title: Discovery of a novel superfamily of type III polyketide synthases in Aspergillus oryzae.
abstract: Identification of genes encoding type III polyketide synthase (PKS) superfamily members in the industrially useful filamentous fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, revealed that their distribution is not specific to plants or bacteria. Among other Aspergilli (Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus), A. oryzae was unique in possessing four chalcone synthase (CHS)-like genes (csyA, csyB, csyC, and csyD). Expression of csyA, csyB, and csyD genes was confirmed by RT-PCR. Comparative genome analyses revealed single putative type III PKS in Neurospora crassa and Fusarium graminearum, two each in Magnaporthe grisea and Podospora anserina, and three in Phenarocheate chrysosporium, with a phylogenic distinction from bacteria and plants. Conservation of catalytic residues in the CHSs across species implicated enzymatically active nature of these newly discovered homologs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seshime
authors.forename: Praveen Rao
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Juvvadi
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamoto
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001236:Aspergillus oryzae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D040461:Gene Components; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D000217:Acyltransferases; C020141:flavanone synthetase