Intraspecific chemical variation within the crustose lichen genus Haematomma: anthraquinone production in selected cultured mycobionts as a response to stress and nutrient supply

The mycobionts isolated from selected species of Haematomma (Haematomma africanum, Haematomma fenzlianum, Haematomma flourescens, Haematomma persoonii, Haematomma stevensiae) have been successfully cultured. The chemical profile of the mycobionts could be effectively influenced and modulated by varying the composition of the nutrient medium using alternative carbohydrates (glucose, sucrose, and polyols). Under artifical laboratory conditions and simulated environmental stress (exposure to UV light, desiccation, and lower temperatures) the mycobionts began producing typical secondary lichen metabolites after an incubation time of 5-6 months. Modified Lilly and Barnett medium (LBM) and Murashige Skoog Medium favoured the production of depsides such as sphaerophorin and isosphaeric acid. Surprisingly, the mycobiont from H. stevensiae in modified MS medium produced two anthraquinones in the mycelia, haematommone at the base and russulone in the upper parts of the mycelium. By contrast, the natural lichen only produced these anthraquinones in the reddish orange apothecia. The mycobiont from H. flourescens only produced the expected lichexanthone in LBM, enriched with the polyols, sorbitol and mannitol. Once the media requirements and environmental stress factors that trigger polyketide production in lichen mycobionts have been determined, it is possible to obtain a particular lichen product by a completely defined procedure. Using such knowledge, we should be able to study polyketide expression in mycobionts under optimized culture conditions for various genetic applications.