A new recorded species of Mortierella was recovered during the investigation of fungal communities in soil samples collected from different locations of Gangwon-do, Korea. The species was identified and described as Mortierella alpina on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer sequences and morphological characteristics. This species has not been officially reported from Korea thus far.
Gangwon-do ; Korea ; Mortierella* ; Soil*

Three new fungal species of the genus Mortierella, Mortierella zychae, Mortierella ambigua, and Mortierella indohii, have been reported in Korea. The fungi were encountered during a study on the fungal community of soil samples collected from different locations in Korea. The species were identified based on molecular and morphological analyses. This study presents detailed descriptions of the morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analysis of these three fungi. All three species were found to be sensitive to triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. M. zychae demonstrated the highest intensity of mycelial staining, indicating that this species has the highest potential to produce arachidonic acid of the three species. The staining results indicated that the newly recorded species could potentially be useful for arachidonic acid production.
Arachidonic Acid ; Fungi ; Korea* ; Mortierella* ; Soil*

Endangered native plant habitats and populations are rapidly disappearing because of climate and environmental changes. As a representative, the abundance of the first-class endangered wild plant, Cypripedium japonicum, has been rapidly decreasing in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution of rhizosphere and endophytic fungi on C. japonicum in its native habitat. A total of 440 rhizosphere and 79 endosphere fungi isolates were isolated and identified on the basis of their molecular characteristics. Sixty-five genera and 119 fungi species were identified in this study. The genus Trichoderma showed the highest abundance among both rhizosphere and endosphere fungi. Mortierella, Hypocrea, and Penicillium spp. were also relatively dominant species on C. japonicum. The community structures of rhizosphere and endosphere fungi were similar, but endosphere fungi showed greater diversity.
Climate ; Ecosystem ; Fungi* ; Hypocrea ; Korea ; Mortierella ; Penicillium ; Plants* ; Rhizosphere* ; Trichoderma

Using dilution plating method, 47 fungal isolates were obtained from a soil sample collected from Dokdo in the East Sea of Korea in 2013. In this study, two fungal isolates, EML-MFS30-1 and EML-DDSF4, were confirmed as undescribed species, Metarhizium guizhouense and Mortierella oligospora in Korea based on current classification system using multi loci including rDNA internal transcribed spacer, large subunit, small subunit, and beta-tubulin (BTUB) genes. Herein, detailed morphological descriptions on characters of the undescribed fungal species as well as their molecular phylogenetic status are provided with comparisons to related species.
Classification* ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Korea* ; Metarhizium ; Mortierella ; Soil ; Tubulin

Arachidonic acid, as an important polyunsaturated fatty acid, is identified as potential food additives or pharmaceuticals for their biological activities. In recent years, arachidonic acid production by Mortierella alpina is becoming a research highlight. The prophase relevant researches focused on the mutagenic breeding and fermentation optimization. With the depth of investigation, the advancement concerning pathway for the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid in Mortierella alpina has been made. In this review, we summarized the prophase work briefly. Mainly, we discussed the biosynthesis pathway of arachidonic acid, the key enzymes, the construction of transformation system and the genetic modification. In addition, the prospect of microorganism arachidonic acid production is put forward.
Arachidonic Acid ; biosynthesis ; Culture Media ; Culture Techniques ; methods ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Mortierella ; genetics ; metabolism

Biomass carbohydrates assimilation and lipid accumulation by Mortierella isabellina M2 strain were investigated. Corn fiber hydrolysate was specially studied. The results showed M. isabellina M2 strain achieved growth and lipid accumulation while glucose, xylose, mannose and arabinose were introduced as single carbon source, respectively. When M. isabellina M2 strain was cultivated on corn fiber hydrolysate with 6% sugars concentration, the biomass reached 18.2 g/L, the lipid content of dry mycelia was 45.7%, and the lipid yield achieved 8.3 g/L. It provided a promising perspective for microbial oils production with biomass hydrolysates.
Biomass ; Carbohydrate Metabolism ; Carbon ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Lipids ; biosynthesis ; Mortierella ; metabolism ; Zea mays ; metabolism

Three fungal isolates designated as CNUFC-YR329-1, CNUFC-PTS103-1, and CNUFC-PTS2-1 were discovered during a survey of fungal diversity of the order Mortierellales from freshwater and pine tree rhizosphere soil samples in Korea. The strains were analyzed morphologically and phylogenetically based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) of ribosomal DNA gene sequences. Based on their morphology and phylogeny, the three isolates were identified as Mortierella elongata, M. horticola, and M. humilis, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, M. elongata, M. horticola, and M. humilis, belonging to an undiscovered taxon, have not been previously described in Korea.
Classification ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Fresh Water ; Korea ; Mortierella ; Phylogeny ; Pinus ; Rhizosphere ; Soil

The regio- and stereo-selective hydroxylations of two ingenane diterpenoids, 20-deoxyingenol (1) and 13-oxyingenol dodecanoat (2), by the filamentous fungi Mortierella ramanniana and Gibberella fujikuroi were investigated in the present study. Four undescribed metabolites (3-6) of substrate 1 and two undescribed metabolites (7 and 8) of substrate 2 were isolated. All the metabolites were identified as hydroxylated ingenane derivatives by extensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS data analyses. All the biotransformed compounds and the substrates were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against three human cancer cell lines, including human colon cancer Caco-2, breast cancer MCF-7, and adriamycin (ADM)-resistant MCF-7/ADM cell lines. All ingenane alcohols (1, and 3-6) displayed no significant cytotoxic activities. The substrate 13-oxyingenol dodecanoat (2) showed moderate cytotoxicity with IC values being 35.59 ± 5.37 μmol·L (Caco-2), 24.04 ± 4.70 μmol·L (MCF-7), and 22.24 ± 5.19 μmol·L (MCF-7/ADM). However, metabolites 7 and 8 displayed no significant cytotoxicity. These results indicated that the hydroxylation at the C-13 aliphatic acid ester of substrate 2 can significantly reduce the cytotoxic activity.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Gibberella ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hydroxylation ; Molecular Structure ; Mortierella ; metabolism ; Stereoisomerism

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic fungal infection caused by the mucorales, which consist of the Rhizophus, Absidia, Mortierella, and Mucor. The diverse clinical forms of mucormycosis can be categorized as rhinocerebral, pulmonary, disseminated, gastrointestinal, cutaneous and miscellaneous. Although it can cause disease in healthy people, it most commonly affects patients who are diabetic or immunosup-pressed. Rarely, mucormycosis develops confined to the subcutaneous tissue. We experienced a case of cutaneous mucormycosis developed in a well-controlled diabetic patient who had previously injected foreign material on her face for an aesthetic purpose at the behest of an unlicensed physician. The patient had tissue necrosis and purulent discharge on her left cheek. Following histologic examination, we diagnosed the condition as cutaneous mucormycosis and treated it by wide excision combined with amphotericin B therapy. The disease was cured without any significant sequelae within 6 months of follow up. Cutaneous mucormycosis is rarely reported but it can cause facial deformity due to tissue necrosis, so that early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important. Currently, foreign material injection for aesthetic purposes is still performed by unlicensed physicians. We present a case report concluding that one should consider the possibility of fungal infection in skin lesion in diabetic or other immunosup-pressed patients. We also emphasize the seriousness of illegal injection of foreign material.
Absidia ; Amphotericin B ; Cheek ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mortierella ; Mucor ; Mucorales ; Mucormycosis* ; Necrosis ; Paraffin* ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of the Mortierella isabellina lipid-soluble extracts on improving hyperlipidemia and renal damage in lipid-induced renal injury rats.

METHODSThirty two male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: normal group (N), model group (M), the group treated with Mortierella isabellina lipid-soluble extracts (T) and Simvastatin (S). N group was fed a standard diet and the other groups were fed a high-fat diet. T and S groups were orally administered by Mortierella isabellina lipid-soluble extracts and Simvastatin respectively for 12 weeks. N and M groups were orally administered by the normal saline. Twenty four-hour urinary protein excretion was detected. The levels of serum ALB, TP, BUN, Scr, TG, TC, LDL and TG, TC, LDL in the kidney were measured at week 12. The histological change, ultrastructural change and lipid deposits in kidney were evaluated.

RESULTSAt the 12th week, compared with M group, twenty four hour urinary protein excretion and the levels of TC, LDL in serum and renal tissue in T and S group decreased (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but the levels of ALB and TP in T and S group increased markedly (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference of the levels of BUN, Scr, and TG among the four groups. The protein casts in renal tubules, inflammatory cell infiltration in tubulointerstitium as well as mild mesangial cell proliferation and expanded mesangial matrix were obseverd in M group. Electron micrograph demonstrated massive fusion of foot process of podocytes accompanied with rich lipid droplets in proximal tubular epithelial cells in M group.

CONCLUSIONThe lipid-soluble extracts of Mortierella isabellina has beneficial effect on improving hypercholesterolemia and kidney damage in lipid-induced renal injury rat.

Animals ; Biological Products ; therapeutic use ; Hypercholesterolemia ; drug therapy ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Lipids ; analysis ; Male ; Mortierella ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar