Fungal secondary metabolites (SMs) comprise a vast collection of compounds expendable for these organisms under laboratory conditions. They exhibit enormous chemical diversity, and usually belong to four major families: terpenoids, polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides, or a combination of the last two. Their functions are very diverse and are normally associated with a greater fitness of the producing fungi in their environment, which often compete with other microorganisms or interact with host plants. Many SMs have beneficial applications, e.g., as antibiotics or medical drugs, but others, known as mycotoxins, are harmful to health.
The production of metabolites by fungi began to receive attention in the first half of the last century [1], and acquired special relevance after the discovery of penicillin, a metabolite produced by the fungus Penicillium, which started the era of antibiotics [2]. Today, one of the most characteristic traits of fungi is their enormous metabolic versatility, which is reflected in the richness of secondary metabolism in many species [3]. Secondary metabolites (SMs) can be defined as chemical compounds resulting from specific biosynthetic pathways, whose production is not necessary for normal growth and development of the fungus in the laboratory. However, they are present in numerous species, and therefore their persistence in evolution implies a competitive benefit in nature. This entry reviews the major SM families, summarizes the genetic basis and regulatory mechanisms involved in their production, and provides with selected examples a general overview of their chemical diversity, possible roles in fungal life, and biological effects and applications in human life.
Chemical Family | Metabolite | Function/Activity | Representative Producing Genera |
Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Polyketides (PKs) |
Fumonisin B1 | Mycotoxin | Fusarium | [11] |
Lovastatin | HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor | Aspergillus | [12] | |
Aflatoxin | Mycotoxin | Aspergillus | [13] | |
Bikaverin | Antibiotic (protozoa) | Fusarium | [14] | |
Zearalenone | Mycotoxin (estrogenic) | Fusarium | [10] | |
Non ribosomal peptides (NRPs) |
Enniatin B | Mycotoxin (cytotoxic) | Fusarium | [15] |
Cyclosporine A | Immunosuppressant | Tolypocladium | [16] | |
Ergotamine | Ergot alkaloid | Claviceps | [17] | |
Penicillin G | Antibiotic (bacteria) | Penicillium | [18] | |
Apicidin | Histone deacetylase inhibitor | Fusarium | [19] | |
Hybrid NRP/PKs | Equisetin | Antibiotic (bacteria) | Fusarium | [20][21] |
Fusarin C | Mycotoxin | Fusarium | [22] | |
Cytochalasin | Actin inhibitor | Penicillium, Chaetomium | [23] | |
Cyclopiazonic acid | Mycotoxin | Aspergillus, Penicillium | [24] | |
Ochratoxin A | Mycotoxin | Aspergillus, Penicillium | [25][26] | |
Terpenoids | Gibberellic acid (GA3) | Plant hormone | Fusarium | [27][28] |
Deoxynivalenol | Mycotoxin | Fusarium | [29] | |
Neurosporaxanthin | Carotenoid pigment | Neurospora, Fusarium | [30][31] | |
Austinol | Unknown | Aspergillus | [32] | |
Helvolic acid | Antibiotic (bacteria) | Aspergillus | [33] |
Many SMs possess useful biological properties or have biotechnological applications [101], while others are detrimental or have disadvantageous effects [102][103]. SMs useful for humans include a large diversity of antibiotics. In addition to the historical example of penicillin, there are numerous SMs with a very varied spectrum of antibiosis. Among them are other antibacterials, such as cephalosporin obtained from Acremonium chrysogenum [104], antifungals, such as griseofulvin produced by Penicillium or other fungi [105], or antiprotozoals, such as bikaverin synthesized by Fusarium species [14]. Other compounds have medical or pharmaceutical applications, such as immunosuppressant cyclosporin A, produced by Tolypocladium inflatum [16]; cholesterol-lowering statins, with lovastatin from Aspergillus terreus as the best known example [12]; vitamin-A precursor β-carotene, industrially obtained from Blakeslea trispora [106]; and anticancer drugs, such as the indole alkaloid camptothecin and taxol, produced by the endophytic fungus Entrophospora infrequens [107] and Taxomyces andreanae [108], respectively. An outstanding case in biotechnological applications is the aforementioned gibberellins, growth-regulating plant hormones with agricultural applications, which are mostly represented by gibberellic acid obtained from F. fujikuroi [27].
Frequently, secondary metabolites absorb visible light and have striking colors, ranging across all ranges of the spectrum: e.g., bikaverin and fusarubin have a reddish pigmentation [28]. In some cases, although it is not related to their biological function, different SMs are used commercially as pigments. Among them some carotenoids stand out, such as astaxanthin. This pigment, produced by the yeast Xhantophyllomyces dendrorhous [109] and some algae, is used in aquaculture as feed additive to provide an orange color to certain fish and crustaceans. Other well-known fungal pigments are polyketides produced by Monascus purpurea [110], a fungus used in rice fermentation since ancient times in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. These polyketides include monascorubramine as well as rubropunctatin and its derivatives, which are of various yellowish, orange, or reddish colors, and to which numerous healthy properties are attributed, such as anticancer, antidiabetic, or antiobesity properties.
Regardless of their real roles in nature, many SMs are toxic to humans, and their presence in plant foods, due to contamination by producing fungi before or after the harvest, constitutes an important public health problem [102][103][111]. These harmful SMs are known generically as mycotoxins. One specially studied for its high toxicity is aflatoxin B1, produced by various species of Aspergillus [112]. Its consumption is associated with a syndrome known as acute aflatoxicosis, as well as with liver cancer or other damaging effects [103]. Many well-known mycotoxins are produced by the Fusarium species [113], among them fumonisins, zearalenones, trichothecenes, and fusarins. Fumonisins inhibit sphingolipid metabolism and also have carcinogenic properties. A correlation between their consumption and esophageal cancer is well documented [102]. Trichothecenes inhibit protein synthesis and produce toxic syndromes in humans and animals. A well-known trichothecene is deoxynivalenol, which produces alimentary toxic aleukia, acute gastroenteritis, and growth impairment, among other effects [103]. Fusarins, especially fusarin C, are mutagenic in the Ames test, presumably due to their transformation into more toxic derivatives in the body [114]. Another mutagenic mycotoxin is ochratoxin A, which provokes renal cancer [102]. Zearalenones have lower toxicity, but produce an estrogenic syndrome in pigs, presumably due to their resemblance to this family of hormones [103].
An interesting consequence of the large metabolic diversity of fungi is that different species produce specific patterns of SMs, which allow for their use in taxonomic studies. The identification of fungal species based on the metabolites produced is known as chemotaxonomy [115]. This tool is especially relevant in the case of lichens, which are symbiotic associations between a fungus and a photoautotrophic partner, usually an alga. Lichens show an enormous capacity to produce SMs, which is mainly due to the fungal partner [116]. In many cases, these metabolites provide protection against the harmful effects of UV in their natural habitats [117]. The availability of powerful analytical techniques for metabolite identification allows for the creation of databases, which facilitate the assignment of lichens based on the metabolites detected [118].