The antiSMASH database version 3: increased taxonomic coverage and new query features for modular enzymes

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bioinformatics
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Microbial natural products are crucial for developing pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.
• Genome mining has become a key strategy for identifying these valuable compounds.
• antiSMASH is a widely-used tool for analyzing microbial genomes for natural product potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present version 3 of the antiSMASH database, enhancing access to precomputed biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs).
• To provide an interactive graphical user interface for querying BGCs from high-quality microbial genomes.
• To facilitate the discovery of novel natural products through accessible genome data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized antiSMASH-5.2 software to identify BGCs in publicly available microbial genomes.
• Compiled and curated a database of BGCs from archaeal, bacterial, and fungal genomes.
• Developed an interactive graphical user interface for database access and querying.

Main Results:

• Version 3 of the antiSMASH database contains 147,517 high-quality BGC regions.
• The database includes genomes from 388 archaeal, 25,236 bacterial, and 177 fungal species.
• The database is accessible via a user-friendly graphical interface at https://antismash-db.secondarymetabolites.org/.

Conclusions:

• The updated antiSMASH database (v3) significantly expands the accessibility of microbial BGCs for research.
• This resource empowers researchers to explore microbial secondary metabolite potential more efficiently.
• Facilitates the identification of novel compounds for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications.