1
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Gozashti L, Hartl DL, Corbett-Detig R. Universal signatures of transposable element compartmentalization across eukaryotic genomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.17.562820. [PMID: 38585780 PMCID: PMC10996525 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.17.562820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The evolutionary mechanisms that drive the emergence of genome architecture remain poorly understood but can now be assessed with unprecedented power due to the massive accumulation of genome assemblies spanning phylogenetic diversity1,2. Transposable elements (TEs) are a rich source of large-effect mutations since they directly and indirectly drive genomic structural variation and changes in gene expression3. Here, we demonstrate universal patterns of TE compartmentalization across eukaryotic genomes spanning ~1.7 billion years of evolution, in which TEs colocalize with gene families under strong predicted selective pressure for dynamic evolution and involved in specific functions. For non-pathogenic species these genes represent families involved in defense, sensory perception and environmental interaction, whereas for pathogenic species, TE-compartmentalized genes are highly enriched for pathogenic functions. Many TE-compartmentalized gene families display signatures of positive selection at the molecular level. Furthermore, TE-compartmentalized genes exhibit an excess of high-frequency alleles for polymorphic TE insertions in fruit fly populations. We postulate that these patterns reflect selection for adaptive TE insertions as well as TE-associated structural variants. This process may drive the emergence of a shared TE-compartmentalized genome architecture across diverse eukaryotic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landen Gozashti
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel L. Hartl
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Russell Corbett-Detig
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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2
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Paiva DS, Fernandes L, Portugal A, Trovão J. First Genome Sequence of the Microcolonial Black Fungus Saxispiralis lemnorum MUM 23.14: Insights into the Unique Genomic Traits of the Aeminiaceae Family. Microorganisms 2024; 12:104. [PMID: 38257931 PMCID: PMC10820743 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Saxispiralis lemnorum MUM 23.14 is an extremotolerant microcolonial black fungus, originally isolated from a biodeteriorated limestone artwork in Portugal. This recently introduced species belongs to the Aeminiaceae family, representing the second member of this monophyletic clade. This fungus exhibits a unique set of characteristics, including xerophily, cold tolerance, high UV radiation tolerance, and an exceptional ability to thrive in NaCl concentrations of up to 30% while also enduring pH levels ranging from 5 to 11. To gain insights into its genomic traits associated with stress resistance mechanisms, specialization, and their potential implications in stone biodeterioration, we conducted a comprehensive genome sequencing and analysis. This draft genome not only marks the first for the Saxispiralis genus but also the second for the Aeminiaceae family. Furthermore, we performed two comparative genomic analyses: one focusing on the closest relative within the Aeminiaceae family, Aeminium ludgeri, and another encompassing the genome of different extremotolerant black fungi. In this study, we successfully achieved high genome completeness for S. lemnorum and confirmed its close phylogenetic relationship to A. ludgeri. Our findings revealed traits contributing to its extremophilic nature and provided insights into potential mechanisms contributing to stone biodeterioration. Many traits are common to both Aeminiaceae species and are shared with other black fungi, while numerous unique traits may be attributed to species-specific characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana S. Paiva
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE)—Science for People & the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal (J.T.)
| | - Luís Fernandes
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE)—Science for People & the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal (J.T.)
| | - António Portugal
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE)—Science for People & the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal (J.T.)
- FitoLab—Laboratory for Phytopathology, Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra, Portugal
- TERRA—Associate Laboratory for Sustainable Land Use and Ecosystem Services, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Trovão
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE)—Science for People & the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal (J.T.)
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3
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Li X, Gadar-Lopez AE, Chen L, Jayachandran S, Cruz-Morales P, Keasling JD. Mining natural products for advanced biofuels and sustainable bioproducts. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 84:103003. [PMID: 37769513 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.103003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Recently, there has been growing interest in the sustainable production of biofuels and bioproducts derived from renewable sources. Natural products, the largest and more structurally diverse group of metabolites, hold significant promise as sources for such bio-based products. However, there are two primary challenges in harnessing natural products' potential: precise mining of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that can be used as scaffolds or bioparts and their functional expression for biofuel and bioproduct manufacture. In this review, we explore recent advances in the development of bioinformatic tools for BGC mining and the manipulation of various hosts for natural product-based biofuels and bioproducts manufacture. Moreover, we discuss potential strategies for expanding the chemical diversity of biofuels and bioproducts and enhancing their overall yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Li
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Adrian E Gadar-Lopez
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ling Chen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sidharth Jayachandran
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pablo Cruz-Morales
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, USA; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA; Departments of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China.
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4
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Nickles GR, Oestereicher B, Keller NP, Drott M. Mining for a new class of fungal natural products: the evolution, diversity, and distribution of isocyanide synthase biosynthetic gene clusters. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:7220-7235. [PMID: 37427794 PMCID: PMC10415135 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The products of non-canonical isocyanide synthase (ICS) biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) mediate pathogenesis, microbial competition, and metal-homeostasis through metal-associated chemistry. We sought to enable research into this class of compounds by characterizing the biosynthetic potential and evolutionary history of these BGCs across the Fungal Kingdom. We amalgamated a pipeline of tools to predict BGCs based on shared promoter motifs and located 3800 ICS BGCs in 3300 genomes, making ICS BGCs the fifth largest class of specialized metabolites compared to canonical classes found by antiSMASH. ICS BGCs are not evenly distributed across fungi, with evidence of gene-family expansions in several Ascomycete families. We show that the ICS dit1/2 gene cluster family (GCF), which was prior only studied in yeast, is present in ∼30% of all Ascomycetes. The dit variety ICS exhibits greater similarity to bacterial ICS than other fungal ICS, suggesting a potential convergence of the ICS backbone domain. The evolutionary origins of the dit GCF in Ascomycota are ancient and these genes are diversifying in some lineages. Our results create a roadmap for future research into ICS BGCs. We developed a website (https://isocyanides.fungi.wisc.edu/) that facilitates the exploration and downloading of all identified fungal ICS BGCs and GCFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant R Nickles
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Milton T Drott
- USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Lab (CDL), St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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5
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Zhgun AA. Fungal BGCs for Production of Secondary Metabolites: Main Types, Central Roles in Strain Improvement, and Regulation According to the Piano Principle. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11184. [PMID: 37446362 PMCID: PMC10342363 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are one of the most important producers of secondary metabolites. Some of them can have a toxic effect on the human body, leading to diseases. On the other hand, they are widely used as pharmaceutically significant drugs, such as antibiotics, statins, and immunosuppressants. A single fungus species in response to various signals can produce 100 or more secondary metabolites. Such signaling is possible due to the coordinated regulation of several dozen biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), which are mosaically localized in different regions of fungal chromosomes. Their regulation includes several levels, from pathway-specific regulators, whose genes are localized inside BGCs, to global regulators of the cell (taking into account changes in pH, carbon consumption, etc.) and global regulators of secondary metabolism (affecting epigenetic changes driven by velvet family proteins, LaeA, etc.). In addition, various low-molecular-weight substances can have a mediating effect on such regulatory processes. This review is devoted to a critical analysis of the available data on the "turning on" and "off" of the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in response to signals in filamentous fungi. To describe the ongoing processes, the model of "piano regulation" is proposed, whereby pressing a certain key (signal) leads to the extraction of a certain sound from the "musical instrument of the fungus cell", which is expressed in the production of a specific secondary metabolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Zhgun
- Group of Fungal Genetic Engineering, Federal Research Center "Fundamentals of Biotechnology", Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prosp. 33-2, 119071 Moscow, Russia
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6
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Wang L, Jiang Q, Chen S, Wang S, Lu J, Gao X, Zhang D, Jin X. Natural epidithiodiketopiperazine alkaloids as potential anticancer agents: Recent mechanisms of action, structural modification, and synthetic strategies. Bioorg Chem 2023; 137:106642. [PMID: 37276722 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer has become a grave health crisis that threatens the lives of millions of people worldwide. Because of the drawbacks of the available anticancer drugs, the development of novel and efficient anticancer agents should be encouraged. Epidithiodiketopiperazine (ETP) alkaloids with a 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP) ring equipped with transannular disulfide or polysulfide bridges or S-methyl moieties constitute a special subclass of fungal natural products. Owing to their privileged sulfur units and intriguing architectural structures, ETP alkaloids exhibit excellent anticancer activities by regulating multiple cancer proteins/signaling pathways, including HIF-1, NF-κB, NOTCH, Wnt, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR, or by inducing cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy. Furthermore, a series of ETP alkaloid derivatives obtained via structural modification showed more potent anticancer activity than natural ETP alkaloids. To solve supply difficulties from natural resources, the total synthetic routes for several ETP alkaloids have been designed. In this review, we summarized several ETP alkaloids with anticancer properties with particular emphasis on their underlying mechanisms of action, structural modifications, and synthetic strategies, which will offer guidance to design and innovate potential anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Qinghua Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- China Medical University-Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Siyi Wang
- The 1st Clinical Department, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Jingyi Lu
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Xun Gao
- Jiangsu Institute Marine Resources Development, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, China
| | - Dongfang Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China.
| | - Xin Jin
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China.
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7
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Nickles GR, Oestereicher B, Keller NP, Drott MT. Mining for a New Class of Fungal Natural Products: The Evolution, Diversity, and Distribution of Isocyanide Synthase Biosynthetic Gene Clusters. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.17.537281. [PMID: 37131656 PMCID: PMC10153163 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.17.537281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The products of non-canonical isocyanide synthase (ICS) biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) have notable bioactivities that mediate pathogenesis, microbial competition, and metal-homeostasis through metal-associated chemistry. We sought to enable research into this class of compounds by characterizing the biosynthetic potential and evolutionary history of these BGCs across the Fungal Kingdom. We developed the first genome-mining pipeline to identify ICS BGCs, locating 3,800 ICS BGCs in 3,300 genomes. Genes in these clusters share promoter motifs and are maintained in contiguous groupings by natural selection. ICS BGCs are not evenly distributed across fungi, with evidence of gene-family expansions in several Ascomycete families. We show that the ICS dit1 / 2 gene cluster family (GCF), which was thought to only exist in yeast, is present in ∼30% of all Ascomycetes, including many filamentous fungi. The evolutionary history of the dit GCF is marked by deep divergences and phylogenetic incompatibilities that raise questions about convergent evolution and suggest selection or horizontal gene transfers have shaped the evolution of this cluster in some yeast and dimorphic fungi. Our results create a roadmap for future research into ICS BGCs. We developed a website ( www.isocyanides.fungi.wisc.edu ) that facilitates the exploration, filtering, and downloading of all identified fungal ICS BGCs and GCFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant R. Nickles
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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8
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Enguita FJ, Pereira S, Leitão AL. Transcriptomic Analysis of Acetaminophen Biodegradation by Penicillium chrysogenum var. halophenolicum and Insights into Energy and Stress Response Pathways. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040408. [PMID: 37108863 PMCID: PMC10146002 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Acetaminophen (APAP), an active component of many analgesic and antipyretic drugs, is one of the most concerning trace contaminants in the environment and is considered as an emergent pollutant of marine and aquatic ecosystems. Despite its biodegradability, APAP has become a recalcitrant compound due to the growth of the global population, the ease of availability, and the inefficient wastewater treatment applied. (2) Methods: In this study, we used a transcriptomic approach to obtain functional and metabolic insights about the metabolization of APAP by a phenol-degrading fungal strain, Penicillium chrysogenum var. halophenolicum. (3) Results: We determined that the transcriptomic profile exhibited by the fungal strain during APAP degradation was very dynamic, being characterized by an abundance of dysregulated transcripts which were proportional to the drug metabolization. Using a systems biology approach, we also inferred the protein functional interaction networks that could be related to APAP degradation. We proposed the involvement of intracellular and extracellular enzymes, such as amidases, cytochrome P450, laccases, and extradiol-dioxygenases, among others. (4) Conclusions: Our data suggested that the fungus could metabolize APAP via a complex metabolic pathway, generating nontoxic metabolites, which demonstrated its potential in the bioremediation of this drug.
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9
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Llewellyn T, Nowell RW, Aptroot A, Temina M, Prescott TAK, Barraclough TG, Gaya E. Metagenomics Shines Light on the Evolution of "Sunscreen" Pigment Metabolism in the Teloschistales (Lichen-Forming Ascomycota). Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:6986375. [PMID: 36634008 PMCID: PMC9907504 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi produce a vast number of secondary metabolites that shape their interactions with other organisms and the environment. Characterizing the genes underpinning metabolite synthesis is therefore key to understanding fungal evolution and adaptation. Lichenized fungi represent almost one-third of Ascomycota diversity and boast impressive secondary metabolites repertoires. However, most lichen biosynthetic genes have not been linked to their metabolite products. Here we used metagenomic sequencing to survey gene families associated with production of anthraquinones, UV-protectant secondary metabolites present in various fungi, but especially abundant in a diverse order of lichens, the Teloschistales (class Lecanoromycetes, phylum Ascomycota). We successfully assembled 24 new, high-quality lichenized-fungal genomes de novo and combined them with publicly available Lecanoromycetes genomes from taxa with diverse secondary chemistry to produce a whole-genome tree. Secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) analysis showed that whilst lichen BGCs are numerous and highly dissimilar, core enzyme genes are generally conserved across taxa. This suggests metabolite diversification occurs via re-shuffling existing enzyme genes with novel accessory genes rather than BGC gains/losses or de novo gene evolution. We identified putative anthraquinone BGCs in our lichen dataset that appear homologous to anthraquinone clusters from non-lichenized fungi, suggesting these genes were present in the common ancestor of the subphylum Pezizomycotina. Finally, we identified unique transporter genes in Teloschistales anthraquinone BGCs that may explain why these metabolites are so abundant and ubiquitous in these lichens. Our results support the importance of metagenomics for understanding the secondary metabolism of non-model fungi such as lichens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reuben W Nowell
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK,Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Andre Aptroot
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Avenida Costa e Silva s/n Bairro Universitário, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Marina Temina
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Thomas A K Prescott
- Comparative Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond, TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Timothy G Barraclough
