A re-assessment of Taxomyces andreanae, the alleged taxol-producing fungus, using comparative genomics.

ABSTRACT: The monotypic "bulbilliferous hyphomycete" genus Taxomyces was erected in 1993 for a fungal endophyte isolated from the Yew tree Taxus brevifolia and named Taxomyces andreanae. This fungus was reported to produce the plant-derived anti-cancer drug taxol. The original description of the fungus was not conclusive as to its taxonomic position because no sporulation or other salient morphological features were reported. Consequently, the taxonomic affinities of this fungus have remained obscure. However, a full genome sequence of this strain was generated by a German research group in 2013, in an unsuccessful attempt to detect the biosynthesis genes encoding for taxol. This prompted us to search for phylogenetic marker genes and compare those with the data that recently have become available f

SUBMITTER: Cheng T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9511726 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature