Tri16 is required for esterification of position C-8 during trichothecene mycotoxin production by Fusarium sporotrichioides

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 69; no. 10; pp. 5935 - 5940
• Main Authors: Peplow, A.W, Meek, I.B, Wiles, M.C, Phillips, T.D, Beremand, M.N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 01.10.2003
• Subjects: acyltransferases; Acyltransferases - genetics; Acyltransferases - metabolism; amino acid sequences; biosynthesis; enzyme activity; Enzymes; Esterification; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Fungi; Fusarium - genetics; Fusarium - metabolism; Fusarium sporotrichioides; Gene Deletion; Genes; Gibberella - genetics; Gibberella - metabolism; Gibberella pulicaris; Gibberella zeae; messenger RNA; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; mutants; Mycology; nucleotide sequences; Sequence Analysis, DNA; structural genes; T-2 Toxin - biosynthesis; toxigenic strains; Toxins; transcription (genetics); Tri16 gene; trichothecenes; Trichothecenes - chemistry; Trichothecenes - metabolism
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.10.5935-5940.2003

We previously characterized Tri1, a gene required for hydroxylation of the C-8 position during trichothecene mycotoxin biosynthesis in Fusarium sporotrichioides NRRL 3299. Sequence analysis of the region surrounding Tri1 revealed a gene, named Tri16, which could encode an acyltransferase. Unlike the wild-type parent strain NRRL 3299, which accumulates primarily T-2 toxin along with low levels of diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) and neosolaniol (NEO) and trace amounts of 8-propionyl-neosolaniol (P-NEO) and 8-isobutyryl-neosolaniol (B-NEO), mutants containing a disruption of Tri16 were blocked in the production of the three C-8 esterified compounds T-2 toxin, P-NEO, and B-NEO and accumulated the C-8-hydroxylated compound NEO along with secondary levels of DAS. These data indicate that Tri16 encodes an acyltransferase that catalyzes the formation of ester side groups at C-8 during trichothecene biosynthesis. We also report the presence of a Tri16 ortholog in Gibberella pulicaris R-6380 that is likely linked to a presumably inactive ortholog for Tri1.