Springer Biosynthesis and Molecular Genetics of Fungal Secondary Metabolites, Volume 2 (Fungal Biology)

Fungi produce many chemically diverse secondary metabolites whose biological roles largely remain elusive. Within the increasing number of sequenced fungal genomes several important genes involved in secondary metabolite formation have been identified. Most of these genes are clustered and their coordinated transcription is controlled in a complex way by both narrow pathway-specific regulators as well as broad global transcription factors responsive to environmental cues. In recent years it was discovered many of the newly identified gene clusters are silent under laboratory conditions suggesting that the biosynthetic potential of fungi is far from being exploited. Besides identifying novel bioactive metabolites from still unexplored sources, the activation of these gene clusters by several approaches may result in the discovery of new substances with antibiotic and pharmaceutical benefits. This book covers recent advances in the field of fungal secondary metabolisms ranging from methodologies to biological aspects and will include the latest knowledge on fungal molecular biology, genomics, and metabolomics. With the related volume by Professor Juan-Francisco Martin, where the most relevant and well-studied fungal secondary metabolites are compiled, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art of research on fungal secondary metabolites. From the Back Cover This book continues the exploration of fungal secondary metabolism and underlying genetics initiated in the first volume, adding analysis of regulatory key players and epigenetic control of their biosynthesis, genomics- and metabolomics-guided approaches. This work unearths the potential of fungi as resources of novel biologically active substances, the use of secondary metabolite profiles in fungal chemotaxonomy, less exploited substances and their producers, and the biological roles of secondary metabolites in organismic interactions.   Fungal secondary metabolites significantly impact mankind, comprising substances that contribute to human well-being such as antibiotics, antivirals, immunosuppressives, antitumor and anticholesterolemic agents. These metabolites also comprise toxins that act as virulence factors in their respective hosts, causing health problems by contaminating our food and indoor environment. For the use of beneficial substances in medicine and pharmaceutical industry and the risk reduction of fungal metabolites with adverse health effects, a detailed knowledge and understanding of fungal secondary metabolism is essential. The recent emergence of high-throughput “omics” techniques constitutes an important step in this regard and will further significantly contribute to the discovery of novel fungal metabolites. About the Author Juan-Francisco Martín, PhDUniversity of León, Department of Molecular Biology, Area of Microbiology, León, Spain Carlos García-Estrada, DVM, PhD Institute of Biotechnology of León (INBIOTEC), Parque Científico de León, León, Spain Susanne Zeilinger, PhDVienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna, Austria