Genome-Wide Analysis of Biosynthetic Gene Cluster Reveals Correlated Gene Loss with Absence of Usnic Acid in Lichen-Forming Fungi.

ABSTRACT: Lichen-forming fungi are known to produce a large number of secondary metabolites. Some metabolites are deposited in the cortical layer of the lichen thallus where they exert important ecological functions, such as UV filtering. The fact that closely related lineages of lichen-forming fungi can differ in cortical chemistry suggests that natural product biosynthesis in lichens can evolve independent from phylogenetic constraints. Usnic acid is one of the major cortical pigments in lichens. Here we used a comparative genomic approach on 46 lichen-forming fungal species of the Lecanoromycetes to elucidate the biosynthetic gene content and evolution of the gene cluster putatively responsible for the biosynthesis of usnic acid. Whole-genome sequences were gathered from taxa belonging to differe

SUBMITTER: Pizarro D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7643366 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature