An aflatoxin biosynthesis cluster gene encodes a novel oxidase required for conversion of versicolorin a to sterigmatocystin

Kenneth C Ehrlich; Beverly Montalbano; Stephen M Boué; Deepak Bhatnagar

doi:10.1128/AEM.71.12.8963-8965.2005

An aflatoxin biosynthesis cluster gene encodes a novel oxidase required for conversion of versicolorin a to sterigmatocystin

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Dec;71(12):8963-5. doi: 10.1128/AEM.71.12.8963-8965.2005.

Authors

Kenneth C Ehrlich¹, Beverly Montalbano, Stephen M Boué, Deepak Bhatnagar

Affiliation

¹ SRRC/ARS/USDA, 1100 R. E. Lee Blvd., P.O. Box 19687, New Orleans, LA 70179, USA. ehrlich@srrc.ars.usda.gov

Abstract

Disruption of the aflatoxin biosynthesis cluster gene aflY (hypA) gave Aspergillus parasiticus transformants that accumulated versicolorin A. This gene is predicted to encode the Baeyer-Villiger oxidase necessary for formation of the xanthone ring of the aflatoxin precursor demethylsterigmatocystin.

MeSH terms

Aflatoxins / biosynthesis
Aflatoxins / genetics*
Anthraquinones / metabolism*
Bacteria / genetics
Bacteria / metabolism*
Base Sequence
DNA Primers
Fungi / genetics
Fungi / metabolism*
Multigene Family*
Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
Sterigmatocystin / biosynthesis*

Substances

Aflatoxins
Anthraquinones
DNA Primers
Sterigmatocystin
versicolorin A