Dataset Information

Improved natural melanin production by Aspergillus nidulans after optimization of factors involved in the pigment biosynthesis pathway.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Melanin is a natural pigment that can be applied in different fields such as medicine, environment, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology. Studies carried out previously showed that the melanin produced by the mel1 mutant from Aspergillus nidulans exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, without any cytotoxic or mutagenic effect. These results taken together suggest the potential application of melanin from A. nidulans in the pharmaceutical industry. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of factors L-tyrosine, glucose, glutamic acid, L-DOPA, and copper on melanin production by the mel1 mutant and to establish the optimal concentration of these factors to maximize melanin production.

Results

The results showed that L-DOPA, glucose, and copper sulfate significantly affected melanin production, where L-DOPA was the only factor that exerted a positive effect on melanin yield. Besides, the tyrosinase activity was higher in the presence of L-DOPA, considered a substrate required for enzyme activation, this would explain the increased production of melanin in this condition. After establishing the optimal concentrations of the analyzed factors, the melanin synthesis was increased by 640% compared to the previous studies.

Conclusions

This study contributed to elucidating the mechanisms involved in melanin synthesis in A. nidulans as well as to determining the optimal composition of the culture medium for greater melanin production that will make it possible to scale the process for a future biotechnological application.

SUBMITTER: Medeiros WB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9801647 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Improved natural melanin production by Aspergillus nidulans after optimization of factors involved in the pigment biosynthesis pathway.

Medeiros William Bartolomeu WB Medina Kelly Johana Dussán KJD Sponchiado Sandra Regina Pombeiro SRP

Microbial cell factories 20221230 1

<h4>Background</h4>Melanin is a natural pigment that can be applied in different fields such as medicine, environment, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology. Studies carried out previously showed that the melanin produced by the mel1 mutant from Aspergillus nidulans exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, without any cytotoxic or mutagenic effect. These results taken together suggest the potential application of melanin from A. nidulans in the pharmaceutical industry. ...[more]

PMID: 36585654

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Project description:Aspergillus fumigatus, a filamentous fungus producing bluish-green conidia, is an important opportunistic pathogen that primarily affects immunocompromised patients. Conidial pigmentation of A. fumigatus significantly influences its virulence in a murine model. In the present study, six genes, forming a gene cluster spanning 19 kb, were identified as involved in conidial pigment biosynthesis in A. fumigatus. Northern blot analyses showed the six genes to be developmentally regulated and expressed during conidiation. The gene products of alb1 (for "albino 1"), arp1 (for "aspergillus reddish-pink 1"), and arp2 have high similarity to polyketide synthases, scytalone dehydratases, and hydroxynaphthalene reductases, respectively, found in the dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin pathway of brown and black fungi. The abr1 gene (for "aspergillus brown 1") encodes a putative protein possessing two signatures of multicopper oxidases. The abr2 gene product has homology to the laccase encoded by the yA gene of Aspergillus nidulans. The function of ayg1 (for "aspergillus yellowish-green 1") remains unknown. Involvement of the six genes in conidial pigmentation was confirmed by the altered conidial color phenotypes that resulted from disruption of each gene in A. fumigatus. The presence of a DHN-melanin pathway in A. fumigatus was supported by the accumulation of scytalone and flaviolin in the arp1 deletant, whereas only flaviolin was accumulated in the arp2 deletants. Scytalone and flaviolin are well-known signature metabolites of the DHN-melanin pathway. Based on DNA sequence similarity, gene disruption results, and biochemical analyses, we conclude that the 19-kb DNA fragment contains a six-gene cluster which is required for conidial pigment biosynthesis in A. fumigatus. However, the presence of abr1, abr2, and ayg1 in addition to alb1, arp1, and arp2 suggests that conidial pigment biosynthesis in A. fumigatus is more complex than the known DHN-melanin pathway.

Dataset Information

Improved natural melanin production by Aspergillus nidulans after optimization of factors involved in the pigment biosynthesis pathway.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Improved natural melanin production by Aspergillus nidulans after optimization of factors involved in the pigment biosynthesis pathway.

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