Genome mining of the fungus Mucor irregularis (formerly known as Rhizomucor variabilis) revealed the presence of various gene clusters for secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including several terpene-based clusters. Investigation into the chemical diversity of M. irregularis QEN-189, an endophytic fungus isolated from the fresh inner tissue of the marine mangrove plant Rhizophora stylosa, resulted in the discovery of 20 structurally diverse indole-diterpenes including six new compounds, namely, rhizovarins A–F (1–6). Among them, compounds 1–3 represent the most complex members of the reported indole-diterpenes. The presence of an unusual acetal linked to a hemiketal (1) or a ketal (2 and 3) in an unprecedented 4,6,6,8,5,6,6,6,6-fused indole-diterpene ring system makes them chemically unique. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, modified Mosher’s method, and chemical calculations. Each of the isolated compounds was evaluated for antitumor activity against HL-60 and A-549 cell lines.

Trypanosoma brucei undergoes genetic exchange in its insect vector, the tsetse fly, by an unknown mechanism. The difficulties of working with this experimental system of genetic exchange have hampered investigation, particularly because the trypanosome life cycle stages involved cannot be cultured in vitro and therefore must be examined in the insect. Searching for small numbers of hybrid trypanosomes directly in the fly has become possible through the incorporation of fluorescent reporter genes, and we have previously carried out a successful cross using a reporter-repressor strategy. However, we could not be certain that all fluorescent trypanosomes observed in that cross were hybrids, due to mutations of the repressor leading to spontaneous fluorescence, and we have therefore developed an alternative strategy.

Covering: up to 2014 Large scale fungal genome sequencing has revealed a multitude of potential natural product biosynthetic pathways that remain uncharted. Here we describe some of the methods that have been used to explore them via heterologous gene expression. We focus on filamentous fungal hosts and discuss the technological challenges and successes behind the reconstruction of fungal natural product pathways. Optimised, efficient heterologous expression of reconstructed biosynthetic pathways promises progress in the discovery of novel compounds that could be utilised by the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

A novel polyketide synthase nonribosomal peptide synthetase (PKS-NRPS) gene cluster was isolated from Beauveria bassiania 992.05. The cluster encodes the enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of the new 2-pyridone desmethylbassianin (DMB). DMB is structurally related to tenellin from B. bassiana 110.25 but it differs in chain length and degree of methylation. Despite these programming differences the 20 kb DMB biosynthetic gene cluster has 90% sequence identity to the tenellin gene cluster. Silencing of the PKS-NRPS gene, dmbS, resulted in total loss of DMB production. Co-expression of dmbS in Aspergillus oryzae with its cognate trans-acting enoyl reductase gene, dmbC, produced predesmethylbassianin A, the first isolable precursor in the biosynthetic pathway. Expression of dmbS with the tenellin trans-acting enoyl reductase gene, tenC, also resulted in the production of predesmethylbassianin A. Co-expression of tenS, the tenellin PKS-NRPS, with dmbC produced pretenellin A. These results show that the tenS and dmbS encoded PKS-NRPS contains the programme for polyketide biosynthesis, while the trans-acting ERs appear to control the fidelity of the programme. Expression of a hybrid synthetase in which the PKS of the tenellin synthetase was fused to the NRPS from DMBS produced prototenellins A to C, indicating that the NRPS does not act as a selecting gatekeeper to affect the PKS programme.