Fungi produce a vast and complex array of chemical compounds known as secondary metabolites. While not essential for their basic growth, these molecules play critical roles in how fungi interact with their environment, defend against competitors, and communicate. The genetic blueprints for these compounds are neatly organized into biosynthetic gene clusters. Thanks to breakthroughs in genomics, metabolomics, and synthetic biology, we are now able to explore these pathways like never before, even awakening "silent" gene clusters to uncover novel molecules. This Article Collection aims to bring together the latest research and cutting-edge perspectives in this dynamic field.

Understanding fungal secondary metabolism is vital for both science and society. Many of our most important medicines, including the antibiotic penicillin, the immunosuppressant cyclosporin, and cholesterol-lowering statins, originated from fungi. As we face growing challenges like antibiotic resistance, the fungal kingdom represents a massive, untapped resource for discovering new drugs. On the other hand, some fungal metabolites are harmful mycotoxins that can contaminate food supplies, posing a significant threat to global health and food security. By studying how these compounds are made, we can unlock new therapeutic solutions and develop better strategies to protect our food.

This Article Collection will explore the multifaceted world of fungal secondary metabolism and biosynthesis. We invite contributions on a range of subtopics, including but not limited to: (1) The discovery, structure, and function of novel secondary metabolites; (2) The use of genomics and bioinformatics to identify and analyze biosynthetic gene clusters; (3) The genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that regulate these pathways; (4) The application of synthetic biology and heterologous expression to produce new compounds; and (5) The ecological roles and evolutionary origins of fungal secondary metabolites. We welcome Original Research articles, Reviews, Methods, and Perspectives to provide a comprehensive overview of the field.

5 Keywords:

Fungal secondary metabolites

Biosynthesis

Synthetic biology

Genomic mining

Metabolic regulation

- A joint research team from POSTECH and CHA University develops a culture membrane that closely mimics native intestinal tissue using components extracted from porcine colon

Salk researchers establish microprotein atlas from human frontal cortex samples with and without Alzheimer’s disease, identifying more than 1,000 new microproteins, including one that may contribute to age-related dysfunction in the brain’s resident immune cells. The publicly available resource will allow scientists to consider microproteins in their studies, lighting the path to new potential targets for neurodegenerative diseases. The study may also be used as a framework for building additional microprotein atlases for other tissues and disease areas.

When public health researchers want to know whether diseases such as COVID-19 or polio are circulating in a community, they can look for genetic evidence in wastewater.

Entomologist Dana Price wondered whether the same principle could be applied to mosquitoes. The question led to an unconventional experiment.

“What we did, colloquially, was build a mosquito toilet,” said Price, an associate professor at the Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and a lead author of a study published in Microbiology Spectrum.