Dysfunction, hypoactivity, and hypometabolism of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) may contribute to the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia.^1-6 The molecular pathogenesis of prefrontal dysfunction in schizophrenia is still not clear, but the down-regulated expression of a subset of metabolic genes is thought to be involved.^7-9 Alterations in cellular metabolism may then further compromise orderly gene expression, affecting neurotransmission,^10-20 myelination,^10,21,22 and other functions.^23,24 There is evidence that in individual schizophrenic patients, PFC hypometabolism persists for decades,²⁵ suggesting that the underlying molecular mechanisms, including dysregulated metabolic gene expression, remain stable for extended periods.

Purpose: Novel protein sources are urgently needed to meet the increasing protein demand of a continuously growing world population. This study is focused on the production of protein rich mushroom mycelia on industrial side streams. Methods: Submerged propagation of mushrooms was carried out in shake flasks which contained agro-industrial side streams as the sole carbon source. The biomass obtained was analyzed for its crude protein, ash and fat content as well as for its fatty acid and amino acid profiles. Vitamin D₂ production from ergosterol in the biomass was induced by UV-B irradiation and determined by HPLC–DAD. The share of fungal mycelium in the total biomass was determined by extraction and quantitation of ergosterol. Additionally, water and oil binding capacity (WBC and OBC) were evaluated. Results: A screening of basidiomycetes grown on agro-industrial side streams indicated a fast growth of Pleurotus sapidus on apple pomace. After 4 days of cultivation, the biomass obtained from this mushroom–substrate combination contained 21% true protein in dry matter. In addition to proteins, the amounts of lipids (4%), ash (2%) and carbohydrates (74%) were quantitated. The dominating fatty and amino acids of Pleurotus sapidus grown on apple pomace were linoleic acid and glutamic acid/glutamine, respectively. Concentrations of up to 115 µg (g dry matter)⁻¹ vitamin D₂ were formed from ergosterol by UV-B irradiation. Ergosterol was used as a biomarker to monitor the amount of fungal content. Conclusion: The nutritional value of agro-industrial side streams such as apple pomace can be upcycled by biotransformation with basidiomycetes.

Agrocybe aegerita is an agaricomycete fungus with typical mushroom features, which is commercially cultivated for its culinary use. In nature, it is a saprotrophic or facultative pathogenic fungus causing a white-rot of hardwood in forests of warm and mild climate. The ease of cultivation and fructification on solidified media as well as its archetypal mushroom fruit body morphology render A. aegerita a well-suited model for investigating mushroom developmental biology. Here, the genome of the species is reported and analysed with respect to carbohydrate active genes and genes known to play a role during fruit body formation. In terms of fruit body development, our analyses revealed a conserved repertoire of fruiting-related genes, which corresponds well to the archetypal fruit body morphology of this mushroom. For some genes involved in fruit body formation, paralogisation was observed, but not all fruit body maturation-associated genes known from other agaricomycetes seem to be conserved in the genome sequence of A. aegerita. In terms of lytic enzymes, our analyses suggest a versatile arsenal of biopolymer-degrading enzymes that likely account for the flexible life style of this species. Regarding the amount of genes encoding CAZymes relevant for lignin degradation, A. aegerita shows more similarity to white-rot fungi than to litter decomposers, including 18 genes coding for unspecific peroxygenases and three dye-decolourising peroxidase genes expanding its lignocellulolytic machinery. The genome resource will be useful for developing strategies towards genetic manipulation of A. aegerita, which will subsequently allow functional genetics approaches to elucidate fundamentals of fruiting and vegetative growth including lignocellulolysis.

Larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens are polyphagous feeders and show tremendous bioconversion capabilities of organic matter into high-quality insect biomass. However, the digestion of lignocellulose-rich palm oil side streams such as palm kernel meal (PKM) is a particular challenge, as these compounds are exceptionally stable and are mainly degraded by microbes. This study aimed to investigate the suitability of BSF larvae as bioconversion agents of PKM. Since the intestinal microbiota is considered to play a key role in dietary breakdown and in increasing digestibility, the bacterial and fungal communities of BSF larvae were characterized in a culture-dependent approach and screened for their putative entomopathogenicity. The lethality of six putative candidates was investigated using intracoelomal injection. In total, 93 isolates were obtained with a bacterial share of 74% that were assigned to the four phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Members of the genera Klebsiella, Enterococcus, and Sphingobacterium are part of the core microbiome, as they were frequently described in the gut of Hermetia larvae regardless of diet, nutritional composition, or rearing conditions. With 75%, a majority of the fungal isolates belonged to the phylum Ascomycota. We identified several taxa already published to be able to degrade lignocelluloses, including Enterococcus, Cellulomonas, Pichia yeasts, or filamentous Fusarium species. The injection assays revealed pronounced differences in pathogenicity against the larvae. While Alcaligenes faecalis caused no, Diutina rugosa weak (23.3%), Microbacterium thalassium moderate (53.3%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae high (≥80%) lethality, Fusarium solani injection resulted in 100% lethality.