New meroterpenoid compounds from the culture of mushroom Panus lecomtei

A Mushroom P450-Monooxygenase Enables Regio- and Stereoselective Biocatalytic Synthesis of Epoxycyclohexenones

An epoxycyclohexenone (ECH) moiety occurs in natural products of both bacteria and ascomycete and basidiomycete fungi. While the enzymes for ECH formation in bacteria and ascomycetes have been identified and characterized, it remained obscure how this structure is biosynthesized in basidiomycetes. In this study, we i) identified a genetic locus responsible for panepoxydone biosynthesis in the basidiomycete mushroom Panus rudis and ii) biochemically characterized PanH, the cytochrome P450 enzyme catalyzing epoxide formation in this pathway. Using a PanH-producing yeast as a biocatalyst, we synthesized a small library of bioactive ECH compounds as a proof of concept. Furthermore, homology modeling, molecular dynamics simulation, and site directed mutation revealed the substrate specificity of PanH. Remarkably, PanH is unrelated to ECH-forming enzymes in bacteria and ascomycetes, suggesting that mushrooms evolved this biosynthetic capacity convergently and independently of other organisms.

Optimization for the production of a polyketone 3S,4S-DMD from Panus lecomtei (Agaricomycetes) by submerged fermentation

3,4-Dihydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-chroman derivatives have diverse physiological properties. A polyketone (3S,4S)-3,4-Dihydroxy-6-methoxy-2,2-dimethylchromom (3S,4S-DMD) with antibacterial activity was isolated from the solid culture of rare edible fungus Panus lecomtei. However, the yield of 3S,4S-DMD in solid culture of P. lecomtei is very low and the production period are too long. In this work, efficient accumulation of 3S,4S-DMD in P. lecomtei by submerged fermentation is studied. The key fermentation factors of P. lecomtei for 3S,4S-DMD production were optimised by single-factor experiment successively, and then a Box-Behnken design (BBD) experiment was carried out to further enhance 3S,4S-DMD production. A maximum 3S,4S-DMD yield of 196.3 mg/L was obtained at 25.78 g/L glucose, 1.67 g/L MgSO₄ · 7H₂O, 40°C and 197 r/min, respectively, which increased by 1.3-fold in comparison with that in the non-optimised fermentation conditions. Furthermore, an enhanced yield of 3S,4S-DMD (261.6 mg/L) was obtained in 5-L agitated fermenter. The 3S,4S-DMD productivity in flask and fermenter reached to 7.26 and 8.07 mg/g per day, respectively, which considerably increased by over 121-fold in comparison with that in the solid fermentation (0.06 mg/g per day). This study presents a potential method for the production of 3S,4S-DMD by submerged fermentation.

Meroterpenoids: A Comprehensive Update Insight on Structural Diversity and Biology

Meroterpenoids are secondary metabolites formed due to mixed biosynthetic pathways which are produced in part from a terpenoid co-substrate. These mixed biosynthetically hybrid compounds are widely produced by bacteria, algae, plants, and animals. Notably amazing chemical diversity is generated among meroterpenoids via a combination of terpenoid scaffolds with polyketides, alkaloids, phenols, and amino acids. This review deals with the isolation, chemical diversity, and biological effects of 452 new meroterpenoids reported from natural sources from January 2016 to December 2020. Most of the meroterpenoids possess antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, enzyme inhibitory, and immunosupressive effects.