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Regulation of Primary Metabolic Pathways in Oyster Mushroom Mycelia Induced by Blue Light Stimulation: Accumulation of Shikimic Acid

Summary

This research discovered that exposing oyster mushroom tissue to blue light triggers the production of shikimic acid, an important compound used to make the flu medication Tamiflu. The findings could lead to a more efficient and sustainable way to produce this vital medicine. Impact on everyday life: • Could help ensure a stable supply of flu medication • Demonstrates potential for using light to control valuable compound production in fungi • Offers a more environmentally friendly way to produce pharmaceutical ingredients • Could reduce the cost of producing certain medicines • Shows promise for developing new biotechnology applications using mushrooms

Background

Light is an important environmental cue for regulating growth, morphogenesis, and metabolite production in organisms. While photoreceptors and photoresponse phenomena have been identified in fungi, there had been no studies on light-induced regulation of primary metabolites in fungi or other organisms prior to this research.

Objective

To investigate how blue light stimulation affects the concentration of primary metabolites in oyster mushroom mycelia, particularly focusing on the accumulation of shikimic acid and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Results

Blue light stimulation induced significant accumulation of shikimic acid in oyster mushroom mycelia, with levels increasing more than 200-fold compared to dark conditions. The optimal conditions were 150 μmol m−2 s−1 blue light for 36 hours. The accumulation was specifically triggered by blue light, not by far red, red or green light. The mechanism involved increased expression of three key rate-determining enzymes: DAHPS, PFK, and G6PD.

Conclusion

Blue light stimulation effectively induces shikimic acid accumulation in oyster mushroom mycelia through upregulation of key metabolic enzymes. This method offers potential advantages over current shikimic acid production methods, including higher purity and potentially greater annual yield compared to traditional plant sources.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.1038/srep08630
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