Analysis of an inactive cyanobactin biosynthetic gene cluster leads to discovery of new natural products from strains of the genus Microcystis.

ABSTRACT: Cyanobactins are cyclic peptides assembled through the cleavage and modification of short precursor proteins. An inactive cyanobactin gene cluster has been described from the genome Microcystis aeruginosa NIES843. Here we report the discovery of active counterparts in strains of the genus Microcystis guided by this silent cyanobactin gene cluster. The end products of the gene clusters were structurally diverse cyclic peptides, which we named piricyclamides. Some of the piricyclamides consisted solely of proteinogenic amino acids while others contained disulfide bridges and some were prenylated or geranylated. The piricyclamide gene clusters encoded between 1 and 4 precursor genes. They encoded highly diverse core peptides ranging in length from 7-17 amino acids with just a single conserved

SUBMITTER: Leikoski N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3428304 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature