Psychrophilic Fungi Research Articles

Variability of microbiomes in winter rye, wheat, and triticale affected by snow mold: predicting promising microorganisms for the disease control

BackgroundSnow mold caused by different psychrophilic phytopathogenic fungi is a devastating disease of winter cereals. The variability of the snow mold pathocomplex (the quantitative composition of snow mold fungi) has not been evaluated across different crops or different agrocenoses, and no microbial taxa have been predicted at the whole-microbiome level as potential effective snow mold control agents. Our study aimed to assess the variability of the snow mold pathocomplex in different winter cereal crops (rye, wheat, and triticale) in different agrocenoses following the peak disease progression and to arrange a hierarchical list of microbial taxa predicted to be the main candidates to prevent or, conversely, stimulate the development of snow mold pathogens.ResultsThe variability of microbiomes between different crops within a particular agrocenosis was largely determined by fungal communities, whereas the variability of microbiomes of a particular crop in different agrocenoses was largely determined by bacterial communities. The snow mold pathocomplex was the most “constant” in rye, with the lowest level of between-replicate variability and between-agrocenoses variability and (similar to the triticale snow mold pathocomplex) strong dominance of Microdochium over other snow mold fungi. The wheat snow mold pathocomplex was represented by different snow mold fungi, including poorly investigated Phoma sclerotioides. To predict snow mold-control microorganisms, a conveyor of statistical methods was formed and applied; this conveyor enables considering not only the correlation between the abundance of target taxa and a phytopathogen but also the stability and fitness of taxa within plant-associated communities and the reproducibility of the predicted effect of taxa under different conditions. This conveyor can be widely used to search for biological agents against various plant infectious diseases.ConclusionsThe top indicator microbial taxa for winter wheat and rye following the winter period were Ph. sclerotioides and Microdochium, respectively, both of which are causal agents of snow mold disease. Bacteria from the Cellulomonas, Lechevalieria, and Pseudoxanthomonas genera and fungi from the Cladosporium, Entimomentora, Pseudogymnoascus, and Cistella genera are prime candidates for testing their plant-protective properties against Microdochium-induced snow mold disease and for further use in agricultural practice.

Cold-Adapted Fungi: Goldmine of Biomolecules Applicable in Industry

Fungi, which are widely distributed across the Earth, have successfully managed to colonize cold environments (e.g., polar regions, alpine ecosystems, and glaciers) despite the challenging conditions for life. They are capable of living in extremely harsh environments due to their ecological versatility and morphological plasticity. It is also believed that lower eukaryotes are the most adapted to life at low temperatures among microorganisms that thrive in cold environments. They play important ecological roles, contributing to nutrient recycling and organic matter mineralization. These highly specialized microorganisms have developed adaptation strategies to overcome the direct and indirect harmful influences of low temperatures. They have evolved a wide range of complex and cooperative adaptations at various cellular levels, including modifications to the cell envelope and enzymes, the production of cryoprotectants and chaperones, and the development of new metabolic functions. Adaptation to cold environments has made fungi an exciting source for the discovery of new cold-adapted enzymes (e.g., proteinases, lipases) and secondary metabolites (e.g., pigments, osmolytes, polyunsaturated fatty acids) for widespread use in biotechnology, food technology, agriculture, pharmaceutics, molecular biology, textile industry, and environmental bioremediation in cold climates. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the adaptive strategies employed by psychrophilic yeasts and fungi, highlighting their ecological roles and biotechnological potential. Understanding these adaptive mechanisms not only sheds light on microbial life in extreme environments but also paves the way for innovative applications in the food industry and agriculture.

