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Title: ISOLATION OF THE TRICHODIENE SYNTHASE GENE (TRI5) FROM THE MACROCYCLIC TRICHOTHECENE PRODUCING FUNGUS MYROTHECIUM RORIDUM

Author
item TRAPP SUSAN C - UNIV OF MARYLAND
item JARVIS BRUCE B - UNIV OF MARYLAND
item Hohn, Thomas

Submitted to: Fungal Genetics Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Macrocyclic trichothecenes are antibiotic/phytotoxic compounds that are produced by both fungi and plants. Some macrocyclic trichothecenes produced by Myrothecium roridum are identical to trichothecenes found in two species of the plant genus Baccharis. Production of macrocyclic trichothecenes by M. roridum has been implicated as a possible virulence factor in plant diseases caused by this fungus, however, role of these compounds in the biology of Baccharis species is unclear. To investigate macrocyclic trichothecene biosynthesis we have isolated a gene encoding trichodiene synthase (Tri5) the first step in the trichothecene pathway from M. roridum. Cosmids carrying Tri5 were identified by probing an M. roridum cosmid library with the Tri5 gene from F. sporotrichioides. Tri5 was subcloned as two 1.7 Kb Hind III fragments from a single cosmid clone (MRcos13). Sequence analysis revealed a coding region of 1211 bp which specifies a protein of 385 amino acids. A 58 bp intron sequence was found in the same position as the intron present in Tri5 from Fusarium species. The predicted amino acid sequence has approximately 70% homology with other trichodiene synthases. Preliminary results indicate that homologs of other trichothecene pathway genes are also present on MRcos13 suggesting that macrocyclic trichothecene pathway genes are clustered.