Abstract:

While molds have important implications for human health, energy production, and agriculture, they also yield toxic molecules that can contaminate a food supply. Recently it has been discovered that an organelle within fungal cells called the endoplasmic reticulum acts as a cellular factory for synthesizing diverse natural products called sesquiterpenes in fungal cells. Some sesquiterpenes are toxins that pose a health risk to humans, while others are potential precursors to alternative fuels.

Molds, or filamentous fungi, produce a diversity of natural molecules with unique byproducts. Many of those byproducts have been used as pharmaceuticals and antibiotics, and some may be promising alternatives to fossil fuels. Despite the importance of these molecules in medicine and agriculture, it has not been clear which cellular compartments are involved in synthesizing natural products in fungal cells.

Some scientists have proposed a sesquiterpene called bisabolene could be a precursor for a viable alternative to biodiesel fuels. By understanding how these molecules are synthesized in fungal cells, it may be possible to engineer this biochemical pathway to generate valuable products instead of undesirable toxins.