Solid-state cultivation-specific agmatine production by Aspergillus oryzae: current understanding and perspectives

Agmatine, a natural polyamine generated from arginine by arginine decarboxylase (ADC), has attracted increasing attention because of its pleiotropic beneficial effects on neuroprotection, lifestyle-related diseases, and gut-brain axis-mediated pathways. Although mammals appear to possess only limited capacity to synthesize endogenous agmatine, accumulating evidence suggests that agmatine derived from diet and the gut microbiota contributes to systemic levels of this polyamine. Previous studies have revealed that Aspergillus oryzae, the filamentous fungus foundational to traditional Japanese cuisine and indispensable for starch saccharification in sake, miso, soy sauce, mirin, and other fermented foods, produces high levels of agmatine specifically under solid-state cultivation. Subsequent studies identified a novel pyruvoyl-dependent ADC (Ao-ADC1) responsible for this unique agmatine production. This mini-review summarizes current knowledge on solid-state cultivation-specific agmatine production by A. oryzae, with a particular focus on the discovery and biochemical characteristics of Ao-ADC1. These findings challenge the commonly accepted notion that ascomycetes lack ADC. Understanding the molecular rationale and physiological significance of this unique agmatine biosynthetic pathway provides a foundation for rational strategies to enhance agmatine production in A. oryzae and for the development of agmatine-enriched fermented foods and nutraceuticals. Furthermore, integrating this fungal pathway with emerging insights into microbe-host interactions may further illuminate how fermentation-derived agmatine contributes to human health through gut-brain axis mediated mechanisms.