A new study in collaboration with CBMSO (UAM-CSIC) shows that the filamentous fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum can extracellularly degrade high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid. Unlike classical enzymatic pathways, this process generates a complex mixture of fragments and oligosaccharides, suggesting a non-canonical mechanism.Transcriptomic analysis did not identify secreted canonical hyaluronidases, pointing to the possible involvement of an still-unknown multienzymatic pathway. These findings expand our understanding of fungal glycosaminoglycan metabolism. They also highlight filamentous fungi as a promising and sustainable source of novel enzymatic activities for hyaluronic acid processing.
Reference: M. Minguet-Lobato, D. Fernández-Polo, F.V. Cervantes, F.J. Plou and M. Fernandez-Lobato. Hyaluronic acid degradation by Purpureocillium lilacinum: biochemical and transcriptomic insights. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 110, 113 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-026-13790-5
