Unlocking fungal quorum sensing: Oxylipins and yeast interactions enhance secondary metabolism in monascus.

Exploring the symbiotic potential between fungal and yeast species, this study investigates the co-cultivation dynamics of Monascus, a prolific producer of pharmacologically relevant secondary metabolites, and Wickerhamomyce anomalous. The collaborative interaction between these microorganisms catalyzed a substantial elevation in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, prominently Monacolin K and natural pigments. Central to our discoveries was the identification and enhanced production of oxylipins (13S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid，13S-HODE), putative quorum-sensing molecules, within the co-culture environment. Augmentation with exogenous oxylipins not only boosted Monacolin K production by over half but also mirrored morphological adaptations in Monascus, affecting both spores and mycelial structures. This augmentation was paralleled by a significant upregulation in the transcriptional activity of genes integral to the Monacolin K biosynthetic pathway, as well as genes implicated in pigment and spore formation. Through elucidating the interconnected roles of quorum sensing, G-protein-coupled receptors, and the G-protein-mediate signaling pathway, this study provides a comprehensive view of the molecular underpinnings facilitating these metabolic enhancements. Collectively, our findings illuminate the profound influence of Wickerhamomyces anomalous co-culture on Monascus purpureus, advocating for oxylipins as a pivotal quorum-sensing mechanism driving the observed symbiotic benefits.

Strengthen the purification of eutrophic water and improve the characteristics of sediment by functional ecological floating bed suspended calcium peroxide and sponge iron jointly.

To overcome the shortcomings of conventional ecological floating bed (CEFB) in purifying landscape water, this study constructed a functional ecological floating bed (FEFB) through the suspension of calcium peroxide (CP) and sponge iron (SI) jointly below the CEFB. The purification effect of water quality and influence of sediment were compared in control check, CEFB, and FEFB systems, which were loaded the same sediment and reclaimed water in a field experiment. Results showed that the FEFB suspended with CP and SI had evident purification effect on the quality of landscape water supplied with reclaimed water and can maintain stably the nutrient status of the water body at mesotrophic levels and low turbidity. The FEFB promoted the degradation of humus, thus eliminating the chroma risk in water body caused by the decay of plants from the CEFB. Moreover, the FEFB can control the sediment mass produced, reduce the total nitrogen (TN) mass of sediment, and decrease the transformable TN (TTN) content in the sediment. The FEFB enhanced the stability of phosphorus (P) in the sediment, where the relative content of Ca-P and stable P reached 42.18% and 64.27%, respectively. To sum up, the FEFB suspended with SI and CP can not only effectively control the eutrophication and sensory index of landscape water but also change the TTN content and P forms in sediment, making the sediment more stable. Thus, the FEFB provides an innovative approach to reduce endogenous nutrient release for landscape water along with recharging with reclaimed water.

Impact of calcium peroxide dosage on the control of nutrients release from sediment in the anoxic landscape water.

The anoxic and reductive aquatic environment is formed easily in summer due to the global warming, which may accelerate endogenous release. In this experiment, four different dosages of calcium peroxide (CaO2) were adopted to study the control effects of nutrients release from the sediments in the simulated landscape waters. The results demonstrated that CaO2 addition could effectively improve the physicochemical properties and microbial composition in sediments, and an obvious improvement was achieved with a larger dosage. It was observed that the surface sediments of experiment groups were oxidized to form a capping barrier between the sediment and overlying water, which might cut off the pollutant diffusion in sediment. Meanwhile, CaO2 could decrease the nutrients concentration in water obviously, and the reduced effect was positively correlated with the CaO2 dosage. Compared with the nutrients release fluxes in CK (105.89 mg-TN m-2 day-1, 106.48 mg-NH4+-N m-2 day-1, 4.14 mg-TP m-2 day-1, and 4.30 mg-SRP m-2 day-1), the CaO2 dosages of 0.12 and 0.18 kg m-2 could entirely inhibit the nutrients release from sediment, and partially reduce the original pollutants in the overlying water. However, 0.18 kg m-2 CaO2 would cause a higher increase of pH value and NO2--N concentration, and bring potential risk to the aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, 0.12 kg-CaO2 m-2-sediment was selected as the optimal dosage by considering the control effect, economic cost, and potential risk comprehensively. In general, this study provided a quantitative usage method of CaO2, which is convenient and effective to prevent or control the nutrients release from sediment caused by anoxic and reductive condition in summer.