Transporter genes in biosynthetic gene clusters predict metabolite characteristics and siderophore activity.

ABSTRACT: Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are operonic sets of microbial genes that synthesize specialized metabolites with diverse functions, including siderophores and antibiotics, which often require export to the extracellular environment. For this reason, genes for transport across cellular membranes are essential for the production of specialized metabolites and are often genomically colocalized with BGCs. Here, we conducted a comprehensive computational analysis of transporters associated with characterized BGCs. In addition to known exporters, in BGCs we found many importer-specific transmembrane domains that co-occur with substrate binding proteins possibly for uptake of siderophores or metabolic precursors. Machine learning models using transporter gene frequencies were predictive of kno

SUBMITTER: Crits-Christoph A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7849407 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature