Metabolome analysis revealed that soybean-Aspergillus oryzae interaction induced dynamic metabolic and daidzein prenylation changes

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 2;16(7):e0254190. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254190. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Several isoflavonoids are well known for their ability to act as soybean phytoalexins. However, the overall effects of the soybean-Aspergillus oryzae interaction on metabolism remain largely unknown. The aim of this study is to reveal an overview of nutritive and metabolic changes in germinated and A. oryzae-elicited soybeans. The levels of individual nutrients were measured using the ustulation, ashing, Kjeldahl, and Folch methods. The levels of individual amino acids were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Low-molecular-weight compounds were measured through metabolome analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Although the levels of individual nutrients and amino acids were strongly influenced by the germination process, the elicitation process had little effect on the change in the contents of individual nutrients and amino acids. However, after analyzing approximately 700 metabolites using metabolome analysis, we found that the levels of many of the metabolites were strongly influenced by soybean-A. oryzae interactions. In particular, the data indicate that steroid, terpenoid, phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, and fatty acid metabolism were influenced by the elicitation process. Furthermore, we demonstrated that not the germination process but the elicitation process induced daidzein prenylation, suggesting that the soybean-A. oryzae interactions produce various phytoalexins that are valuable for health promotion and/or disease prevention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / metabolism
  • Aspergillus oryzae / metabolism*
  • Fermentation / physiology
  • Flavonoids / metabolism
  • Germination / physiology
  • Glycine max / metabolism*
  • Isoflavones / metabolism*
  • Metabolome / physiology*
  • Nutrients / metabolism
  • Plant Extracts / metabolism
  • Prenylation / physiology*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Flavonoids
  • Isoflavones
  • Plant Extracts
  • daidzein

Grants and funding

TG, TK, and HT received funding from DAIZ Inc. (https://www.daiz.inc/company/). The funder provided support in the form of salaries for authors KO, KS, AI, and YS, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.