Genetic basis for mycophenolic acid production and strain-dependent production variability in Penicillium roqueforti

• Guillaume Gillot ^[2] ; Jean-Luc Jany ^[2] ; Rebeca Dominguez-Santos ^[1] ; Elisabeth Poirier ^[2] ; Stella Debaets ^[2] ; Pedro I. Hidalgo ^[2] ; Ricardo V. Ullán ^[3] ; Emmanuel Coton ^[2] ; Monika Coton ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad de León

     Universidad de León

     León, España

     
  2. [2] Université de Brest, EA 3882 Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM ESIAB, Francia
  3. [3] mAbxience, Upstream Production, Parque Tecnológico de León, España

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• Localización: Food microbiology, ISSN 0740-0020, Vol. 62 (April), 2017, págs. 239-250
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is a secondary metabolite produced by various Penicillium species including Penicillium roqueforti. The MPA biosynthetic pathway was recently described in Penicillium brevicompactum. In this study, an in silico analysis of the P. roqueforti FM164 genome sequence localized a 23.5-kb putative MPA gene cluster. The cluster contains seven genes putatively coding seven proteins (MpaA, MpaB, MpaC, MpaDE, MpaF, MpaG, MpaH) and is highly similar (i.e. gene synteny, sequence homology) to the P. brevicompactum cluster. To confirm the involvement of this gene cluster in MPA biosynthesis, gene silencing using RNA interference targeting mpaC, encoding a putative polyketide synthase, was performed in a high MPA-producing P. roqueforti strain (F43-1). In the obtained transformants, decreased MPA production (measured by LC-Q-TOF/MS) was correlated to reduced mpaC gene expression by Q-RT-PCR. In parallel, mycotoxin quantification on multiple P. roqueforti strains suggested strain-dependent MPA-production. Thus, the entire MPA cluster was sequenced for P. roqueforti strains with contrasted MPA production and a 174bp deletion in mpaC was observed in low MPA-producers. PCRs directed towards the deleted region among 55 strains showed an excellent correlation with MPA quantification. Our results indicated the clear involvement of mpaC gene as well as surrounding cluster in P. roqueforti MPA biosynthesis.