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK,Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Ester Gaya
- Comparative Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond, TW9 3DS, UK
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10
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Noriler S, Navarro-Muñoz JC, Glienke C, Collemare J. Evolutionary relationships of adenylation domains in fungi. Genomics 2022; 114:110525. [PMID: 36423773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110525] [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: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and NRPS-like enzymes are abundant in microbes as they are involved in the production of primary and secondary metabolites. In contrast to the well-studied NRPSs, known to produce non-ribosomal peptides, NRPS-like enzymes exhibit more diverse activities and their evolutionary relationships are unclear. Here, we present the first in-depth phylogenetic analysis of fungal NRPS-like A domains from functionally characterized pathways, and their relationships to characterized A domains found in fungal NRPSs. This study clearly differentiated amino acid reductases, including NRPSs, from CoA/AMP ligases, which could be divided into 10 distinct phylogenetic clades that reflect their conserved domain organization, substrate specificity and enzymatic activity. In particular, evolutionary relationships of adenylate forming reductases could be refined and explained the substrate specificity difference. Consistent with their phylogeny, the deduced amino acid code of A domains differentiated amino acid reductases from other enzymes. However, a diagnostic code was found for α-keto acid reductases and clade 7 CoA/AMP ligases only. Comparative genomics of loci containing these enzymes revealed that they can be independently recruited as tailoring genes in diverse secondary metabolite pathways. Based on these results, we propose a refined and clear phylogeny-based classification of A domain-containing enzymes, which will provide a robust framework for future functional analyses and engineering of these enzymes to produce new bioactive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandriele Noriler
- Postgraduate Program of Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology, Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Av. Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 210, CEP: 81531-970, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Jorge C Navarro-Muñoz
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584, CT, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Chirlei Glienke
- Postgraduate Program of Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology, Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Av. Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 210, CEP: 81531-970, Curitiba, PR, Brazil; Postgraduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Parana, Av. Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 210, CEP: 81531-970, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Jérôme Collemare
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584, CT, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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11
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Schüller A, Studt-Reinhold L, Strauss J. How to Completely Squeeze a Fungus-Advanced Genome Mining Tools for Novel Bioactive Substances. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1837. [PMID: 36145585 PMCID: PMC9505985 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal species have the capability of producing an overwhelming diversity of bioactive substances that can have beneficial but also detrimental effects on human health. These so-called secondary metabolites naturally serve as antimicrobial "weapon systems", signaling molecules or developmental effectors for fungi and hence are produced only under very specific environmental conditions or stages in their life cycle. However, as these complex conditions are difficult or even impossible to mimic in laboratory settings, only a small fraction of the true chemical diversity of fungi is known so far. This also implies that a large space for potentially new pharmaceuticals remains unexplored. We here present an overview on current developments in advanced methods that can be used to explore this chemical space. We focus on genetic and genomic methods, how to detect genes that harbor the blueprints for the production of these compounds (i.e., biosynthetic gene clusters, BGCs), and ways to activate these silent chromosomal regions. We provide an in-depth view of the chromatin-level regulation of BGCs and of the potential to use the CRISPR/Cas technology as an activation tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joseph Strauss
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, A-3430 Tulln/Donau, Austria
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12
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Rangel LI, Bolton MD. The unsung roles of microbial secondary metabolite effectors in the plant disease cacophony. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 68:102233. [PMID: 35679804 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants counter disease with an array of responses to styme pathogen ingress. In contrast to this cacophony, plant pathogens orchestrate a finely tuned repertoire of virulence mechanisms in their attempt to cause disease. One such example is the production of secondary metabolite effectors (SMEs). Despite many attempts to functionally categorize SMEs, their many roles in plant disease have proven they march to the beat of their producer's drum. Some lesser studied features of SMEs in plant disease include self-resistance (SR) and manipulation of the microbiome to enhance pathogen virulence. SR can be accomplished in three general compositions, with the first being the transport of the SME to a benign location; the second being modification of the SME so it cannot harm the producer; and the third being metabolic regulation of the SME or the producer homolog of the SME target. SMEs may also play an interlude prior to disease by shaping the plant microbial community, allowing producers to better establish themselves. Taken together, SMEs are integral players in the phytopathology canon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena I Rangel
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Dept. Agriculture, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Melvin D Bolton
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Dept. Agriculture, Fargo, ND, USA.
