Improvement of vincamine production of endophytic fungus through inactivated protoplast fusion

Establishing Gene Expression and Knockout Methods in Esteya vermicola CBS115803

Pine wilt disease, which is caused by the nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is one of the most destructive forest diseases worldwide. Esteya vermicola, a nematophagous fungus, has emerged as a promising biological control agent. However, the limited availability of gene function analysis techniques hinders further genetic modification of this fungus. In this study, we employed a combination of enzymes (driselase, snailase, and cellulase) to enzymatically degrade the cell wall of the fungus, resulting in a high yield of protoplasts. Furthermore, by utilizing 0.6 M sucrose as an osmotic pressure stabilizer, we achieved a significant protoplast regeneration rate of approximately 31%. Subsequently, we employed the polyethylene glycol-mediated protoplast transformation method to successfully establish a genetic transformation technique for E. vermicola CBS115803. Additionally, through our investigation, we identified the Olic promoter from Aspergillus nidulans, which effectively enhanced the expression of the DsRed gene encoding a red fluorescent protein in E. vermicola CBS115803. Moreover, we successfully implemented a split-marker strategy to delete the EvIPMD gene in E. vermicola CBS115803. In summary, our findings present valuable experimental methodologies for gene function analysis in E. vermicola CBS115803.

Guirlanda C, A. F. Moura M. Use of the Versatility of Fungal Metabolism to Meet Modern Demands for Healthy Aging, Functional Foods, and Sustainability

Aging-associated, non-transmissible chronic diseases (NTCD) such as cancer, dyslipidemia, and neurodegenerative disorders have been challenged through several strategies including the consumption of healthy foods and the development of new drugs for existing diseases. Consumer health consciousness is guiding market trends toward the development of additives and nutraceutical products of natural origin. Fungi produce several metabolites with bioactivity against NTCD as well as pigments, dyes, antioxidants, polysaccharides, and enzymes that can be explored as substitutes for synthetic food additives. Research in this area has increased the yields of metabolites for industrial applications through improving fermentation conditions, application of metabolic engineering techniques, and fungal genetic manipulation. Several modern hyphenated techniques have impressively increased the rate of research in this area, enabling the analysis of a large number of species and fermentative conditions. This review thus focuses on summarizing the nutritional, pharmacological, and economic importance of fungi and their metabolites resulting from applications in the aforementioned areas, examples of modern techniques for optimizing the production of fungi and their metabolites, and methodologies for the identification and analysis of these compounds.