Fungi As Sources of Small Molecule Inhibitors of Botulism Neurotoxins

Approach:
Microfungal colonists (fungicolous fungi) of long-lived fungal sporocarps collected in forested habitats within the continental USA and Hawaii were isolated into pure culture. Individual fungi are grown in both liquid and solid culture fermentation and extracted with organic solvents. Extracts containing fungal produced compounds that neutralize botulism, in assays performed by USAMRIID, will be delivered to a cooperating chemist at the University of Iowa for isolation and characterization of the bioactive compound(s). Cultures producing compounds that neutralize botulism neurotoxins will be identified based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and domains D1 and D2 of the nuclear large subumit (28S) rDNA geme and comparison with sequences deposited in GenBank (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Viable cultures of the small molecule producing fungal strains of interest will be maintained.