The present study is the first to report the antifungal activity of bacillopeptins against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a fungus responsible for white mold.
Abstract
Biological control by microorganisms is an increasingly interesting alternative for reducing crop losses caused by phytopathogens. The strain Bacillus velezensis CMRP4489 (LABIM40) stands out for its strong biotechnological potential for controlling fungal phytopathogens, and, according to in silico analyses, 12 significant gene clusters in its genome encode secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways. The present study aimed to produce, extract, identify, and evaluate in vitro and in silico the antifungal metabolites produced by B. velezensis CMRP4489 with activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a fungus responsible for white mold. The compound with the highest activity was identified by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) analyses and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as bacillopeptin, a molecule of the iturin family. As a result, we included comparative genomics of the iturin family and related cyclic lipopeptides and found at least three biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) associated with these compounds. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to report the antifungal activity of bacillopeptins against S. sclerotiorum.
An alkaliphilic strain of Streptomyces S9 was isolated and taxonomically characterised through multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) using Streptomyces-specific primers, indicating its genetic potential to biosynthesise aromatic polyketides.
The metabolic cooperation between plants and their endophytic fungi represents a promising frontier in the biosynthesis of natural products. This study elucidates the contribution of the endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum Po18 to the production of aromatic polyketides that drive specialized metabolism in Peperomia obtusifolia. Cultivation parameters for F. oxysporum were optimized using a Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD), revealing that mild temperatures (28 °C) and extended incubation (9 days) maximized orsellinic acid accumulation. LC–MS/MS identified orsellinic acid as [M–H]– at m/z 167.0356, with the diagnostic fragment ion m/z 122.8924, and quantified by HPLC–DAD, achieving a concentration of 132 μg/mL under optimized conditions. Comparative metabolomic analysis and molecular networking (GNPS) revealed related fungal metabolites, including lecanoric acid, 6-methylsalicylic acid, and citrinin, all derived from the fungal polyketide synthase (PKS) pathway. These metabolites are proposed to act as biosynthetic precursors for chroman and benzopyran derivatives previously reported in P. obtusifolia. The results provide the first experimental evidence of a biosynthetic partnership between Fusarium and Peperomia, in which the endophyte may supply aromatic scaffolds that could subsequently undergo downstream modifications in the host plant. This study expands the understanding of fungal–plant metabolic interactions and highlights F. oxysporum as a sustainable biotechnological source of aromatic polyketides with potential applications in natural product chemistry and biocatalysis.
Wellington Gomes de Lima, A. D. A. Morandim-Giannetti, João Luiz Bronzel Junior et al.· ACS Omega· 0 citations
The integrated experimental and in silico approach highlights soil-derived actinomycetes as versatile and sustainable bioresources with significant pharmaceutical and biotechnological potential, emphasizing their role in combating antimicrobial resistance and enabling the rational development of novel therapeutic and industrial products.
Meghana Arivilu, Shaziya Sulthana, Vijay Ramesh et al.· Journal of Pure and Applied...· 0 citations
Plant bacterial diseases threaten global food security and agricultural product quality. This study aimed to explore natural products with anti-phytopathogenic bacterial activity towards the new target guanosine monophosphate synthase (GMPS). Twelve phenolic compounds, including a new one, peniquinone L (1), were isolated using column chromatography and semipreparative HPLC from Chaetomium grande-JPT2. The molecular structures of the isolated compounds were determined by HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectrometry. High-throughput activity screening revealed that compound 11 could inhibit GMPS, yielding an EC50 value of 58.83 μg/mL. Molecular docking further revealed that the binding interaction between 11 and GMPS was primarily stabilised by two hydrogen bonds formed between the hydroxyl group in 11 and amino acid residues in GMPS. This is the first report on GMPS inhibition by phenolic compounds. Furthermore, compounds 4 and 7 displayed antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas axonopodis by two-fold serial dilution method, with MIC values of 100 μg/mL.
Wen Li, Shu-Qi Li, Mei Wang et al.· Natural Product Research· 0 citations
Overall, these results confirm that B. amyloliquefaciens EG6.1, in its new formulation consisting of pellet fractions and sonicated culture, shows great potential as a green biocide and contributes to the development of disease management strategies, while supporting SDG’s 2 and 12.
F. A. Nafidiastri, Salamun, A. Supriyanto et al.· Brazilian Journal of Biology· 0 citations
Phytoene, a colorless precursor of carotenoids, has attracted increasing attention because of its favorable bioavailability, antioxidant activity, and potential applications in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and animal nutrition. However, its industrial utilization remains limited by low natural abundance and the dependence of current production strategies on genetic engineering or metabolic pathway manipulation. In this study, we identified and characterized a naturally occurring Brevundimonas vesicularis strain (Bv-xms2024) exhibiting pronounced phytoene accumulation without genetic modification. The strain was comprehensively characterized using morphological, biochemical, molecular, genomic, metabolomic, and transcriptional analyses. Quantitative LC–MS/MS analysis demonstrated that Bv-xms2024 accumulated phytoene to 420.42 ± 98.11 μg/g dry biomass after 96 h of cultivation, substantially exceeding the levels of downstream carotenoids, including β-carotene and astaxanthin. Optimization of cultivation parameters identified 25 °C, pH 7.0, and 96 h as the optimal conditions for phytoene accumulation, while serial passaging confirmed stable production over 20 generations. Genome annotation identified the carotenoid biosynthetic gene repertoire, while RT-qPCR analysis revealed a temporal shift from early upregulation of crtE and crtB to later upregulation of downstream pathway genes, consistent with the observed phytoene-dominant carotenoid profile. Short-term tolerance evaluations in mice and chickens revealed no observable adverse effects under the tested conditions. Collectively, these findings identify Bv-xms2024 as a promising natural microbial resource for phytoene production and provide a basis for further process development and strain-level safety evaluation.
Zhenyi Liu, Ying Liu, Yan Zhi et al.· Foods· 0 citations
