Cocultivation of Anaerobic Fungi with Rumen Bacteria Establishes an Antagonistic Relationship
Candice L. Swift, Katherine Louie, Benjamin P. Bowen, Casey A. Hooker, Kevin Solomon, Vasanth Singan, Chris Daum, Christa Pennacchio, Kerrie Barry, V. Shutthanandan, James Evans, Igor V. Grigoriev, Trent R. Northen, Michelle O’Malley
Abstract
strain UWB7 and sequenced fungal and bacterial active genes via transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). Consistent with production of a fungal defense compound, bacteria upregulated genes encoding drug efflux pumps, which often export toxic molecules, and fungi upregulated genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes of natural products. Furthermore, tandem mass spectrometry detected an unknown fungal metabolite enriched in the coculture. Together, these findings point to an antagonistic relationship between anaerobic fungi and rumen bacteria resulting in the production of a fungal compound with potential antimicrobial activity.