Aspergillus oryzae Accelerates the Conversion of Ergosterol to Ergosterol Peroxide by Efficiently Utilizing Cholesterol
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 2022-08-22
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Summary
This research reveals that the common food-safe fungus Aspergillus oryzae, traditionally used in making soy sauce and other fermented foods, can effectively process and reduce cholesterol while producing beneficial compounds. This discovery has important implications for everyday life:
• Could lead to development of new cholesterol-lowering foods and supplements
• May help create healthier fermented food products with reduced cholesterol content
• Shows potential for creating new anti-cancer and anti-tuberculosis medications
• Provides a natural way to process excess cholesterol in food products
• Could help develop new probiotic products for managing cholesterol levels
Background
Cholesterol is an essential component of the human body, accounting for 0.2% of total body weight. However, excessive cholesterol leads to serious health conditions like hypercholesterolemia, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. While Lactobacillus bacteria are known to utilize environmental cholesterol, little research has focused on cholesterol utilization by eukaryotic organisms.
Objective
To investigate the mechanism of cholesterol utilization by the eukaryote Aspergillus oryzae and determine the role of oxysterol binding protein in this process. The study aimed to understand how A. oryzae processes cholesterol and converts ergosterol to ergosterol peroxide.
Results
A. oryzae efficiently utilized cholesterol from the medium, with maximum absorption at 48 hours. The cholesterol utilization promoted the conversion of ergosterol to ergosterol peroxide, with ergosterol peroxide content reaching 0.712% after 48 hours of culturing in cholesterol medium. The Osh3 protein showed high binding affinity for various sterols including cholesterol (Kd=332.9±45.3 nM), ergosterol (Kd=121.9±24.3 nM), and ergosterol peroxide (Kd=8.1±2.1 nM).
Conclusion
A. oryzae can efficiently and instantaneously absorb and utilize cholesterol, while simultaneously promoting the conversion of ergosterol to ergosterol peroxide. This discovery has significant implications for developing low-cholesterol foods and new therapeutic compounds. The high production of ergosterol peroxide by A. oryzae could provide new opportunities for developing anticancer, antitumor, and anti-tuberculous drugs.
- Published in:Frontiers in Genetics,
- Study Type:Laboratory Research,
- Source: 10.3389/fgene.2022.984343