Bioactive metabolites produced by fungi present in Antarctic, Arctic and alpine ecosystems

Authors: GONÇALVES, VÍVIAN - Federal University Of Minas Gerais; CARVALHO, CAMILA - Federal University Of Minas Gerais; MARTINS, LAURA BEATRIZ - Federal University Of Minas Gerais; BARRETO, DÉBORA - Federal University Of Minas Gerais; QUEIROZ, SONIA - Embrapa; Tamang, Prabin; Bajsa-Hirschel, Joanna; Cantrell, Charles; DUKE, STEPHEN - University Of Mississippi; ROSA, LUIZ - Federal University Of Minas Gerais

Submitted to: Bioactive Metabolites from Fungi in Pharmaceutical Research and Development: Prospects & Avenues
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/21/2023
Publication Date: 2/29/2024
Citation: Gonçalves, V.N., Carvalho, C.R., Martins, L.M., Barreto, D.L., Queiroz, S.C., Tamang, P., Bajsa Hirschel, J.N., Cantrell, C.L., Duke, S.O., Rosa, L.H. 2024. Bioactive metabolites produced by fungi present in Antarctic, Arctic and alpine ecosystems. In: Abdel-Azeem, A.M., Yadav, A.N., Yadav, N., Sharma, M., editors. Bioactive Metabolites from Fungi in Pharmaceutical Research and Development: Prospects & Avenues. p. 537-563. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5696-8_17.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5696-8_17

Interpretive Summary: Hostile and harsh environments to most organisms represent more than 80% of the Earth’s surface. These extreme environments shelter interesting microbial communities that can live in habitats that combine polyextremophile conditions, including cold, hot, dry, oligotrophic conditions and high solar radiation over the year. Microorganisms inhabiting extreme ecosystems can have specialized metabolism to adapt to physicochemical conditions different from those in which most organisms can withstand, and they are called extremophiles. For this reason, extreme regions represent a natural laboratory to study different aspects of its resident extremophile microorganisms, including fungi able to produce bioactive compounds. In this context, extremophile fungi present in environments such as Antarctica, the Artic and the Alps may have peculiar biochemical pathways that result in secondary metabolite production that can be used in biotechnological processes as possible prototypes for new compounds for use as pharmaceuticals in medicine and pesticides for use in agriculture. Some recent studies have searched for new compounds produced by fungi with biological functions such as cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, lipid-lowering ability, antioxidant, nematocidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, antitumor, herbicidal and antifouling activities. This review summarizes recent literature on extremophile fungi that are sources of metabolites for use in medicine, agriculture and industry.

Technical Abstract: Hostile and harsh environments to most organisms represent more than 80% of the Earth’s surface. These extreme environments shelter interesting microbial communities that can live in habitats that combine polyextremophile conditions, including cold, hot, dry, oligotrophic conditions and high solar radiation over the year. Microorganisms inhabiting extreme ecosystems can have specialized metabolism to adapt to physicochemical conditions different from those in which most organisms can withstand, and they are called extremophiles. For this reason, extreme regions represent a natural laboratory to study different aspects of its resident extremophile microorganisms, including fungi able to produce bioactive compounds. In this context, extremophile fungi present in environments such as Antarctica, the Artic and the Alps may have peculiar biochemical pathways that result in secondary metabolite production that can be used in biotechnological processes as possible prototypes for new compounds for use as pharmaceuticals in medicine and pesticides for use in agriculture. Some recent studies have searched for new compounds produced by fungi with biological functions such as cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, lipid-lowering ability, antioxidant, nematocidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, antitumor, herbicidal and antifouling activities. This review summarizes recent literature on extremophile fungi that are sources of metabolites for use in medicine, agriculture and industry.