Melanins in fungi: Types, localization and putative biological roles

TOLEDO, ANDREA VANESA; FRANCO, MARIO EMILIO ERNESTO; YANIL LOPEZ, SILVINA MARIANELA; TRONCOZO, MARÍA INÉS; SAPARRAT, MARIO CARLOS NAZARENO; BALATTI, PEDRO ALBERTO

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2017 vol. 99 p. 2 - 6

0885-5765

Melanin is a secondary metabolite made up by complex heterogeneous polymers. Several classes of fungal melanins have been described like γ-glutaminyl-3,4-dihydroxy-benzene (GDHB)-, L-DOPA-(eumelanin), DHN-, catechol-melanin, pyomelanin, p-aminophenol(PAP)-melanin, heterogeneous melanins as well as two others based on 5-deoxybostrycoidin and aspulvinone E. They have been mostly localized in cell walls of different structures of fungi, which suggest that they play a different biological role. They have been related mostly with morphogenesis, stress resistance, virulence and energytransduction. However, an enormous amount of work remains to be done to clarify, among other things, the role melanins play in fungi.