Functional Analysis of Sterol O-Acyltransferase Involved in the Biosynthetic Pathway of Pachymic Acid in Wolfiporia cocos

Author: mycolabadmin
2021-12-27
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Summary

This research investigated how a medicinal fungus called Wolfiporia cocos produces pachymic acid, an important compound with multiple health benefits. The scientists identified a key gene (WcSOAT) that controls pachymic acid production and showed that manipulating this gene could increase or decrease pachymic acid levels. Impact on everyday life: • Could lead to more efficient production of natural medicines from fungi • May help develop new treatments for inflammation and cancer • Could reduce the need for harvesting wild medicinal mushrooms • Demonstrates potential for creating sustainable sources of natural medicines • May lead to more affordable access to fungal-based therapeutic compounds

Background

Pachymic acid from Wolfiporia cocos is a triterpenoid compound with important medicinal properties including anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, invigorating, anti-rejection, anti-tumor, and antioxidant activities. While the synthesis pathway from lanostane to pachymic acid is not fully understood, particularly the genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway remain uncharacterized, limiting the efficient production and application of pachymic acid.

Objective

To characterize the synthetic pathway and genes involved in pachymic acid synthesis by identifying triterpenoids in W. cocos, inferring the putative biosynthetic pathway from lanostane to pachymic acid, and identifying key genes in the pathway, particularly the W. cocos sterol O-acyltransferase (WcSOAT) gene that catalyzes tumolusic acid to pachymic acid.

Results

The study identified 11 triterpenoids in W. cocos and inferred the biosynthetic pathway from lanostane to pachymic acid. Silencing of the WcSOAT gene led to reduced pachymic acid production, while overexpression increased production. The results demonstrated that WcSOAT is involved in pachymic acid synthesis and that biosynthesis is closely dependent on WcSOAT gene expression.

Conclusion

The research successfully characterized the biosynthetic pathway of pachymic acid and identified WcSOAT as a key gene involved in its synthesis. This knowledge enhances understanding of W. cocos pachymic acid and triterpenoid biosynthesis, while providing reference for target gene modification to achieve high-efficiency production of active components.

Published in:Molecules,
Study Type:Laboratory Research,
Source: 10.3390/molecules27010143