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Fungi have played a pivotal role in human history, from the dangers of fungal toxins to the revolutionary discovery of penicillin. Fungal secondary metabolites (SMs), such as polyketides (PKs) and terpenes, have attracted considerable interest due to their diverse biological activities. Botrytis deweyae, an endophytic fungus, exhibits behaviors that are notably distinct from those of its necrotrophic relatives within the genus Botrytis. This study explores the importance of terpenes and PK gene clusters and their conservation between species. In addition, new putative biosynthetic gene clusters corresponding to those families were identified. Consequently, the new PKS BdPKS22-26 were also identified in other Botrytis species and other fungi. In addition, those new gene clusters identified in this work show differences in the degree of conservation and are phylogenetically closely related to some of the 21 PKSs previously described in the reference strain Botrytis cinerea B05.10. Moreover, a new gene cluster related to terpenes in B. deweyae B1 and B. cinerea B05.10 was also identified that had never been detected before. This new gene cluster is well conserved among other Botrytis species in many phylogenetically distant fungal lineages. Understanding the genetic basis and conservation of these putative biosynthetic gene clusters sheds light on the metabolic potential and ecological roles of B. deweyae and related fungal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that causes considerable economic losses in commercial crops. Fungi of the genus Botrytis exhibit great morphological and genetic variability, ranging from non-sporogenic and non-infective isolates to highly virulent sporogenic ones. There is growing interest in the different isolates in terms of their methodological applications aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the biology of these fungal species for more efficient control of the infections they cause. This article describes an improvement in the protoplast production protocol from non-sporogenic isolates, resulting in viable protoplasts with regenerating capacity. The method improvements consist of a two-day incubation period with mycelium plugs and orbital shaking. Special mention is made of our preference for the VinoTaste Pro enzyme in the KC buffer as a replacement for Glucanex, as it enhances the efficacy of protoplast isolation in B459 and B371 isolates. The methodology described here has proven to be very useful for biotechnological applications such as genetic transformations mediated by the CRISPR/Cas9 tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea, a necrotrophic fungus responsible for grey rot disease, causes substantial economic losses. However, recent studies have discovered distinct non-sporogenic and non-infective isolates of this species, such as the B459 field strain. Examination of these isolates is particularly intriguing in the context of the development of methodological applications that could be useful in the biocontrol of this phytopathogenic species. This investigation revealed that B459 exhibited a reduced growth rate yet displayed enhanced resilience to stressors like oxidative stress agents, SDS, ethanol, and PhITC. Notably, its ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and acidic compounds, crucial in plant–pathogen interactions, was impacted. Bio-targeted toxin identification assays and the metabolomic study of extracts obtained from fermentations at seven and fourteen days revealed that this strain does not biosynthesize botrydial and derivatives neither botcinin family toxins. Furthermore, its inability to infect tomato fruits, grape, and gerbera petals coincides with its lack of toxin production under culture conditions typically adapted for reference strain B05.10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucosinolates, the main secondary metabolites accumulated in cruciferous flora, have a major impact on fortifying plant immunity against diverse pathogens. Although Botrytis cinerea exhibits varying sensitivity to these compounds, current research has yet to fully understand the intricate mechanisms governing its response to glucosinolates. Different species of the genus Botrytis were exposed to glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates, revealing that B. fabae, B. deweyae, and B. convolute, species with the mfsG transporter gene (Bcin06g00026) not detected with PCR, were more sensitive to isothiocyanates than Botrytis species containing that gene, such as B. cinerea, B. pseudocinerea, and B. byssoidea. This finding was further corroborated by the inability of species with the mfsG gene not detected with PCR to infect plants with a high concentration of glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates. These results challenge established correlations, revealing varying aggressiveness on different plant substrates. An expression analysis highlighted the gene's induction in the presence of isothiocyanate, and a bioinformatic investigation identified homologous genes in other Botrytis species. Our study underscored the importance of advanced biotechnology to help understand these proteins and thus offer innovative solutions for agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine environment is a promising source of natural products with possible pharmacological applications. In this sense, marine microorganisms, especially marine fungi, can produce bioactive compounds with various therapeutic properties. Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a major health problem worldwide, since the treatments used to date are not capable of improving patient survival; that is why natural compounds from marine fungi offer a promising alternative. This study focused on evaluating the antitumor and antioxidant activity of fractions derived from the marine fungi E. maritima and P. lilacinum in two CRC cell lines T84 and SW480. Fractions Fr-EM6, Fr-EM7, Fr-EM8 and Fr-PLMOH-3 demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity in tested CRC cell lines with no activity in the non-tumor line. In particular, the Fr-PLMOH-3 fraction from P. lilacinum showed significant antiproliferative effects on T84 and SW480 cell lines and exhibited a greater cytotoxic effect on cancer stem cells compared to tumor cells. Furthermore, the Fr-EM8 fraction from E. maritima demonstrated a strong antioxidant capacity. These findings highlight the potential of compounds of marine origin as effective and selective antitumor agents for the treatment of CRC. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential clinical applications of these bioactive fractions and compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ascomycete Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr., classified within the family Sclerotiniaceae, is the agent that causes grey mould disease which infects at least 1400 plant species, including crops of economic importance such as grapes and strawberries. The life cycle of B. cinerea consists of two phases: asexual (anamorph, Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr.) and sexual (teleomorph, Botryotinia fuckeliana (de Bary) Wetzel). During the XVI International Symposium dedicated to the Botrytis fungus, which was held in Bari in June 2013, the scientific community unanimously decided to assign the most widely used name of the asexual form, Botrytis, to this genus of fungi. However, in the literature, we continue to find articles referring to both morphic stages. In this review, we take stock of the genes and metabolites reported for both morphic forms of B. cinerea between January 2015 and October 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]