Abstract
Marine microorganisms account for over 90% of ocean biomass and their diversity is believed to be the result of their ability to adapt to extreme conditions of the marine environment. Biotransformations are used to produce a wide range of high-added value materials, and marine-derived fungi have proven to be a source of new enzymes, even for activities not previously discovered. This review focuses on biotransformations by fungi from marine environments, including bioremediation, from the standpoint of the chemical structure of the substrate, and covers up to September 2022.
1. Introduction
The marine ecosystem covers over 70% of the earth’s surface and its rich biodiversity is mostly yet to be discovered. Because of its unique physical and chemical conditions, the marine environment offers rich microbial diversity (bacteria, fungi, algae, plankton, and viruses) characterized by metabolic pathways and enzymatic systems different from those of their terrestrial counterparts. That is why marine microorganisms have proved to be interesting and are a potential source of structurally unique and biologically active natural products (; ; ). For example, the sesquiterpenes chloriolins A, B, and C, isolated from an unidentified marine fungus, chlorinated analogs of the terrestrial fungal coriolins (), or dendryphiellin A obtained from the obligate marine deuteromycete Dendryphiella salina, with an unprecedented structure (), demonstrate the potential of marine fungi as a source of unique chemistry.
Marine-derived microorganisms are naturally adapted to extreme temperature, acidity, pressure and/or salt concentration in the ocean; therefore, they can be an important source of new enzymes with interesting characteristics, i.e., high salt tolerance, hyperthermostability, barophilicity and cold adaptivity. These ecological features of habitat in which they thrive impact on their metabolic functions enabling (). For example, the esterase isolated from the marine yeast Yarrowia lipolytica CL180 showed psychrophilic activity and, in fact, still showed 40% of the maximum activity at 10°C, making it a very attractive enzyme for potential application in the production of a thermolabile chemical ().
The occurrence of marine fungi has been reported in different substrates as sponges, algae, wood, tunicates, sediments, mollusks, corals, plants, fish… (; ). Interestingly, the holobiont environment has proved to be an abundant reservoir of bioactive compounds, affecting the marine host and their microbiome ().
In recent decades, biocatalysis has become an increasingly valuable tool for the chemical synthesis of novel drug derivatives, agrochemicals and fragrances with improved properties, or precursor/intermediate molecules involved in production processes owing to the capability of biological systems to conduct regio- and stereoselective chemical reactions that cannot be performed by traditional synthetic methods. Biocatalysis is also an interesting alternative in the context of Green Chemistry where gentle, and usually cheaper reaction conditions are employed (water as the reaction medium, physiological pH and temperature…; ). Moreover, in recent years, microorganisms that mimic mammalian metabolism have been employed for the pharmacological and toxicological evaluation of bioactive compounds ().
Over the last few decades, marine mycology has started to become an incipient source of new natural products as potential lead compounds. Up to 2021, 1901 species were described and more than 3500 secondary metabolites isolated (; ). Despite their widespread distribution and abundance, marine-derived fungi, which are generally known as fungi isolated from the marine environment (), remain an underexplored and promising reservoir of enzymes that can potentially be used for biotransformation and biodegradation purposes (Birolli et al., 2019; ).
This review focuses on the biotransformation of natural and synthetic compounds by marine-derived fungi with the aim of providing some interesting insights into their enzymatic systems and possible application in chemical transformations as part of synthetic procedures in drug design or other products of industrial interest. A description of the potential use of these fungi as an alternative bioprocess for the degradation of pollutants is also given. The review covers articles published until September 2022.
2. Biotransformation of natural products
2.1. Terpenes
Terpenoids are natural compounds which are essential for living organisms for growth, development and defense against threats. Due to their wide array of bioactivity, they are widely used in agrochemicals, drugs, fragrances, flavoring and pigments ().
Monoterpenes are an important component of essential oils and mainly play an ecological role in plants. In view of the wide variety of applications of these compounds, many attempts have been made to modify their structure to enhance their properties.
studied the biotransformation of the flavor monoterpene geraniol (1) using several microorganisms. Only the fungus Hypocrea sp., isolated from the marine alga Undaria pinnatifida found in South Korea, was able to hydroxylate 1 yielding 1,7-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-(E)-oct-2-ene (2). Subsequently, these authors obtained the monoterpene glycoside 1-O-(α-d-mannopyranosyl) geraniol (3) by using the marine-derived fungus Thielavia hyalocarpa from geraniol (1; Figure 1A). This fungus was isolated from a mudflat collected at Suncheon Bay, Korea ().
Figure 1
Camphor (4) is a major constituent of the essence of Salvia officinalis and is used commercially as a moth repellent and component of pharmaceutical products. The fungus Botryosphaeria sp. CBMAI 1197, isolated from the red marine alga Bostrychia radicans collected in the South Atlantic Ocean off the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil, was used to biotransform this compound, affording the following compounds: 3-exo-hydroxycamphor (5), 6-endo-hydroxycamphor (6), 6-exo-hydroxycamphor (7), 5-exo-hydroxycamphor (8), 5-endo-hydroxycamphor (9) and 8-hydroxycamphor (10; Figure 1B). These monohydroxylations are difficult to perform using conventional methods (
The bioactive sesquiterpene cyclonerodiol (11), a plant growth regulatory active constituent, was biotransformed by the marine-derived fungus Penicillium sp. (MFAac49), isolated from the brown alga Sargassum thunbergii collected at Songjeung Beach in Busan, Korea. This fungus produced a mannosidation obtaining cyclonerodiol mannopyranoside 12 as a biotransformation product with moderate yield (Figure 1C). Microbial mannosidation is a very rare reaction, which was produced in terpenes by marine fungi for the first time (
Later,
Some bromosesquiterpenes isolated from the Okinawan red alga Laurencia luzonensis were used as biotransformation substrates aiming at obtaining bioactive derivatives (
(−)-Ambrox (23) is a natural product of animal origin with a high commercial value used in the fragrance industry. The biocatalytic potential of the marine-derived fungi Aspergillus sydowii CBMAI 934, Eutypella sp. CBMAI 1196 and Botryosphaeria sp. CBMAI 1197 was studied. The fungus A. sydowii CBMAI 934 was isolated from the marine sponge Chelonaplysilla erecta, while Eutypella sp. CBMAI 1196, and Botryosphaeria sp. CBMAI 1197 were isolated from the red marine alga B. radicans. These fungi were able to regioselectively hydroxylate compound 23 to 1β-hydroxy-ambrox (24) and (−)-3β-hydroxy-ambrox (25; Figure 2A;
Figure 2

Terpene biotransformations. (A) Regioselective hydroxylation of (−)-ambrox (23) by Aspergillus sydowii CBMAI 934, Eutypella sp. CBMAI 1196 and Botryosphaeria sp. CBMAI 1197 (
The same authors used Eutypella sp. CBMAI 1196 and Botryospharia sp. CBMAI 1197 to biotransform (+)-sclareolide (26), a bioactive sesquiterpene with several pharmacological activities. Both microorganisms produced the hydroxylation of 26 in the 3β-position yielding 3β-hydroxy-sclareolide (27; Figure 2B). Yields were 7 and 34% for Eutypella sp. and Botryospharia sp., respectively (
(−)-Sclareol (28), a diterpene isolated from the essential oil of Salvia sclarea, exhibits antifungal and antibiotic activity and is used in the tobacco and fragrance industries. Biotransformation of this compound by the marine-derived fungus Xylaria sp. CBMAI 1195, isolated from red marine alga B. radicans collected in the South Atlantic Ocean, São Paulo, Brazil, yielded the hydroxylated products (−)-3β-hydroxy-sclareol (29) and (+)-18-hydroxy-sclareol (30) with 31 and 10% yield, respectively. However, Eutypella sp. CBMAI 1196 and Botryosphaeria sp. CBMAI 1197 only produced 29, with 55 and 69% yield, respectively (Figure 2C;
The biotransformation of cryptotanshinone (31), a diterpene from the plant Salvia miltiorrhiza and effective in the treatment of cardiovascular and infectious diseases, was studied by
Also, the new oxygenated compounds (1S,4R,15R)-1,18-epoxy-neocryptotanshinone (34), (1S,15R)-1-hydroxy-neocryptotanshinone (35), (1R,15R)-1-hydroxy-neocryptotanshinone (36), (15R)-3-hydroxy-neocryptotanshinone A (37), (15R)-3-hydroxy-neocryptotanshinone B (38), (15R)-1-keto-neocryptotanshinone (39), (15R)-3-keto-neocryptotanshinone (40), and metabolite 33 were obtained as biotransformation products of cryptotanshinone (31) from a culture media of A. terreus RA2905 (Figure 2D). Compounds 32, 40 and 41 exhibited higher anti-bacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) than 31 (
Betulin (41) and its derivatives are triterpenes with a wide range of biological activities.
2.2. Steroids
Steroids are natural products with important physiological and biological activities. The great versatility of microorganisms in the production of highly valuable steroidal compounds for the pharmaceutical industry is well known (
Transformation of pregnenolone (43) and progesterone (44) by the marine fungus Cladosporium herbarum using both mycelium and spores was studied. Using mycelium, the major products obtained with pregnenolone (43) as the substrate, were progesterone (44; 25%), 7α-hydroxypregnenolone (45; 10% yield), and 15α-hydroxyprogesterone (46; 20%); and using spores, the only major product was 45 (30%). When 44 was used as substrate, the major products obtained using mycelium and spores were 46 and 17α -hydroxyprogesterone (47; Figure 3A;
Figure 3

Steroid biotransformations. (A) Biotransformation of pregnenolone (43) and progesterone (44) by Cladosporium herbarum (
Later,
The same authors carried out the progesterone (44) biotransformation using the marine-derived fungus Penicillium oxalicum CBMAI 1996, isolated from the marine sponge C. erecta collected in the South Atlantic Ocean, São Paulo (Brazil). The mycelia produced the steroid 7β,15β-dihydroxyprogesterone (50), and the culture broth of this fungus yielded the steroid 15β-hydroxyprogesterone (51) by hydroxylation at C-7 and C-15 via cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases. Also, compound 51 was biotransformed by the fungus mycelia to 50 (Figure 3B;
While investigating the biocatalytic capacity of marine endophytic fungi,
Twelve marine-derived fungal strains were tested for their potential to perform bio-oxidation reactions using ethinylestradiol (54) as substrate. Lastly, P. oxalicum CBMAI 1996 was selected, producing products 55 and 56 in poor yield (10 and 6%, respectively; Figure 3D). Biotransformation pathway of 54 suggests the presence of several enzymes such as phenol oxidases, monooxygenases, and ene-reductases in the strain CBMAI 1996. Also, kinetic monitoring of the biotransformation of ethinylestradiol (54) was performed and revealed that the yields of 55 and 56 could not be maximized over time, although the conversion was approximately 100%. This indicates that a biodegradation process was occurring at the same time as the biotransformation. It is worth noting that marine-derived fungi can play a relevant role in the biodegradation of steroidal compounds in the ocean and in wastewater due to their inappropriate disposal (
2.3. Polyketides
Polyketides are a structurally and functionally diverse family of natural products with a wide range of bioactivities and have become a rich source of new pharmaceutical compounds (
Viridicatumtoxin A (57) is a tetracycline-like antibiotic isolated from Paecilomyces sp. CMB-MF010, an Australian marine mollusk-associated fungus. Considering that 5-oxotetracyclines may exhibit enhanced anti-vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) properties,
Figure 4

Polyketide biotransformations. (A) Production of seco-cyclines (63–70) from tetracycline (58), minocycline (59), chlortetracycline (60), and hemi-cyclines (71–75) from oxytetracycline (61) and doxycycline (62) by Paecilomyces sp. CMB-MF010 (
Later,
Patulin (78) is a toxic compound produced by a wide range of fungi. This secondary metabolite is toxic to humans and animals at very low doses and can be found in fruits, vegetables, cereals and shellfish. As physical and chemical methods have proven to be limited (high cost, safety issues…), biological control is proposed as an alternative for patulin detoxification. In 2015,
Due to the emergence of parasites resistant to anti-helminthics, new parasite-specific pest control products that are minimally toxic to the host are urgently needed. In 2018,
Chalcones are precursors or components of many natural compounds such as flavonoids and isoflavonoids and have several medical applications such as anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, anti-tuberculosis, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial treatments (
Reduction of the double bond of chalcone produces dihydrochalcones, which exhibit several biological activities such as cytotoxic, antileishmanial, antitumor, antibacterial, anti-Trypanosoma cruzi and anti-HIV. Considering that direct hydrogenation of chalcones by chemical methods is relatively difficult,
Subsequently, the chemoselective hydrogenation of halogenated 2′-hydroxychalcones (93–99) was studied by
Figure 5

Polyketide biotransformations. (A) Hydrogenation of halogenated 2′-hydroxychalcones 93–99 by Penicillium raistrickii CBMAI 935 (
In 2021, the same authors used several marine-derived fungi to biotransform the 2′-hydroxychalcones 93, 95 and 100. The main reactions involved hydrogenation of the double bond, hydroxylation of the B-ring, and cyclization to obtain flavanones. P. raistrickii CBMAI 931 catalyzed a chemoselective reduction to produce the corresponding 2′-hydroxydihydrochalcones 101, 103 and 108. A. sydowii CBMAI 935 promoted hydroxylation to yield 2′,4-dihydroxy-dihydrochalcone (117) only from 93 at a yield of 26%. The reaction caused by P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 and Mucor racemosus CBMAI 847 yielded cyclization products without enantioselectivity (118–120; Figure 5B;
Flavanones are a type of flavonoids featuring interesting biological activities and are found at high concentrations in many fruits such as grapes, oranges, lemons, and some aromatic herbs. Thus, given the potential of marine fungi for the asymmetric reduction of natural products,
In this work, flavanone 109 was biotransformed by the strain P. raistrickii CBMAI 931 resulting in the production of dihydrochalcone 101 as the only product. Compound 101 and the dihydroxy dihydrochalcone 117 were produced by A. sydowii CBMAI 935 and Fusarium sp. CBMAI 1830 with 109 as substrate. This is interesting because in most cases the opening of the C ring in flavanones leads to the formation of chalcones, but this formation was not observed in this case (
2.4. Other natural products
One of the most important scaffolds for drug discovery is the indole core, present in many approved drugs due to their ability to mimic the structure of peptides. This allows them to bind reversibly to enzymes which opens the door to the discovery of novel drugs with different modes of action (
Figure 6

Biotransformations of other natural products. (A) Isatin (127) biotransformation by marine fungi (
Further experiments with Aspergillus sp. CBMAI 1829 and Acremonium sp. CBMAI 1676 revealed the production of small amounts of indolin-2-one (129) and 2-aminobenzaldehyde (130) as biodegradation products from 127 and 128 (Figure 6A), probably used as carbon and nitrogen sources due to the absence of nutrients. Previous studies indicate that one of the most common metabolic pathways in the biotransformation of 127 is its hydrolysis by isatin hydrolase, a manganese-dependent enzyme (
Later,
To obtain new indol alkaloids with interesting pharmacological activity, a mixture of anthranilic acid and phthalimide were used as substrates in biotransformation by the marine fungus Scedosporium apiospermum F41-1, isolated from the soft coral Lobophytum crissum in China. A new diphenylamine derivative (140) and 16 known alkaloids (141–156) were isolated and identified (Figure 6C). Evaluation of their lipid-lowering property revealed their potential as drug candidates to treat hyperlipidemia, mainly compound 149. None of them were cytotoxic (
Chlorogentisyl alcohol (157) is an antitumoral natural product isolated from the marine algicolous fungus Aspergillus sp. While screening marine microorganisms able to biotransform bioactive metabolites, the bioconversion of 157 was studied using the marine-derived fungus Chrysosporium synchronium isolated from the surface of edible brown alga Sargassum ringgoldium collected in Korea. Fermentation yielded the new glycoside 1-O-(α-d-mannopyranosyl)chlorogentisyl alcohol (158) as a result of mannosidation (Figure 7A). The antioxidant activity of both compounds (157 and 158) was evaluated and significant radical-scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) was revealed, even higher than the positive control (
Figure 7

Biotransformations of other natural products. (A) Chlorogentisyl alcohol (157) mannosidation by Chrysosporium synchronium (
Scoparone (159) is a simple coumarin from the botanical drugs of Artemisia species used in traditional Chinese medicine. To explore new active derivatives,
Given the therapeutic potential as a trypanosomicidal, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent of hinokinin (161), the oxidized form of cubetin (162),
3. Biotransformation of cyano compounds
Organonitriles are considered an important class of compounds for the chemical industry because of their use as intermediates in the synthesis of carboxylic acids, esters, amines, amides, amidines, aldehydes, ketones, and heterocyclic compounds. Their chemical transformation usually involves pollutant compounds, so the study of the biocatalytic potential of marine fungi enzymatic systems is an interesting environmentally-friendly way to apply them in bioremediation.
The same authors conducted further experiments to study the bioconversion of several methylphenylacetonitriles by the marine filamentous fungus A. sydowii CBMAI 934, isolated from the marine sponge C. erecta, to afford the corresponding acids in a very good yield. In this experiment, phenylacetonitrile was employed as a carbon and nitrogen source, inducing the arylaliphatic nitrilases. The marine fungus A. sydowii CBMAI 934 was thus shown to be a potential biocatalyst for the synthesis of carboxylic acids from nitriles (
Chemoselective reduction of the C-C double bond of aromatic malonitrile derivatives can have applications as intermediates in the organic synthesis of pharmaceutical molecules. In this connection,
Figure 8

Biotransformations of cyano compounds. (A) Bioconversion of compounds 163 and 166 by Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186 (
Chiral β-hydroxy nitriles are valuable intermediates for the synthesis of several biologically active compounds. Thus,
Continuing with the biotransformation of nitriles,
4. Biotransformation of carbonyl compounds
Biocatalytic asymmetric reduction of ketones is an important methodology for the preparation of enantiomerically enriched secondary alcohols which are valuable intermediates in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds of interest.
Chiral chlorohydrins are used as intermediates in the synthesis of various compounds exhibiting biological activity. Thus,
Enantiomerically pure β-azido alcohols are precursors of chiral aziridines and amino alcohols used in the organic synthesis of bioactive molecules. Thus,
Several years later,
The asymmetric bioconversion of o-, m- and p-iodoacetophenone was done with the marine-derived fungi A. sclerotiorum CBMAI 849, A. sydowii Ce19, B. felina CBMAI 738, M. racemosus CBMAI 847, P. citrinum CBMAI 1186, P. miczynskii Ce16, P. miczynskii Gc5, P. oxalicum CBMAI 1185, and Trichoderma sp. Gc1. All fungi were isolated from the sponges G. corticostylifera and C. erecta, the marine algae Caulerpa sp. and Brazilian cnidarian species, namely Palythoa variabilis, Palythoa caribaeorum, and Mussismilia hispida. o-Iodoacetophenone and m-iodoacetophenone were reduced to the corresponding (S)-alcohols, while p-iodoacetophenone was reduced to (S)- or (R)-p-iodophenylethanol depending on the fungus employed, mostly with excellent optical purity (
The same substrates were biotransformed by
Competitive oxidation–reduction reactions were also observed in the bioconversion of p-iodophenylethanol by the marine fungus P. oxalicum CBMAI 1185. 4-Hydroxy-3-iodoacetophenone was biotransformed by P. oxalicum CBMAI 1185 to give alcohol 4-hydroxy-3-iodophenylethanol, and it was also oxidized via a Baeyer–Villiger reaction to produce the phenylacetate derivative as an intermediate which was hydrolysed yielding 2-iodobenzene-1,4-diol (
O-Fluoro-, o-chloro- o-bromo, and o-nitroacetophenones were also bioconverted by marine fungi Botryosphaeria sp. Br-09, Eutypella sp. Br-023, Hydropisphaera sp. Br-27, Xylaria sp. Br-61, Pestalotiopsis sp. SMA2-C, Penicillium sp. SMA2-8 and Arthopyrenia sp. SGPY-41. All fungi catalyzed the reduction of o-acetophenones with excellent enantiomeric excesses, but yields varied significantly depending on the microorganism and substrate employed. R enantiomer was only produced by strains Pestalotiopsis sp. SMA2-C and Penicillium sp. SMA2-8 with substrate o-fluoro, and by Eutypella sp. Br-023 and Hydropisphaera sp. Br-27 with the compound o-bromo (
The use of whole living cell immobilization techniques in biocatalytic processes has been increasing in pharmaceutical and food industries. Thus, whole mycelia of the marine fungi A. sclerotiorum CBMAI 849 and P. citrinum CBMAI 1186, isolated from the marine alga Caulerpa sp. and the cnidarian P. variabilis, were immobilized on support matrices of silica gel, silica xerogel and/or chitosan for the asymmetric reduction of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone and 2-chloro-1-phenylethanone. P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 immobilized on chitosan gave the best result quantitatively affording the enantiomer (S)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol with excellent enantioselectivity. Non-immobilized P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 catalyzed the anti-Prelog reduction (enantiomer R) with moderate yield and optical purity. P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 immobilized on chitosan also catalyzed the reduction of 2-chloro-1-phenylethanone, but without any selectivity. A. sclerotiorum CBMAI 849 immobilized on silica gel and the free mycelium catalyzed the bioreduction of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone and 2-chloro-1-phenylethanone to alcohols S-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol and R-2-chloro-1-phenylethanol, respectively, with excellent results, but when immobilized on silica xerogel did not produce any reduction. These results indicate that the biocatalytic reduction of this type of ketone by immobilization of marine fungi depends on the substrate and the support used (
The same authors subsequently conducted a comparative study of the asymmetric reduction of ketones. They checked the bioreduction of 1-(3-bromophenyl)ethanone by growing and resting cells of several marine-derived fungi isolated from sediments collected from Guangdong Province, China. Most of the marine-derived fungi catalyzed reduction of the substrate to the corresponding enantiomerically pure (S)-alcohols with both methods, but the highest yield and enantiomeric excess were achieved by R. rubra AS 2.2241 and therefore this microorganism was chosen for the bioconversion of the rest of the compounds (
That same year,
The endophytic fungi Botryosphaeria sp. CBMAI 1197, Eutypella sp. CBMAI 1196, Hidropisphaera sp. CBMAI 1194 and Xylaria sp. CBMAI 1195, isolated from the marine red alga B. radicans, catalyzed the reduction of fluoroacetophenone derivatives to the corresponding fluorophenyl alcohols. In the biotransformation of 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenylethanone, all marine fungi exhibited whole enantioselectivity, giving (S)-2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenylethanol. The fungus Botryosphaeria sp. CBMAI 1197 exhibited the best biocatalytic potential leading to the highest conversion values (~100%). This biocatalyst also enantioselectively produced the chiral alcohols S and R, respectively, from the respective substrates 1-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethanone and 1-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)ethanone (
Hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated ketones catalyzed by ene reductases is a common reaction in organic synthesis but control of regioselectivity and chemoselectivity is often very difficult. However, the use of microorganisms as biocatalysts is an interesting alternative to traditional methods. In this connection,
Biotransformation of the α,β-unsaturated ketone 184 by P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 led to chemoselective bioreduction in preference over the carbonyl group and γ,δ double bonds with very good yield after 6 days, producing compound 190. The same results were observed employing monounsaturated ketones 185–188, obtaining compounds 191–194 at a high conversion (Figure 9A). However, a different result was observed with ketone 189 where the reduction yielded two main products (195 and 196) and trace amounts of compound 197 (Figure 9B). It is worth noting that this type of chemo- and regioselective reduction is very hard to achieve using nucleophilic agents from traditional reducing agents, thus P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 biohydrogenations may be an interesting alternative in biocatalytic methods (
Figure 9

Biotransformations of carbonyl compounds. (A) Hydrogenation of the α,β-unsaturated ketones 184–188 by Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186 (
In another study, the same authors hydrogenated bis-α,β-unsaturated enones 184 and 198 using two strains of marine-derived fungi, P. citrinum CBMA1186 and Trichoderma sp. CBMAI932 affording compounds 190, 199–205 (Figure 9C). The substrates were analogs of the natural product curcumin, a compound whose derivatives exhibit interesting biological activities. Results revealed the presence of oxidoreductases and ene-reductases in the fungal strains (
5. Biotransformation of miscellaneous compounds
Glycidyl ether derivatives are considered as potentially useful intermediates in the synthesis of β-adrenergic blockers. This chemical synthesis process is often hampered because of the generation of racemic products and therefore novel alternatives in asymmetric synthesis are needed. In this connection, whole cells of four marine-derived fungi strains, A. sydowii Gc12, P. raistrickii Ce16, P. miczynskii Gc5 and Trichoderma sp. Gc1, were evaluated by
Although P. raistrickii Ce16 and P. miczynskii Gc5 did not biocatalyse the xenobiotic substrate, the other two strains exhibited regioselective hydrolytic activity. A. sydowii Gc12 catalyzed the epoxide group hydrolysis of compound 216 with a good conversion rate, producing (R)-216 with an enantiomeric excess of 46% and diol 217, with a poor enantiomeric excess of 10% (absolute configuration not determined). Trichoderma sp. Gc1 exhibited complementary stereoselectivity in opening the epoxide ring of 216 presenting an (R)-enantiomer preference, yielding (S)-216 with good enantiomeric excess of 60% and diol (R)-217, with an enantiomeric excess of 32% due to a β attack at the terminal carbon (Figure 10A;
Figure 10

Biotransformations of miscellaneous compounds. (A) Enzymatic resolution of racemic (±)-2-(benzyloxymethyl) oxirane (216) by Aspergillus sydowii Gc12 and Trichoderma sp. Gc1 (
Hydrolysis of (±)-2-(allyloxymethyl) oxirane (218) by whole cells of the marine fungus Trichoderma sp. Gc1 mostly produced (S)-(+)-2-(allyloxymethyl)oxirane ((S)-218; 34% ee) and (R)-(−)-3-(allyloxy)propane-1,2-diol ((R)-219; 10% ee; Figure 10B). Results showed that the fungal hydrolases exhibited selectivity with preference for oxirane R, while the formation of (R)-diol 219 indicated retention of configuration as the mechanism involved (
6. Biodegradation
Environmental pollution has been on the rise in the past few decades owing to unsafe agricultural practices, rapid industrialization, and the need to generate cheap forms of energy. This increased human activity has led to the continuous release of highly toxic and recalcitrant organic chemicals into the biosphere, such as plastics, petroleum derivatives, pesticides, etc.
Several methods have been tried to remove pollutants from the environment, such as incineration, landfilling and dredging, or a combination of these (
6.1. Petroleum hydrocarbons
Petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) are one of the most widespread and heterogeneous organic pollutants affecting marine ecosystems. They are mainly composed of alkanes, olefins and aromatics. Due to their poor solubility in water, PHCs are readily adsorbed onto particles and settle to sea-bottom sediments where they persist for long periods of time causing a significant negative impact on benthic aquatic communities (
This type of pollution has received enormous attention due to its toxicity, persistence and accumulation in aquatic habitats. Bioremediation approaches based on the use of microorganisms for marine sediment remediation are gaining increasing attention due to their ecological nature and lower cost.
Deshpande’s group studied the ability of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica NCIM 3589 (current name Y. lipolytica var. indica), isolated from oil-contaminated seawater near Mumbai (India), to degrade pure alkanes. Y. lipolytica is a dimorphic strain which has the capacity to change its morphology from yeast to mycelium in response to environmental and nutritional conditions. In yeast form, this strain was able to degrade 20–60% of the pure n-alkanes added (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 carbon atoms) within 48 h under aerobic conditions, with n-hexadecane being the most degraded alkane (60%). This hydrocarbon was more efficiently metabolized by the yeast cells of var. indica than by other terrestrial strains. Mycelial cells of Y. lipolytica NCYC 3589, produced under low oxygen concentrations, degraded alkanes only after reverting to the yeast cells (Zinjarde et al., 1998;
Phenylalkanes are persistent organic pollutants which are mutagenic and carcinogenic.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely distributed contaminants with adverse effects on both humans and the environment. Due to their persistence, toxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity, PAHs have caused significant environmental concern. Although these pollutants may undergo adsorption, volatilization, photolysis, and chemical degradation, microbial degradation is the major degradation process. Microbial degradation biotransforms PAHs into less complex metabolites and, through mineralization, into inorganic minerals, H2O, CO2 under aerobic and CH4 under anaerobic conditions (
Several marine-derived fungi capable of metabolizing PAHs have been described. They have been isolated from various marine environments such as seawater, sediments, marine organisms, marshes and estuaries (
Sette’s group examined several marine-derived fungi isolated from different Brazilian cnidarians and sponges for their ability to biodegrade pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus sclerotiorum CBMAI 849, isolated from the scleractinian coral M. hispida, showed excellent degradation of pyrene (99.7%) and benzo[a]pyrene (76.6%) after 8 and 16 days, respectively. Substantial benzo[a]pyrene depletion was also achieved after 16 days of incubation with the zygomycete M. racemosus CBMAI 847 (51.7%), isolated from the zoanthid P. variabilis, and by the hyphomycete Cladosporium cladosporioides CBMAI 857 (45.3%), isolated from P. caribaeorum. CBMAI 849 and CBMAI 847 strains metabolized pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene to pyrenylsulfate and benzo[a]pyrenylsulfate, respectively, which are less toxic than their respective parent compounds. In addition, hydroxypyrene and hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene were detected as intermediates, suggesting that the degradation mechanism of PAHs involves hydroxylation mediated by a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase, followed by conjugation with sulfate ions (
In another study, they screened three marine-derived basidiomycete fungi isolated from the Brazilian sponges D. reticulatum and Amphimedon viridis. Marasmiellus sp. CBMAI 1062 was able to degrade 97.2% of benzo[a]pyrene after 7 days of incubation and 98.2% of pyrene after only 48 h of incubation under saline conditions. Lower detoxification of both PAHs was observed after 21 days of incubation with Tinctoporellus sp. (almost 50%) and Peniophora sp. (30%). The CBMAI 1062 strain metabolized pyrene to hydroxypyrene, pyrene dihydrodiol, and dihydroxypyrene. These compounds were identified by GC–MS and therefore the position of the hydroxyl groups could not be determined. The intermediate metabolites generated suggest that the fungus degraded pyrene via the cytochrome P450 system and epoxide hydrolases. Toxicity tests using Artemia sp. showed a loss of toxicity after pyrene degradation by CBMAI 1062 (95% of survivors with active motility vs. 67.2% of survivors in abiotic control), highlighting the biotechnological potential of this fungus to detoxify this environmental pollutant (
Recently, Sette’s group reported that the fungus Tolypocladium sp. CBMAI 1346, isolated from marine sponges collected in Brazil, reduced pyrene (220) by 64.43% under non-saline conditions and 95.54% in optimized saline conditions after 7 days of incubation. The pattern of pyrene degradation metabolites produced by this strain was very different in the two culture conditions. The non-optimized process gave rise to compounds 221–223 (Figure 11A), while the optimized process generated only metabolites with aliphatic chains (hexadecane, icos-1-ene, icos-5-ene, octadec-1-ene, docosan-1-ol, and hexadec-1-ene) suggesting that under these conditions the metabolization of pyrene (220) by the fungus may have been accelerated. The metabolic intermediates generated and transcriptomic data revealed that degradation occurred mainly via the cytochrome P450 pathway and auxiliary enzymes (e.g., phenol 2-monooxygenase, epoxide hydrolases, and some dioxygenases). The optimized process was able to degrade pyrene without the generation of toxic compounds after 21 days using Artemia sp. as a bioindicator (
Figure 11

Biodegradations of petroleum hydrocarbons. (A) Pyrene (220) biodegradation by Tolypocladium sp. CBMAI 1346 (
Fluorene (224) is a concerning environmental compound because of its carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, mutagenicity, toxicity and resistance to microbial degradation.
Similarly, the biodegradation of chrysene by C. lunatus strain CHR4D, a marine-derived ascomycete fungus isolated from crude oil-contaminated sediment collected from the Alang-Sosiya ship-breaking yard in India, was optimized by RSM using CCD. The two-step optimization protocol led to a high biodegradation rate of 93.1% on the fourth day versus 56.4% on the fourteenth day using non-optimized conditions (
The lignin-degrading marine fungus Flavodon flavus, strain NIOCC # 312, isolated from decomposing seagrass leaves of Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenberg) Ascherson, was able to remove about 70–80% of phenanthrene and 71–78% of chrysene after 6 days, when manganese peroxidase production was maximum. According to the studies conducted phenanthrene is instantly adsorbed by the fungal biomass and subsequently degraded by lignin-degrading enzymes present in the cell wall and in the exopolymeric matrix around the fungal hyphae (
The most efficient strain, Cladosporium sp. CBMAI 1237, was selected for the degradation of other PAHs. After 21 days, it metabolized 100% of anthrone (230), 62% of pyrene (220), and 52% of fluoranthene (232) to anthraquinone (231; Figure 11C). Anthraquinone and phenanthrene were also degraded (32 and 47%, respectively), but no biotransformation products were detected. CBMAI 1237 strain also biodegraded 70% of fluorene (224) to 9-hydroxyfluorene (233), 2-hydroxyfluorene (234), 4-hydroxy-9-fluorenone (235), and benzophenone (236; Figure 11D), and 78% of acenaphthene (237) to acenaphthen-1-ol (238) and acenaphthylene (239; Figure 11E). Aminopyrene, hydroxypyrene and anthraquinone (231) were identified as biotransformation products of nitropyrene by CBMAI 1237. Therefore, anthraquinone (231) was a common biodegradation product for several PAHs (
Similarly, the ability of pelagic sediment isolates from different locations in the two gulfs of Gujarat and from the Arabian sea to tolerate and degrade PAHs was evaluated. Based on the GC–MS profile, Penicillium ilerdanum NPDF1239-K3-F21 and Aspergillus versicolor NPDF190-C1-26 exhibited efficiency rates of >75% in degrading naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene (220), anthracene (229), and fluoranthene (232;
6.2. Pesticides
Pesticides, despite having a beneficial effect on agricultural production, may be one of the most dangerous contaminants to the environment since they are very toxic and have adverse effects on human and animal health. They can also bioaccumulate, remaining in the soil at the application site, or may be transported to different parts of the environment such as sediments, plants, surface and ground waters, marine environments and even volatilized into the atmosphere, depending on their physical–chemical properties (
Pesticides may be classified as organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. Organochlorines cause great concern due to their high toxicity and resistance to degradation. Pentachlorophenol is a phenolic organochlorine used as a pesticide, disinfectant and food preservative, the use of which has been banned in most countries due to its high toxicity and slow biodegradation.
