Chemical elicitors for metabolic diversification of endophytic fungi

• Grant number: 22/08410-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Applied Botany
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo José Pena Ferreira
• Grantee: Patrick Castilho dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Studies relating to the chemical diversity and bioactive potential of endophytic fungi found in native Brazilian species, especially in Asteraceae, are scarce in the literature. The aims of this project are: (1) to diversify the metabolome of two endophytic fungi, previously obtained from Asteraceae, using chemical and epigenetic elicitors; and (2) to evaluate the extracts obtained as a source of new bioactive compounds. Therefore, the crude extracts of two endophytes will be prepared using ten elicitors to verify their influence on the metabolic production of the strains. The obtained extracts will be analyzed by HPLC-UV-MS-MS for the identification of new metabolites as well as the extracts will be evaluated for cytotoxicity in a human tumor cell line. From a specific elicitation condition, the selected strain will be cultured on a large scale for the production of new bioactive compounds. From this extract, the produced metabolites will be identified and reevaluated in the cytotoxic assay. The project will contribute to the expansion of knowledge about the chemical diversity and bioactive potential of two endophytes of Asteraceae, and also to the training of specialized human resources.