Journal article
Aspergillus nidulans Synthesize Insect Juvenile Hormones upon Expression of a Heterologous Regulatory Protein and in Response to Grazing by Drosophila melanogaster Larvae
Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark1
Natural Product Chemistry, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark2
University of Göttingen3
Eucaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark4
Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark5
Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark6
Network Engineering of Eukaryotic Cell Factories, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark7
Secondary metabolites are known to serve a wide range of specialized functions including communication, developmental control and defense. Genome sequencing of several fungal model species revealed that the majority of predicted secondary metabolite related genes are silent in laboratory strains, indicating that fungal secondary metabolites remain an underexplored resource of bioactive molecules.
In this study, we combine heterologous expression of regulatory proteins in Aspergillus nidulans with systematic variation of growth conditions and observe induced synthesis of insect juvenile hormone-III and methyl farnesoate. Both compounds are sesquiterpenes belonging to the juvenile hormone class.
Juvenile hormones regulate developmental and metabolic processes in insects and crustaceans, but have not previously been reported as fungal metabolites. We found that feeding by Drosophila melanogaster larvae induced synthesis of juvenile hormone in A. nidulans indicating a possible role of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in affecting fungal-insect antagonisms.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | Public Library of Science |
Year: | 2013 |
Pages: | e73369 |
ISSN: | 19326203 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0073369 |
ORCIDs: | Nielsen, Jakob Blæsbjerg , Gotfredsen, Charlotte Held , Andersen, Mikael Rørdam , Mortensen, Uffe Hasbro and Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld |
Animals Aspergillus nidulans Base Sequence Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid Cloning, Molecular DNA Primers Drosophila melanogaster Feeding Behavior Insect Proteins Juvenile Hormones Larva Mass Spectrometry Medicine Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular Polymerase Chain Reaction Q R Science