Differential Biosynthesis and Roles of Two Ferrichrome-Type Siderophores, ASP2397/AS2488053 and Ferricrocin, in Acremonium persicinum

ACS Chem Biol. 2022 Jan 21;17(1):207-216. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00867. Epub 2022 Jan 9.

Abstract

Ferrichromes are a family of fungal siderophores with cyclic hexapeptide structures. Most fungi produce one or two ferrichrome-type siderophores. Acremonium persicinum MF-347833 produces ferrichrome-like potent Trojan horse antifungal antibiotics ASP2397 and AS2488053, the aluminum- and iron-chelating forms of AS2488059, respectively. Here, we show by gene sequencing followed by gene deletion experiments that A. persicinum MF-347833 possesses two nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes responsible for AS2488059 and ferricrocin assembly. AS2488059 was produced under iron starvation conditions and excreted into the media to serve as a defense metabolite and probably an iron courier. In contrast, ferricrocin was produced under iron-replete conditions and retained inside the cells, likely serving as an iron-sequestering molecule. Notably, the phylogenetic analyses suggest the different evolutionary origin of AS2488059 from that of conventional ferrichrome-type siderophores. Harnessing two ferrichrome-type siderophores with distinct biological properties may give A. persicinum a competitive advantage for surviving the natural environment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acremonium / chemistry*
  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry
  • Coordination Complexes / metabolism*
  • Data Mining
  • Ferrichrome / analogs & derivatives*
  • Ferrichrome / chemistry
  • Ferrichrome / metabolism*
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Genome, Fungal
  • Peptides, Cyclic / chemistry
  • Peptides, Cyclic / metabolism*
  • Phylogeny
  • Siderophores / chemistry
  • Siderophores / metabolism*

Substances

  • Coordination Complexes
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Siderophores
  • Ferrichrome
  • ferricrocin
  • VL-2397

Supplementary concepts

  • Acremonium persicinum