Abstract
Xylindein is a blue-green pigment produced naturally by the fungi Chlorociboria aeruginascens and C. aeruginosa. The color has been used since the 15th century and is historically relevant to wood workers of the renaissance who used wood dyed with Xylindein in Intarsia pieces. Artists and Fungi enthusiasts alike still dye logs with Xylindein to craft functional ware and experiment with the properties of Chlorociboria aeruginascens. As aesthetically whimsical and charming the Xylindein pigment is from the little Blue elf cup, xylindein is also a semi-conductor making it useful in opto-electronic applications such as solar cells.
For such a beautiful pigment and organism, xylindein is considerably difficult to grow, produce and extract, taking researchers up to 24 weeks to get substantial growth. Regardless, a 2025 study identified the biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for xylindein production in Chlorociboria aeruginascens and C. aeruginosa. In the article, researchers attempted heterologous expression of three of the genes within the BGC identified (XLNfas1, XLNfas2, and XLN pks) in Aspergillus Oryzae. However, the transformation was unsuccessful as critical genes were unincorporated in the pathway to express the pigment.