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Author: James Tauber2

Abstract (Expand)

The basidiomycetous tree pathogen Armillaria mellea (honey mushroom) produces a large variety of structurally related antibiotically active and phytotoxic natural products, referred to as the melleolides. During their biosynthesis, some members of the melleolide family of compounds undergo monochlorination of the aromatic moiety, whose biochemical and genetic basis was not known previously. This first study on basidiomycete halogenases presents the biochemical in vitro characterization of five flavin-dependent A. mellea enzymes (ArmH1-ArmH5) that were heterologously produced in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that all five enzymes transfer a single chlorine atom to the melleolide backbone. A fivefold secured biosynthetic step during natural product assembly is unprecedented. Typically, flavin-dependent halogenases are categorized into enzymes acting on free compounds as opposed to those requiring a carrier protein-bound acceptor substrate. The enzymes characterized in this study clearly turned over free substrates. Phylogenetic clades of halogenases suggest that all fungal enzymes share a common ancestor and reflect a clear divergence between ascomycetes and basidiomycetes.

Authors: J. Wick, D. Heine, G. Lackner, M. Misiek, , H. Jagusch, ,

Date Published: 15th Dec 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Abstract (Expand)

The symbiotic fungus Paxillus involutus serves a critical role in maintaining forest ecosystems, which are carbon sinks of global importance. P. involutus produces involutin and other 2,5-diarylcyclopentenone pigments that presumably assist in the oxidative degradation of lignocellulose via Fenton chemistry. Their precise biosynthetic pathways, however, remain obscure. Using a combination of biochemical, genetic, and transcriptomic analyses, in addition to stable-isotope labeling with synthetic precursors, we show that atromentin is the key intermediate. Atromentin is made by tridomain synthetases of high similarity: InvA1, InvA2, and InvA5. An inactive atromentin synthetase, InvA3, gained activity after a domain swap that replaced its native thioesterase domain with that of InvA5. The found degree of multiplex biosynthetic capacity is unprecedented with fungi, and highlights the great importance of the metabolite for the producer.

Authors: J. Braesel, S. Gotze, F. Shah, D. Heine, , , A. Tunlid, P. Stallforth,

Date Published: 27th Oct 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

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