Your Weekly Dose of Mycology Research
A novel study employing solid-state NMR has elucidated the impact of the host-defence peptide cathelicidin-2 on the cell wall of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus. This research identifies alterations in galactosaminogalactan and key cell wall polysaccharides, enhancing water penetration into rigid domains, thus potentially paving the way for innovative antifungal strategies.
Furanosteroids, such as wortmannin and demethoxyviridin, are structurally distinct steroids with notable bioactivity. This study reports the heterologous expression of demethoxyviridin biosynthetic genes in Talaromyces wortmannii ATCC 26942, resulting in four potential novel furanosteroids. Two isolates exhibited antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger R330 and Candida albicans FIM709.
Triterpenoids, complex natural compounds found in plants, fungi, and marine organisms, exhibit notable cytotoxicity against cancer. This review updates their types, structures, and cytotoxicity from 2015 to 2024. With insights into structure-activity relationships, the study proposes strategies for structural modifications, aiming to enhance the development of novel anticancer agents.
This study explores the global drought response variations between trees associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. EM trees showed higher drought mortality but less growth reduction and recovery issues than AM trees. Key drought influences include soil pH and climate seasonality, suggesting a potential shift towards AM trees with climate changes.