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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Fungal Metabolites: Powering Pharmacological and Agricultural Frontiers
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Fungal Metabolites: Powering Pharmacological and Agricultural Frontiers

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 3536

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maja Karaman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: compounds from fungi; activity of compounds from fungi
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ewa Zapora

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45E, PL-15-351 Bialystok, Poland
Interests: fungal metabolites—determination, characterization and biological activities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A Special Issue entitled "Fungal Metabolites: Powering Pharmacological and Agricultural Frontiers" seeks to explore the multifaceted role of fungal metabolites in advancing both pharmacological and agricultural domains. Fungi have long been recognized as prolific producers of diverse bioactive compounds with significant potential for application in medicine and agriculture. Hence, this Special Issue aims to delve into the latest research and developments in the field, covering a broad spectrum of topics including but not limited to the following:

  1. Pharmacological applications: Investigating the pharmacological properties of fungal metabolites, including their potential as antimicrobial agents, anticancer drugs, immunomodulators, neuroprotective agents, and beyond. Studies elucidating the mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity profiles of fungal-derived compounds are particularly welcomed.
  2. Agricultural innovations: Exploring the agricultural applications of fungal metabolites in enhancing crop productivity, disease management, and stress tolerance. Research focusing on the biocontrol potential of fungal secondary metabolites against plant pathogens, as well as their role in promoting plant growth and resilience through biopriming, will be highlighted.
  3. Bioactive compound discovery: presenting novel findings in the discovery and characterization of bioactive compounds derived from fungi, including screening methodologies, isolation techniques, structural elucidation, and the synthesis of fungal metabolites with potential pharmaceutical or agricultural relevance.

It also aims to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers, scientists, and practitioners to exchange insights, share innovative discoveries, and catalyze interdisciplinary collaborations in the burgeoning field of fungal metabolites, ultimately contributing to the advancement of pharmacology, agriculture, and beyond.

Dr. Maja Karaman
Dr. Ewa Zapora
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fungi
  • fungal metabolites
  • polysaccharides
  • pharmacological applications
  • agricultural innovations
  • crop productivity
  • stress tolerance

