Multi-Omics Analyses Reveal the Antifungal Mechanism of Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid Against Pseudogymnoascus destructans

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an infectious disease of bats caused by the psychrophilic fungus <i>Pseudogymnoascus destructans</i>. Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) is a microbial secondary metabolite with broad-spectrum antifungal activity. Previous studies show that PCA suppresses the growth of <i>P. destructans</i> at low concentrations, yet its mechanism remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the in vitro antifungal activity of PCA. We then investigated its potential mechanism using physiological and biochemical assays, as well as integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. PCA showed effective antifungal activity against <i>P. destructans</i> (EC<sub>50</sub> = 32.9 μg/mL). Physiological and biochemical assays indicated that PCA perturbed cell wall organization and increased membrane permeability, leading to leakage of intracellular contents. It also induced oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis. Multi-omics integration revealed that PCA markedly perturbed cell wall and membrane metabolism, virulence factor expression, and energy metabolism. It provoked oxidative stress while downregulating genes involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication, and repair. Together, these findings delineate the inhibitory effects of PCA on <i>P. destructans</i> in vitro, provide initial mechanistic insights into its antifungal action, and suggest that PCA merits further evaluation as a possible component of environmentally compatible strategies for WNS management.

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Journal
Journal of Fungi
Published
2025-12-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12010016
Primary Topic
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
Type
article
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article

Multi-Omics Analyses Reveal the Antifungal Mechanism of Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid Against Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Zihao Huang, Y. Y. Ji, Zhongle Li, Ting Xu et al.
Journal of Fungi
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
article

Multi-Omics Analyses Reveal the Antifungal Mechanism of Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid Against Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Zihao Huang, Y. Y. Ji, Zhongle Li, Ting Xu, Shaopeng Sun, Keping Sun, Jiaqi Lu, Jiang Feng, Zhouyu Jin
article en

Abstract

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an infectious disease of bats caused by the psychrophilic fungus <i>Pseudogymnoascus destructans</i>. Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) is a microbial secondary metabolite with broad-spectrum antifungal activity. Previous studies show that PCA suppresses the growth of <i>P. destructans</i> at low concentrations, yet its mechanism remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the in vitro antifungal activity of PCA. We then investigated its potential mechanism using physiological and biochemical assays, as well as integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. PCA showed effective antifungal activity against <i>P. destructans</i> (EC<sub>50</sub> = 32.9 μg/mL). Physiological and biochemical assays indicated that PCA perturbed cell wall organization and increased membrane permeability, leading to leakage of intracellular contents. It also induced oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis. Multi-omics integration revealed that PCA markedly perturbed cell wall and membrane metabolism, virulence factor expression, and energy metabolism. It provoked oxidative stress while downregulating genes involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication, and repair. Together, these findings delineate the inhibitory effects of PCA on <i>P. destructans</i> in vitro, provide initial mechanistic insights into its antifungal action, and suggest that PCA merits further evaluation as a possible component of environmentally compatible strategies for WNS management.

Journal of FungiVol. 12(1)
Northeast Normal University (CN), Jilin Agricultural University (CN)
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
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Multi-Omics Analyses Reveal the Antifungal Mechanism of Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid Against Pseudogymnoascus destructans — Zihao Huang, Y. Y. Ji, et al. · Journal of Fungi (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS