Chromatin-dependent regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in fungi: is the picture complete?

ABSTRACT: Fungal secondary metabolites are small molecules that exhibit diverse biological activities exploited in medicine, industry and agriculture. Their biosynthesis is governed by co-expressed genes that often co-localize in gene clusters. Most of these secondary metabolite gene clusters are inactive under laboratory conditions, which is due to a tight transcriptional regulation. Modifications of chromatin, the complex of DNA and histone proteins influencing DNA accessibility, play an important role in this regulation. However, tinkering with well-characterised chemical and genetic modifications that affect chromatin alters the expression of only few biosynthetic gene clusters, and thus the regulation of the vast majority of biosynthetic pathways remains enigmatic. In the past, attempts to acti

SUBMITTER: Collemare J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8038932 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature