Deciphering key regulators of Inonotus hispidus petroleum ether extract involved in anti-tumor through whole transcriptome and proteome analysis in H22 tumor-bearing mice model

Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Inonotus hispidus extract and active monomer compounds in a rat mammary gland hyperplasia model

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Inonotus hispidus is the traditional Chinese medicine Sanghuang. Since ancient times, Sanghuang has been documented to be used in the treatment of female breast diseases. However, the pharmacological mechanism of Sanghuang in the treatment of mammary gland hyperplasia (HMG) remains unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The ethyl acetate extract of the aging fruiting body of I. hispidus (IEAE) was used to study the pharmacological mechanism of IEAE in the treatment of HMG using non-targeted metabolomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The HMG rat model was established, and serum metabolomics was used to study the potential therapeutic mechanism of IEAE for HMG.

RESULTS

IEAE has obvious therapeutic effect on HMG model rats, and no obvious adverse reactions were observed. Non-targeted metabolomics showed that after IEAE intervention, the upstream metabolite D-erythrose 4-phosphate was significantly downregulated, aromatic amino acids such as tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine were downregulated, and the downstream metabolites N-acetyl-L-glutamate and L-proline were significantly upregulated. After an intervention with yakuchinone A, non-targeted metabolomics analyses demonstrated that yakuchinone A restored tetrahydrocorticosterone, cortisol, and etiocholanolone to normal levels, estriol was significantly upregulated, and steroid hormone biosynthesis was significantly activated.

CONCLUSION

IEAE was shown to have a good therapeutic effect on HMG in a rat model without adverse reactions. The mechanism of action was mainly based on the biosynthesis of amino acids. Small molecule metabolites such as D-erythrose 4-phosphate, N-acetyl-L-glutamate, and L-proline may be potential targets for IEAE in the treatment of HMG. Yakuchinone A is one of the main active components of IEAE, and plays a role by promoting the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway. Estriol may be a potential target for the treatment of HMG with yakuchinone A, providing a new concept for clinical treatment of HMG.

Comparative study on the anti-tumor effect of steroids derived from different organisms in H22 tumor-bearing mice and analysis of their mechanisms

This study aimed to comparatively investigate the anti-tumor mechanisms of steroids including ergosterol, β-sitosterol, cholesterol, and fucosterol. The model of H22 tumor-bearing mice was constructed based on histopathological data and biochemical parameters, while serums were subjected to metabolomics analysis to study the potential anti-tumor mechanisms. The results indicated that the four steroids exhibited different degrees of anti-tumor effects on H22 mice. The tumor inhibition rates were 63.25% for ergosterol, 56.41% for β-sitosterol, 61.54% for cholesterol, and 72.65% for fucosterol. Metabolomic analyses revealed that 87, 71, and 129 differential metabolites were identified in ergosterol, cholesterol, and fucosterol treatment groups, respectively. The fucosterol treatment group had the highest number of differential metabolites. At the same time, it mainly inhibited purine and amino acid metabolism to exert anti-tumor effects. Ergosterol enhanced immunity and affected pyruvate metabolism, and cholesterol inhibited purine metabolism. The chemical structure difference among ergosterol, cholesterol, and fucosterol is mainly at the number and position of sterol double bonds and the number and length of side chain carbons. Therefore, there is a structure-activity relationship between the structure of steroid compounds and their efficacy. This study provides a key foundation for the exploitation of the anti-tumor effects of steroids derived from different organisms.

Genomic comparison between two Inonotus hispidus strains isolated from growing in different tree species

Inonotus hispidus mainly growing in broad-leaved trees, including Morus alba, Fraxinus mandshurica, and Ulmus macrocarpa etc. The fruiting body of I. hispidus growing in M. alba (hereafter as MA) is used as a traditional Chinese medicine "Sanghuang". However, differences between the genetic material basis of I. hispidus growing in other tree species have not been reported. Therefore, in this paper, the genomic comparison between MA and I. hispidus growing in F. mandshurica (hereafter as FM) were studied. The whole genome of MA monokaryon was sequenced by Illumina combined with Pac Bio platform. Next, genome assembly, genome component prediction and genome functional annotation were performed. Comparative genomics analysis was performed between FM monokaryon and MA monokaryon, using MA as the reference. The results showed that, MA had 24 contigs with a N50 length of 2.6 Mb. Specifically, 5,342, 6,564, 1,595, 383 and 123 genes were annotated from GO, KEGG, KOG, CAZymes and CYP450, respectively. Moreover, comparative genomics showed that, the coding genes and total number of genes annotated in different databases of FM were higher than that of MA. This study provides a foundation for the medicinal application of FM as MA from the perspective of genetic composition.

Comparative transcriptome and proteome analysis explores the antitumor key regulators of ergosterone in H22 tumor-bearing mice

Ergosterone has been proved to have potential antitumor effect on H22 tumor-bearing mice, but the antitumor mechanism and key regulators are still unclear. The current study was aimed to explore the key regulators responsible for antitumor of ergosterone using whole transcriptome and proteome analysis in H22 tumor-bearing mice model. The model of H22 tumor-bearing mice was constructed according to the histopathological data and biochemical parameters. The isolated tumor tissues of different treatment groups were subjected to transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. Our findings demonstrated that 472 differentially expressed genes and 658 proteins were identified in the tumor tissue of different treatment groups through RNA-Seq and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis, respectively. The combined omics analysis revealed three critical genes/proteins, including Lars2, Sirpα and Hcls1 that could play a role in antitumor pathways. Furthermore, Lars2, Sirpα and Hcls1 genes/proteins, as key regulators of the antitumor effect of ergosterone, were verified by qRT-PCR and western blotting methods, respectively. In summary, our study provides new insights into analysing the antitumor mechanism of ergosterone from the point of view of gene and protein expression and will encourage further development of the antitumor pharmaceutical industry.

Genomic and Metabolomic Analyses of the Medicinal Fungus Inonotus hispidus for Its Metabolite's Biosynthesis and Medicinal Application

Inonotus hispidus mushroom is a traditional medicinal fungus with anti-cancer, antioxidation, and immunomodulatory activities, and it is used in folk medicine as a treatment for indigestion, cancer, diabetes, and gastric illnesses. Although I. hispidus is recognized as a rare edible medicinal macrofungi, its genomic sequence and biosynthesis potential of secondary metabolites have not been investigated. In this study, using Illumina NovaSeq combined with the PacBio platform, we sequenced and de novo assembled the whole genome of NPCB_001, a wild I. hispidus isolate from the Aksu area of Xinjiang Province, China. Comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses reveal interspecific differences and evolutionary traits in the genus Inonotus. Bioinformatics analysis identified candidate genes associated with mating type, polysaccharide synthesis, carbohydrate-active enzymes, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Additionally, molecular networks of metabolites exhibit differences in chemical composition and content between fruiting bodies and mycelium, as well as association clusters of related compounds. The deciphering of the genome of I. hispidus will deepen the understanding of the biosynthesis of bioactive components, open the path for future biosynthesis research, and promote the application of Inonotus in the fields of drug research and functional food manufacturing.

Diverse Metabolites and Pharmacological Effects from the Basidiomycetes Inonotus hispidus

Inonotus hispidus mushroom is a popular edible and medicinal mushroom with a long history of use. It is well known as a medicinal fungus with various health benefits for its significant anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. Over the last 60 years, secondary metabolites derived from I. hispidus and their biological activities have been discovered and investigated. Structurally, these compounds are mainly polyphenols and triterpenoids, which have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and enzyme inhibitor activities. Here, the secondary metabolites derived from I. hispidus and their activities were systematically and comprehensively classified and summarized, and the biosynthetic pathway of stylylpyrones was deduced and analyzed further. This review contributes to our understanding of I. hispidus and will help with research into natural product chemistry, pharmacology, and the biosynthesis of I. hispidus metabolites. According to this review, I. hispidus could be a promising source of bioactive compounds for health promotion and the development of functional foods.