Fang Yong-Gang, Khan Zahid, Hu Fang-Cheng, Su Xiao-Hong, Xing Lian-Xi
College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
Zoology Department, University of Swabi, Anbar 23560, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2025 Feb 26;47(3):149. doi: 10.3390/cimb47030149.
Ergosterol is a component of fungal cell membranes that has physiological functions and applications in drugs, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-fungal, and other immunosuppressive activities. The fungus , also known as the termite ball fungus, primarily contains secondary metabolites (like active ingredients) that are similar to ergosterol. To enhance the synthesis of ergosterol and mycelial biomass in termite ball fungus, methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid were used to stimulate the biosynthesis of ergosterol compounds during the growth of TMB mycelium and relative quantitative levels of gene transcripts. The conditions of the inducers were optimized. Under 80 µmol/L MJ incubation conditions, the content of ergosterol compounds in TMB was increased by 2.23-fold compared with the wild-type strain. RT-qPCR results at the transcriptional level of ergosterol synthesis pathway genes showed that MJ significantly induced the expression of (3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coa Reductase), (3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coa Synthase), (Squalene Epoxidase), and (Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase) genes in the ergosterol synthesis pathway. For expression levels at different induction days, we collected 7/10 d and 4/6/8 d samples with similar expression patterns, as well as (Squalene Synthase)/ (Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase), (Squalene Epoxidase)/ (Mevalonate Diphosphate Decarboxylase), and (3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coa Synthase)/ (3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coa Reductase) genes with similar expression patterns, which resulted in gene transcription data during ergosterol content synthesis. The current study provides an effective method to increase the ergosterol contents in termite ball fungus and a new idea for the mechanism of MJ-induced ergosterol compound biosynthesis.
麦角甾醇是真菌细胞膜的一种成分，具有生理功能，并在药物中有着应用，比如具有抗炎、抗肿瘤、抗真菌及其他免疫抑制活性。这种真菌，也被称为白蚁球真菌，主要含有与麦角甾醇类似的次生代谢产物（如活性成分）。为了提高白蚁球真菌中麦角甾醇和菌丝体生物量的合成，茉莉酸甲酯和水杨酸被用于刺激TMB菌丝体生长过程中麦角甾醇化合物的生物合成以及基因转录本的相对定量水平。对诱导剂的条件进行了优化。在80 µmol/L茉莉酸甲酯培养条件下，与野生型菌株相比，TMB中麦角甾醇化合物的含量增加了2.23倍。麦角甾醇合成途径基因转录水平的RT-qPCR结果表明，茉莉酸甲酯显著诱导了麦角甾醇合成途径中（3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶）、（3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A合酶）、（角鲨烯环氧酶）和（法尼基二磷酸合酶）基因的表达。对于不同诱导天数的表达水平，我们收集了具有相似表达模式的7/10天和4/6/8天样本，以及具有相似表达模式的（角鲨烯合酶）/（法尼基二磷酸合酶）、（角鲨烯环氧酶）/（甲羟戊酸二磷酸脱羧酶）和（3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A合酶）/（3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶）基因，从而得到了麦角甾醇含量合成过程中的基因转录数据。当前研究提供了一种提高白蚁球真菌中麦角甾醇含量的有效方法，并为茉莉酸甲酯诱导麦角甾醇化合物生物合成的机制提供了新思路。