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13
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Secondary Metabolism Gene Clusters Exhibit Increasingly Dynamic and Differential Expression during Asexual Growth, Conidiation, and Sexual Development in Neurospora crassa. mSystems 2022; 7:e0023222. [PMID: 35638725 PMCID: PMC9239088 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00232-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary metabolite clusters (SMCs) encode the machinery for fungal toxin production. However, understanding their function and analyzing their products requires investigation of the developmental and environmental conditions in which they are expressed. Gene expression is often restricted to specific and unexamined stages of the life cycle. Therefore, we applied comparative genomics analyses to identify SMCs in Neurospora crassa and analyzed extensive transcriptomic data spanning nine independent experiments from diverse developmental and environmental conditions to reveal their life cycle-specific gene expression patterns. We reported 20 SMCs comprising 177 genes-a manageable set for investigation of the roles of SMCs across the life cycle of the fungal model N. crassa-as well as gene sets coordinately expressed in 18 predicted SMCs during asexual and sexual growth under three nutritional and two temperature conditions. Divergent activity of SMCs between asexual and sexual development was reported. Of 126 SMC genes that we examined for knockout phenotypes, al-2 and al-3 exhibited phenotypes in asexual growth and conidiation, whereas os-5, poi-2, and pmd-1 exhibited phenotypes in sexual development. SMCs with annotated function in mating and crossing were actively regulated during the switch between asexual and sexual growth. Our discoveries call for attention to roles that SMCs may play in the regulatory switches controlling mode of development, as well as the ecological associations of those developmental stages that may influence expression of SMCs. IMPORTANCE Secondary metabolites (SMs) are low-molecular-weight compounds that often mediate interactions between fungi and their environments. Fungi enriched with SMs are of significant research interest to agriculture and medicine, especially from the aspects of pathogen ecology and environmental epidemiology. However, SM clusters (SMCs) that have been predicted by comparative genomics alone have typically been poorly defined and insufficiently functionally annotated. Therefore, we have investigated coordinate expression in SMCs in the model system N. crassa, and our results suggest that SMCs respond to environmental signals and to stress that are associated with development. This study examined SMC regulation at the level of RNA to integrate observations and knowledge of these genes in various growth and development conditions, supporting combining comparative genomics and inclusive transcriptomics to improve computational annotation of SMCs. Our findings call for detailed study of the function of SMCs during the asexual-sexual switch, a key, often-overlooked developmental stage.
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14
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Messal M, Vivas M, Kemler M, Begerow D, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Naidoo S, Slippers B. Fungal Communities of Eucalyptus grandis Leaves Are Influenced by the Insect Pest Leptocybe invasa. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:841621. [PMID: 35432259 PMCID: PMC9009095 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.841621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal communities in above-ground tree tissues are hyperdiverse and are influenced by biotic interactions with other organisms living in or on these tissues. These biotic interactions are, however, still poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to understand how insect-associated gall formation on Eucalyptus foliage correlates with the diversity of foliar fungal communities in surrounding healthy leaf tissue, as well as the co-occurrence patterns among the members of the fungal community. We used ITS metabarcoding to characterise the foliar fungal communities of 179 individual E. grandis trees. These trees were assigned to infestation levels of the wasp Leptocybe invasa (Eulophidae: Hymenoptera), which causes gall formation on shoot tips and leaves of its host. Fungal community networks were calculated using a Pearson correlation coefficient. The composition and diversity of fungal communities were influenced by the severity of L. invasa infestations. We identified potential Eucalyptus pathogens with high sequence abundance at all disease severity levels, but network analysis indicated that the co-occurrence of potential pathogens between no to mild and medium to heavy infestation differed significantly. A better understanding of microbial interactions, especially the role of pathogens, can be useful for controlling disease- and beneficial host-associated microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Messal
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Mandy Messal,
| | - María Vivas
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Institute for Dehesa Research (INDEHESA), University of Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
| | - Martin Kemler
- Evolution of Plants and Fungi, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dominik Begerow
- Evolution of Plants and Fungi, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Andreas Brachmann
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Frederick Witfeld
- Evolution of Plants and Fungi, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sanushka Naidoo
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Bernard Slippers,
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15
