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Heterothallism of mucoraceous fungi: A review of biological implications and uses in biotechnology

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Abstract

The phenomenon of heterothallism in filamentous fungi is reviewed, with emphasis on the discussion of hormonal regulation of heterothallic strains of mucoraceous fungi. This process is viewed from the standpoint of current understanding that fungal cells communicate with each other using a special “language,” i.e., signaling chemicals (hormones or pheromones). Physiological and biochemical criteria of distinguishing between heterosexual strains, which make it possible to draw analogies with higher eukaryotes, are set forth for the first time, based on experimental data obtained with Blakeslea trispora. The synthetic pathway to trisporic acids (a zygogenic sex hormone of Mucorales), their relation to carotenoids, and biological functions are described. The similarity (both structural and functional) between fungal, plant, and animal hormones is another topic dealt with. Current understanding of the role of terpenoids in the evolution of sexual communication and transduction is presented with an excursion into microbial endocrinology, a novel field of research in biology. The concluding part of the review analyzes the data on biotechnological implications of the phenomenon of heterothallism. Specifically, it may be used to obtain a series of isoprenoid compounds, such as β-carotene and lycopene (which exhibit pronounced antioxidant activity), as well as sterols and trisporic acids.

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Original Russian Text © E.P. Feofilova, 2006, published in Prikladnaya Biokhimiya i Mikrobiologiya, 2006, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 501–519.

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Feofilova, E.P. Heterothallism of mucoraceous fungi: A review of biological implications and uses in biotechnology. Appl Biochem Microbiol 42, 439–454 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0003683806050012

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