Fungal Species: Penicillium herquei

New bioactive secondary metabolites from fungi: 2024

Scientists discovered 907 new compounds from fungi in 2024, with most being terpenoids and polyketides that show promise as medicines. These fungal compounds demonstrate strong activity against bacteria, fungi, and inflammation, with some showing potential against cancer and diabetes. The research uses advanced techniques like genome mining and metabolomics to find these compounds more efficiently. This accelerating discovery rate suggests fungi could be a major source for developing new drugs to treat various diseases.

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Iron acquisition in the mutualistic fungus Penicillium herquei: implications of mineral elements in insect-fungus symbiosis

A fungus that lives with beetles has evolved special abilities to collect and store iron, which it shares with its insect partner. Researchers found that this mutualistic fungus produces much higher levels of iron than the plant leaves the beetles would normally eat. The fungus uses special proteins and iron-grabbing molecules to accumulate this essential nutrient, providing a nutritional advantage to the beetle and strengthening their partnership.

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