Exploring Peptaibol’s Profile, Antifungal, and Antitumor Activity of Emericellipsin A of Emericellopsis Species from Soda and Saline Soils

Abstract

Features of the biochemical adaptations of alkaliphilic fungi to exist in extreme environments could promote the production of active antibiotic compounds with the potential to control microorganisms, causing infections associated with health care. Thirty-eight alkaliphilic and alkalitolerant Emericellopsis strains (E. alkalina, E. cf. maritima, E. cf. terricola, Emericellopsis sp.) isolated from different saline soda soils and belonging to marine, terrestrial, and soda soil ecological clades were investigated for emericellipsin A (EmiA) biosynthesis, an antifungal peptaibol previously described for Emericellopsis alkalina. The analysis of the Emericellopsis sp. strains belonging to marine and terrestrial clades from chloride soils revealed another novel form with a mass of 1032.7 Da, defined by MALDI-TOF Ms/Ms spectrometers, as the EmiA lacked a hydroxyl (dEmiA). EmiA displayed strong inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and viability of HCT 116 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manners and induced apoptosis.

Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Hydrophobin, Sa-HFB1, with Antifungal Activity from an Alkaliphilic Fungus, Sodiomyces alkalinus

“…Fungi growing at extreme pH values are of scientific interest for the general study of fungal adaptive evolution, as well as for the evaluation of their potential in producing commercially valuable substances. Obviously, fungi adapting to alkalinity must have metabolic pathways that have become modified with respect to those seen in related neutrophilic fungi [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 9 , 60 ]. Alkaliphilic Sodiomyces species are fundamentally different from alkali-tolerant ones in terms of their mechanisms of adaptation.…”

Marine fungi showing multifunctional activity against human pathogenic microbes and cancer

“…Emericellopsis sp. have been shown to produce several metabolites with antifungal, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities [ 50 , 68 ]. Emericellopsis commonly produce peptides [ 67 ] that have been shown for their multifunctional activities [ 68 ].…”

“…have been shown to produce several metabolites with antifungal, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities [ 50 , 68 ]. Emericellopsis commonly produce peptides [ 67 ] that have been shown for their multifunctional activities [ 68 ]. For instance, the peptide emericellipsin A inhibited human pathogenic fungi and bacteria as well as cancer cells [ 69 ].…”

The Cytotoxic Properties of Extreme Fungi’s Bioactive Components—An Updated Metabolic and Omics Overview

“…Emericellipsin A is an example compound isolated from Emericellopsis alkaline and Streptomyces SPP (alkalophilic fungi strains) and is presumed to be an effective novel antitumor substance with a significant cytotoxic effect against HepG 2 and HeLa tumour cell lines [ 69 , 124 ].…”

“…The metabolites produced by extremophiles and extremotolerant fungi are very valuable to produce drugs against cancer cells [ 64 ]. In addition, fungi produce other bioactive metabolites such as mycotoxins, antimycotics [ 65 , 66 , 67 ], immunosuppressants [ 68 ], antifungals [ 69 ], antibacterials [ 70 ], and antivirals [ 71 ]. Even though intensive research has been conducted on fungi-derived natural products and their medicinal properties for more than a century, there are still several fungal metabolites with unknown biological activities that can be considered as new sources of drugs [ 37 ].…”