Molecular basis for the biosynthesis of the siderophore coprogen in the cheese-ripening fungus Penicillium roqueforti.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Iron is an essential nutrient for microorganisms, including fungi, which have evolved strategies to acquire it. The most common strategy is the secretion of siderophores, low-molecular-weight compounds with a high affinity for ferric ions, which are involved in cellular iron uptake. Penicillium roqueforti, the fungus responsible for the ripening of blue-veined cheeses, produces coprogen, a hydroxamate-type siderophore. However, to date, the molecular basis for its biosynthesis remains elusive.

Results

In this study, we identified and characterized a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) responsible for coprogen biosynthesis in P. roqueforti, named the cop BGC. This BGC contains seven genes, three of which (copA, copB and copE) encode enzymes directly involved in coproge

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12278577 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature