Construction of Efficient Recombinant Strain Through Genome Shuffling in Marine Endophytic Fusarium sp. ALAA-20 for Improvement Lovastatin Production Using Agro-Industrial Wastes

Bioremediation petroleum wastewater and oil-polluted soils by the non-toxigenic indigenous fungi

Soil and wastewater samples contaminated by petroleum-related industries were collected from various locations in Saudi Arabia, a country known for its vast oil reserves. The samples were analyzed for their physicochemical properties, including the presence of metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and aromatic compounds. A total of 264 fungal isolates were analyzed and categorized into eight groups of Aspergillus (194 isolates) and four groups of Penicillium (70 isolates). The potential of these fungal groups to grow in oil or its derivatives was investigated. Two isolates, Aspergillus tubingensis FA-KSU5 and A. niger FU-KSU69, were utilized in two remediation experiments-one targeting wastewater and the other focusing on polluted soil. The FA-KSU5 strain demonstrated complete removal of Fe3+, As3+, Cr6+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Cd2+, with bioremediation efficiency for petroleum hydrocarbons in the wastewater from these sites ranging between 90.80 and 98.58%. Additionally, the FU-KSU69 strain achieved up to 100% reduction of Co2+, Ba2+, B3+, V+, Ni2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+, with removal efficiency ranging from 93.17 to 96.02% for aromatic hydrocarbons after 180 min of wastewater treatment. After 21 days of soil incubation with Aspergillus tubingensis FA-KSU5, there was a 93.15% to 98.48% reduction in total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and an 88.11% to 97.31% decrease in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This strain exhibited the highest removal rates for Cd2+ and As3+ followed by Fe3+, Zn2+, Cr6+, Se4+ and Cu2+. Aspergillus niger FU-KSU69 achieved a 90.37% to 94.90% reduction in TPHs and a 95.13% to 98.15% decrease in PAHs, with significant removal of Ni2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+, followed by Co2+, V+, Ba2+ and B3+. The enzymatic activity in the treated soils increased by 1.54- to 3.57-fold compared to the polluted soil. Although the mixture of wastewater and polluted soil exhibited high cytotoxicity against normal human cell lines, following mycoremediation, all treated soils and effluents with the dead fungal biomass showed no toxicity against normal human cell lines at concentrations up to 500 µL/mL, with IC50 values ≥ 1000 µL/mL. SEM and IR analysis revealed morphological and biochemical alterations in the biomass of A. tubingensis FA-KSU5 and A. niger FA-KSU69 when exposed to petroleum effluents. This study successfully introduces non-toxigenic and environmentally friendly fungal strains play a crucial role in the bioremediation of contaminated environments. Both strains serve as low-cost and effective adsorbents for bio-remediating petroleum wastewater and oil-contaminated soil. Heavy metals and hydrocarbons, the primary pollutants, were either completely removed or reduced to permissible levels according to international guidelines using the dead biomass of FA-KSU5 and FA-KSU69 fungi. Consequently, the environments associated with this globally significant industry are rendered biologically safe, particularly for humans, as evidenced by the absence of cytotoxicity in samples treated with A. tubingensis FA-KSU5 and A. niger FA-KSU69 on various human cell types.

Evaluation of resistance patterns and bioremoval efficiency of hydrocarbons and heavy metals by the mycobiome of petroleum refining wastewater in Jazan with assessment of molecular typing and cytotoxicity of Scedosporium apiospermum JAZ-20

Jazan Industrial Economic City (JIEC) is located on the Red Sea coast in the province of Jazan, southwest of Saudi Arabia anchors diverse heavy and secondary industries in the energy, water desalination, petroleum, aluminum, copper, refineries, pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing fields. These various industries generate a large quantity of industrial wastewaters containing various toxicants. The present work represents ecologically beneficial alternatives for the advancement of environmental biotechnology, which could help mitigate the adverse impacts of environmental pollution resulting from petroleum refining effluents. The mycobiome (32 fungal strains) isolated from the industrial wastewater of the refinery sector in Jazan were belonged to five fungal genera including Fusarium, Verticillium, Purpureocillium, Clavispora and Scedosporium with a distribution percentage of 31.25, 21.88, 15.63, 12.50 and 18.75 %, respectively. These isolates showed multimetals tolerance and bioremoval efficiency against a large number of heavy metals (Fe2+, Ni2+, Cr6+, Zn2+, As3+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Ag+ and Hg2+) along with potent bioremediation activity toward crude oil and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Interestingly, the mycobiome resistance patterns obtained against different classes of fungal antibiotics including azole (fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole and ketoconazole), echinocandin (anidulafungin, caspofungin and micafungin) and polyene (amphotericin B) drugs proved the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among the mycobiome of refinery industry in Saudi Arabia is relatively low. The fungal isolate under isolation code JAZ-20 showed the highest bioremoval efficiency against heavy metals (90.8-100.0 %), crude oil (89.50 %), naphthalene (96.7 %), phenanthrene (92.52 %), fluoranthene (100.0 %), anthracene (90.34 %), pyrene (85.60 %) and chrysene (83.4 %). It showed the highest bioremoval capacity ranging from 85.72 % to 100.0 % against numerous pollutants found in a wide array of industrial effluents, including diclofenac, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole, bisphenol, bleomycin, vincristine, dicofol, methyl parathion, atrazine, diuron, dieldrin, chlorpyrifos, profenofos and phenanthrene. The isolate JAZ-20 was chosen for molecular typing, cytotoxicity assessment, analysis of volatile compounds and optimization investigations. Based on phenotypic, biochemical and phylogenetic analysis, strain JAZ-20 identified as Scedosporium apiospermum JAZ-20. This strain is newly discovered in industrial effluents in Saudi Arabia. Fungal strain JAZ-20 consistently produced various types of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. the main fatty acids were C14:0 (1.95 %), iso-C14:0 (2.98 %), anteiso-C14:0 (2.13 %), iso-C15:0 (9.16 %), anteiso-C15:0 (11.75 %), C15:0 (7.42 %), C15:1 (2.37 %), anteiso-C16:0 (3.4 %), C16:0 (10.3 %), iso-C16:0 (9.5 %), C17:1 (1.36 %), anteiso-C17:1 (8.64 %), iso-C18:0 (11.0 %), C18:0 (3.63 %), anteiso-C19:0 (3.78 %), anteiso-C20:0 (2.0 %), iso-C21:0 (2.44 %), C23:0 (1.15 %), and C24:0 (2.17 %). These fatty acids serve as natural and eco-friendly antifungal agents, promoting fungal resistance and inhibiting the production of mycotoxins in the environment. Despite being an environmental isolate, its cytotoxicity was assessed against both normal and cancerous human cell lines. The IC50 values of JAZ-20 extract were 8.92, 10.41, 20.0, 16.5, and 40.0 μg/mL against WI38, MRC5, MCF10A, HEK293 and HDFs normal cells and 43.26, 33.75, and 40.0 μg/mL against liver (HepG2), breast (A549) and cervix (HeLa) cancers, respectively. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), analysis the extract of S. apiospermum JAZ-20 showed 47 known volatile compounds (VOCs) for varied and significant biological activities. Enhancing the bioremoval efficiency of heavy metals from actual refining wastewater involves optimizing process parameters. The parameters optimized were the contact time, the fungal biomass dosage, pH, temperature and agitation rate.

Kinetic and thermodynamic investigation of Rhodanese synthesized by enhanced Klebsiella oxytoca JCM 1665 strain: a comparative between the free and immobilized enzyme entrapped in alginate beads

Klebsiella oxytoca JCM 1665 was subjected to extracellular rhodanese production using a submerged fermentation technique. The organism was further engineered for higher cyanide tolerance and rhodanese yield using ethylmethanesulfonate as a mutagen. Mutagenesis resulted in an improved mutant with high cyanide tolerance (100 mM) and rhodanese yield (26.7 ± 0.67 U/mL). This yield was 4.34-fold higher than the wild strain (6.15 ± 0.65 U/mL). At temperatures ranging from 30 to 80 °C, the first-order thermal denaturation constant (Kd) for free enzyme increases from 0.00818 to 0.0333 min-1 while the immobilized enzyme increases from 0.003 to 0.0204 min-1. The equivalent half-life reduces from 99 to 21 minutes and 231 to 35 minutes, respectively. Residual activity tests were used to assess the thermodynamic parameters for both enzyme preparations. For the free enzyme, the parameters obtained were enthalpy (29.40 to 29.06 kJ.mol-1), entropy (-194.24 to -197.50 J.mol-1K-1) and Gibbs free energy (90.20 to 98.80 kJ.mol-1). In addition, for immobilized rhodanese, we obtained enthalpy (40.40 to 40.07 kJ.mol-1), entropy (-164.21 to - 165.20 J.mol-1K-1) and Gibbs free energy (91.80 to 98.40 kJ.mol-1. Regarding its operational stability, the enzyme was able to maintain 63% of its activity after being used for five cycles. Immobilized K. oxytoca rhodanese showed a marked resistance to heat inactivation compared to free enzyme forms; making it of utmost significance in many biotechnological applications.