Comparative mitochondrial genomics of Thelebolaceae in Antarctica: insights into their extremophilic adaptations and evolutionary dynamics

Species of Antarctomyces and Thelebolus (Thelebolaceae), primarily found in Antarctic environments, exhibit psychrophilic adaptations, yet their mitochondrial genomes have not been extensively studied. Furthermore, few studies have compared the mitochondrial genomes of psychrophilic, psychrotrophic, and mesophilic fungi. After successful sequencing and assembly, this study annotated the mitochondrial genomes of Antarctomyces psychrotrophicus CPCC 401038 and Thelebolus microsporus CPCC 401041. We also performed a comparative analysis with the previously characterized mitochondrial genomes of psychrotrophic and mesophilic fungi. The analysis revealed that nad4L was the most conserved gene across the mitochondrial genomes, characterized by its synonymous and non-synonymous substitution rates (Ks and Ka), genetic distance, and GC content and skew within the protein-coding genes (PCGs). Additionally, the mitochondrial genomes of psychrophilic and psychrotrophic fungi showed a higher proportion of protein-coding regions and a lower GC content compared to those of mesophilic fungi, underscoring the genetic basis of cold adaptation. Phylogenetic analyses based on these mitochondrial genes also confirmed the phylogenetic relationships of Thelebolaceae in the class Leotiomycetes. These findings advance our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary dynamics within the family Thelebolaceae, highlighting how different environmental temperatures influence fungal mitochondrial genomic structure and adaptation.

The skin I live in: Pathogenesis of white-nose syndrome of bats.

The emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in North America has resulted in mass mortalities of hibernating bats and total extirpation of local populations. The need to mitigate this disease has stirred a significant body of research to understand its pathogenesis. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of WNS, is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that resides within the class Leotiomycetes, which contains mainly plant pathogens and is unrelated to other consequential pathogens of animals. In this review, we revisit the unique biology of hibernating bats and P. destructans and provide an updated analysis of the stages and mechanisms of WNS progression. The extreme life history of hibernating bats, the psychrophilic nature of P. destructans, and its evolutionary distance from other well-characterized animal-infecting fungi translate into unique host-pathogen interactions, many of them yet to be discovered.

Pathogenic strategies of Pseudogymnoascus destructans during torpor and arousal of hibernating bats.

Millions of hibernating bats across North America have died from white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging disease caused by a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that invades their skin. Mechanisms of P. destructans invasion of bat epidermis remain obscure. Guided by our in vivo observations, we modeled hibernation with a newly generated little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) keratinocyte cell line. We uncovered the stealth intracellular lifestyle of P. destructans, which inhibits apoptosis of keratinocytes and spreads through the cells by two epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-dependent mechanisms: active penetration during torpor and induced endocytosis during arousal. Melanin of endocytosed P. destructans blocks endolysosomal maturation, facilitating P. destructans survival and germination after return to torpor. Blockade of EGFR aborts P. destructans entry into keratinocytes.

Synergistic Inhibitions of Gram-Negative Bacteria by Combination Treatment with Ciprofloxacin and a Novel Glucolipid.

Psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus sp. OUCMDZ-4032 derived from Antarctica was cultivated under 16 °C to produce a new glucolipid compound (1). Its structure was elucidated by analysis of detailed spectroscopic data, acid hydrolysis and 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone precolumn derivatization, and 13C NMR quantum chemical calculations. Though compound 1 did not show inhibitory activity against bacteria, it can reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin against Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella paratyphi by 1024, 256 and 256-fold. Compound 1 showed potential as a synergistically inhibiting adjuvant in co-administration with antibiotic to enhance antibacterial activities.

Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space.

White-nose disease (WND), caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascusdestructans, represents one of the greatest threats for North American hibernating bats. Research on molecular data has significantly advanced our knowledge of various aspects of the disease, yet more studies are needed regarding patterns of P.destructans genetic diversity distribution. In the present study, we investigate three sites within the native range of the fungus in detail: two natural hibernacula (karst caves) in Bulgaria, south-eastern Europe and one artificial hibernaculum (disused cellar) in Germany, northern Europe, where we conducted intensive surveys between 2014 and 2019. Using 18 microsatellite and two mating type markers, we describe how P.destructans genetic diversity is distributed between and within sites, the latter including differentiation across years and seasons of sampling; across sampling locations within the site; and between bats and hibernaculum walls. We found significant genetic differentiation between hibernacula, but we could not detect any significant differentiation within hibernacula, based on the variables examined. This indicates that most of the pathogen's movement occurs within sites. Genotypic richness of P.destructans varied between sites within the same order of magnitude, being approximately two times higher in the natural caves (Bulgaria) compared to the disused cellar (Germany). Within all sites, the pathogen's genotypic richness was higher in samples collected from hibernaculum walls than in samples collected from bats, which corresponds with the hypothesis that hibernacula walls represent the environmental reservoir of the fungus. Multiple pathogen genotypes were commonly isolated from a single bat (i.e. from the same swab sample) in all study sites, which might be important to consider when studying disease progression.

