In the fungus where it happens: History and future propelling Aspergillus nidulans as the archetype of natural products research

In 1990 the first fungal secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene was cloned in Aspergillus nidulans. Thirty years later, >30 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) have been linked to specific natural products in this one fungal species. While impressive, over half of the BGCs in A. nidulans remain unc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFungal genetics and biology Vol. 144; p. 103477
Main Authors Caesar, Lindsay K., Kelleher, Neil L., Keller, Nancy P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2020
Subjects
Aspergillus nidulans
Bioinformatics
Biosynthesis
Genomics
Historical perspective
Molecular biology
Natural products
Aspergillus nidulans
Natural products
Genomics
Historical perspective
Biosynthesis
Molecular biology
Bioinformatics
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Summary:In 1990 the first fungal secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene was cloned in Aspergillus nidulans. Thirty years later, >30 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) have been linked to specific natural products in this one fungal species. While impressive, over half of the BGCs in A. nidulans remain uncharacterized and their compounds structurally and functionally unknown. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of past advances that have enabled A. nidulans to rise to its current status as a natural product powerhouse focusing on the discovery and annotation of secondary metabolite clusters. From genome sequencing, heterologous expression, and metabolomics to CRISPR and epigenetic manipulations, we present a guided tour through the evolution of technologies developed and utilized in the last 30 years. These insights provide perspective to future efforts to fully unlock the biosynthetic potential of A. nidulans and, by extension, the potential of other filamentous fungi.
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ISSN:1087-1845
1096-0937
DOI:10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103477