Aspertaichunol A, an Immunomodulatory Polyketide with an Uncommon Scaffold from the Insect-Derived Endophytic Aspergillus taichungensis SMU01

Discovery of an immunosuppressive functional metabolite from the insect-derived endophytic Aspergillus taichungensis SMU01

Three p-terphenyl metabolites (1-3), three indole-diterpenoids (4-6), an herbicide sesquiterpene (7), a flavonoid (8), and five other small molecules containing nitrogen (9-13) were isolated from the medicinal insect (Periplaneta americana)-derived endophytic Aspergillus taichungensis SMU01. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and quantum chemical computational methods. Biological activity of these isolates in the differentiation of mouse CD4+ T cell subsets was evaluated. Importantly, metabolites 2 targeting JAK-STAT signaling pathway could hold potential benefits in maintaining peripheral immune homeostasis and alleviating the progression of autoimmune diseases.

The novel nematicide chiricanine A suppresses Bursaphelenchus xylophilus pathogenicity in Pinus massoniana by inhibiting Aspergillus and its secondary metabolite, sterigmatocystin

Introduction

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is responsible for extensive economic and ecological damage to Pinus spp. forests and plantations worldwide. PWD is caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) and transmitted into pine trees by a vector insect, the Japanese pine sawyer (JPS, Monochamus alternatus). Host infection by PWN will attract JPS to spawn, which leads to the co-existence of PWN and JPS within the host tree, an essential precondition for PWD outbreaks. Through the action of their metabolites, microbes can manipulate the co-existence of PWN and JPS, but our understanding on how key microorganisms engage in this process remains limited, which severely hinders the exploration and utilization of promising microbial resources in the prevention and control of PWD.

Methods

In this study we investigated how the PWN-associated fungus Aspergillus promotes the co-existence of PWN and JPS in the host trees (Pinus massoniana) via its secondary metabolite, sterigmatocystin (ST), by taking a multi-omics approach (phenomics, transcriptomics, microbiome, and metabolomics).

Results

We found that Aspergillus was able to promote PWN invasion and pathogenicity by increasing ST biosynthesis in the host plant, mainly by suppressing the accumulation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) in plant tissues that could counter PWN. Further, ST accumulation triggered the biosynthesis of VOC (volatile organic compounds) that attracts JPS and drives the coexistence of PWN and JPS in the host plant, thereby encouraging the local transmission of PWD. Meanwhile, we show that application of an Aspergillus inhibitor (chiricanine A treatment) results in the absence of Aspergillus and decreases the in vivo ST amount, thereby sharply restricting the PWN development in host. This further proved that Aspergillus is vital and sufficient for promoting PWD transmission.

Discussion

Altogether, these results document, for the first time, how the function of Aspergillus and its metabolite ST is involved in the entire PWD transmission chain, in addition to providing a novel and long-term effective nematicide for better PWD control in the field.

Astellolides R-W, Drimane-Type Sesquiterpenoids from an Aspergillus parasiticus Strain Associated with an Isopod

Sesquiterpenoids with a cage-like multiring frame are rarely found in nature. Mining of the isopod-derived fungus Aspergillus parasiticus SDU001 by the one strain-many compounds (OSMAC) strategy unexpectedly led to the discovery of fungal drimane-type sesquiterpenoids astellolide R (1), featuring an unusual cage-like 6/6/5/6/5 pentacyclic ring system, astellolide S (2), possessing a rare nicotinic acid building block, and astellolides T-W (3-6). Their structures were comprehensively assigned by spectroscopic data analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Furthermore, compounds 3 and 5 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the lipopolyssacharide-induced NO production in RAW264.7 macrophages with IC₅₀ values of 6.1 ± 0.8 and 6.8 ± 0.8 μM, respectively. A putative biosynthetic pathway for 1 is proposed. Our results enlarge the chemical space of the drimane-type sesquiterpenoids generated from endophytic fungi.

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