Melanin in fungi: advances in structure, biosynthesis, regulation, and metabolic engineering

作者：Yanping Qin, Yuxian Xia · 发表于：Microbial Cell Factories · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1186/s12934-024-02614-8 · 被引用次数：45 · 研究领域：melanin and skin pigmentation、Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques、Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Fungi can synthesize a diverse range of melanins with appropriate physicochemical and biological characteristics for numerous applications in health, environmental protection, energy, and industry. Gaining deeper insights into the chemical structures, biosynthetic pathways, and regulatory mechanisms of fungal melanin would establish a basis for metabolic engineering approaches, aimed at enhancing production efficiency and creating custom-designed melanin with desirable material properties. Due to growing interest in their beneficial effects and applications, research on the structure, biosynthesis, and regulation of fungal melanin has significantly advanced. This review highlighted recent progress in fungal melanin production and applications, concentrating on structure, biosynthesis, and regulatory networks, and suggested how an improved understanding of melanin biosynthesis could enable efficient production for future applications.