Induction of apoptosis in HepG2 cells by polysaccharide MEP-II from the fermentation broth of Morchella esculenta

Biocontrol potential of endophytic Bacillus subtilis A9 against rot disease of Morchella esculenta

Introduction

Morchella esculenta is a popular edible fungus with high economic and nutritional value. However, the rot disease caused by Lecanicillium aphanocladii, pose a serious threat to the quality and yield of M. esculenta. Biological control is one of the effective ways to control fungal diseases.

Methods and results

In this study, an effective endophytic B. subtilis A9 for the control of M. esculenta rot disease was screened, and its biocontrol mechanism was studied by transcriptome analysis. In total, 122 strains of endophytic bacteria from M. esculenta, of which the antagonistic effect of Bacillus subtilis A9 on L. aphanocladii G1 reached 72.2% in vitro tests. Biological characteristics and genomic features of B. subtilis A9 were analyzed, and key antibiotic gene clusters were detected. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that B. subtilis A9 affected the mycelium and spores of L. aphanocladii G1. In field experiments, the biological control effect of B. subtilis A9 reached to 62.5%. Furthermore, the transcritome profiling provides evidence of B. subtilis A9 bicontrol at the molecular level. A total of 1,246 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the treatment and control group. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that a large number of DEGs were related to antioxidant activity related. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that the main pathways were Nitrogen metabolism, Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPK) signal pathway. Among them, some important genes such as carbonic anhydrase CA (H6S33_007248), catalase CAT (H6S33_001409), tRNA dihydrouridine synthase DusB (H6S33_001297) and NAD(P)-binding protein NAD(P) BP (H6S33_000823) were found. Furthermore, B. subtilis A9 considerably enhanced the M. esculenta activity of Polyphenol oxidase (POD), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Phenylal anineammonia lyase (PAL) and Catalase (CAT).

Conclusion

This study presents the innovative utilization of B. subtilis A9, for effectively controlling M. esculenta rot disease. This will lay a foundation for biological control in Morchella, which may lead to the improvement of new biocontrol agents for production.

Extraction, structure and antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides from morels (Morchella spp.): A review

Morels (Morchella spp.), which are cultivated only in a few regions of the world, are edible mushrooms known for their various properties including antioxidation, immune regulation, antiinflammation, and antitumor effects. Polysaccharides from Morchella are principally responsible for its antioxidant activity. This paper reviews the extraction, purification, structural analysis and antioxidant activity of Morchella polysaccharides (MPs), providing updated research progress. Meanwhile, the structural-property relationships of MPs were further discussed. In addition, based on in vitro and in vivo studies, the major factors responsible for the antioxidant activity of MPs were summarized including scavenging free radicals, reduction capacity, inhibitory lipid peroxidation activity, regulating the signal transduction pathway, reducing the production of ROS and NO, etc. Finally, we hope that our research can provide a reference for further research and development of MPs.

Whole-genome sequencing and evolutionary analysis of the wild edible mushroom, Morchella eohespera

Morels (Morchella, Ascomycota) are an extremely desired group of edible mushrooms with worldwide distribution. Morchella eohespera is a typical black morel species, belonging to the Elata clade of Morchella species. The biological and genetic studies of this mushroom are rare, largely hindering the studies of molecular breeding and evolutionary aspects. In this study, we performed de novo sequencing and assembly of the M. eohespera strain m200 genome using the third-generation nanopore sequencing platform. The whole-genome size of M. eohespera was 53.81 Mb with a contig N50 of 1.93 Mb, and the GC content was 47.70%. A total of 9,189 protein-coding genes were annotated. Molecular dating showed that M. eohespera differentiated from its relative M. conica at ~19.03 Mya (million years ago) in Burdigalian. Evolutionary analysis showed that 657 gene families were contracted and 244 gene families expanded in M. eohespera versus the related morel species. The non-coding RNA prediction results showed that there were 336 tRNAs, 76 rRNAs, and 45 snRNAs in the M. eohespera genome. Interestingly, there was a high degree of repetition (20.93%) in the M. eohespera genome, and the sizes of long interspersed nuclear elements, short interspersed nuclear elements, and long terminal repeats were 0.83 Mb, 0.009 Mb, and 4.56 Mb, respectively. Additionally, selection pressure analysis identified that a total of 492 genes in the M. eohespera genome have undergone signatures of positive selection. The results of this study provide new insights into the genome evolution of M. eohespera and lay the foundation for in-depth research into the molecular biology of the genus Morchella in the future.

Antitumor effects of polysaccharides from medicinal lower plants: A review

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet the drugs currently approved for cancer treatment are associated with significant side effects, making it urgent to develop alternative drugs with low side effects. Polysaccharides are natural polymers with ketone or aldehyde groups, which are widely found in plants and have various biological activities such as immunomodulation, antitumor and hypolipidemic. The lower plants have attracted much attention for their outstanding anticancer effects, and many studies have shown that medicinal lower plant polysaccharides (MLPPs) have antitumor activity against various cancers and are promising alternatives with potential development in the food and pharmaceutical fields. Therefore, this review describes the structure and mechanism of action of MLPPs with antitumor activity. In addition, the application of MLPPs in cancer treatment is discussed, and the future development of MLPPs is explored.

Advance in Morchella sp. polysaccharides: Isolation, structural characterization and structure-activity relationship: A review

Morchella sp. is a kind of precious medicinal and edible fungus with a unique flavor and is rich in various amino acids and organic germanium needed by the human body. Most notably, Morchella sp. polysaccharides have attracted widespread attention due to their significant bioactivity in recent years. At present, extensive studies have been carried out on the extraction methods, structural characterization and activity evaluation of Morchella sp. polysaccharides, which provides a good theoretical basis for its further development and application. However, the systematic summary of the related research of Morchella sp. polysaccharides has not been reported yet. Therefore, this review mainly focused on the isolation and purification methods, structural characterization, biological activities and structure-activity relationship of Morchella sp. polysaccharides. This work will help to have a better in-depth understanding of Morchella sp. polysaccharides and provide a scientific basis and direct reference for more scientific and rational applications.

Effect of water-soluble polysaccharides from Morchella esculenta on high-fat diet-induced obese mice: changes in gut microbiota and metabolic functions

Morchella esculenta polysaccharides exhibit numerous probiotic activities, but their regulatory effects on the gut microbiota are unclear. This study was conducted to explore whether M. esculenta polysaccharides can regulate dysbacteriosis caused by a high-fat diet and relieve obesity. We extracted a water-soluble polysaccharide from M. esculenta (MPF, purity: 96.19%, consisting of 55.97% glucose, 9.63% xylose, and 22% mannose) that reduces mouse fat accumulation, alleviates obesity, and relieves liver injury, after 90 days of high-fat diet intake. This polysaccharide reversed dysbiosis and regulated the abundance of gut microbiota caused by a high-fat diet (restoring the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and changing the abundances of Lactobacillus, Dubosiella, and Faecalibaculum), increasing short-chain fatty acids and decreasing gene expression in the liver (glucose 6-phosphatase, glucose transporter 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR) receptor-1α, PPARα, PPARγ, and CCAAT enhancer binding protein α). We identified a regulatory relationship between polysaccharides, gut microbiota, and the liver as a potential mechanism by which polysaccharides can alleviate obesity.

Investigation of Three Morchella Species for Anticancer Activity Against Colon Cancer Cell Lines by UPLC-MS-Based Chemical Analysis

In search of new anticancer agents, natural products including fungal compounds had been used as potential anticancer agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of Morchella extracts against colon cancer cell line and UPLC-DAD-MS/MS analysis for the identification of compounds. The cytotoxic activity of the three Morchella species was examined for their anti-carcinogenic properties against the colon cancer cell lines. Phytochemical analyses were performed to screen Morchella for the presence of anti-cancerous compounds. All the fungal extracts inhibited the viability of colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Major compounds identified in Morchella included amino acid, fatty acid, sterol, flavonoid, peptide, glutamic acid, alkaloid, terpenoid, cyclopyrrolones, and coumarin. Several new compounds were detected among all the three Morchella extracts. In conclusion, all the fungal extracts showed potential inhibition of colon cancer cells and actively arrested the cell viability. It was concluded that the identified bioactive compounds might be the main constituents contributing to the anticancer activity of Morchella against human colon cancer cell lines. Thus, Morchella extracts are a potential source of bioactive compounds with cytotoxicity and could potentially be used as functional food supplements. Due to the nature of impressive findings, this investigation should be undertaken further to allow the studies to explore and develop a potential cytotoxic agents against colon cancer.

