Abstract
Truffles are the fruiting body of fungi, members of the Ascomycota phylum endowed with major gastronomic and commercial value. The development and maturation of their reproductive structure are dependent on melanin synthesis. Since anandamide, a prominent member of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), is responsible for melanin synthesis in normal human epidermal melanocytes, we thought that ECS might be present also in truffles. Here, we show the expression, at the transcriptional and translational levels, of most ECS components in the black truffle Tuber melanosporum Vittad. at maturation stage VI. Indeed, by means of molecular biology and immunochemical techniques, we found that truffles contain the major metabolic enzymes of the ECS, while they do not express the most relevant endocannabinoid-binding receptors. In addition, we measured anandamide content in truffles, at different maturation stages (from III to VI), through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis, whereas the other relevant endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol was below the detection limit. Overall, our unprecedented results suggest that anandamide and ECS metabolic enzymes have evolved earlier than endocannabinoid-binding receptors, and that anandamide might be an ancient attractant to truffle eaters, that are well-equipped with endocannabinoid-binding receptors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 104-110 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Phytochemistry |
| Volume | 110 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
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Keywords
- Endocannabinoids
- Evolution
- Food intake
- Maturation
- Reward
- Truffle
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Plant Science
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Horticulture
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Truffles contain endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes and anandamide. / Pacioni, Giovanni; Rapino, Cinzia; Zarivi, Osvaldo; Falconi, Anastasia; Leonardi, Marco; Battista, Natalia; Colafarina, Sabrina; Sergi, Manuel; Bonfigli, Antonella; Miranda, Michele; Barsacchi, Daniela; Maccarrone, Mauro.
In: Phytochemistry, Vol. 110, 2015, p. 104-110.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Truffles contain endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes and anandamide
AU - Pacioni, Giovanni
AU - Rapino, Cinzia
AU - Zarivi, Osvaldo
AU - Falconi, Anastasia
AU - Leonardi, Marco
AU - Battista, Natalia
AU - Colafarina, Sabrina
AU - Sergi, Manuel
AU - Bonfigli, Antonella
AU - Miranda, Michele
AU - Barsacchi, Daniela
AU - Maccarrone, Mauro
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Truffles are the fruiting body of fungi, members of the Ascomycota phylum endowed with major gastronomic and commercial value. The development and maturation of their reproductive structure are dependent on melanin synthesis. Since anandamide, a prominent member of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), is responsible for melanin synthesis in normal human epidermal melanocytes, we thought that ECS might be present also in truffles. Here, we show the expression, at the transcriptional and translational levels, of most ECS components in the black truffle Tuber melanosporum Vittad. at maturation stage VI. Indeed, by means of molecular biology and immunochemical techniques, we found that truffles contain the major metabolic enzymes of the ECS, while they do not express the most relevant endocannabinoid-binding receptors. In addition, we measured anandamide content in truffles, at different maturation stages (from III to VI), through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis, whereas the other relevant endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol was below the detection limit. Overall, our unprecedented results suggest that anandamide and ECS metabolic enzymes have evolved earlier than endocannabinoid-binding receptors, and that anandamide might be an ancient attractant to truffle eaters, that are well-equipped with endocannabinoid-binding receptors.
AB - Truffles are the fruiting body of fungi, members of the Ascomycota phylum endowed with major gastronomic and commercial value. The development and maturation of their reproductive structure are dependent on melanin synthesis. Since anandamide, a prominent member of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), is responsible for melanin synthesis in normal human epidermal melanocytes, we thought that ECS might be present also in truffles. Here, we show the expression, at the transcriptional and translational levels, of most ECS components in the black truffle Tuber melanosporum Vittad. at maturation stage VI. Indeed, by means of molecular biology and immunochemical techniques, we found that truffles contain the major metabolic enzymes of the ECS, while they do not express the most relevant endocannabinoid-binding receptors. In addition, we measured anandamide content in truffles, at different maturation stages (from III to VI), through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis, whereas the other relevant endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol was below the detection limit. Overall, our unprecedented results suggest that anandamide and ECS metabolic enzymes have evolved earlier than endocannabinoid-binding receptors, and that anandamide might be an ancient attractant to truffle eaters, that are well-equipped with endocannabinoid-binding receptors.
KW - Endocannabinoids
KW - Evolution
KW - Food intake
KW - Maturation
KW - Reward
KW - Truffle
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84921496853&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84921496853&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.11.012
DO - 10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.11.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 25433633
AN - SCOPUS:84921496853
VL - 110
SP - 104
EP - 110
JO - Phytochemistry
JF - Phytochemistry
SN - 0031-9422
ER -