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Flores-Bocanegra L, Al Subeh ZY, Egan JM, El-Elimat T, Raja HA, Burdette JE, Pearce CJ, Linington RG, Oberlies NH. Dereplication of Fungal Metabolites by NMR-Based Compound Networking Using MADByTE. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:614-624. [PMID: 35020372 PMCID: PMC8957573 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c00841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Strategies for natural product dereplication are continually evolving, essentially in lock step with advances in MS and NMR techniques. MADByTE is a new platform designed to identify common structural features between samples in complex extract libraries using two-dimensional NMR spectra. This study evaluated the performance of MADByTE for compound dereplication by examining two classes of fungal metabolites, the resorcylic acid lactones (RALs) and spirobisnaphthalenes. First, a pure compound database was created using the HSQC and TOCSY data from 19 RALs and 10 spirobisnaphthalenes. Second, this database was used to assess the accuracy of compound class clustering through the generation of a spin system feature network. Seven fungal extracts were dereplicated using this approach, leading to the correct prediction of members of both families from the extract set. Finally, NMR-guided isolation led to the discovery of three new palmarumycins (20-22). Together these results demonstrate that MADByTE is effective for the detection of specific compound classes in complex mixtures and that this detection is possible for both known and new natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Flores-Bocanegra
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27412, United States
| | - Zeinab Y. Al Subeh
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27412, United States
| | - Joseph M. Egan
- Department
of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Tamam El-Elimat
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Huzefa A. Raja
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27412, United States
| | - Joanna E. Burdette
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Cedric J. Pearce
- Mycosynthetix,
Inc., Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278, United States
| | - Roger G. Linington
- Department
of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Nicholas H. Oberlies
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27412, United States
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16
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Franco MEE, Wisecaver JH, Arnold AE, Ju YM, Slot JC, Ahrendt S, Moore LP, Eastman KE, Scott K, Konkel Z, Mondo SJ, Kuo A, Hayes RD, Haridas S, Andreopoulos B, Riley R, LaButti K, Pangilinan J, Lipzen A, Amirebrahimi M, Yan J, Adam C, Keymanesh K, Ng V, Louie K, Northen T, Drula E, Henrissat B, Hsieh HM, Youens-Clark K, Lutzoni F, Miadlikowska J, Eastwood DC, Hamelin RC, Grigoriev IV, U'Ren JM. Ecological generalism drives hyperdiversity of secondary metabolite gene clusters in xylarialean endophytes. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1317-1330. [PMID: 34797921 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although secondary metabolites are typically associated with competitive or pathogenic interactions, the high bioactivity of endophytic fungi in the Xylariales, coupled with their abundance and broad host ranges spanning all lineages of land plants and lichens, suggests that enhanced secondary metabolism might facilitate symbioses with phylogenetically diverse hosts. Here, we examined secondary metabolite gene clusters (SMGCs) across 96 Xylariales genomes in two clades (Xylariaceae s.l. and Hypoxylaceae), including 88 newly sequenced genomes of endophytes and closely related saprotrophs and pathogens. We paired genomic data with extensive metadata on endophyte hosts and substrates, enabling us to examine genomic factors related to the breadth of symbiotic interactions and ecological roles. All genomes contain hyperabundant SMGCs; however, Xylariaceae have increased numbers of gene duplications, horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) and SMGCs. Enhanced metabolic diversity of endophytes is associated with a greater diversity of hosts and increased capacity for lignocellulose decomposition. Our results suggest that, as host and substrate generalists, Xylariaceae endophytes experience greater selection to diversify SMGCs compared with more ecologically specialised Hypoxylaceae species. Overall, our results provide new evidence that SMGCs may facilitate symbiosis with phylogenetically diverse hosts, highlighting the importance of microbial symbioses to drive fungal metabolic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario E E Franco
- BIO5 Institute and Department of Biosystems Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jennifer H Wisecaver
- Center for Plant Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - A Elizabeth Arnold
- School of Plant Sciences and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Yu-Ming Ju
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Jason C Slot
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Steven Ahrendt
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Lillian P Moore
- BIO5 Institute and Department of Biosystems Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Katharine E Eastman
- Center for Plant Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Kelsey Scott
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Zachary Konkel
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alan Kuo
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Richard D Hayes
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sajeet Haridas
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Bill Andreopoulos
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Robert Riley
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kurt LaButti
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jasmyn Pangilinan
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Anna Lipzen
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mojgan Amirebrahimi
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Juying Yan
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Catherine Adam
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Keykhosrow Keymanesh
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Vivian Ng
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Katherine Louie
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Trent Northen
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Elodie Drula
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13288, France
- INRAE, Marseille, 13288, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Huei-Mei Hsieh
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ken Youens-Clark
- BIO5 Institute and Department of Biosystems Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | | | | | | | - Richard C Hamelin
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- Department of Energy, The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jana M U'Ren
- BIO5 Institute and Department of Biosystems Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
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17
