Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Come to the Light Side: In Vivo Monitoring of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Infections in Chronic Wounds in a Diabetic Hairless Murine Model
Published on: October 10, 2017
Marine-Derived Polyketides from Penicillium sp. Enhance Cutaneous Wound Healing through Metabolic and Regenerative
Mücahit Varlı1,2, Eun-Young Lee3, Qian Gao3
1College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon, Jeonnam 57922, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Marine-derived fungi represent a rich yet underexplored source of bioactive secondary metabolites with therapeutic potential. In this study, we isolated and characterized five polyketide compounds from the marine-derived fungus Penicillium sp. SG-W3 and investigated their wound healing activities and underlying molecular mechanisms. At noncytotoxic concentrations, the isolated polyketides significantly enhanced keratinocyte wound closure and three-dimensional spheroid formation in HaCaT cells. These effects were accompanied by increased expression of regenerative markers, including CD44 and ALDH1, and pronounced metabolic modulation characterized by elevated glycolytic activity, enhanced mitochondrial respiration, and upregulation of key metabolic regulators such as GLUT1, HK2, LDHA, PKM2, and PGC-1α. Among the tested compounds, penimethavone A and endocrocin exhibited the most potent biological activities. In a murine full-thickness excisional wound model, topical application of the polyketides significantly accelerated wound closure and enhanced wound repair. Immunoblot analyses of wound tissue lysates demonstrated increased expression of total-AKT, α-smooth muscle actin, ALDH1, and HK2, supporting enhanced regenerative signaling and metabolic activation in vivo. Computational predictions point toward a possible involvement of PI3K-AKT-related pathways. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that marine-derived polyketides from Penicillium sp. SG-W3 promote cutaneous wound healing by enhancing keratinocyte motility, metabolic adaptability, and regenerative signaling, highlighting their potential as pharmacologically active natural compounds for the treatment of impaired wound repair.
Related Concept Videos
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Production of Antibiotics
Antifungal Agents
iChip
Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells
