatology, as well as other abiotic factors and a combination thereof, is still unclear. Despite its massive sample size and proof of concept, this study, together with existing literature, suggests consideration of a wider ecological and biogeographical range, as well as the complex symbiotic fungus-host interaction, to further illuminate the hidden development of belowground truffle fruit bodies.

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Truffles contain endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes and anandamide

Cited by 37 publications

References 58 publications

Host- and Helminth-Derived Endocannabinoids That Have Effects on Host Immunity Are Generated during Infection

Host- and Helminth-Derived Endocannabinoids That Have Effects on Host Immunity Are Generated during Infection

Targeted metabolomics shows plasticity in the evolution of signaling lipids and uncovers old and new endocannabinoids in the plant kingdom

New Insights into the Complex Relationship between Weight and Maturity of Burgundy Truffles (Tuber aestivum)

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