Title: Comparative Genomic Analysis of Ochratoxin A Biosynthetic Cluster in Producing Fungi: New Evidence of a Cyclase Gene Involvement

Abstract

The widespread use of Next-Generation Sequencing has opened a new era in the study of biological systems by significantly increasing the catalog of fungal genomes sequences and identifying gene clusters for known secondary metabolites as well as novel cryptic ones. However, most of these clusters still need to be examined in detail to completely understand the pathway steps and the regulation of the biosynthesis of metabolites. Genome sequencing approach led to the identification of the biosynthetic genes cluster of ochratoxin A (OTA) in a number of producing fungal species. Ochratoxin A is a potent pentaketide nephrotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium species and found as widely contaminant in food, beverages and feed. The increasing availability of several new genome sequences of OTA producer species in JGI Mycocosm and/or GenBank databanks led us to analyze and update the gene cluster structure in 19 Aspergillus and 2 Penicillium OTA producing species, resulting in a well conserved organization of OTA core genes among the species. Furthermore, our comparative genome analyses evidenced the presence of an additional gene, previously undescribed, located between the polyketide and non-ribosomal synthase genes in the cluster of all the species analyzed. The presence of a SnoaL cyclase domain inmore » the sequence of this gene supports its putative role in the polyketide cyclization reaction during the initial steps of the OTA biosynthesis pathway. The phylogenetic analysis showed a clustering of OTA SnoaL domains in accordance with the phylogeny of OTA producing species at species and section levels. The characterization of this new OTA gene, its putative role and its expression evidence in three important representative producing species, are reported here for the first time.« less

Authors:

Ferrara, Massimo ^[1]; Gallo, Antonia ^[2]; Perrone, Giancarlo ^[1]; Magista, Donato ^[1]; Baker, Scott E.  ^[3]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. National Research Council (CNR), Bari (Italy)
2. National Research Council (CNR), Lecce (Italy)
3. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States)

Publication Date:

Fri Dec 18 00:00:00 EST 2020

Research Org.:

Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

OSTI Identifier:

1755018

Report Number(s):

PNNL-SA-158575
Journal ID: ISSN 1664-302X

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-76RL01830; AC02-05CH11231

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Frontiers in Microbiology

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1664-302X

Publisher:

Frontiers Research Foundation

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ochratoxin A genes; Aspergillus; Penicillium; genomic analysis; SnoaL domain; cyclase