Activation of a silent fungal polyketide biosynthesis pathway through regulatory cross talk with a cryptic nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene cluster.

ABSTRACT: Filamentous fungi produce numerous natural products that constitute a consistent source of potential drug leads, yet it seems that the majority of natural products are overlooked since most biosynthesis gene clusters are silent under standard cultivation conditions. Screening secondary metabolite genes of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans, we noted a silent gene cluster on chromosome II comprising two nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes, inpA and inpB, flanked by a regulatory gene that we named scpR for secondary metabolism cross-pathway regulator. The induced expression of the scpR gene using the promoter of the alcohol dehydrogenase AlcA led to the transcriptional activation of both the endogenous scpR gene and the NRPS genes. Surprisingly, metabolic profiling of the superna

SUBMITTER: Bergmann S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3008269 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature