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Fabian SJ, Steen CR, Damron FH, DeRiggi CA, Panaccione DG. A gene regulating ergot alkaloid biosynthesis in Metarhizium brunneum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024:e0105124. [PMID: 39329487 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01051-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ergot alkaloid synthesis (eas) gene clusters found in several fungi encode biosynthesis of agriculturally and pharmaceutically important ergot alkaloids. Although the biosynthetic genes of the ergot alkaloid pathway have been well characterized, regulation of those genes is unknown. We characterized a gene with sequence similarity to a putative transcription factor and that was found adjacent to the eas cluster of Metarhizium brunneum, a plant symbiont and insect pathogen. Function of the novel gene, easR, was explored by CRISPR-Cas9-derived gene knockouts. To maximize potential for ergot alkaloid accumulation, strains of M. brunneum were injected into larvae of the insect Galleria mellonella. Larvae infected with the wild type contained abundant ergot alkaloids, but those infected with easR knockouts lacked detectable ergot alkaloids. The easR knockout strains had significantly reduced or no detectable mRNA from eas cluster genes in RNAseq and qualitative RT-PCR analyses, whereas the wild-type strain contained abundant mRNA from all eas genes. These data demonstrate that the product of easR is required for ergot alkaloid accumulation and provide evidence that it has a role in the expression of ergot alkaloid biosynthesis genes. Larvae infected with an easR knockout survived significantly longer than those infected with the wild type (P < 0.0001), indicating a role for EasR, and indirectly confirming a role for ergot alkaloids, in the virulence of M. brunneum to insects. Homologs of easR were found associated with eas clusters of at least 15 other ergot alkaloid-producing fungi, indicating that EasR homologs may contribute to regulation of ergot alkaloid synthesis in additional fungi. IMPORTANCE Ergot alkaloids produced by several species of fungi are important as contaminants of food and feed in agriculture and also as the foundation of numerous pharmaceuticals prescribed for dementia, migraines, hyperprolactinemia, and several other disorders. Information on control of the ergot alkaloid pathway may contribute to strategies to limit their production in agricultural settings or increase their yield for pharmaceutical production. Our results demonstrate that a previously uncharacterized gene clustered with the ergot alkaloid synthesis genes is required for the sufficient transcription of the ergot alkaloid biosynthesis genes. This observation suggests the gene encodes a factor regulating transcription of those biosynthetic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Fabian
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Chey R Steen
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - F Heath Damron
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Celeste A DeRiggi
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Daniel G Panaccione
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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2
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Zhou B, Tong Q, Zang Y, Zhu H. Two new α-pyrone-containing polyketides isolated from the fungus Aspergillus aureoterreus. Nat Prod Res 2023; 37:3207-3213. [PMID: 35412412 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2062753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Two undescribed α-pyrone-containing polyketide derivatives designated aurovertins V (1) and W (2), and a known analogue (3), were isolated from the fungus Aspergillus aureoterreus. Their structures including the absolute configuration were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods and theoretical ECD calculation. Compound 1 is the first example of aurovertins with a 7R configuration, whereas 2 comprises a S configuration for C-6 and a Z geometry of the double bond Δ8. Both 1 and 2 showed no cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines HL-60, SU-DHL-2 and U266) at the concentration of 20.0 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beiping Zhou
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application-Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Microbial Culture Center (GDMCC), Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingyi Tong
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Zang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application-Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Microbial Culture Center (GDMCC), Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Honghui Zhu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application-Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Microbial Culture Center (GDMCC), Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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3
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Yap A, Glarcher I, Misslinger M, Haas H. Characterization and engineering of the xylose-inducible xylP promoter for use in mold fungal species. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 15:e00214. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Chiang YM, Lin TS, Wang CCC. Total Heterologous Biosynthesis of Fungal Natural Products in Aspergillus nidulans. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:2484-2518. [PMID: 36173392 PMCID: PMC9621686 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fungal natural products comprise a wide range of bioactive compounds including important drugs and agrochemicals. Intriguingly, bioinformatic analyses of fungal genomes have revealed that fungi have the potential to produce significantly more natural products than what have been discovered so far. It has thus become widely accepted that most biosynthesis pathways of fungal natural products are silent or expressed at very low levels under laboratory cultivation conditions. To tap into this vast chemical reservoir, the reconstitution of entire biosynthetic pathways in genetically tractable fungal hosts (total heterologous biosynthesis) has become increasingly employed in recent years. This review summarizes total heterologous biosynthesis of fungal natural products accomplished before 2020 using Aspergillus nidulans as heterologous hosts. We review here Aspergillus transformation, A. nidulans hosts, shuttle vectors for episomal expression, and chromosomal integration expression. These tools, collectively, not only facilitate the discovery of cryptic natural products but can also be used to generate high-yield strains with clean metabolite backgrounds. In comparison with total synthesis, total heterologous biosynthesis offers a simplified strategy to construct complex molecules and holds potential for commercial application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ming Chiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Pharmacy, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 71710, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Shyang Lin
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Clay C C Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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5
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Lyu HN, Zhang J, Zhou S, Liu HW, Zhuang WY, Li SM, Yin WB. Heterologous expression of a single fungal HR-PKS leads to the formation of diverse 2-alkenyl-tetrahydropyrans in model fungi. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 19:8377-8383. [PMID: 34528986 DOI: 10.1039/d1ob01501j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
2-Alkenyl-tetrahydropyrans belong to a rare class of natural products that exhibit broad antifungal activities. Their structural instability and rareness in nature have restrained their discovery and drug development. In this study, the heterologous expression of a single highly reducing polyketide synthase (HR-PKS, App1) from Trichoderma applanatum in Aspergillus nidulans leads to the formation of seven 2-alkenyl-tetrahydropyran derivatives including one known compound virensol C (1) and six new compounds (2-7). However, introducing App1 into Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in the identification of additional two 2-alkenyl-tetrahydropyrans lacking the hydroxyl or methoxyl group at the C-2 position (8 and 9). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis using NMR and HR-ESI-MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Ning Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
- Artemisinin Research Center, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong-Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wen-Ying Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shu-Ming Li
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologie und Biotechnologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35037, Germany
| | - Wen-Bing Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, People's Republic of China
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Caesar LK, Kelleher NL, Keller NP. In the fungus where it happens: History and future propelling Aspergillus nidulans as the archetype of natural products research. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 144:103477. [PMID: 33035657 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In 1990 the first fungal secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene was cloned in Aspergillus nidulans. Thirty years later, >30 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) have been linked to specific natural products in this one fungal species. While impressive, over half of the BGCs in A. nidulans remain uncharacterized and their compounds structurally and functionally unknown. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of past advances that have enabled A. nidulans to rise to its current status as a natural product powerhouse focusing on the discovery and annotation of secondary metabolite clusters. From genome sequencing, heterologous expression, and metabolomics to CRISPR and epigenetic manipulations, we present a guided tour through the evolution of technologies developed and utilized in the last 30 years. These insights provide perspective to future efforts to fully unlock the biosynthetic potential of A. nidulans and, by extension, the potential of other filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay K Caesar
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
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Yuan S, Gopal JV, Ren S, Chen L, Liu L, Gao Z. Anticancer fungal natural products: Mechanisms of action and biosynthesis. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 202:112502. [PMID: 32652407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Many fungal metabolites show promising anticancer properties both in vitro and in animal models, and some synthetic analogs of those metabolites have progressed into clinical trials. However, currently, there are still no fungi-derived agents approved as anticancer drugs. Two potential reasons could be envisioned: 1) lacking a clear understanding of their anticancer mechanism of action, 2) unable to supply enough materials to support the preclinical and clinic developments. In this review, we will summarize recent efforts on elucidating the anticancer mechanisms and biosynthetic pathways of several promising anticancer fungal natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwen Yuan
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jannu Vinay Gopal
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Shuya Ren
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Litong Chen
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Lan Liu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Zhizeng Gao
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China.
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Zhou LW, Ghobad-Nejhad M, Tian XM, Wang YF, Wu F. Current Status of ‘Sanghuang’ as a Group of Medicinal Mushrooms and Their Perspective in Industry Development. FOOD REVIEWS INTERNATIONAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/87559129.2020.1740245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Masoomeh Ghobad-Nejhad
- Department of Biotechnology, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Xue-Mei Tian
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Mycology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yi-Fei Wang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Fang Wu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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9
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Strategies for gene disruption and expression in filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:6041-6059. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09953-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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10
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Strategy for efficient cloning of biosynthetic gene clusters from fungi. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2019; 62:1087-1095. [DOI: 10.1007/s11427-018-9511-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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11
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Musiol-Kroll EM, Wohlleben W. Acyltransferases as Tools for Polyketide Synthase Engineering. Antibiotics (Basel) 2018; 7:antibiotics7030062. [PMID: 30022008 PMCID: PMC6164871 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics7030062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyketides belong to the most valuable natural products, including diverse bioactive compounds, such as antibiotics, anticancer drugs, antifungal agents, immunosuppressants and others. Their structures are assembled by polyketide synthases (PKSs). Modular PKSs are composed of modules, which involve sets of domains catalysing the stepwise polyketide biosynthesis. The acyltransferase (AT) domains and their “partners”, the acyl carrier proteins (ACPs), thereby play an essential role. The AT loads the building blocks onto the “substrate acceptor”, the ACP. Thus, the AT dictates which building blocks are incorporated into the polyketide structure. The precursor- and occasionally the ACP-specificity of the ATs differ across the polyketide pathways and therefore, the ATs contribute to the structural diversity within this group of complex natural products. Those features make the AT enzymes one of the most promising tools for manipulation of polyketide assembly lines and generation of new polyketide compounds. However, the AT-based PKS engineering is still not straightforward and thus, rational design of functional PKSs requires detailed understanding of the complex machineries. This review summarizes the attempts of PKS engineering by exploiting the AT attributes for the modification of polyketide structures. The article includes 253 references and covers the most relevant literature published until May 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Maria Musiol-Kroll
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Wohlleben
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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Rational design for fungal laccase production in the model host Aspergillus nidulans. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2018; 62:84-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s11427-017-9304-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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13
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Synthesis and production of the antitumor polyketide aurovertins and structurally related compounds. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:6373-6381. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9123-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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