The Role of Melanin in the Biology and Ecology of Nematophagous Fungi

Melanin is a heteropolymer formed by the polymerization of phenolic and indolic compounds. It occurs in organisms across all biological kingdoms and has a range different of functions, thus indicating its important evolutionary role. The presence of melanin offers several protective advantages, incl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical ecology 2021-07, Vol.47 (7), p.597-613
Main Authors: Freitas, Deivid França, da Rocha, Izabelli Martins, Vieira-da-Motta, Olney, de Paula Santos, Clóvis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Biochemistry
Biological Microscopy
Biology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Dihydroxyphenylalanine
Ecology
Entomology
Fungi
Levodopa
Life Sciences
Melanin
Nematophagous fungi
Oxidative stress
Pathogenicity
Pathogens
Phenolic compounds
Phenols
Radiation damage
Substrates
Ultraviolet radiation
Virulence
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Summary:Melanin is a heteropolymer formed by the polymerization of phenolic and indolic compounds. It occurs in organisms across all biological kingdoms and has a range different of functions, thus indicating its important evolutionary role. The presence of melanin offers several protective advantages, including against ultraviolet radiation, traumatic damage, oxidative stress, extreme temperatures, and pressure. For many species of fungi, melanin also participates directly in the process of virulence and pathogenicity. These organisms can synthesize melanin in two main ways: using a substrate of endogenous origin, involving 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN); alternatively, in an exogenous manner with the addition of L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA or levodopa). As melanin is an amorphous and complex substance, its study requires expensive and inaccessible technologies and analyses are often difficult to perform with conventional biochemical techniques. As such, details about its chemical structure are not yet fully understood, particularly for nematophagous fungi that remain poorly studied. Thus, this review presents an overview of the different types of melanin, with an emphasis on fungi, and discusses the role of melanin in the biology and ecology of nematophagous fungi.
ISSN:0098-0331
1573-1561
DOI:10.1007/s10886-021-01282-x