Food and Antioxidant Supplements with Therapeutic Properties of Morchella esculenta (Ascomycetes): A Review

Morchella esculenta, commonly known as yellow morels, is an edible and medicinal mushroom popular worldwide for its unique flavor and culinary purposes. The traditional medical system effectively uses morels against infertility, fatigue, cancer, muscular pain, cough, and cold. The M. esculenta possesses many health-promoting nutritional components such as mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, protein hydrolysates, vitamins, amino acids and minerals. The potential medicinal properties of morels is due to polysaccharides (galactomannan, chitin, β-glucans, and β-1,3-1,6-glucan) present that has high economic importance worldwide. Polysaccharides present possess a broad spectrum of biological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant. However, the toxicity and clinical trials to prove its safety and efficacy for medicinal uses are yet to be evaluated. Moreover, the separation, purification, identification, and structural elucidation of active compounds responsible for the unique flavors and biological activities are still lacking in M. esculenta. The available information provides a new base for future perspectives. It highlights the need for further studies of this potent medicinal mushroom species as a source of beneficial therapeutic drugs and nutraceutical supplements.

Preclinical and Clinical Applications of Metabolomics and Proteomics in Glioblastoma Research

Glioblastoma (GB) is a primary malignancy of the central nervous system that is classified by the WHO as a grade IV astrocytoma. Despite decades of research, several aspects about the biology of GB are still unclear. Its pathogenesis and resistance mechanisms are poorly understood, and methods to optimize patient diagnosis and prognosis remain a bottle neck owing to the heterogeneity of the malignancy. The field of omics has recently gained traction, as it can aid in understanding the dynamic spatiotemporal regulatory network of enzymes and metabolites that allows cancer cells to adjust to their surroundings to promote tumor development. In combination with other omics techniques, proteomic and metabolomic investigations, which are a potent means for examining a variety of metabolic enzymes as well as intermediate metabolites, might offer crucial information in this area. Therefore, this review intends to stress the major contribution these tools have made in GB clinical and preclinical research and highlights the crucial impacts made by the integrative "omics" approach in reducing some of the therapeutic challenges associated with GB research and treatment. Thus, our study can purvey the use of these powerful tools in research by serving as a hub that particularly summarizes studies employing metabolomics and proteomics in the realm of GB diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Morchella esculenta mushroom polysaccharide attenuates diabetes and modulates intestinal permeability and gut microbiota in a type 2 diabetic mice model

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a health issue that causes serious worldwide economic problems. It has previously been reported that natural polysaccharides have been studied with regard to regulating the gut microbiota, which plays an important role in T2DM. Here, we investigate the effects of Morchella esculenta polysaccharide (MEP) on a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2DM in BALB/c mice. The administration of MEP effectively regulated hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia and improved insulin sensitivity. We also determined an improvement in gut microbiota composition by 16sRNA pyrosequencing. Treatment with MEP showed an increase in beneficial bacteria, i.e., Lactobacillus and Firmicutes, while the proportion of the opportunistic bacteria Actinobacteria, Corynebacterium, and Facklamia decreased. Furthermore, the treatment of T2DM mice with MEP resulted in reduced endotoxemia and insulin resistance-related pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Moreover, MEP treatment improved intestinal permeability by modulating the expression of the colon tight-junction proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), occludin, claudin-1, and mucin-2 protein (MUC2). Additionally, MEP administration affects the metagenome of microbial communities in T2DM mice by altering the functional metabolic pathways. All these findings suggested that MEP is a beneficial prebiotic associated with ameliorating the gut microbiota and its metabolites in T2DM.

Morchella esculenta polysaccharide attenuate obesity, inflammation and modulate gut microbiota

Edible mushrooms have now been suggested as promising sources of biological functional ingredients and are the subject of the most recent nutrition research and novel functional foods. Polysaccharides from mushrooms exhibit impressive biological effects, notably against obesity. Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and hyperpermeability of the colon. Here, we prove that mushrooms Morchella esculenta polysaccharide (MEP) effects on HFD-induced obesity, colonic inflammation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Our findings demonstrate MEP supplementation attenuates obesity parameters and reduces inflammation in the colon via regulation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inactivation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Furthermore, MEP administration restores gut microbiota dysregulation by ameliorating Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes proportion as well as enhancing beneficial bacteria, like Lactobacillus, and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria like Enterococcus. MEP improves gut integrity by increasing tight junction proteins (TJs) and reducing endotoxin levels by controlling Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in HFD-induced obese mice. These results demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of MEP in attenuating HFD-induced obesity via regulating inflammatory cascades, ameliorating the gut microbiome, and modulating gut integrity.