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 4466 KiB  
Article
Metabolic Response of Sanghuangporus baumii to Zn2+ Induction and Biosynthesis of a Key Pharmacological Component: Triterpenoid
by Xinyu Tong, Ying Yu, Jin Huang, Ying Xu, Anxin Wang, Zengcai Liu and Li Zou
Microorganisms 2025, 13(5), 1067; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13051067 - 3 May 2025
Viewed by 200
Abstract
Triterpenoids derived from Sanghuangporus baumii exhibit potent antitumor activity, but their yields under natural conditions are relatively low due to their status as secondary metabolites. In this study, we investigated the effects of Zn²⁺ induction on the growth and triterpenoid biosynthesis of S. [...] Read more.
Triterpenoids derived from Sanghuangporus baumii exhibit potent antitumor activity, but their yields under natural conditions are relatively low due to their status as secondary metabolites. In this study, we investigated the effects of Zn²⁺ induction on the growth and triterpenoid biosynthesis of S. baumii. The results showed that 0.5 mM Zn²⁺ significantly enhanced the mycelial growth rate (0.43 ± 0.004 cm/d) and biomass (4.8 ± 0.024 g/L), representing increases of 8.71% and 16.95%, respectively, compared with the Zn0 group. This result was mainly caused by an increase in the soluble sugar content. Furthermore, 5 mM Zn²⁺ induced upregulation of genes in the mevalonate (MVA) pathway, thereby promoting triterpenoid accumulation by 167.86% compared with the Zn0 group. Transcriptome analysis identified SbHMGS as the key gene involved in triterpenoid biosynthesis under Zn²⁺ induction. Heterologous expression of SbHMGS in Saccharomyces cerevisiae confirmed its critical role in triterpenoid production. The triterpenoid (squalene) content of the engineered strain (Sc-HMGS) reached 0.88 mg/g under Zn²⁺ induction, which was 208.6% higher than in the non-induced control strain (Sc-NTC). These findings provide a foundation for optimizing the industrial fermentation condition of S. baumii and S. cerevisiae to enhance triterpenoid yields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Metabolites: Powering Pharmacological and Agricultural Frontiers)
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22 pages, 1907 KiB  
Article
Lipid Production in Cultivable Filamentous Fungi Isolated from Antarctic Soils: A Comprehensive Study
by Victor Gallardo, Jéssica Costa, Marcela Sepúlveda, Yasna Cayún, Christian Santander, Excequel Ponce, Juliana Bittencourt, César Arriagada, Javiera Soto, Romina Pedreschi, Vania Aparecida Vicente, Pablo Cornejo and Cledir Santos
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030504 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 626
Abstract
Antarctic soil represents an important reservoir of filamentous fungi (FF) species with the ability to produce novel bioactive lipids. However, the lipid extraction method is still a bottleneck. The objective of the present work was to isolate and identify cultivable FF from Antarctic [...] Read more.
Antarctic soil represents an important reservoir of filamentous fungi (FF) species with the ability to produce novel bioactive lipids. However, the lipid extraction method is still a bottleneck. The objective of the present work was to isolate and identify cultivable FF from Antarctic soils, to assess the most effective methods for fatty acid (FA) extraction, and to characterise the obtained lipids. A total of 18 fungal strains belonging to the Botrytis, Cladosporium, Cylindrobasidium, Mortierella, Penicillium, Pseudogymnoascus, and Talaromyces genera and the Melanommataceae family were isolated and identified. The Folch, Bligh and Dyer, and Lewis extraction methods were assessed, and methyl esters of FA (FAMEs) were obtained. The Lewis method was the best in recovering FAMEs from fungal biomass. A total of 17 FAs were identified, and their chemical compositions varied depending on fungal species and strain. Oleic, linoleic, stearic, and palmitic acids were predominant for all fungal strains in the three assessed methods. Among the analysed strains, Cylindrobasidium eucalypti, Penicillium miczynskii, P. virgatum, and Pseudogymnoascus pannorum produced high amounts of FA. This suggests that the soils of Antarctica Bay, as well as harbouring known oleaginous fungi, are also an important source of oleaginous filamentous fungi that remain poorly analysed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Metabolites: Powering Pharmacological and Agricultural Frontiers)
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13 pages, 2629 KiB  
Article
Taxane-Producing Fungi Isolated from Taxus globosa Tree Bark
by Jocelyn Guadalupe Guevara-Sánchez, María Guadalupe Aguilar-Uscanga, Carlos Augusto Ledesma-Escobar, Claudia Castro-Martínez, Renaud Condé, Bernardo Sachman-Ruíz and Sandra del Moral
Microorganisms 2025, 13(2), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13020300 - 29 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1088
Abstract
The taxane molecules extracted from the bark of trees from the Taxus genus demonstrate anticancer activity and are the main components of the drug paclitaxel. Even though a great deal of research has been carried out to produce them synthetically, this manufacturing is [...] Read more.
The taxane molecules extracted from the bark of trees from the Taxus genus demonstrate anticancer activity and are the main components of the drug paclitaxel. Even though a great deal of research has been carried out to produce them synthetically, this manufacturing is still dependent on Taxus cell culture. Furthermore, these processes are not suitable for steady taxane production. Therefore, the search for alternative sources of taxane production has generated growing interest amongst the scientific community. The use of endophytic fungi for the obtention of taxane constitutes an attractive alternative. Here, we present an analysis of the taxane production of several microorganisms through LC–QTOF MS/MS. We isolated 21 endophytic fungus strains, identified through sequencing of their internal transcribed spacer region (ITS). The phylogenetic analysis showed the presence of 11 different Fungus genera, namely Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Neurospora, Penicillium, Curvularia, Arcopilus, Biscogniauxia, Hypoxylon, Sordaria, Xylariales, and Gelasinospora. These fungi have been previously described to synthetize distinct metabolites of medical interest, hence supporting the study of their potential taxane production. Here, we report the production of taxadiene by some of these fungi, namely Aspergillus sp. (1.35 μg/L), TgO (0.7 μg/L), Trichoderma harzianum (0.13 μg/L), and Hypoxylon sp. (0.3 μg/L). Furthermore, we also detected the production of baccatin III, a crucial precursor component of the drug paclitaxel. This is the first report of taxane production by fungi phylogenetically related to the Arcopilus and Endoxyla genera. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Metabolites: Powering Pharmacological and Agricultural Frontiers)
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18 pages, 996 KiB  
Article
Unveiling Fungi Armor: Preliminary Study on Fortifying Pisum sativum L. Seeds against Drought with Schizophyllum commune Fries 1815 Polysaccharide Fractions
by Jovana Mišković, Gordana Tamindžić, Milena Rašeta, Maja Ignjatov, Nenad Krsmanović, Gordana Gojgić-Cvijović and Maja Karaman
Microorganisms 2024, 12(6), 1107; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12061107 - 29 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Amidst worsening climate change, drought stress imperils global agriculture, jeopardizing crop yields and food security, thereby necessitating the urgent exploration of sustainable methods like biopriming for the harnessing of beneficial microorganisms to bolster plant resilience. Recent research has revealed diverse biological compounds with [...] Read more.
Amidst worsening climate change, drought stress imperils global agriculture, jeopardizing crop yields and food security, thereby necessitating the urgent exploration of sustainable methods like biopriming for the harnessing of beneficial microorganisms to bolster plant resilience. Recent research has revealed diverse biological compounds with versatile applications produced by Schizophyllum commune, rendering this fungus as a promising contender for biopriming applications. For the first time, this study aimed to investigate the potential of S. commune exo- (EPSH) and intra-polysaccharides (IPSH) isolated from two strains—Italian (ITA) and Serbian (SRB)—under submerged cultivation to enhance the resilience of Pisum sativum L. seeds through the biopriming technique. Testing of the seed quality for the bioprimed, hydroprimed, and unprimed seeds was conducted using a germination test, under optimal and drought conditions, while characterization of the PSHs included FTIR analysis, microanalysis, and determination of total protein content (TPC). The FTIR spectra of EPSH and IPSH were very similar but revealed the impurities, while microanalysis and TPC confirmed a different presence of proteins in the isolated PSHs. In optimal conditions, the IPSH SRB increased germination energy by 5.50% compared to the control; however, the highest percentage of germination (94.70%) was shown after biopriming with the PSH isolated from the ITA strain. Additionally, all assessed treatments resulted in a boost in seedling growth and biomass accumulation, where the ITA strain demonstrated greater effectiveness in optimal conditions, while the SRB strain showed superiority in drought conditions. The drought tolerance indices increased significantly in response to all examined treatments during the drought, with EPSH ITA (23.00%) and EPSH SRB (24.00%) demonstrating the greatest effects. Results of this preliminary study demonstrate the positive effect of isolated PSH, indicating their potential as biopriming agents and offering insights into novel strategies for agricultural resilience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Metabolites: Powering Pharmacological and Agricultural Frontiers)
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