Bioremoval of heavy metals from aqueous solution using dead biomass of indigenous fungi derived from fertilizer industry effluents: isotherm models evaluation and batch optimization

The present work investigated the utilization of dead biomass of the highly multi-heavy metals tolerant indigenous fungal strain NRCA8 isolated from the mycobiome of fertilizer industry effluents that containing multiple heavy metal ions at high levels to remove Pb2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+ as multiple solutes from multi-metals aqueous solutions for the first time. Based on morphotype, lipotype and genotype characteristics, NRCA8 was identified as Cladosporium sp. NRCA8. The optimal conditions for the bioremoval procedure in the batch system were pH 5.5 for maximum removal (91.30%, 43.25%, and 41.50%) of Pb2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+ but pH 6.0 supported the maximum bioremoval and uptake of Ni2+ (51.60% and 2.42 mg/g) by NRCA8 dead biomass from the multi-metals aqueous solution, respectively. The 30 min run time supported the highest removal efficiency and uptake capacity of all heavy metals under study. Moreover, the equilibrium between the sorbent NRCA8 fungal biomass and sorbates Ni2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ was attained after increasing the dead biomass dose to 5.0 g/L. Dead NRCA8 biomass was described by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer before and after biosorption of Pb2+, Ni2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+ under multiple metals system. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Kaganer-Radushkevich isotherms were applied to characterize the adsorption equilibrium between Pb2+, Ni2+, Mn2+ and Zn2+ and the adsorbent NRCA8. By comparing the obtained coefficient of regression (R2) by Freundlich (0.997, 0.723, 0.999, and 0.917), Langmiur (0.974, 0.999, 0.974, and 0.911) and Dubinin-Radushkevich (0.9995, 0.756, 0.9996 and 0.900) isotherms values for Pb2+, Zn2+, Ni2+ and Mn2+ adsorption, respectively, it was found that the isotherms are proper in their own merits in characterization the possible of NRCA8 for removal of Pb2+, Zn2+, Ni2+ and Mn2+. DKR isotherm is the best for Pb2+ and Ni2+ (0.9995 and 0.9996) while Langmiur isotherm giving a good fit to the Zn2+ sorption (0.9990) as well as Freundlich isotherm giving a good fit to the Mn2+ sorption (0.9170). The efficiencies of Cladosporium sp. NRCA8 dead biomass for bioremoval of heavy metals from real wastewater under the optimized conditions were Pb2+, Ag+, Mn2+, Zn2+ and Al3+ ˃ Ni2+ ˃ Cr6+ ˃ Co2+ ˃ Fe3+ ˃ Cu2+ ˃ Cd2+. Dead NRCA8 biomass showed efficient ability to adsorb and reduce harmful components in the industrial effluents to a level acceptable for discharge into the environment.

Improving statins production: From non-genetic strategies to genetic strategies

Statins are lipid-lowering drugs that selectively inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, effectively reducing cholesterol synthesis. With improved nutritional conditions, the demand for statins is increasing in the global market. The use of microbial cell factories for statin biosynthesis has become advantageous due to the rapid advancements in biotechnology. These approaches offer simple operation and easy separation of products. This review provides an overview the strategies for statins production via microbial cell factories, including both traditional fermentation culture (non-genetic) and modern synthetic biology manufacture (genetic). Firstly, the complex fermentation parameters and process control technology on submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) are introduced in detail. The potential use of recoverable agricultural wastes/(biomass) as a fermentation substrate in SSF for statin production is emphasized. Additionally, metabolic engineering strategies for constructing robust engineering strains and directed evolution are also discussed. The review highlights the potential and challenges of using microbial cell factories for statin production, and aims to promote greener production modes for statins.

