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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #176754
Title: SECONDARY METABOLITE BIOSYNTHETIC GENE CLUSTERS IN FILAMENTOUS FUNGI

Author
item NIERMAN, WILLIAM - TIGR ROCKVILLE MD
item FEDOROVA, NATALIE - TIGR ROCKVILLE MD
item RONNING, CATHERINE - TIGR ROCKVILLE MD
item KULKARNI, RESHAM - TIGR ROCKVILLE MD
item DENNING, DAVID - UNIV OF MANCHESTER UK
item ANDERSON, MICHAEL - UNIV OF MANCHESTER UK
item MACHIDA, MASAYUKI - NIAIST JAPAN
item KITAMOTO, KATSUHIKO - UNIV OF TOKYO
item ASAI, KIYOSHI - NIAIST JAPAN
item BENNETT, JOAN - TULANE UNIV NOLA
item PAYNE, GARY - NC STATE UNIV RALEIGH
item Yu, Jiujiang
item Bhatnagar, Deepak
item Cleveland, Thomas
item WORTMAN, JENNIFER - TIGR ROCKVILLE MD
item RAVEL, JACQUES - TIGR ROCKVILLE MD

Submitted to: Fungal Genetics Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2005
Publication Date: 3/30/2005
Citation: Nierman, W.C., Fedorova, N., Ronning, C.M., Kulkarni, R., Denning, D., Anderson, M., Machida, M., Kitamoto, K., Asai, K., Bennett, J., Payne, G.A., Yu, J., Bhatnagar, D., Cleveland, T.E., Wortman, J., Ravel, J. 2005. Secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters in filamentous fungi. 23rd Fungal Genetic Conference and 2nd Aspergillus Meeting, Asilomar Conference Center, March 13-20, 2005, Pacific Grove, CA. p. 95.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus pathogenicity and competition for resources may be augmented by its numerous secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes are typically organized in clusters containing most, if not all, of the structural enzyme genes required for product biosynthesis. The A. fumigatus genome contains 24 clusters with polyketide synthase, non-ribosomal peptide synthase, or dimethylallyl tryptophan synthase genes which range in size from 20 kb to 60 kb and contain from 6 to 22 genes. These clusters are dispersed throughout the genome with only 8 of the 24 located in subtelomeric regions. Many A. fumigatus clusters contain regulatory genes, genes associated with resistance to the metabolite, and apparently unrelated genes with no obvious role in production of the metabolite in question. Twelve clusters contain genes encoding transcription factors involved in the regulation of polyketide production and other secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways. With the availability of several other sequenced Aspergilli and related filamentous fungi, we have undertaken a comparative analysis of the secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes and clusters. Some A. fumigatus clusters have orthologs in Aspergillus nidulans or Aspergillus oryzae while most are A. fumigatus specific. We will report on these and other comparative aspects of these clusters, including chromosomal localizations, cross-species cluster integrity, inter- and intra- species relatedness of paralogous genes, and the likelihood of interspecific and perhaps interkingdom horizontal gene transfer.