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Vertical Inheritance Facilitates Interspecies Diversification in Biosynthetic Gene Clusters and Specialized Metabolites. mBio 2021; 12:e0270021. [PMID: 34809466 PMCID: PMC8609351 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02700-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
While specialized metabolites are thought to mediate ecological interactions, the evolutionary processes driving chemical diversification, particularly among closely related lineages, remain poorly understood. Here, we examine the evolutionary dynamics governing the distribution of natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) among 118 strains representing all nine currently named species of the marine actinobacterial genus Salinispora. While much attention has been given to the role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in structuring BGC distributions, we find that vertical descent facilitates interspecies BGC diversification over evolutionary timescales. Moreover, we identified a distinct phylogenetic signal among Salinispora species at both the BGC and metabolite level, indicating that specialized metabolism represents a conserved phylogenetic trait. Using a combination of genomic analyses and liquid chromatography–high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) targeting nine experimentally characterized BGCs and their small molecule products, we identified gene gain/loss events, constrained interspecies recombination, and other evolutionary processes associated with vertical inheritance as major contributors to BGC diversification. These evolutionary dynamics had direct consequences for the compounds produced, as exemplified by species-level differences in salinosporamide production. Together, our results support the concept that specialized metabolites, and their cognate BGCs, can represent phylogenetically conserved functional traits with chemical diversification proceeding in species-specific patterns over evolutionary time frames.
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18
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Caesar LK, Montaser R, Keller NP, Kelleher NL. Metabolomics and genomics in natural products research: complementary tools for targeting new chemical entities. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:2041-2065. [PMID: 34787623 PMCID: PMC8691422 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00036e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2010 to 2021Organisms in nature have evolved into proficient synthetic chemists, utilizing specialized enzymatic machinery to biosynthesize an inspiring diversity of secondary metabolites. Often serving to boost competitive advantage for their producers, these secondary metabolites have widespread human impacts as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and antifungal drugs. The natural products discovery field has begun a shift away from traditional activity-guided approaches and is beginning to take advantage of increasingly available metabolomics and genomics datasets to explore undiscovered chemical space. Major strides have been made and now enable -omics-informed prioritization of chemical structures for discovery, including the prospect of confidently linking metabolites to their biosynthetic pathways. Over the last decade, more integrated strategies now provide researchers with pipelines for simultaneous identification of expressed secondary metabolites and their biosynthetic machinery. However, continuous collaboration by the natural products community will be required to optimize strategies for effective evaluation of natural product biosynthetic gene clusters to accelerate discovery efforts. Here, we provide an evaluative guide to scientific literature as it relates to studying natural product biosynthesis using genomics, metabolomics, and their integrated datasets. Particular emphasis is placed on the unique insights that can be gained from large-scale integrated strategies, and we provide source organism-specific considerations to evaluate the gaps in our current knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay K Caesar
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Rana Montaser
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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19
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Chevrette MG, Gavrilidou A, Mantri S, Selem-Mojica N, Ziemert N, Barona-Gómez F. The confluence of big data and evolutionary genome mining for the discovery of natural products. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:2024-2040. [PMID: 34787598 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00013f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review covers literature between 2003-2021The development and application of genome mining tools has given rise to ever-growing genetic and chemical databases and propelled natural products research into the modern age of Big Data. Likewise, an explosion of evolutionary studies has unveiled genetic patterns of natural products biosynthesis and function that support Darwin's theory of natural selection and other theories of adaptation and diversification. In this review, we aim to highlight how Big Data and evolutionary thinking converge in the study of natural products, and how this has led to an emerging sub-discipline of evolutionary genome mining of natural products. First, we outline general principles to best utilize Big Data in natural products research, addressing key considerations needed to provide evolutionary context. We then highlight successful examples where Big Data and evolutionary analyses have been combined to provide bioinformatic resources and tools for the discovery of novel natural products and their biosynthetic enzymes. Rather than an exhaustive list of evolution-driven discoveries, we highlight examples where Big Data and evolutionary thinking have been embraced for the evolutionary genome mining of natural products. After reviewing the nascent history of this sub-discipline, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of genomic and metabolomic tools with evolutionary foundations and/or implications and provide a future outlook for this emerging and exciting field of natural product research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc G Chevrette
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Athina Gavrilidou
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Shrikant Mantri
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Germany. .,Computational Biology Laboratory, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Nelly Selem-Mojica
- Laboratorio de Evolución de la Diversidad Metabólica, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
| | - Nadine Ziemert
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Francisco Barona-Gómez
- Laboratorio de Evolución de la Diversidad Metabólica, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
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20
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Meng X, Fang Y, Ding M, Zhang Y, Jia K, Li Z, Collemare J, Liu W. Developing fungal heterologous expression platforms to explore and improve the production of natural products from fungal biodiversity. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 54:107866. [PMID: 34780934 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Natural products from fungi represent an important source of biologically active metabolites notably for therapeutic agent development. Genome sequencing revealed that the number of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in fungi is much larger than expected. Unfortunately, most of them are silent or barely expressed under laboratory culture conditions. Moreover, many fungi in nature are uncultivable or cannot be genetically manipulated, restricting the extraction and identification of bioactive metabolites from these species. Rapid exploration of the tremendous number of cryptic fungal BGCs necessitates the development of heterologous expression platforms, which will facilitate the efficient production of natural products in fungal cell factories. Host selection, BGC assembly methods, promoters used for heterologous gene expression, metabolic engineering strategies and compartmentalization of biosynthetic pathways are key aspects for consideration to develop such a microbial platform. In the present review, we summarize current progress on the above challenges to promote research effort in the relevant fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangfeng Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Yu Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Mingyang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Yanyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Kaili Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Zhongye Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Jérôme Collemare
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Weifeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China.
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21
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Williams K, Greco C, Bailey AM, Willis CL. Core Steps to the Azaphilone Family of Fungal Natural Products. Chembiochem 2021; 22:3027-3036. [PMID: 34190382 PMCID: PMC8596599 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Azaphilones are a family of polyketide-based fungal natural products that exhibit interesting and useful bioactivities. This minireview explores the literature on various characterised azaphilone biosynthetic pathways, which allows for a proposed consensus scheme for the production of the core azaphilone structure, as well as identifying early diversification steps during azaphilone biosynthesis. A consensus understanding of the core enzymatic steps towards a particular family of fungal natural products can aid in genome-mining experiments. Genome mining for novel fungal natural products is a powerful technique for both exploring chemical space and providing new insights into fungal natural product pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Williams
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall AvenueBristolBS8 1TQUK
| | - Claudio Greco
- Department of Molecular MicrobiologyJohn Innes CentreNorwichNR4 7UHUK
| | - Andrew M. Bailey
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall AvenueBristolBS8 1TQUK
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22
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Depside and Depsidone Synthesis in Lichenized Fungi Comes into Focus through a Genome-Wide Comparison of the Olivetoric Acid and Physodic Acid Chemotypes of Pseudevernia furfuracea. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11101445. [PMID: 34680078 PMCID: PMC8533459 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary biosynthetic enzymes involved in the synthesis of lichen polyphenolic compounds depsides and depsidones are non-reducing polyketide synthases (NR-PKSs), and cytochrome P450s. However, for most depsides and depsidones the corresponding PKSs are unknown. Additionally, in non-lichenized fungi specific fatty acid synthases (FASs) provide starters to the PKSs. Yet, the presence of such FASs in lichenized fungi remains to be investigated. Here we implement comparative genomics and metatranscriptomics to identify the most likely PKS and FASs for olivetoric acid and physodic acid biosynthesis, the primary depside and depsidone defining the two chemotypes of the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea. We propose that the gene cluster PF33-1_006185, found in both chemotypes, is the most likely candidate for the olivetoric acid and physodic acid biosynthesis. This is the first study to identify the gene cluster and the FAS likely responsible for olivetoric acid and physodic acid biosynthesis in a lichenized fungus. Our findings suggest that gene regulation and other epigenetic factors determine whether the mycobiont produces the depside or the depsidone, providing the first direct indication that chemotype diversity in lichens can arise through regulatory and not only through genetic diversity. Combining these results and existing literature, we propose a detailed scheme for depside/depsidone synthesis.
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23
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Medema MH. The year 2020 in natural product bioinformatics: an overview of the latest tools and databases. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:301-306. [PMID: 33533785 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00090f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 2020 Bioinformatic approaches to document and analyse chemical structures, biosynthetic gene clusters and analytical data play an important role in the study of natural products. Every year, such a large number of new algorithms, tools and databases are released, that it is difficult to keep track of all the latest developments. The aim of this short article is to provide a concise overview of and reference to the major tools, methods and databases that have been released in the past year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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