Performance and mechanism of co-culture of Monascus purpureus, Lacticaseibacillus casei, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to enhance lovastatin production and lipid-lowering effects

To facilitate lipid-lowering effects, a lovastatin-producing microbial co-culture system (LPMCS) was constituted with a novel strain Monascus purpureus R5 in combination with Lacticaseibacillus casei S5 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae J7, which increased lovastatin production by 54.21% compared with the single strain R5. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) optimization indicated lovastatin yield peaked at 7.43 mg/g with a fermentation time of 13.88 d, water content of 50.5%, and inoculum ratio of 10.27%. Meanwhile, lovastatin in LPMCS co-fermentation extracts (LFE) was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Cellular experiments demonstrated that LFE exhibited no obvious cytotoxicity to L-02 cells and exhibited excellent biosafety. Most notably, high-dose LFE (100 mg/L) exhibited the highest reduction of lipid accumulation, total cholesterol, and triglycerides simultaneously in oleic acid-induced L-02 cells, which decreased by 71.59%, 38.64%, and 58.85% than untreated cells, respectively. Overall, LPMCS provides a potential approach to upgrade the lipid-lowering activity of Monascus-fermented products with higher health-beneficial effects.

Contribution of endophytes towards improving plant bioactive metabolites: a rescue option against red-taping of medicinal plants

Medicinal plants remain a valuable source for natural drug bioprospecting owing to their multi-target spectrum. However, their use as raw materials for novel drug synthesis has been greatly limited by unsustainable harvesting leading to decimation of their wild populations coupled with inherent low concentrations of constituent secondary metabolites per unit mass. Thus, adding value to the medicinal plants research dynamics calls for adequate attention. In light of this, medicinal plants harbour endophytes which are believed to be contributing towards the host plant survival and bioactive metabolites through series of physiological interference. Stimulating secondary metabolite production in medicinal plants by using endophytes as plant growth regulators has been demonstrated to be one of the most effective methods for increasing metabolite syntheses. Use of endophytes as plant growth promotors could help to ensure continuous supply of medicinal plants, and mitigate issues with fear of extinction. Endophytes minimize heavy metal toxicity in medicinal plants. It has been hypothesized that when medicinal plants are exposed to harsh conditions, associated endophytes are the primary signalling channels that induce defensive reactions. Endophytes go through different biochemical processes which lead to activation of defence mechanisms in the host plants. Thus, through signal transduction pathways, endophytic microorganisms influence genes involved in the generation of secondary metabolites by plant cells. Additionally, elucidating the role of gene clusters in production of secondary metabolites could expose factors associated with low secondary metabolites by medicinal plants. Promising endophyte strains can be manipulated for enhanced production of metabolites, hence, better probability of novel bioactive metabolites through strain improvement, mutagenesis, co-cultivation, and media adjustment.

Multimetal bioremediation from aqueous solution using dead biomass of Mucor sp. NRCC6 derived from detergent manufacturing effluent

Among ten metal-tolerant fungal isolates obtained from the microbiomes of detergent industry effluent, Mucor sp. NRCC6 showed the highest tolerance and an adaptive behavior toward the heavy metals Ni2+, Pb2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+. It gave the highest growth rates 0.790 ± 0.59, 0.832 ± 0.32, 0.774 ± 0.40, and 0.741 ± 1.06 mm/h along with the lowest growth inhibition 9.19, 4.37, 11.04, and 14.83% in the presence of Pb2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, and Mn2+, respectively, at a concentration of 5.0 g/L. Then, Mucor sp. NRCC6 was selected as a biotrap for the removal of these heavy metals. The optimized operating conditions were detected to be pH 6.0 for Pb2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+ and pH 5.5 for Ni2+ at 30 °C; agitation speed 150 rpm; contact time 30 min for Mn2+ and Ni2+, 30-60 min for Pb2+, and 90-180 min for Zn2+; NRCC6 biomass dosage 5.0 g/L for Ni2+ and Pb2+ and 10.0 g/L for Mn2+ and Zn2+; and initial concentration 12 mg/L of each ion in the multimetal aqueous solutions. Under these optimized conditions, the adsorption capacity for Pb2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+ reached 98.75, 59.25, 58.33, and 50.83%. The Langmuir isotherm was the best for describing the adsorption of Zn2+ (0.970) and Mn2+ (0.977). The Freundlich isotherm significantly giving a good fit to the adsorption of Pb2+ (0.998) while the adsorption of Ni2+ onto NRCC6 biomass can follow DKR (0.998). Furthermore, the current study revealed that Mucor sp. NRCC6 fungus is a new efficient and eco-friendly method that revealed a maximum removal of 100% for Pb2+ and Zn2+ as well as 97.39, 88.70, 78.95, 74.0, 70.22, 68.57, and 60.0% for Ni2+, Mn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Fe3+, As2+, and Cr6+ from the industrial wastewater, respectively.

