Uncovering the Effects of the Cultivation Condition on Different Forms of Peptaibol’s Emericellipsins Production from an Alkaliphilic Fungus, <i>Emericellopsis alkalina</i>

Abstract

Peptaibols (Paib) are a class of biologically active peptides isolated from fungi and molds, which have attracted the attention of medicinal chemists due to their widely ranging pharmacological properties, including their antimicrobial activity. In the present study, we investigated the effects of various pH levels and cultivation conditions on peptaibol complex emericellipsins A-E (EmiA-E), produced by the alkaliphilic fungus Emericellopsis alkalina. Paib production has been studied in flasks and bioreactors for different pH values ranging from 7 to 11. The study of morphological features based on light and scanning electron microscopy has revealed differences between fungi grown at different pH values and cultivation conditions. Emericellipsins have been purified, sequenced, and identified by mass spectrometry. We have found that an alkaline pH of 10 could promote emericellipsins’ biosynthesis most effectively during stationary fermentation on the 14th day of cultivation.

Keywords

• antimicrobial peptide
• alkaliphilic fungi
• <i>Emericellopsis alkalina</i>
• emericellipsins A-E
• antifungal
• antimicrobial resistance