About this Research Topic
Along with their beneficial role in human life as a source of valuable secondary metabolites, fungi represent major plant and insect pathogens and also important agents of disease in vertebrates. Contamination of human and animal hosts with fungi is a reason for diseases generally called mycoses, whereas dietary, respiratory, dermal, and other exposures to fungal toxins result in diseases called mycotoxicosis. Commonly occurring fungi growing on food and feed may form toxins, known as mycotoxins, which are small molecules produced as secondary metabolites predominantly by saprophytic moulds.
In recent decades, several approaches were used for the detection and biosynthesis of novel fungal secondary metabolites. It is well known that a microorganism’s genome contains various cryptic genes, which are responsible for the production of novel secondary metabolites. However, these genes remain silent under laboratory conditions. Several genetic engineering approaches for gene activation were established. After the successful gene overexpression, the produced secondary metabolites could be detected by utilizing omics-based techniques. The development of metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics methods, in the previous years, enlarged the number and chemical classes of newly identified fungal secondary metabolites.
Today, a combination of metabolomics-based technologies with genetic engineering approaches is a powerful tool for the investigation of fungal secondary metabolites. This research collection represents combinatorial studies along with novel omics approaches to access fungal secondary metabolites.
This research collection is focused on detection approaches and discovery of the fungal secondary metabolites, and will explore:
• Biosynthesis, gene clusters;
• Identification and characterization of secondary metabolites, detection of secondary metabolites;
• Activation approaches for the silent gene clusters;
• Omics-based techniques such as genomics, metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics techniques for the detection of secondary metabolites
• Novel mycotoxins
Keywords: secondary metabolites, omics-based techniques, genetic engineering approaches
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