Function of pathway specific regulators in the ACE1 and pyrichalasin H biosynthetic gene clusters

Abstract

Ectopic expression of BC1 which encodes a putative pathway specific transcription factor from the ACE1 biosynthetic gene cluster of the rice pathogen Pyricularia oryzae Guy11 did not lead to the production of ACE1-related compounds. However the known compound hinnulin A was formed. A putative partial gene cluster potentially involved in the biosynthesis of hinnulin A and DHN melanin was validated by RT-PCR and a possible biosynthetic pathway is proposed. Ectopic expression of pyiR which encodes a pathway specific transcription factor from the pyrichalasin H biosynthetic gene cluster in Magnaporthe grisea NI980 led to the apparent up-regulation of the pyi cluster and a 3-fold increase in pyrichalasin production under standard fermentation conditions, but did not lead to the formation of new compounds.