Elicitation of Antimicrobial Active Compounds by <i>Streptomyces</i>-Fungus Co-Cultures

• Main Authors: Matthieu Nicault, Ali Zaiter, Stéphane Dumarcay, Patrick Chaimbault, Eric Gelhaye, Pierre Leblond, Cyril Bontemps
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: Microorganisms
• Subjects: <i>Streptomyces</i>; fungus; co-culture; specialized metabolism; biosynthetic gene cluster; antimicrobial agents
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/1/178

The bacteria of the genus <i>Streptomyces</i> and Basidiomycete fungi harbor many biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that are at the origin of many bioactive molecules with medical or industrial interests. Nevertheless, most BGCs do not express in standard lab growth conditions, preventing the full metabolic potential of these organisms from being exploited. Because it generates biotic cues encountered during natural growth conditions, co-culture is a means to elicit such cryptic compounds. In this study, we explored 72 different <i>Streptomyces</i>-fungus interaction zones (SFIZs) generated during the co-culture of eight <i>Streptomyces</i> and nine fungi. Two SFIZs were selected because they showed an elicitation of anti-bacterial activity compared to mono-cultures. The study of these SFIZs showed that co-culture had a strong impact on the metabolic expression of each partner and enabled the expression of specific compounds. These results show that mimicking the biotic interactions present in this ecological niche is a promising avenue of research to explore the metabolic capacities of <i>Streptomyces</i> and fungi.