Comparative genomics of the extremophile Cryomyces antarcticus and other psychrophilic Dothideomycetes.

Over a billion years of fungal evolution has enabled representatives of this kingdom to populate almost all parts of planet Earth and to adapt to some of its most uninhabitable environments including extremes of temperature, salinity, pH, water, light, or other sources of radiation. Cryomyces antarcticus is an endolithic fungus that inhabits rock outcrops in Antarctica. It survives extremes of cold, humidity and solar radiation in one of the least habitable environments on Earth. This fungus is unusual because it produces heavily melanized, meristematic growth and is thought to be haploid and asexual. Due to its growth in the most extreme environment, it has been suggested as an organism that could survive on Mars. However, the mechanisms it uses to achieve its extremophilic nature are not known. Comparative genomics can provide clues to the processes underlying biological diversity, evolution, and adaptation. This effort has been greatly facilitated by the 1000 Fungal Genomes project and the JGI MycoCosm portal where sequenced genomes have been assembled into phylogenetic and ecological groups representing different projects, lifestyles, ecologies, and evolutionary histories. Comparative genomics within and between these groups provides insights into fungal adaptations, for example to extreme environmental conditions. Here, we analyze two Cryomyces genomes in the context of additional psychrophilic fungi, as well as non-psychrophilic fungi with diverse lifestyles selected from the MycoCosm database. This analysis identifies families of genes that are expanded and contracted in Cryomyces and other psychrophiles and may explain their extremophilic lifestyle. Higher GC contents of genes and of bases in the third positions of codons may help to stabilize DNA under extreme conditions. Numerous smaller contigs in C. antarcticus suggest the presence of an alternative haplotype that could indicate the sequenced isolate is diploid or dikaryotic. These analyses provide a first step to unraveling the secrets of the extreme lifestyle of C. antarcticus.

Evaluation of Fungal Diversity in High Altitude Soils in Different Temperature Conditions

Hot springs are like nature’s spas, which include warm and humid aquatic habitats that serve as a sanctuary for a diverse range of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotes fungi. Among these, fungi are one of the most important microorganisms, carrying out essential functions that often go unnoticed but are crucial in accelerating biological processes. These organisms have adapted to survive under a wide range of thermal conditions. While thermophilic fungi can withstand the scorching heat of deserts and hyper-saline conditions, other variants like mesophilic and psychrophilic fungi prefer more moderate and colder temperatures, respectively. The study employs shotgun metagenomic sequencing to obtain a fine-grained taxonomic classification of lesser-known species and microbial eukaryotes. This study aims to explore the relationship between fungal diversity and temperature in three distinct thermal zones; thermophilic (hot spring), mesophilic (plain field), and psychrophilic (semi-frigid zone) zones. The findings of our study demonstrated that there is a notable and positive association between the diversity of fungi and temperature, suggesting that temperature is a key factor in moulding fungal communities. However, it is important to note that further research is necessary to elucidate the underlying causal mechanisms of this relationship. Overall, our study adds to the knowledge of how environmental factors influence microbial diversity and can aid in the development of strategies for the conservation and management of fungal communities. Fungi are essential for many industrial applications, and their role in causing illnesses is also significant, making this research valuable for both scientific and practical purposes.

First report of Leptosphaeria sclerotioides on Brassica napus in Northwestern China

In 2020, diseased seedlings of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) with cankered taproots as well as abundant sclerotium-like structures in the soil surrounding the roots were found in Longxi County of Gansu province of northwestern China. A fungus with production of pycnidia was isolated from the diseased roots, and it was identified based on morphological characteristics, molecular phylogeny (ITS, LSU) and PCR detection with the specific primers. The fungus was identified as Leptosphaeria sclerotioides Gruyter, Aveskamp & Verkley [anamorph: Phoma sclerotioides (Preuss) ex Sacc.]. Re-inoculation of isolates of P9 and P10 of L. sclerotioides on winter oilseed rape (B. napus cultivar ‘Zhongshuang No. 9’) in Wuhan caused formation of abundant sclerotium-like structures in soil surrounding the roots, but failed to produce root cankers as those observed in Gansu possibly due to lack of long peroid of low-temperature conditioning in Wuhan. In spite of this, plant height, pod number and seed yield of oilseed rape were significantly reduced in the treatment with L. sclerotioides P9 and P10, compared to the control treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L. sclerotioides on B. napus in China and the finding broadened our understanding about the natural distribution of this psychrophilic fungus.

Anti-Aβ42 Aggregative Polyketides from the Antarctic Psychrophilic Fungus Pseudogymnoascus sp. OUCMDZ-3578.

Seven new polyketides, diphenyl ketone (1), diphenyl ketone glycosides (2-4), diphenyl ketone-diphenyl ether dimer (6), and anthraquinone-diphenyl ketone dimers (7 and 8), together with compound 5, were isolated from the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus sp. OUCMDZ-3578 fermented at 16 °C and identified by spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of 2-4 were determined by acid hydrolysis and 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone precolumn derivatization. The configuration of 5 was first determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 6 and 8 showed the highest activity against amyloid beta (Aβ42) aggregation with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 0.10 and 0.18 μM, respectively. They also showed strong abilities to chelate with metal ions, especially iron, were sensitive to Aβ42 aggregation induced by metal ions, and displayed depolymerizing activity. Compounds 6 and 8 show potential as leads for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease to prevent Aβ42 aggregation.

Fungal Diversity in Korean Caves and Cave-Inhabiting Bats with Attention to Pseudogymnoascus Species

Pseudogymnoascus is a psychrophilic fungus, which is a genus widely distributed in cold regions around the world. Recently, the presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS) belonging to Pseudogymnoascus, has been reported in neighboring countries of Korea. However, no investigation on Pd has been reported in Korea. In this study, cave-inhabiting bats and their habitats were investigated in terms of the diversity of cave fungi, and we tried to confirm the presence of Pd. Three caves suspected of hosting Pd were selected, and 83 environmental and 53 bat samples were collected. A total of 154 fungal strains belonging to 31 different genera were isolated, and 20 of 154 were confirmed to belong to Pseudogymnoascus. Pd-diagnostic PCR was performed to check whether Pd was present in the isolated Pseudogymnoascus, and seven positives were confirmed. However, phylogenetic analyses revealed that no isolates belonged or were closely related to the clade with Pd. Although samples were collected from limited areas, undescribed Pseudogymnoascus species were isolated, and it was confirmed that Korean isolates were distributed in various clades. In conclusion, it is hypothesized that Korean Pseudogymnoascus presents high diversity.

ПЛЕСНЕВЫЕ ГРИБЫ-ПСИХРОФИЛЫ, КОНТАМИНИРУЮЩИЕ ХОЛОДИЛЬНЫЕ КАМЕРЫ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ МЯСНОЙ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОСТИ, И СПОСОБЫ БОРЬБЫ С НИМИ

The article is devoted to the actual problem of spreading of psychrophilic fungi of certain genera in the refrigeration chambers of meat processing industry enterprises. The characteristics of the main genera of mold fungi that contaminate refrigeration chambers are given. Modern methods of combating mold fungi in refrigeration chambers are presented, ensuring the sanitary and hygienic requirements of auxiliary areas of food production, taking into account their efficiency and safety.

Laccase from Truncatella angustata showing Pb2+ induced burst of activity and dye decolourization without mediator and carbon footprint in cold climate

A cold-active laccase is required for multiple applications in cold climate, and reducing carbon footprint. Thus laccase from the psychrophilic fungus T. angustata BPF5 originally isolated from Baramullah (India) soil was characterized. The enzyme showed apparent molecular masses of 36 kDa and 49 kDa, maximal activity at 15 °C, >98 % activity between pH 3.0 and 5.0, and burst of activity in presence of Pb2+. The enzyme was stable at 15 °C and acidic pH (3.0–5.0) for 24 h losing only 30 % activity in 48 h. It was tolerant to Na1+ and other tested metals and organic solvents. The enzyme could decolourize dyes belonging to azo and triphenyl amine at cold temperatures, and without any mediator to spectrophotometric zero level. Pb+2 though amplified laccase activity had no impact on the dyes decolourization rate. The enzyme is potentially applicable in cold climate and unraveling the novel mechanism of Pb2+ induced burst of activity.

