MFS Transporter as the Molecular Switch Unlocking the Production of Cage-Like Acresorbicillinol C

Sorbicillinoids are a class of fungal polyketides with diverse structures and distinguished bioactivities. Although remarkable progress has been achieved in their chemistry and biosynthesis, the efflux of sorbicillinoids is poorly understood. Here, we found MFS transporter AcsorT was responsible for the biosynthesis of sorbicillinoids in Acremonium chrysogenum. Combinatorial knockout and subcellular location demonstrated that the plasma membrane-associated AcsorT was responsible for the transportation of sorbicillinol and subsequent formation of oxosorbicillinol and acresorbicillinol C via the berberine bridge enzyme-like oxidase AcsorD in the periplasm. Homology modeling and site-directed mutation revealed that Tyr₃₀₃ and Arg₄₃₆ were the key residues of AcsorT, which was further explained by molecular dynamics simulation. Based on our study, it was suggested that AcsorT modulates sorbicillinoid production by coordinating its biosynthesis and export, and a transport model of sorbicillinoids was proposed in A. chrysogenum.