Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a greater issue; thus, researchers are looking everywhere for new substances. A global research team in Europe reports the discovery of the novel antifungal drug solanimycin this week in mBio. A wide range of closely related plant pathogenic bacteria appear to manufacture the chemical, which was first discovered from a pathogenic bacterium that infects potatoes.

(Photo : Photo by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan on Unsplash)

Looking at Potatoes

The researchers found that solanimycin inhibits various fungi that damage and infect crops. In laboratory tests, the substance also inhibited the growth of Candida albicans, a fungus that normally lives in the body but may lead to potentially harmful infections. The findings imply that solanimycin and similar drugs may be helpful in both clinical and agricultural situations.

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Medicinal Antibiotics

Most medicinal antibiotics used today are produced by soil microorganisms, particularly those belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria. According to scientist Rita Monson, Ph.D., of the University of Cambridge, the new finding shows that plant-based microbes are worth further investigation, particularly as crops grow resistant to current treatments. She co-led the investigation with molecular microbiologist Miguel Matilla, Ph.D., at the Estación Experimental del Zaidn of the Spanish Research Council in Granada.

Monson stated, "we have to investigate more broadly over far more of the microbial communities available to us."

Solanimycin is produced by the pathogenic potato bacteria Dickeyasolani, which was discovered more than 15 years ago. About 10 years ago, scientists at molecular microbiologist George Salmond's group at the University of Cambridge started looking into the substance's antibiotic potential.

According to Matilla, "These strains evolved quickly and are now extensively disseminated."

Not the first antibiotic derived from the bacteria is solanimycin. In earlier studies, scientists discovered that D. Oocydin A, an antibiotic solani makes, is very effective against various fungal plant diseases.

These earlier findings suggested that the bacteria may produce other antibiotics with the potential to be antifungal, according to Matilla, who also analyzed the organism's genome. That tip paid off: Matilla, Monson, Salmond, and their colleagues discovered that the bacteria continued to exhibit antifungal activity even after silencing the genes essential for producing oocydin A.

The chemical solanimycin and the gene clusters in charge of the proteins that produce it were discovered due to that observation.

The scientists discovered that the bacteria produce the chemical in response to cell density and utilize it sparingly. The solanimycin gene cluster is also activated in an acidic pH environment, like the one found in potatoes. It almost seems like a clever protection system, according to Monson.

The antifungal, according to Monson, "will function by destroying fungal rivals, and the bacteria will gain greatly from this." But you can't turn it on until you're inside a potato.

Monson stated that to understand the chemical makeup of solanimycin better and how it functions, scientists have started working with chemists. She then added that she and Matilla hoped for more research on the substance using plant and animal models.

Innovation in the Field of Medicine

Our next steps will aim to exploit this antibiotic antifungal for plant protection, according to Matilla. The study team interprets the finding as a positive indication that plant pathogens like D. Solani-may be induced to produce substances that could be utilized to treat illnesses in plants and people.

To discover new medicines, Matilla added, "We have to be open to the research of anything that's out there."