New Records of the Psychrophilic Tetracladium Species Isolated from Freshwater Environments in Korea

We investigated the diversity of aquatic fungi from freshwater environments in Korea. From the survey of aquatic fungi, three Tetracladium (Leotiomycetes, Helotiales) strains, NNIBRFG814, NNIBRFG1997, and NNIBRFG3891, were isolated from decaying leaves of Fraxinus rhynchophylla located in Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do; freshwater foam in the freshwater of the Gam stream in Gimcheon-si; and from filtered freshwater of the Yangsan stream in Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, respectively. The isolated fungal strains were identified using ITS sequence analysis and morphological characters. A sequence analysis indicated that the fungal isolates were closely related to Tetracladium breve MK371730 (100%, NNIBRFG814), Tetracladium setigerum KU519120 (98.96%, NNIBRFG1997), and T. marchalianum MK353126 (98.14%, NNIBRFG3891). In terms of growth conditions, it was confirmed that NNIBRFG814 grew best at 20 °C, did not grow above 30 °C, and grew at 5 °C as a psychrophilic fungus. NNIBRFG814 was included in the T. breve clade but its morphology was not similar to that of T. breve. Thus, NNIBRFG814 is a new species, and T. fraxineum sp. nov. NNIBRFG1997 and NNIBRFG3891 are the first records in Korea of T. setigerum and T. marchalianum, respectively.

Unusual Tetrahydropyridoindole-Containing Tetrapeptides with Human Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Targeting Activity Discovered from Antarctica-Derived Psychrophilic Pseudogymnoascus sp. HDN17-933.

Chemical investigation of the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus sp. HDN17-933 derived from Antarctica led to the discovery of six new tetrapeptides psegymamides A–F (1–6), whose planar structures were elucidated by extensive NMR and MS spectrometric analyses. Structurally, psegymamides D–F (4–6) possess unique backbones bearing a tetrahydropyridoindoles unit, which make them the first examples discovered in naturally occurring peptides. The absolute configurations of structures were unambiguously determined using solid-phase total synthesis assisted by Marfey’s method, and all compounds were evaluated for their inhibition of human (h) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. Compound 2 showed significant inhibitory activity. A preliminary structure–activity relationship investigation revealed that the tryptophan residue and the C-terminal with methoxy group were important to the inhibitory activity. Further, the high binding affinity of compound 2 to hα4β2 was explained by molecular docking studies.

Development and Application of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assays for Rapid Diagnosis of the Bat White-Nose Disease Fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Pseudogymnoascus destructans (= Geomyces destructans) is a psychrophilic filamentous fungus that causes White-Nose Disease (WND; the disease associated with White-Nose Syndrome, WNS) in hibernating bats. The disease has caused considerable reductions in bat populations in the USA and Canada since 2006. Identification and detection of the pathogen in pure cultures and environmental samples is routinely based on qPCR or PCR after DNA isolation and purification. Rapid and specific direct detection of the fungus in the field would strongly improve prompt surveillance, and support control measures. Based on the genes coding for ATP citrate lyase1 (acl1) and the 28S-18S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer (IGS) in P. destructans, two independent LAMP assays were developed for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of the fungus. Both assays could discriminate P. destructans from 159 tested species of filamentous fungi and yeasts. Sensitivity of the assays was 2.1 picogram per reaction (pg/rxn) and 21 femtogram per reaction (fg/rxn) for the acl1 and IGS based assays, respectively. Moreover, both assays also work with spores and mycelia of P. destructans that are directly added to the master mix without prior DNA extraction. For field-diagnostics, we developed and tested a field-applicable version of the IGS-based LAMP assay. Lastly, we also developed a protocol for preparation of fungal spores and mycelia from swabs and tape liftings of contaminated surfaces or infected bats. This protocol in combination with the highly sensitive IGS-based LAMP-assay enabled sensitive detection of P. destructans from various sources.

Assessment of Temperature and Time Following Application as Predictors of Propiconazole Translocation in Agrostis stolonifera

Propiconazole is a xylem-mobile fungicide used to suppress psychrophilic fungi on amenity turfgrass in temperate climates. The ability of turfgrass plants to translocate propiconazole during cold temperatures is unclear, with important implications for adequate fungal suppression and potential environmental contamination. We assessed the impact of temperature and time following application on the amount of propiconazole translocated into individual turfgrass plants and created a linear mixed-effects (LME) model to predict propiconazole uptake. Propiconazole was applied near the base of individual creeping bentgrass plants grown in controlled environment chambers at four different temperatures (22, 14, 10, and 1 °C). Propiconazole quantification was performed on individual 1 cm leaf segments using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and assessed 24, 48, and 72 h following application. Propiconazole concentrations were consistently highest in the lowest leaf segment (0–1 cm above the soil surface) regardless of temperature or time following application. Peak propiconazole concentrations were observed between 24 and 48 h after application. Using the LME model, leaf segment correlated most strongly with higher propiconazole concentration, followed by time after application and temperature. Our results indicate that propiconazole translocation in amenity turfgrass is primarily limited to the lowest segment of the plant regardless of temperature or time following the application. These findings provide important information for the effective use of xylem-mobile fungicides to treat low-temperature turfgrass diseases.

ROADWAY-ASSOCIATED CULVERTS MAY SERVE AS A TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR FOR PSEUDOGYMNOASCUS DESTRUCTANS AND WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME IN THE COASTAL PLAINS AND COASTAL REGION OF GEORGIA, USA.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease among hibernating North American bats caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since its discovery in New York state, US, in 2006, and as of 2020, WNS has rapidly spread to 34 American states and seven Canadian provinces, causing precipitous declines of native bat populations across North America. The rapid spread of this fungal pathogen has been facilitated by the social behavior of bats, as well as the ability of subterranean hibernacula to support a favorable environment for P. destructans, and is probably exacerbated by anthropogenic transmission events. Although many bat species roost in natural cave environments, bats also selectively use diverse structures for hibernacula. Certain areas of the US lack caves, forcing bats to select different winter roosting environments. Bats have been observed using roadway-associated structures, such as bridges and culverts, for roosting, especially in regions that lack natural cave environments. However, the potential for P. destructans transmission in such roadway-associated structures requires further investigation. Understanding potential pathogen transmission in these widely used anthropogenic structures is crucial to disease management and preventing further declines of imperiled bat populations. Our study investigated these structures as potential pathogen transmission corridors by surveying the use of these structures by Perimyotis subflavus and other susceptible bat populations and by measuring their temperature. The results suggest the environments of roadway-associated culverts are thermally conducive to the proliferation of P. destructans-even in regions with mild winters-and the development of WNS in susceptible bat populations. It is apparent these roadway-associated structures have the potential to spread P. destructans and exacerbate the effect of WNS on susceptible bat populations.

Green Oxidation of Amines by a Novel Cold-Adapted Monoamine Oxidase MAO P3 from Psychrophilic Fungi Pseudogymnoascus sp. P3

The use of monoamine oxidases (MAOs) in amine oxidation is a great example of how biocatalysis can be applied in the agricultural or pharmaceutical industry and manufacturing of fine chemicals to make a shift from traditional chemical synthesis towards more sustainable green chemistry. This article reports the screening of fourteen Antarctic fungi strains for MAO activity and the discovery of a novel psychrozyme MAOP3 isolated from the Pseudogymnoascus sp. P3. The activity of the native enzyme was 1350 ± 10.5 U/L towards a primary (n-butylamine) amine, and 1470 ± 10.6 U/L towards a secondary (6,6-dimethyl-3-azabicyclohexane) amine. MAO P3 has the potential for applications in biotransformations due to its wide substrate specificity (aliphatic and cyclic amines, pyrrolidine derivatives). The psychrozyme operates at an optimal temperature of 30 °C, retains 75% of activity at 20 °C, and is rather thermolabile, which is beneficial for a reduction in the overall costs of a bioprocess and offers a convenient way of heat inactivation. The reported biocatalyst is the first psychrophilic MAO; its unique biochemical properties, substrate specificity, and effectiveness predispose MAO P3 for use in environmentally friendly, low-emission biotransformations.