Taxane-Producing Fungi Isolated from Taxus globosa Tree Bark

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Taxanes, crucial anticancer compounds derived from Taxus species, face production challenges due to reliance on plant cell cultures.
• Synthetic production methods are complex and do not ensure consistent taxane yields.
• Endophytic fungi present a promising alternative for sustainable taxane biosynthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of endophytic fungi as a source for taxane production.
• To identify and characterize fungal strains capable of synthesizing taxanes.
• To explore novel fungal genera for taxane biosynthesis.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and identification of 21 endophytic fungal strains using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing.
• Phylogenetic analysis to determine fungal genera, including Aspergillus, Trichoderma, and Hypoxylon.
• Liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF MS/MS) for taxane detection and quantification.

Main Results:

• Identified 11 distinct fungal genera from 21 isolated endophytic strains.
• Detected taxadiene production in Aspergillus sp. (1.35 μg/L), TgO (0.7 μg/L), Trichoderma harzianum (0.13 μg/L), and Hypoxylon sp. (0.3 μg/L).
• Confirmed the production of baccatin III, a key paclitaxel precursor, by some fungal isolates.
• Reported, for the first time, taxane production in fungi related to the Arcopilus and Endoxyla genera.

Conclusions:

• Endophytic fungi represent a viable and sustainable source for taxane production.
• Specific fungal strains, including those from novel genera, demonstrate potential for producing taxadiene and baccatin III.
• This study opens new avenues for biotechnological production of anticancer taxanes through fungal fermentation.