Recent Advances on Bioactive Ingredients of Morchella esculenta

Morchella esculenta (M. esculenta) is a delicious edible mushroom prized for its special flavor and strong health promoting abilities. Several bioactive ingredients including polysaccharides, polyphenolic compounds, proteins, and protein hydrolysates all contribute to the biological activities of M. esculenta. Different polysaccharides could be extracted and purified depending on the extraction methods and M. esculenta studied. Monosaccharide composition of M. esculenta polysaccharides (MEP) generally includes mannose, galactose, and glucose, etc. MEP possess multiple bioactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammation, immunoregulation, hypoglycemic activity, atherosclerosis prevention and antitumor ability. Other components like polyphenols, protein hydrolysates, and several crude extracts are also reported with strong bioactivities. In terms of potential applications of M. esculenta and its metabolites as nutritional supplements and drug supplements, this review aims to comprehensively summarize the structural characteristics, biological activities, research progress, and research trends of the active ingredients produced by M. esculenta. Among the various biological activities, the substances extracted from both natural collected and submerged fermented M. esculenta are promising for antioxidants, immunomodulation, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory applications. However, further researches on the extraction conditions and chemical structure of bioactive compounds produced by M. esculenta still need investigations.

Isolation, Characterization, and Medicinal Potential of Polysaccharides of Morchella esculenta

Mushroom polysaccharides are active medicinal compounds that possess immune-modulatory and anticancer properties. Currently, the mushroom polysaccharides krestin, lentinan, and polysaccharopeptides are used as anticancer drugs. They are an unexplored source of natural products with huge potential in both the medicinal and nutraceutical industries. The northern parts of Pakistan have a rich biodiversity of mushrooms that grow during different seasons of the year. Here we selected an edible Morchella esculenta (true morels) of the Ascomycota group for polysaccharide isolation and characterization. Polysaccharopeptides and polysaccharides from this mushroom were isolated using the green chemistry, hot water treatment method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the sugar nature and possible beta-glucan type structure of these polysaccharides. Antioxidant assays showed that the deproteinized polysaccharides have moderate free radical scavenging activity. These isolated polysaccharides exhibited good acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyryl cholinesterase (BChE) inhibition activities. Therefore, these polysaccharides may be valuable for the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Further bioassays are needed to discover the true potential of M. esculenta polysaccharides for medicinal purposes.

Polysaccharide from wild morels alters the spatial structure of gut microbiota and the production of short-chain fatty acids in mice

Polysaccharides from morels possess many characteristics beneficial to health, such as anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities. The gut microbiota plays a critical role in the modulation of immune function. However, the impact of morel polysaccharides on the gut microbiota has not yet been explored. In this study, a high-throughput pyrosequencing technique was used to investigate the effects of MP, a new heteropolysaccharide extracted from wild morels, on the diversity and composition of microbiota along the intestine in mice, as well as the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The results showed that MP treatment increased the number of operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) and diversity along the intestine, especially in the small intestine. MP treatment induced a significant decrease in the number of Firmicutes and a significant increase in the number of Bacteroidetes in the small intestine microbiota. It was also observed that the relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria, especially Lachnospiraceae, was increased in both the cecum and colon of MP-treated mice. Moreover, MP promoted the production of SCFAs in mice. These results provide a foundation for further understanding the health benefits conferred by morel polysaccharides.

The effect of polysaccharides from Cibotium barometz on enhancing temozolomide-induced glutathione exhausted in human glioblastoma U87 cells, as revealed by 1H NMR metabolomics analysis

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant central nervous system tumor, with poor prognosis. Temozolomide (TMZ) has been used as a first-line drug for the treatment of GBM for over a decade, but its treatment benefits are limited by acquired resistance. Polysaccharides from Cibotium barometz (CBPs) are polysaccharides purified from the root of Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm., possessing sensitizing activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effect of CBP from different processing methods on U87 cells using a ¹H NMR-based metabolic approach, complemented with qRT-PCR and flow cytometry, to identify potential markers and discover the targets to explore the underlying mechanism. Cibotium barometz is usually processed under sand heating in clinical applications. Polysaccharides from both the processed (PCBP) and raw (RCBP) C. barometz were prepared, and the effect on enhancing the sensitivity to TMZ was investigated in vitro. CBP can significantly increase the toxicity of TMZ to the U87 cell line, promote apoptosis, enhance cell cycle changes, and arrest cells in S phase, and RCBP demonstrated better activity. Multivariate statistical analyses, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structure with discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), were used to identify metabolic biomarkers, and 12 metabolites in the cell extract samples were clearly identified as altered after RCBP exposure. NMR-based cell metabolomics provided a holistic method for the identification of CBP's apoptosis-enhancing mechanisms and the exploration of its potential applications in preclinical and clinical studies.

Effect of polysaccharide FMP-1 from Morchella esculenta on melanogenesis in B16F10 cells and zebrafish

Polysaccharides from Morchella esculenta are known to exhibit diverse bioactivities, while an anti-melanogenesis effect has been barely addressed. Herein, the anti-melanogenesis activity of a heteropolysaccharide from M. esculenta (FMP-1) was investigated in vitro and in vivo. FMP-1 had no significant cytotoxic effect on B16F10 melanoma cells as well as zebrafish larvae, but did reduce melanin contents and tyrosinase activities in both of them. Treatment with FMP-1 also effectively suppressed the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins, including MC1R, MITF, TRP-1 and TRP-2, through decreasing the phosphorylation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB). Moreover, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was observed mediating FMP-1's inhibitory effect against melanin production. Specifically, FMP-1 treatment markedly inhibited the activation of phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. These results suggested that FMP-1's inhibitory effect against melanogenesis is mediated by the inhibition of CREB and p38 signaling pathways, thereby resulting in the downstream repression of melanogenesis-related proteins and the subsequent melanin production. These data provide insight into FMP-1's potential anti-melanogenesis effect in food and cosmetic industries.

Distribution of Mycelia of Morchella esculenta in Wild Field

It was well-known that Morchella esculenta has a life cycle including vegetative hyphae, sclerotia, primordia, and fruiting bodies, but there is no report yet about the influence of mycelial mass on fruiting process. Since 2014, we have developed an ELISA method to detect the content of Morchella esculenta. In this study, we utilized this method to measure the mycelia content, and find the correlation between mycelial content and fruiting in the wild. The study demonstrated the changes of mycelial concentration at different location around fruiting spot.

The potential neuritogenic activity of aqueous extracts from Morchella importuna in rat pheochromocytoma cells

The aim of this study was to explore the neuritogenic effects of aqueous extracts from the fruiting bodies of Morchella importuna (MEA). 3-(4, 5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was carried out to assess the cytotoxicity of MEA. Neurite outgrowth stimulation assay was used to evaluate the potentiation of neuritogenic activity induced by MEA. The specific inhibitors for TrkA, MEK/ERK and PI3K signaling pathway were served to clarify the mechanism of MEA's neuritogenic effects. It was shown that MEA could mimic neuritogenic activity of NGF, a kind of representative neurotrophic factors with no significant cytotoxicity, and stimulate neurite outgrowth in a dose-dependent manner of PC12 cells. The neuritogenic activity induced by MEA required activity of PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways, as well as parts of TrkA receptor. Accordingly, MEA could be used as a promising neuritogenic-stimulation compound for nervous diseases treatment.

Metagenomic insights into the effects of volatile fatty acids on microbial community structures and functional genes in organotrophic anammox process

To explore the metabolic versatility of "Candidatus Brocadia sinica" in the presence of VFAs, the impacts of VFAs on anammox activity and nitrogen removal were investigated in this study. Results found that low VFAs concentrations has no affect on anammox activity and the removal efficiencies of NH4(+)-N and NO2(-)-N. However, "Ca. Brocadia sinica" showed higher adaptability to some VFAs stresses. Furthermore, Illumina MiSeq pyrosequencing results indicated that the microbial community structures varied significantly and the phyla Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Chlorobi were dominated. Finally, qPCR was performed to validate the growth of anammox bacteria and gain the quantitative insights into the correlation between nitrogen transformation rates and the key functional genes in the organotrophic anammox system. Combined analysis clearly demonstrated that the coupling of the anammox, denitrification and DNRA were the noteworthy pathway for the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and organic carbon.

Oxidative stress response of Blakeslea trispora induced by H2O2 during β-carotene biosynthesis

The cellular response of Blakeslea trispora to oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in shake flask culture was investigated in this study. A mild oxidative stress was created by adding 40 μm of H2O2 into the medium after 3 days of the fermentation. The production of β-carotene increased nearly 38 % after a 6-day culture. Under the oxidative stress induced by H2O2, the expressions of hmgr, ipi, carG, carRA, and carB involving the β-carotene biosynthetic pathway all increased in 3 h. The aerobic metabolism of glucose remarkably accelerated within 24 h. In addition, the specific activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly increased. These changes of B. trispora were responses for reducing cell injury, and the reasons for increasing β-carotene production caused by H2O2.