Of all the fungi tested, T. harzianum CBMAI 1677 was the strain most resistant to high concentrations of pentachlorophenol and was therefore selected for pesticide biodegradation. After 7 days, this pesticide was biotransformed into pentachloroanisole by biomethylation, which was subsequently dechlorinated to 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole. Their biodegradation products were also partially metabolized by this strain, preventing their accumulation in the environment (
2,4-Dichlorophenol has been widely used as a pesticide, fungicide and wood preservative. As it has been released into the environment in large quantities, it has been classified as a priority pollutant together with other chlorophenols.
Another of the most extensively used organochlorine pesticides in the past was dieldrin, whose high toxicity and long persistence in the environment led to its ban more than 50 years ago. However, it is still present in many ecosystems, posing a serious problem for the environment. To biodegrade this pesticide,
The ability of these marine fungi to biodegrade the chlorinated insecticide dichlorodiphenylchloroethane (DDD), whose use was banned in the 1970s, was also assessed. DDD is still present in several environments, not only because of its direct use in the past, but also because it is rendered as a breakdown product of the widely used pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Among all the strains tested, Trichoderma sp. CBMAI 932 (formerly Trichoderma sp. Gc1) was the most tolerant to the pesticide. It degraded 58% of DDD after 14 days when 5.0 mg of DDD was added to a 5 day-old culture of Trichoderma sp. CBMAI 932 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. As in the case of dieldrin, no DDD degradation intermediates were detected by GC–MS analysis. However, the enhanced biodegradation of the pesticide in the presence of H2O2 suggests the involvement of peroxidases (
Pyrethroid pesticides are remarkably effective due to improvements over decades of research, making them the third best-selling chemical class of insecticides. The pyrethroid pesticide esfenvalerate (S,S-fenvalerate, 245) accumulates in aquatic sediments and is very toxic to aquatic species, so its biodegradation in this ecosystem is very important.
All the fungal strains were able to biodegrade the pesticide, although CBMAI 1675, CBMAI 1676, and CBMAI 1679 were the most efficient. Esfenvalerate (245) was metabolized to 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methylbutyric acid (246), 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (247), and its hidroxylated derivative 248 by all the strains. In addition, Microsphaeropsis sp. CBMAI 1675 and Cladosporium sp. CBMAI 1678 produced 3-phenoxybenzyl alcohol (249) and methyl 3-phenoxybenzoate (250), respectively (Figure 12A). Based on the HPLC-ToF results, a biodegradation pathway involving carboxylesterases, oxynitrilases and aldehyde dehydrogenases was proposed (
Figure 12

Pesticide biodegradations. (A) Esfenvalerate (245) biodegradation by marine fungi (
(±)-Lambda-cyhalothrin (251) is another pyrethroid insecticide composed of a 1:1 mixture of the enantiomers (1R,3R,αS; 251a) and (lS,3S,αR; 251b), where the enantiomer commercially known as gamma-cyhalothrin (251a) is the most active. This pesticide is relatively persistent in the environment, so
All fungal strains biodegraded this insecticide (251) to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (247), 3-(hydroxyphenoxy)benzoic acid (248), 2-(3-phenoxyphenyl)acetonitrile (252), benzyl benzoate (253), and (E)-3-(2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-en-1-yl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid (254; Figure 12B). Aspergillus sp. CBMAI 1829 was the most efficient strain with a 45% removal rate. Furthermore, all the strains evaluated enantioselectively biodegraded the 251a enantiomer, indicating that the use of the most active enantiomer as an insecticide not only enables the use of a lower amount of pesticide, but also a more easily biodegradable product thus reducing the risk of environmental contamination (
Organophosphate pesticides are an attractive alternative to organochlorines given their low cost, easy synthesis, increased biodegradability and limited accumulation in living organisms compared to organochlorine pesticides (
One of the most widely used organophosphate pesticides is chlorpyrifos (255), which is hydrolysed to 3,5,6-trichloropyridin-2-ol (256) in the environment. This derivative, although it cannot act as an inhibitor of the AChE enzyme, is still a polluting compound.
A. sydowii CBMAI 935 metabolized chlorpyrifos (255) to 3,5,6-trichloropyridin-2-ol (256), 2,3,5-trichloro-6-methoxypyridine (257), 3,5,6-trichloro-1-methylpyridin-2(1H)-one (258), and tetraethyl dithiodiphosphate (259; Figure 12C). The biotransformation product 259 was produced by a condensation reaction between two O,O-diethyl phosphorothioates, while the metabolites 256 and 257 were obtained by hydrolysis of the O-P bond by phosphoesterases and subsequent methylation by methyltransferases (
Profenofos (260) is another organophosphate pesticide widely used as a non-systemic foliar insecticide and acaricide. It is classified as moderately hazardous and therefore its bioremediation by marine fungi has been studied. P. raistrickii CBMAI 931 and A. sydowii CBMAI 935 biodegraded on average 97 and 72% of profenofos (260), respectively, after 30 days. In addition, its hydrolysis product, 4-bromo-2-chlorophenol (261), was almost completely metabolized by these two strains (
Methyl parathion (264), another organophosphate insecticide and acaricide, is widely used for pest control on a wide variety of crops due to its high efficiency. However, it is extremely toxic which is why considerable attention has been given to its degradation and removal from the environment.
P. decaturense CBMAI 1234 biodegraded the insecticide to its more toxic form methyl paraoxon (266), which was subsequently hydrolysed to p-nitrophenol (265;
The marine-derived fungi P. citrinum DL4M3, P. citrinum DL9M3 and Fusarium proliferatum DL11A, isolated from ascidian D. ligulum, were able to completely degrade methyl parathion (264) within 20 days. However, there was no significant difference with the removal of the pesticide by chemical hydrolysis and it could not be confirmed that methyl parathion (264) was degraded by fungal action. In contrast, its toxic hydrolysis product p-nitrophenol (265) was biodegraded at a rate of 90% by F. proliferatum DL11A in 30 days (
6.3. Synthetic dyes
Synthetic dyes are mainly used in pulp and paper mills, textile, leather, pharmaceutical and food industries which produce and discharge highly colored effluents. These dye-laden wastewaters, when mixed with large bodies of water, weaken primary productivity, hinder the diffusion of gases and affect human health, besides producing esthetically unacceptable coloration (
Several marine-derived fungi have been reported to successfully degrade synthetic dyes with basidiomycetous fungi leading the list. For example, the basidiomycete fungus Cerrena unicolor (NIOCC #2a), isolated from decaying wood collected from mangroves in India, was able to completely decolorize brilliant green and almost completely decolorize reactive aniline blue and Congo red after 4 days, while it was less successful with reactive orange 176. Laccase was the most dominant lignin-degrading enzyme produced by this fungus with very low activities of manganese-dependent peroxidase and no lignin peroxidase activity. The synthetic dyes acted as laccase inducers suggesting the involvement of this enzyme in the bioremediation of these pollutants (
Similarly, the marine-derived fungi Phialophora sp. (MF 6) and Penicillium sp. (MF 49), isolated from seawater from Manila Bay, and Cladosporium sp. (EME 14), isolated from living seagrass collected from Calatagan Bay, completely decolorized 0.01% Congo red. In contrast, only strains EMF 14 and MF 49 decolorized 87 and 91%, respectively of 0.01% crystal violet (
One of the most extensively used dyes in the textile industry is reactive black 5 (RB5, 272), which belongs to the group of reactive azo dyes. It decolorization in saline conditions by Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063, a marine-derived fungus isolated from the Brazilian sponge A. viridis, was highly efficient (98% after 7 days). Most of the dye (80%) was consumed early in the process (24 h), when increased manganese peroxidase (MnP) gene expression and significant enzyme activity was observed in Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063. RB5 was biodegraded to compounds 273–275, formed by cleavage of both azo bridges (Figure 13A). Results from Salmonella/microsome assay (AMES) with the strains TA98 and TA100 test revealed that the biodegradation products did not exhibited mutagenic risk (
Figure 13

Biodegradation of a synthetic dye and a plastic polymer. (A) Reactive black 5 (272) dye biodegradation by Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063 (
Remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR), also known as reactive blue 19, is another important dye used in the textile industry. It is a derivative of anthraquinone and belongs to an important class of toxic organo-contaminants. Its decolorization by marine-derived fungi has been extensively studied.
The basidiomycete fungus F. flavus (Klotzsch) Ryvarden (strain 312), isolated from decaying seagrass blades from the western coast of India, effectively degraded Congo red, Poly-B, Poly-R, RBBR, and azure B in a low nitrogen medium with 50% artificial water, while decolorization of brilliant green was relatively less efficient. On this medium, F. flavus produced three major classes of extracellular lignin-modifying enzymes: manganese-dependent peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, and laccase. For Poly-R and RBBR dyes, a direct correlation was observed between the percentage of decolorization and MnP activity, suggesting this enzyme’s involvement in this process (
6.4. Plastic polymers
Plastics are synthetic organic polymers of high molecular mass that are widely produced around the world. Their global production has tripled in the last 25 years. Moreover, most of the plastics produced are single-use products that end up discarded in our natural environments causing serious pollution problems. This has negatively affected life on earth by leaching into the soil and increasing greenhouse emissions. The damage caused by plastic waste in the aquatic environment is also of great concern due to its major impact on marine biota (
Multiple efforts have been made to identify and isolate microorganisms capable of breaking down synthetic polymers. One such example is the marine fungus Zalerion maritimum ATTC 34329 from Portuguese coastal waters which managed to biodegrade polyethylene (PE) pellets in a minimum growth medium resulting in a decrease in pellet mass and size. FTIR-ATR and NMR spectra of freeze-dried samples of Z. maritimum showed a decrease in lipid and protein concentration and an increase in carbohydrate content correlating with time of exposure to microplastics, suggesting that the fungus uses them as a substrate (
Similarly, shaking cultures of the fungi Aspergillus glaucus and A. niger, isolated from mangrove soil off the southeast coast of India, degraded 28.80 and 17.35% of polyethylene bags, respectively, after 1 month. These results suggest that mangrove soil is a good source of microorganisms capable of degrading polyethylene (
Among the different grades of polyethylene, the most important are low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). They differ in the number and size of the branches. HDPE has minimal branching of its polymer chains, while LDPE and LLDPE have more branching. In the case of LLDPE the branches are shorter.1 Among these grades, HDPE is the most commonly found non-degradable solid waste, thus posing a severe environmental threat. Its biodegradation by the fungi Aspergillus tubingensis VRKPT1 and A. flavus VRKPT2, isolated from the polyethylene waste dumped in the coastal area of the Gulf of Mannar in India, has been studied. Based on HDPE film weight loss and FT-IR spectrophotometric analysis, both strains were capable of degrading HDPE without any pre-treatment or pro-oxidant additives. Among these two strains, colonization, biofilm formation and biodegradation of HDPE film by A. flavus VRKPT2 was higher than by A. tubingensis VRKPT1. Also, during the experiment the smooth surface of the HDPE film became rough and brittle suggesting enzyme activity (
Thermoplastic polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are produced by bacteria from renewable resources and could replace conventional plastics because they are biodegradable. The most common PHAs are poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), commercially available as BIOPOL®, and its copolymer with poly-β-hydroxyvalerate (PHV), known as PHB-co-PHV (
Plastics contain plasticisers and additives to improve certain properties, which also pose risks to the environment and human health. These include phthalate esters which are plastic additives widely used to provide flexibility in the manufacture of plastic products such as polyvinyl chloride, and as a common additive in a variety of consumer products.
6.5. Other persistent organic pollutants
Various naval military activities have resulted in the accumulation of unexploded ordnances in the marine environment which constitutes a major source of pollution due to their presence in sediments and aquatic organisms. Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (288) is a typical munitions compound widely used by many naval defense departments around the world.
Figure 14

Biodegradations of other persistent organic pollutants. (A) Bioremediation of munitions compound hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (288) by Acremonium sp. HAW-OC3 (
Another highly toxic explosive used in military shells, bombs and grenades is 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT, 293). This pollutant was completely biodegraded by the tropical marine yeast Y. lipolytica NCIM 3589 in a YNB medium (Yeast Nitrogen Base containing amino acids and ammonium sulfate) with glucose after 48 h. Under these conditions, the yeast was able to reduce the aromatic ring of TNT to form the hydride-Meisenheimer complex 294, which was subsequently denitrated to 2,4-dinitrotolueno (295), a compound that, in turn, could easily be degraded by monooxygenases of other microbes. In the absence of glucose, the yeast preferentially reduced the nitro groups of TNT to produce the aminodinitrotoluene isomers (296; Figure 14B;
Antibiotics are widely used to promote growth in intensive aquaculture. Oxytetracycline is one of the most frequently used antibiotics in the salmon industry to control bacterial infections due to its low cost and high efficacy. Excessive use of this antibiotic has serious detrimental effects on the environment which is why its bioremediation by marine fungi isolated from sediments collected in the vicinity of salmon farming areas has been evaluated. The isolates Penicillium commune, Epicoccum nigrum, T. harzianum, A. terreus, and Beauveria bassiana were able to degrade between 68.2 and 78.3% of oxytetracycline in liquid medium after 15 days (
Olsalazine is a highly lethal and toxic drug at concentrations above permitted levels in humans and animals. Its indiscriminate disposal into the environment poses a threat to human health and natural ecosystems. Efforts to completely eliminate the drug in an eco-friendly manner have proven to be quite arduous due to the recalcitrant nature of the azo bond in its structure.
Another environmental pollutant of great concern due to its potential health risks is formaldehyde which is widely used in the chemical industry as a disinfectant and in marine aquaculture. This chemical was completely degraded after 7 days by the fungus P. chrysogenum DY-F2, isolated from deep-sea sediments in the eastern Pacific. During biodegradation, formic acid was detected as an intermediate, indicating that formaldehyde was metabolized by the sequential action of formaldehyde dehydrogenase and then formic acid dehydrogenase (
Long-chain alkylphenols are also priority environmental contaminants due to their widespread application and their toxicity to the hormonal system of many organisms, including humans. These chemicals have especially been detected in aquatic environments where they tend to accumulate in seabed sediments. It was recently discovered that the marine fungus A. tubingensis F6, isolated from the seabed of the Gulf of Finland, is resistant to the toxicity of alkylphenols so its ability to remove this contaminant was evaluated. This strain was able to degrade 91 and 96% of 4-tert-octylphenol (297) and nonylphenol, respectively, after 120 h. According to GC–MS analysis, the main intermediate product in the biodegradation of 4-tert-octylphenol (297) was p-tert-octylresorcinol (298; Figure 14C). The filtrates of the fungal cultures after biodegradation of both alkylphenols by A. tubingensis F6 did not show toxicity in the assay with Paramecium caudatum Ehrenberg as a bioindicator, confirming the potential biotechnological application of this fungus in wastewater bioremediation (
Polychlorinated biphenyls are persistent organic pollutants exhibiting high chemical stability and a tendency to persist in the environment and the human body. Although they were banned decades ago, they still pose a serious threat to human health and wildlife.
Organobromines are another persistent organic pollutant widely used in industry. These compounds are toxic, recalcitrant and tend to bioaccumulate in the environment. The marine ecosystem is known to contain significant amounts of organobromines, which may have led to the adaptation of marine microorganisms to these chemicals, making them promising candidates for bioremediation. For example, the tropical marine yeast Y. lipolytica NCIM 3589 is able to aerobically degrade bromoalkanes of differing carbon chain lengths and bromide group degrees and positions. Specifically, this yeast was able to degrade 27.3, 21.9, 18.0, and 38.3% of 2-bromopropane, 1-bromobutane, 1,5-dibromopentane, and 1-bromodecane, respectively. GC–MS analyses showed that the bromoalkanes were hydrolytically dehalogenated to give the corresponding alcohols, which were subsequently metabolized to fatty acids and finally into CO2. In this study, an inducible extracellular dehalogenase responsible for removal of bromide was detected (
7. Conclusion
Biotransformation has proven to be a valuable tool in the production of fine chemicals, in particular of enantiomerically pure compounds. Their application in chemical synthesis thus presents a golden opportunity for the development of chemical and pharmaceutical industrial processes.
The search for new biocatalysts has been growing significantly in recent years in order to obtain novel derivatives with enhanced properties for new drugs, agrochemicals and fragrances which are difficult to obtain using conventional synthetic methods. Thus, the screening of new fungal strains with interesting enzymatic activities has become absolutely necessary.
Marine fungi have been used in biotransformation processes of a large number of different compounds such as terpenes, steroids, polyketides, etc. producing various modifications in the substrate. Thus, these microorganisms were employed as biocatalysts for different reactions, including reduction, oxidation, hydroxylation, hydrolysis, dehalogenation, elimination, cyclization, rearrangement, etc.
Specifically, bioactive natural products have been widely used as substrates by these fungi to modify their structures with a view to enhancing their activity. Thus, the biotransformation of these compounds has proved to be a useful tool in their chemistry, especially stereoselective hydroxylation at deactivated positions. A very interesting and rare reaction is fungal mannosidation which was produced in terpenes by marine fungi for the first time.
Non-natural products are often biotransformed for use as intermediates in the synthesis of pharmaceutical or agrochemical compounds. For example, different marine fungi have been used to produce stereoselective carbonyl or double bond reductions to obtain enantioenriched compounds as the main biotransformation reaction involved. Moreover, organonitriles are usually hydrolysed by marine fungi to the corresponding enantiopure carboxylic acids. This is very interesting in terms of the use of these fungi in biodegradation processes.
Marine fungi adapt to extreme environments and have shown considerable potential for the detoxification of toxic and recalcitrant compounds present in wastewater, soils, sediments and solid waste. They have an arsenal of enzymes that can be harnessed to transform pollutants into less environmentally toxic compounds.
Although there are already numerous investigations focused on these microorganisms, the screening of new fungal strains with interesting enzymatic activities is necessary for the degradation of new pollutants resulting from increasing levels of industrial pollution. Furthermore, as most research on fungal bioremediation has been conducted under laboratory conditions, it is necessary to scale the process to contaminated environments where all natural variables are considered.
The main limiting factor for the biodegradation of organopollutants is their solubility rate. Therefore, the use of biosurfactants represents an interesting tool for their bioremediation. Since biosurfactants can be synthesized by many microorganisms (terrestrial and marine) they can be employed in integrated bioremediation protocols.
The heterogeneous and complex composition of marine sediments makes total remediation of pollutants by a single method very difficult. Therefore, integrated approaches, i.e., the combined use of traditional and bioremediation methods, or stand-alone bioremediation using a selected consortium of fungi, bacteria and biosurfactants acting synergistically, are more promising solutions.
Funding
This work has been co-financed by the European Union under the 2014–2020 ERDF Operational Program and by the Department of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge, and Universities of the Regional Government of Andalusia. Project reference FEDER-UCA18-105749.
Publisher’s note
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Statements
Author contributions
JA and RD-P conceived and coordinated the drafting of the manuscript. All authors conducted literature review, formulated and wrote the manuscript, contributed to the article, and approved the submitted version.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Footnotes
1.^https://www.usplastic.com/knowledgebase/article.aspx?contentkey=508. Revised 15/11/2022.
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Summary
Keywords
marine fungi, biocatalyst, biotransformation, biodegradation, bioremediation
Citation
Virués-Segovia JR, Muñoz-Mira S, Durán-Patrón R and Aleu J (2023) Marine-derived fungi as biocatalysts. Front. Microbiol. 14:1125639. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1125639
Received
16 December 2022
Accepted
08 February 2023
Published
27 February 2023
Volume
14 - 2023
Edited by
Ruiyong Zhang, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China
Reviewed by
Federica Spina, University of Turin, Italy; Christy Hunter, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom
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© 2023 Virués-Segovia, Muñoz-Mira, Durán-Patrón and Aleu.
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*Correspondence: Rosa Durán-Patrón, ✉ rosa.duran@uca.esJosefina Aleu, ✉ josefina.aleu@uca.es
This article was submitted to Microbiological Chemistry and Geomicrobiology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Microbiology
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