Antifungal Potential of Marine Organisms of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) against Medically Important Candida spp

Invasive fungal infections represent a global health threat. They are associated with high mortality and morbidity rates, partly due to the ineffectiveness of the available antifungal agents. The rampant increase in infections recalcitrant to the current antifungals has worsened this scenario and made the discovery of new and more effective antifungals a pressing health issue. In this study, 65 extracts from marine organisms of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, were screened for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, two of the most prevalent fungal species that cause nosocomial invasive fungal infections worldwide. A total of 51 sponges, 13 ascidians and 1 gorgonian were collected from the coral reef and mangrove forest in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and extracted with organic solvents. Nine crude extracts showed potent antifungal activity, of which four extracts from the sponge species Aiolochroia crassa, Amphimedon compressa, Monanchora arbuscula and Agelas citrina had promising activity against Candida spp. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the M. arbuscula extract revealed the remarkable fungicidal activity of some fractions. Analysis of the chemical composition of one of the most active fractions by UHPLC-HRMS and NMR indicated the presence of mirabilin B and penaresidin B, and their contribution to the observed antifungal activity is discussed. Overall, this work highlights marine organisms of the Yucatan Peninsula as important reservoirs of natural products with promising fungicidal activity, which may greatly advance the treatment of invasive fungal infections, especially those afflicting immunosuppressed patients.

Production of Lovastatin using Liquid Cheese Whey by Fusarium nectrioides (MH173849), an Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Euphorbia hirta

Lovastatin is a naturally produced 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase enzyme inhibitor- used for treating hypercholesterolemia. It was the first statin drug which was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). In the current study, endophytic fungus Fusarium nectrioides (MH173849) isolated from Euphorbia hirta L. was used for the production of lovastatin. Four different culture media indicated as M1, M2, M3 and M4 were used for the initial production of lovastatin. Liquid cheese whey was used as nitrogen source. Growth morphology of fungi was investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis. Also, parameters like temperature, pH, inoculum size, incubation time, and RPM were optimized for the obtaining highest lovastatin production. Among the four media, M4 was found to produce the maximum concentration of lovastatin. Parameters such as temperature of 28°C, pH 6, RPM – 180 rpm and inoculum size of 5 x107 spores/mL were optimal for the production of lovastatin by F. nectrioides (MH173849).

Assessment of the phylogenetic analysis and antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer activities of marine endophytic Streptomyces species of the soft coral Sarcophyton convolutum

In the present work, the extensive biological activities of marine endophytic Streptomyces strains isolated from marine soft coral Sarcophyton convolutum have been demonstrated. Within fifty-one Streptomyces isolates evaluated for their hydrolytic enzymes and enzyme inhibitors productivities, six isolates showed the hyperactivities. Pharmaceutical metabolites productivities evaluated include enzymes (alkaline protease, L-asparaginase, L-glutaminase, tyrosinase, and L-methioninase) and enzyme inhibitors (inhibitors of α-amylase, hyaluronidase, β-lactamase, α-glucosidase, and β-glucosidase). These isolates were identified based on their morphological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics as Streptomyces sp. MORSY 17, Streptomyces sp. MORSY 22, Streptomyces sp. MORSY 25, Streptomyces sp. MORSY 36, Streptomyces sp. MORSY 45, and Streptomyces sp. MORSY 50. Moreover, in further evaluation, these strains exhibited wide spectrum of antimicrobial (against bacteria and fungi), antiviral (against hepatitis C virus), antibiofilm against biofilm-forming bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas species), and anti-proliferative activities (against liver and colon carcinoma cell lines). The GC-MS analysis of the hyperactive strains MORSY 17 and MORSY 22 revealed the presence of different bioactive agents in the ethyl acetate extract of both strains.