Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of oligoproanthocyanidins biotransformation by rhizosphere filamentous fungi from tea plant (Camellia sinensis)Download PDF Download PDF ArticleOpen accessPublished: 27 October 2026Shuang Liang,Chun Zou1,Longjie Xu1,Bingsong Ma ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0001-0270-81471,Ying Gao1,Jun-Feng Yin1,Peng Jin2 &…Yong-Quan Xu1 npj Science of Food (2026) Cite this articleView saved research We’re sharing this article early to provide faster access to peer-reviewed, accepted research. It is citable and carries a permanent DOI. This version is subject to further edits and will be replaced automatically by the final Version of Record. All legal disclaimers apply.AbstractIncomplete degradation of proanthocyanidins (PAs) causes astringency, reduces nutrient bioavailability in foods, and hinders the feed use of agricultural residues, posing a critical challenge to the food industry. Herein, we explored the potential of tea plant rhizospheric fungi from long-term PAs-enriched habitats to degrade oligoproanthocyanidins (OPC). The five isolated fungal strains were capable of utilizing OPC as a carbon source and exhibited growth comparable to that observed in sucrose-based media. Under submerged fermentation, these fungi metabolized OPC, resulting in changes in pH and color that served as indicators. This process yielded eight fungal metabolites with nutritional and antibacterial properties, notably schizostatin, which was produced by the edible mushroom Schizophyllum commune ScCYS1063. Non-targeted metabolomics revealed that OPC degradation was linked to central energy metabolic pathways. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis indicated the pattern of PAs as a carbon source capable of fueling fumagillin biosynthesis, triggering class-level transcriptional responses of genes encoding monooxygenases, cytochrome P450S, and dioxygenases. Recovered extracellular proteins effectively degraded procyanidin B2, supporting the potential for controlled enzymatic processes to break down OPC. This study highlights the value of harnessing microbial communities from tea rhizosphere to advance biotransformation of natural metabolites, offering novel solutions for the food industry.AcknowledgementsAll authors thank the members of our research group for their valuable assistance with the experiments and technical support throughout this study.FundingThis work was supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang (2026C02A1029) and the Earmarked Fund for the China Agriculture Research System (CARS-19). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsTea Research Institute Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, National Engineering & Technology Research Center for Tea Industry, Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, ChinaChun Zou, Longjie Xu, Bingsong Ma, Ying Gao, Jun-Feng Yin & Yong-Quan XuSchool of Food and Health, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, ChinaPeng JinAuthorsShuang LiangView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarChun ZouView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarLongjie XuView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarBingsong MaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarYing GaoView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJun-Feng YinView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarPeng JinView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarYong-Quan XuView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorCorrespondence to Yong-Quan Xu.Ethics declarationsCompeting interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.Additional informationPublisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Supplementary informationRights and permissionsOpen Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. 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