Chemical ecology of fungi

Abstract

Fungi are widespread in nature and have conquered nearly every ecological niche. Fungi occur not only in terrestrial but also in freshwater and marine environments. Moreover, fungi are known as a rich source of secondary metabolites. Despite these facts, the ecological role of many of these metabolites is still unknown and the chemical ecology of fungi has not been investigated systematically so far. This review intends to present examples of the various chemical interactions of fungi with other fungi, plants, bacteria and animals and to give an overview of the current knowledge of fungal chemical ecology.

Cyclosporine Biosynthesis in Tolypocladium inflatum Benefits Fungal Adaptation to the Environment

“…However, except for the perceived biological properties, the ecological importance of many metabolites is largely unknown (26). A few secondary metabolites produced by insect-pathogenic fungi have been established to contribute to fungal virulence against insect hosts such as the destruxins produced by Metarhizium species (27) and the beauvericin and oosporein biosynthesized by Beauveria bassiana (28, 29).…”

Entomotoxic and nematotoxic lectins and protease inhibitors from fungal fruiting bodies

“…Since the fruiting bodies produce and disperse the sexual spores, defense of these structures against fungivores, including predators, grazers, and parasites, is essential for fungal reproduction. Thus, dikaryotic fungi employ, in addition to a large repertoire of secondary metabolites, a plethora of proteins acting as deterrents or toxins in defense of their fruiting bodies (Spiteller 2015;Wang et al 2002). These proteins include lectins that bind to the glycans of glycoproteins or glycolipids in the digestive tract of fungivores , protease inhibitors that inhibit digestive proteases of fungivores (Renko et al 2010), biotinbinding proteins that sequester this essential cofactor (BleulerMartinez et al 2012), pore-forming proteins that cause cell lysis (Mancheno et al 2010;Ota et al 2014), RNA toxins (ribotoxins) that cleave or depurinate RNA molecules (Lacadena et al 2007), and other enzymes including proteases, oxidases, and phospholipases (Erjavec et al 2012).…”

Biocatalytic portfolio of Basidiomycota

“…Underground hyphae and fruiting bodies are vulnerable to a number of threats, including antagonistic and competing fungi and bacteria as well as grazing by invertebrates such as small arthropods, insects, nematodes, mollusks and larger animals [22]. In response, fungi have developed diverse defense mechanisms such as the production of secondary metabolites as defense and/or microbial and fauna control agents [23–25]. Hyphae invading wood or decomposing litter also encounter a range of potentially toxic lignin degradation products and plant defense compounds, including mono- and polyphenolic compounds and resins with high contents of terpenes.…”