title: A novel gene encoding amidinotransferase in the cylindrospermopsin producing cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon ovalisporum.
abstract: The hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin is produced by several cyanobacteria species, which may flourish in tropical and sub-tropical lakes. Biosynthesis of cylindrospermopsin is poorly understood but its chemical nature, and feeding experiments with stable isotopes, suggested that guanidinoacetic acid is the starter unit and indicated involvement of a polyketide synthase. We have identified a gene encoding an amidinotransferase from the cylindrospermopsin producing cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon ovalisporum. This is the first report on an amidinotransferase gene in cyanobacteria. It is likely to be involved in the formation of guanidinoacetic acid. The aoaA is located in a genomic region bearing genes encoding a polyketide synthase and a peptide synthetase, further supporting its putative role in cylindrospermopsin biosynthesis.
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Israel.
authors: Gali
authors: G
authors: Shalev-Alon
authors: Assaf
authors: A
authors: Sukenik
authors: Oded
authors: O
authors: Livnah
authors: Rakefet
authors: R
authors: Schwarz
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids; D000579:Amidinotransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D015723:Gene Library; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C089595:cylindrospermopsin; D014498:Uracil; D000579:Amidinotransferases