Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soil
Abstract Fungi play a pivotal role in ecosystem functionality, driving processes such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and symbiotic interactions. Their wide enzymatic strategies enable the breakdown of complex organic materials and the valorization of organic waste streams, providing sustainable...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-025-02651-4 |
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| author | Taren Bouwman Lauren Higa Caitlyn Lee Shaina Young Arel Ragasa Gregory Bonito Nhu H. Nguyen Zhi-Yan Du |
| author_facet | Taren Bouwman Lauren Higa Caitlyn Lee Shaina Young Arel Ragasa Gregory Bonito Nhu H. Nguyen Zhi-Yan Du |
| author_sort | Taren Bouwman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Fungi play a pivotal role in ecosystem functionality, driving processes such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and symbiotic interactions. Their wide enzymatic strategies enable the breakdown of complex organic materials and the valorization of organic waste streams, providing sustainable pathways for bioproduct development. Fungi also exhibit significant potential in industrial applications, particularly in biofuel and nutraceutical production, owing to their high lipid content and adaptability to diverse feedstocks. Genera such as Aspergillus, Mortierella, and Linnemannia have demonstrated exceptional lipid production capabilities and unique fatty acid profiles, including high yields of nutraceuticals like arachidonic acid (ARA) and oleic acid. This study explored uncharacterized fungal strains isolated from California grassland soils, analyzing their phylogeny, morphology, growth rates, lipid content, and fatty acid profiles. Results revealed notable genetic and physiological diversity among the isolates, with Mortierella strains emerging as the most promising for industrial applications due to their superior lipid content and productivity of ARA and oleic acid. Confocal microscopy confirmed consistent lipid droplet morphology, while phylogenetic analysis uncovered novel species-level diversity. Key strains were identified for biofuel and nutraceutical production, highlighting their industrial potential. These findings underscore the versatility of fungi as biotechnological tools and provide a foundation for further exploration and utilization of these promising strains in industrial processes. Graphical Abstract |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d7213764f0c4f0fb25e6fcc62948c83 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2731-3654 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d7213764f0c4f0fb25e6fcc62948c832025-08-20T03:16:29ZengBMCBiotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts2731-36542025-05-0118111410.1186/s13068-025-02651-4Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soilTaren Bouwman0Lauren Higa1Caitlyn Lee2Shaina Young3Arel Ragasa4Gregory Bonito5Nhu H. Nguyen6Zhi-Yan Du7Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaDepartment of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaDepartment of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaDepartment of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaDepartment of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaDepartment of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State UniversityDepartment of Tropical Plant and Soil Science, University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaDepartment of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaAbstract Fungi play a pivotal role in ecosystem functionality, driving processes such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and symbiotic interactions. Their wide enzymatic strategies enable the breakdown of complex organic materials and the valorization of organic waste streams, providing sustainable pathways for bioproduct development. Fungi also exhibit significant potential in industrial applications, particularly in biofuel and nutraceutical production, owing to their high lipid content and adaptability to diverse feedstocks. Genera such as Aspergillus, Mortierella, and Linnemannia have demonstrated exceptional lipid production capabilities and unique fatty acid profiles, including high yields of nutraceuticals like arachidonic acid (ARA) and oleic acid. This study explored uncharacterized fungal strains isolated from California grassland soils, analyzing their phylogeny, morphology, growth rates, lipid content, and fatty acid profiles. Results revealed notable genetic and physiological diversity among the isolates, with Mortierella strains emerging as the most promising for industrial applications due to their superior lipid content and productivity of ARA and oleic acid. Confocal microscopy confirmed consistent lipid droplet morphology, while phylogenetic analysis uncovered novel species-level diversity. Key strains were identified for biofuel and nutraceutical production, highlighting their industrial potential. These findings underscore the versatility of fungi as biotechnological tools and provide a foundation for further exploration and utilization of these promising strains in industrial processes. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-025-02651-4FungiBiodiversityBiofuelLipidsNutraceuticals |
| spellingShingle | Taren Bouwman Lauren Higa Caitlyn Lee Shaina Young Arel Ragasa Gregory Bonito Nhu H. Nguyen Zhi-Yan Du Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soil Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts Fungi Biodiversity Biofuel Lipids Nutraceuticals |
| title | Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soil |
| title_full | Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soil |
| title_fullStr | Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soil |
| title_short | Biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from California annual grassland soil |
| title_sort | biochemical and molecular characterization of fungal isolates from california annual grassland soil |
| topic | Fungi Biodiversity Biofuel Lipids Nutraceuticals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-025-02651-4 |
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