美國(guó)Montana大學(xué)的的研究人員在巴塔哥尼亞北部發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種樹(shù)木,，在常態(tài)下,，它們身上的微生真菌會(huì)釋放出氣體,。在缺氧情況下,，就逸出一系列易揮發(fā)的碳水分子,，這些碳水分子通常只會(huì)在石油里發(fā)現(xiàn)。這些微生物以纖維素為食,。那些苦苦尋找生產(chǎn)農(nóng)業(yè)碳?xì)淙剂嫌植幌胝加眉Z食作物的企業(yè),，將會(huì)對(duì)這項(xiàng)發(fā)現(xiàn)感興趣。
我們總是需要比自己小的人,。美國(guó)Montana大學(xué)的Gary Strobel的發(fā)現(xiàn)再次證明了這點(diǎn),。這個(gè)科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)，粘帚粉紅聚端孢（Gliocladium roseum）在缺氧的情況下可以產(chǎn)生碳?xì)浠衔?。這些混合物質(zhì)讓人不禁想起汽油,。
Strobel絕非無(wú)名小卒,。他訪遍整個(gè)世界為了找到植物身上有用的微生物。他的一項(xiàng)著名發(fā)現(xiàn),，是在1993年時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)一種真菌能幫助形成泰克索（一種抗癌物質(zhì)）,。他還發(fā)現(xiàn)一種可以從中提取50多個(gè)分子的細(xì)菌。但是1987年,，為了試圖治愈患有荷蘭榆樹(shù)病的樹(shù)木,，他在Montana森林里進(jìn)行了一項(xiàng)非法的生物實(shí)驗(yàn)，差一點(diǎn)毀了他的事業(yè),。盡管受到非議,，他從沒(méi)停止過(guò)尋找微生物。
這個(gè)月,，Microbiology雜志發(fā)表了他的粘帚粉紅聚端孢（Gliocladium roseum）具有能源功效的發(fā)現(xiàn),。這種真菌已經(jīng)用于對(duì)抗草莓灰色腐爛。Strobel在巴塔哥尼亞北部發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種樹(shù)木,，在常態(tài)下，它們身上的微生真菌會(huì)釋放出氣體,。在缺氧情況下,，就逸出一系列易揮發(fā)的碳水分子，這些碳水分子通常只會(huì)在石油里發(fā)現(xiàn),。這些微生物以纖維素為食,。那些苦苦尋找生產(chǎn)農(nóng)業(yè)碳?xì)淙剂嫌植幌胝加眉Z食作物的企業(yè)，將會(huì)對(duì)這項(xiàng)發(fā)現(xiàn)感興趣,。
很明顯,，Strobel很知道排除后顧之憂。他以為“微生-石油”申請(qǐng)了專(zhuān)利,，開(kāi)始解密寄生蟲(chóng)的基因組,，以便發(fā)現(xiàn)是哪種基因會(huì)產(chǎn)生該碳?xì)湮镔|(zhì)。但是可能得需要幾年時(shí)間來(lái)確認(rèn)是否解決汽車(chē)用油難問(wèn)題的福星存在于微生真菌里,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1099/mic.0.054643-0
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PMID:
Modulation of volatile organic compound formation in the Mycodiesel-producing endophyte Hypoxylon sp. CI-4
Syed Riyaz Ul-Hassan, Gary A. Strobel, Eric Booth, Berk Knighton, Cody Floerchinger and Joe Sears
An endophytic Hypoxylon sp. (strain CI-4) producing a wide spectrum of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including 1,8-cineole, 1-methyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene and cyclohexane, 1,2,4-tris(methylene), was selected as a candidate for the modulation of VOC production. This was done in order to learn if the production of these and other VOCs can be affected by using agents that may modulate the epigenetics of the fungus. Many of the VOCs made by this organism are of interest because of their high energy densities and thus the potential they might have as Mycodiesel fuels. Strain CI-4 was exposed to the epigenetic modulators suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA, a histone deacetylase) and 5-azacytidine (AZA, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor). After these treatments the organism displayed striking cultural changes, including variations in pigmentation, growth rates and odour, in addition to significant differences in the bioactivities of the VOCs. The resulting variants were designated CI4-B, CI4-AZA and CI4-SAHA. GC/MS analyses of the VOCs produced by the variants showed considerable variation, with the emergence of several compounds not previously observed in the wild-type, particularly an array of tentatively identified terpenes such as α-thujene, sabinene, γ-terpinene, α-terpinolene and β-selinene, in addition to several primary and secondary alkanes, alkenes, organic acids and derivatives of benzene. Proton transfer reaction mass spectroscopic analyses showed a marked increase in the ratio of ethanol (mass 47) to the total mass of all other ionizable VOCs, from ~0.6 in the untreated strain CI-4 to ~0.8 in CI-4 grown in the presence of AZA. Strain CI4-B was created by exposure of the fungus to 100 µM SAHA; upon removal of the epigenetic modulator from the culture medium, it did not revert to the wild-type phenotype. Results of this study have implications for understanding why there may be a wide range of VOCs found in various isolates of this fungus in nature.
