Covering: up to September 2015 Meroterpenoids are hybrid natural products that partially originate from the terpenoid pathway. The meroterpenoids derived from fungi display quite diverse structures, with a wide range of biological properties. This review summarizes the molecular bases for their biosyntheses, which were recently elucidated with modern techniques, and also discusses the plausible biosynthetic pathways of other related natural products lacking genetic information. (Complementary to the coverage of literature by Geris and Simpson in Nat. Prod. Rep., 2009, 26, 1063–1094.)

Significance: The genus of Aspergillus holds fungi relevant to plant and human pathology, food biotechnology, enzyme production, model organisms, and a selection of extremophiles. Here we present six whole-genome sequences that represent unexplored branches of the Aspergillus genus. The comparison of these genomes with previous genomes, coupled with extensive chemical analysis, has allowed us to identify genes for toxins, antibiotics, and anticancer compounds, as well as show that Aspergillus novofumigatus is potentially as pathogenic as Aspergillus fumigatus , and has an even more diverse set of secreted bioactive compounds. The findings are of interest to industrial biotechnology and basic research, as well as medical and clinical research.