Comparative Genomics Across Streptomyces murinus Strains to Study Conservation of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Producing Antifungal Compound Pentamycin
Abstract
Streptomyces are filamentous, Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum Actinobacteria that are known to produce a diverse array of antimicrobial metabolites. A bacterial isolate, labeled Streptomyces murinus strain SPC1, recovered in Davie, FL, from ripe berries of foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) exhibited antimicrobial activity against fungal pathogens of palms (Dhillon and Chakrabarti 2023). Interestingly, the genome of Streptomyces strain SPC1 contains a complete secondary metabolite cluster for antifungal metabolite pentamycin (fungichromin) biosynthesis. Secondary metabolite clusters (SMCs) or biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are groups of genes responsible for the production of bioactive compounds, such as antibacterial and antifungal agents. In this study, we will use comparative genomics to study the conservation of BGCs across multiple Streptomyces murinus strains to identify antifungal metabolites using Streptomyces murinus strain SPC1 as the reference genome. We will use a specialized tool, antiSMASH, to identify and annotate the BGC associated with pentamycin and analyze their conservation across different Streptomyces murinus strains by specifically looking for shared gene content, order, and presence of regulatory elements. This will be followed by a phylogenetic analysis to understand the evolutionary relationships between the Streptomyces strains with conserved pentamycin biosynthetic clusters. This study will generate valuable insights into understanding the evolution, adaptation, and genetic pathways involved in secondary metabolite production.
Reference: Braham Dhillon and Seemanti Chakrabarti 2023. Microbiology Resource Announcement. Volume 12: Issue 12: 10.1128/MRA.00826-23.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Navdeep Gill
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-3-2024 12:30 PM
End Date
4-4-2024 1:30 PM
Comparative Genomics Across Streptomyces murinus Strains to Study Conservation of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Producing Antifungal Compound Pentamycin
Alvin Sherman Library
Streptomyces are filamentous, Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum Actinobacteria that are known to produce a diverse array of antimicrobial metabolites. A bacterial isolate, labeled Streptomyces murinus strain SPC1, recovered in Davie, FL, from ripe berries of foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) exhibited antimicrobial activity against fungal pathogens of palms (Dhillon and Chakrabarti 2023). Interestingly, the genome of Streptomyces strain SPC1 contains a complete secondary metabolite cluster for antifungal metabolite pentamycin (fungichromin) biosynthesis. Secondary metabolite clusters (SMCs) or biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are groups of genes responsible for the production of bioactive compounds, such as antibacterial and antifungal agents. In this study, we will use comparative genomics to study the conservation of BGCs across multiple Streptomyces murinus strains to identify antifungal metabolites using Streptomyces murinus strain SPC1 as the reference genome. We will use a specialized tool, antiSMASH, to identify and annotate the BGC associated with pentamycin and analyze their conservation across different Streptomyces murinus strains by specifically looking for shared gene content, order, and presence of regulatory elements. This will be followed by a phylogenetic analysis to understand the evolutionary relationships between the Streptomyces strains with conserved pentamycin biosynthetic clusters. This study will generate valuable insights into understanding the evolution, adaptation, and genetic pathways involved in secondary metabolite production.
Reference: Braham Dhillon and Seemanti Chakrabarti 2023. Microbiology Resource Announcement. Volume 12: Issue 12: 10.1128/MRA.00826-23.
Comments
Collaborator: Dr. Braham Dhillon, University of Florida