Michael Davis
Mushrooms, which are a type of fungus, have been a part of the human diet for a long time and are also used in the fermentation of various food products. They are also known to have medicinal properties. Mushrooms contain nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides, which are components of nucleic acids. Nucleotides are the basic units of nucleic acid macromolecules, which are the basis of life. Nucleic acids play an important role in regulating various physiological processes in the human body.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nucleic acid constituents in mushrooms | Nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides |
| Nucleobases | Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Uracil, Thymine |
| Nucleosides | Uridine, Guanosine, Adenosine, Cytidine |
| Types of Nucleotides | 5'-guanosine monophosphate (5'-GMP), 5'-inosine monophosphate (5'-IMP), 5'-xanthosine monophosphate (5'-XMP) |
| Types of mushrooms | Edible, non-edible, poisonous |
| Mushroom use | Food, medicine, pesticides, antibiotics, fermentation |
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What You'll Learn
- Mushrooms contain nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides
- Nucleotides are the basic units of nucleic acid macromolecules
- Mushrooms share more DNA with humans than with plants
- Nucleotide composition of nucleic acids from fungi
- Cordycepin, a bioactive compound found in mushrooms, has medicinal properties
Mushrooms contain nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides
The nucleobases found in mushrooms include purine nucleobases (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidine nucleobases (cytosine, uracil, and thymine). The pyrimidine nucleobase uracil is found in RNA, while thymine is found in DNA.
The nucleosides found in mushrooms include uridine, guanosine, adenosine, cytidine, and cordycepin, a 3'-deoxyadenosine found in Cordyceps sinensis with various medicinal values, including anticancer properties. Nucleosides have been found to play a role in regulating various physiological processes such as brain function, immunity, and repair of gastrointestinal injury.
The total free amino acids in mushrooms were found to be between 4.0 and 6.5%, with Glu (umami taste) being the most dominant, followed by Asp (umami taste). The mushroom powders were also found to contain all essential amino acids, sweet- and bitter-related amino acids, and around 20% protein.
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Nucleotides are the basic units of nucleic acid macromolecules
Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and the most commonly known basidiocarps. They have long been used as a direct source of human food and have also been recognised as an important source of bioactive compounds with high nutritional and medicinal value.
Nucleotides are organic molecules composed of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate. They are the monomeric units of the nucleic acid polymers, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Both DNA and RNA are essential biomolecules within all life forms on Earth. The nitrogenous base is attached to the 1' carbon, and the phosphate group is attached to the hydroxyl group of the 5' carbon.
Nucleotides are composed of three subunits: a nucleobase, a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and a phosphate group consisting of one to three phosphates. The four nucleobases in DNA are guanine, adenine, cytosine, and thymine. In RNA, uracil is used instead of thymine. The nucleotides in RNA contain ribose sugar instead of deoxyribose, and the nitrogenous base uracil instead of thymine.
Nucleic acids are macromolecules made up of monomers called nucleotides. They carry the genetic information of a cell and instructions for its functioning. They are the hereditary material in cells, passed on to their offspring. The two main types of nucleic acids are DNA and RNA, which combine with each other to form nucleic acids.
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Mushrooms share more DNA with humans than with plants
Mushrooms, like all fungi, share more DNA with humans than with plants. This is because fungi and animals share a common ancestor, which branched away from plants around 1.1 billion years ago. Fungi and animals share certain genetic similarities not found in plants. For example, both mushrooms and humans store carbohydrate energy as glycogen, while plants use starch. Fungi and insects use chitin to build cell walls, while plants use cellulose. Mushrooms, like humans, also produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
The first hypotheses about the relationship between fungi and animals emerged in the 1950s, and researchers have since confirmed these suspicions. In 1993, researchers Baldouf and Palmer published a paper titled 'Animals and fungi are each other’s closest relatives: congruent evidence from multiple proteins'. They compared 25 proteins and their DNA sequences between bacteria, plants, animals, and fungi, and found that animals and fungi exhibited similarities in certain proteins that plants and bacteria did not have.
Fungi belong to a kingdom of their own, just like animals, plants, bacteria, and protista (algae). They are eukaryotic organisms that absorb nutrients from other organic matter. Fungi can break down manufactured materials and buildings and can become significant pathogens of humans and other animals. Many species produce bioactive compounds called mycotoxins, which are toxic to animals, including humans.
Fungal fossils do not become common and uncontroversial until the early Devonian (416–359.2 million years ago), when they occur abundantly in the Rhynie chert, mostly as Zygomycota and Chytridiomycota. The oldest known mushroom-forming fungi (the extinct species Archaeomarasmius leggetti) appeared during the late Cretaceous, 90 million years ago.
Mushrooms have also been recognised as an important source of bioactive compounds with high nutritional and medicinal value. The nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides found in mushrooms play important roles in the regulation of various physiological processes in the human body.
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Nucleotide composition of nucleic acids from fungi
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that has been used as a direct food source and in the fermentation of various food products. Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids, which are the molecules that carry genetic information. Nucleic acids, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), are essential for the storage and expression of genetic information in all known living organisms, including fungi.
Roger Storck of the University of Texas, Austin, published a study in 1966 titled "Nucleotide Composition of Nucleic Acids from Fungi II. Deoxyribonucleic Acids". In this study, the nucleotide composition of the deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) present in extracts of 30 species of fungi was determined. The content, in moles per cent of guanine plus cytosine (GC content), varied from 38 to 63% in a distribution composed of 9 species of zygomycetes, 14 of ascomycetes, and 9 each of deuteromycetes and basidiomycetes. The GC content ranged from 38-40% for four Mucor species. The base composition of fungal DNA was found to have taxonomic and phylogenetic significance.
In 1965, Storck published the first part of his study, titled "Nucleotide Composition of Nucleic Acids from Fungi I. Ribonucleic Acids". This part of the study focused on the nucleotide composition of ribonucleic acids (RNA) present in extracts of 26 species of fungi. The GC content was found to vary from 44.1 to 60.5% in a distribution composed of 8 species of zygomycetes, 10 of ascomycetes, 11 of deuteromycetes, and 8 of basidiomycetes. The GC content averaged 45.6% and ranged from 44.1 to 46.3% for four Mucor species.
In recent years, mushrooms have become recognised as an important source of bioactive compounds with high nutritional and medicinal value. Nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides found in mushrooms play a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes in the human body through purinergic and/or pyrimidine receptors. For example, cordycepin, a 3'-deoxyadenosine found in Cordyceps sinensis, has gained attention for its anticancer properties. The exotic taste of edible mushrooms is also attributed to nonvolatile and water-soluble substances, including 5'-nucleotides.
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Cordycepin, a bioactive compound found in mushrooms, has medicinal properties
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that has long been used as a food source and in traditional medicine. They are also a source of bioactive compounds with medicinal properties. One such compound is cordycepin, a 3'-deoxyadenosine found in Cordyceps sinensis, a rare entomopathogenic fungus usually found at high altitudes on the Himalayan plateau. Cordyceps is also known as 'Dong Chong Xia Cao' in China, meaning 'worm in winter and grass in summer'.
Cordycepin has been studied for its therapeutic and nutraceutical potential, with a chemical structure similar to adenosine, differing only in the lack of a hydroxyl group at the 3′ position of its ribose moiety. It has been shown to possess anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, anticancer, antiviral, hepato-protective, cardiovascular benefits, antimalarial, anti-osteoporotic, and anti-arthritic properties. Additionally, cordycepin may improve athletic performance and has been studied for its ability to suppress cancer cell migration and invasion in liver cancer.
Cordyceps has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 300 years, and its medicinal properties have been gaining recognition. It is often challenging to obtain natural cordyceps, and lab-made alternatives are commonly used in supplements. While cordyceps is sometimes referred to as a mushroom, the lab-made variety does not grow a mushroom.
The presence of bioactive compounds in mushrooms and other food sources has become an area of increasing interest due to public health concerns and consumer awareness regarding health promotion, prevention, and maintenance. These compounds are molecules derived from plant or animal sources that provide regular energy intake and exhibit therapeutic activities against various disorders and diseases. Mushrooms, in particular, contain nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides that play important regulatory roles in various physiological processes in the human body through purinergic and pyrimidine receptors.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, mushrooms contain nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides, which are components of native nucleic acids.
They are bioactive compounds with high nutritional and medicinal value. Nucleotides are the basic units of nucleic acid macromolecules, which are the basis of life.
Examples of purine nucleobases include adenine and guanine, while examples of pyrimidine nucleobases include cytosine, uracil, and thymine. Examples of nucleosides include uridine, guanosine, adenosine, and cytidine.
Mushrooms are a good source of protein and contain all essential amino acids. They also contain carbohydrates, especially fiber. Additionally, mushrooms are more closely related to animals than plants genetically and are a reliable food source.
