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Related Experiment Videos

Indole-diterpene gene cluster from Aspergillus flavus.

Shuguang Zhang1, Brendon J Monahan, Jan S Tkacz

  • 1Centre for Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular BioSciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|November 6, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Researchers identified key genes (atmG, atmC, atmM) in Aspergillus flavus essential for producing aflatrem, a toxic compound. This discovery provides the first genetic insights into the aflatrem biosynthesis pathway.

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Area of Science:

  • Mycology and Microbial Biochemistry
  • Natural Product Biosynthesis
  • Fungal Genetics

Background:

  • Aflatrem is a potent tremorgenic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus.
  • It belongs to the structurally diverse indole-diterpene class of secondary metabolites.
  • The biosynthetic pathway for aflatrem in A. flavus was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify genes involved in aflatrem biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus.
  • To provide the first genetic evidence for the aflatrem biosynthetic pathway.

Main Methods:

  • Degenerate primers targeting fungal geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases were used to clone genes from A. flavus.
  • Gene cloning and sequence analysis identified atmG, ggsA, atmC, and atmM.
  • Gene expression analysis and complementation studies were performed.

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Main Results:

  • Two genes, atmG and ggsA, were cloned from A. flavus; atmG is adjacent to atmC and atmM.
  • The genes atmG, atmC, and atmM showed significant sequence similarity and conserved synteny with known indole-diterpene biosynthesis genes in Penicillium paxilli.
  • atmG, atmC, and atmM are coordinately expressed and increase during aflatrem biosynthesis; atmM functionally complements a P. paxilli mutant, indicating it's a homolog of paxM.

Conclusions:

  • The genes atmG, atmC, and atmM are necessary, though not sufficient, for aflatrem biosynthesis in A. flavus.
  • This study presents the first genetic evidence elucidating key components of the aflatrem biosynthetic pathway.