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World Journal of Microbiology &... Jan 2019Filamentous fungi Monascus sp. has been utilized for fermentative production of food colorant (Red Yeast Rice) for more than 1000 years in China. The main colorant...
Filamentous fungi Monascus sp. has been utilized for fermentative production of food colorant (Red Yeast Rice) for more than 1000 years in China. The main colorant components of Red Yeast Rice are mixture of red Monascus pigments (RMPs) with various primary amine residues. In the present work, the non-natural primary amine p-aminobenzamide, exhibiting as non-involved in nitrogen microbial metabolism, nontoxicity to microbial cells, and chemical reactivity with orange Monascus pigments (OMPs), was screened. Based on the screened result, RMPs with the single p-aminobenzamide residue were produced by cell suspension culture in a nonionic surfactant micelle aqueous solution via in situ chemical modification of OMPs. Furthermore, in situ chemical modification of OMPs also provided a strategy for maintaining a relatively low OMP concentration and then efficient accumulation of high concentration of RMPs (3.3 g/l).
Topics: Amines; Benzamidines; Cell Culture Techniques; Monascus; Pigments, Biological; Surface-Active Agents
PubMed: 30603886
DOI: 10.1007/s11274-018-2585-6 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jan 2022Azaphilone, biosynthesized by polyketide synthase, is a class of fungal metabolites. In this review, after brief introduction of the natural azaphilone diversity, we in... (Review)
Review
Azaphilone, biosynthesized by polyketide synthase, is a class of fungal metabolites. In this review, after brief introduction of the natural azaphilone diversity, we in detail discussed azaphilic addition reaction involving conversion of natural azaphilone into the corresponding azaphilone alkaloid. Then, setting red Monascus pigments (a traditional food colorant in China) as example, we presented a new strategy, i.e., interfacing azaphilic addition reaction with living microbial metabolism in a one-pot process, to produce azaphilone alkaloid with a specified amine residue (red Monascus pigments) during submerged culture. Benefit from the red Monascus pigments with a specified amine residue, the influence of primary amine on characteristics of the food colorant was highlighted. Finally, the progress for screening of alternative azaphilone alkaloids (production from interfacing azaphilic addition reaction with submerged culture of Talaromyces sp. or Penicillium sp.) as natural food colorant was reviewed. KEY POINTS: • Azaphilic addition reaction of natural azaphilone is biocompatible • Red Monascus pigment is a classic example of azaphilone alkaloids • Azaphilone alkaloids are alterative natural food colorant.
Topics: Alkaloids; Benzopyrans; Monascus; Pigments, Biological; Prospective Studies; Talaromyces
PubMed: 34921328
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11729-6 -
Food & Function Sep 2021The mold has been used as a natural food coloring agent and food additive for more than 1000 years in Asian countries. In Chinese herbology, it was also used for easing...
The mold has been used as a natural food coloring agent and food additive for more than 1000 years in Asian countries. In Chinese herbology, it was also used for easing digestion and antiseptic effects. Through a thorough investigation of a citrinin-free strain: BCRC 38110, four azaphilones, three benzenoids, one benzofuranone, one 5',6'-dihydrospiro[isochromane-1,2'-pyran]-4'(3')-one derivative, two steroids, and six tetralones have been successfully identified. Among them, monapyridine A (1), monatetralones A-E (2-6), and monabenzofuranone (7) were first reported. Their structures were characterized by 1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, and HRESIMS analyses. With a series of bioactivity screening, monascuspirolide B (14) and ergosterol peroxide (16) exhibited concentration-dependent attenuation of the paclitaxel-induced neurite damage of mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons. The interleukin (IL)-1β-induced release of inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in human chondrosarcoma cells was inhibited by monapurpureusone (8) and monascuspirolide B (14). Altogether, BCRC 38110 possessed potentials as natural therapeutics against inflammatory osteoarthritis and paclitaxel-induced neurotoxicity.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cells, Cultured; Ganglia, Spinal; Humans; Interleukin-1beta; Interleukin-8; Mice; Molecular Structure; Monascus; Neuronal Outgrowth; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Osteoarthritis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 34355225
DOI: 10.1039/d1fo01711j -
World Journal of Microbiology &... Aug 2019Monascus azaphilone pigments, including red, orange, and yellow, are world-famous food colorants. However, the pigments produced by different Monascus species vary in...
Monascus azaphilone pigments, including red, orange, and yellow, are world-famous food colorants. However, the pigments produced by different Monascus species vary in yields and compositions. The underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, four wild-type Monascus strains, namely M. anka M7, M. purpureus M9, M. ruber C100, and M. aurantiacus M15, were selected as research objects according to the diversification of their pigments fermented in the same mediums and conditions. Twenty-three 3 kbp segments (300 bp overlap with adjacent segments) of the pigment gene cluster were amplified, sequenced, and assembled into the DNA sequences of the clusters. The DNA sequences of pigment biosynthetic gene clusters of the four strains showed 99.94% similarity according to the results of multiple alignment. The expression levels of 17 pigment biosynthetic genes of four strains were determined by using real-time quantitative PCR. The transcriptional regulation contributed more than the DNA sequence variation in Monascus pigments metabolism. Our result gives insight into the study of Monascus pigment biosynthesis.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Color; DNA, Fungal; Fungal Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Genetic Variation; Monascus; Multigene Family; Phylogeny; Pigments, Biological; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 31451937
DOI: 10.1007/s11274-019-2711-0 -
Biotechnology Letters Sep 2003Monascus purpureus was transformed into hygromycin B resistance with hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) fused to Aspergillus nidulans trpC or a putative Monascus...
Monascus purpureus was transformed into hygromycin B resistance with hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) fused to Aspergillus nidulans trpC or a putative Monascus purpureus gpd1 promoter by electroporation. Among five strains, only M. purpureus DSM1397 was a competent recipient. Normal growth and sporulation on media containing up to 500 mg hygromycin B l(-1) occurred up to five generations. Upon transformation of the strain with the green fluorescent protein gene (sgfp) as a model gene and hph as a selection marker, characteristic green fluorescence was observed under fluoromicroscopy indicating successful transformation.
Topics: Drug Resistance, Fungal; Electroporation; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic Enhancement; Hygromycin B; Monascus; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Recombinant Proteins
PubMed: 14571974
DOI: 10.1023/a:1025438701383 -
Food Chemistry Nov 2015Soy germ rich in isoflavones has attracted much attention for health-promoting characteristics. An effective approach via Monascus aged vinegar soaking was adopted to...
Soy germ rich in isoflavones has attracted much attention for health-promoting characteristics. An effective approach via Monascus aged vinegar soaking was adopted to enhance the aglycone amount. The profiles and interconversion of soy germ isoflavones via Monascus aged vinegar soaking were investigated, and the distribution in vinegars were also explored. The aglycones were dramatically increased by 40.76 times. Concomitantly, β-glycosides and malonylglycosides were significantly decreased. The proportion of aglycones presented a sharp increase with the endogenous β-glucosidase activity at the initial 4h incubation. There appeared to be correlations between β-glucosidase activity and the hydrolysis of conjugated isoflavones. The results demonstrated that the reactions of decarboxylation, de-esterification and de-glycosylation were involved in the Monascus aged vinegar soaking, supporting synergistic effects of enzymolysis by endogenous β-glucosidase from soy germ and acid hydrolysis of vinegars. Soaking by vinegar is a promising pathway for preparing aglycone-rich soy germ.
Topics: Acetic Acid; Food Handling; Glycosides; Glycosylation; Humans; Hydrolysis; Isoflavones; Monascus; Seeds; Soybean Proteins; Glycine max; beta-Glucosidase
PubMed: 25976819
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.02.099 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Apr 2020Monascus is a filamentous fungus that produces several secondary metabolites. Here, we investigated the effects of the global regulator LaeA on the synthesis of pigments...
Monascus is a filamentous fungus that produces several secondary metabolites. Here, we investigated the effects of the global regulator LaeA on the synthesis of pigments and monacolin K in Monascus purpureus with spectrophotometer and HPLC methods. The LaeA gene was isolated from M. purpureus M1 to create an overexpression construct. An LaeA-overexpressing strain L3 was with 48.6% higher monacolin K production than the M1 strain. The L3 strain also produced higher Monascus pigments than the M1 strain. SEM showed that LaeA overexpression resulted in altered mycelial morphology. Compared with the M1 strain, the L3 strain expressed higher levels of monacolin K synthesis-related genes mokA, mokB, mokE, and mokH. Overall, these results suggest that LaeA plays a role in regulating the production of secondary metabolites and mycelial growth in Monascus. This study provides important insights into the mechanisms underlying the effects of the LaeA gene on the secondary metabolites of M. purpureus.
Topics: Fungal Proteins; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Genes, Fungal; Lovastatin; Monascus; Mycelium; Pigments, Biological; Secondary Metabolism; Transcription Factors
PubMed: 32043189
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10379-4 -
The Journal of General and Applied... Aug 2020Red koji is produced from cultivating rice with Monascus strains that contain various types of fungal secondary metabolites, such as red pigments and monacolin K....
Red koji is produced from cultivating rice with Monascus strains that contain various types of fungal secondary metabolites, such as red pigments and monacolin K. Monascus strain also produces citrinin-a mycotoxin. In this study, Monascus purpureus KUPM5 isolated from the Thai fermented food, sufu, was mutagenized to reduce its citrinin production using UV irradiation, NTG treatment, and a combination of UV and NTG. Screening of the mutants using plate bioassay based on the inhibitory effect against Bacillus subtilis enables the selection of 10 mutants. The mutant strains KS301U and KS302U showed an 80% reduction in citrinin production in red koji compared with the wild type (wt), and maintained the ability to produce red pigments similar to the wild type. Activities of enzymes, α-amylase, protease, and lipase, from red koji extract produced by the mutant strain KS302U, were higher than those of the wt, whereas those of the mutant strain KS301U were similar to those of the wt. Consequently, strains KS301U and KS302U were successfully selected as strains suitable for producing red koji and fermented food.
Topics: Citrinin; Fermentation; Fermented Foods; Lipase; Monascus; Mutagenesis; Oryza; Peptide Hydrolases; Pigments, Biological; Thailand; alpha-Amylases
PubMed: 31462600
DOI: 10.2323/jgam.2019.04.008 -
Food Microbiology Aug 2024In this study, we investigated the impact of microbial interactions on Monascus pigment (MP) production. We established diverse microbial consortia involving Monascus...
In this study, we investigated the impact of microbial interactions on Monascus pigment (MP) production. We established diverse microbial consortia involving Monascus purpureus and Lactobacillus fermentum. The addition of Lactobacillus fermentum (4% at 48 h) to the submerged fermentation of M. purpureus resulted in a significantly higher MP production compared to that achieved using the single-fermentation system. Co-cultivation with immobilized L. fermentum led to a remarkable increase of 59.18% in extracellular MP production, while mixed fermentation with free L. fermentum caused a significant decrease of 66.93% in intracellular MPs, contrasting with a marginal increase of 4.52% observed during co-cultivation with immobilized L. fermentum and the control group respectively. The findings indicate an evident enhancement in cell membrane permeability of M. purpureus when co-cultivated with immobilized L. fementum. Moreover, integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underlying MP biosynthesis and secretion following inoculation with immobilized L. fementum, with specific emphasis on glycolysis, steroid biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and energy metabolism.
Topics: Fermentation; Monascus; Pigments, Biological; Microbial Consortia; Glycolysis
PubMed: 38637070
DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104499 -
Journal of Applied Microbiology Aug 2022Monascus spp. are valuable industrial fungi for producing beneficial compounds. Because sporulation is often coupled with the production of secondary metabolites, the...
AIMS
Monascus spp. are valuable industrial fungi for producing beneficial compounds. Because sporulation is often coupled with the production of secondary metabolites, the current study was performed to investigate how Mrada3 regulated asexual and sexual development and the production of edible pigments and mycotoxin.
METHODS AND RESULTS
The functional characteristics of Mrada3 were identified by gene deletion and overexpression in Monascus ruber M7 (the wild-type, WT). The results revealed that the ΔMrada3 strain aborted sexual development, but it produced many more conidia than WT. RNA-seq data showed that the deletion of Mrada3 altered the expression levels of partial genes involved in sexual and asexual development. In addition, the deletion of Mrada3 also resulted in slower growth, lower pigment production and increased citrinin yield during the late period. For the Mrada3-overexpressed strain, the number of ascospores and pigment content were significantly higher than those of WT, but citrinin was slightly lower than that of WT.
CONCLUSIONS
The Mrada3 gene plays a vital role in the sporulation development and secondary metabolism of Monascus species.
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY
Mrada3 is first identified as an essential regulator for sexual development in Monascus species, enriching the regulatory knowledge of sexual development in filamentous fungi.
Topics: Citrinin; Monascus; Pigments, Biological; Reproduction; Spores, Fungal
PubMed: 35451171
DOI: 10.1111/jam.15586