title: Protostadienol biosynthesis and metabolism in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.
abstract: Details of the fungal biosynthetic pathway to helvolic acid and other fusidane antibiotics remain obscure. During product characterization of oxidosqualene cyclases in Aspergillus fumigatus, we found the long-sought cyclase that makes (17Z)-protosta-17(20),24-dien-3beta-ol, the precursor of helvolic acid. We then identified a gene cluster encoding the pathway to helvolic acid, which is controlled by a transcription regulator (LaeA) associated with fungal virulence. Evidence regarding the evolutionary origin and taxonomic distribution of fusidane biosynthesis is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lodeiro
authors.forename: Quanbo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: William K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Yulia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.forename: McKenzie L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: Seiichi P T
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005672:Fusidic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014315:Triterpenes; C530466:protosta-13(17),24-dien-3beta-ol; D005672:Fusidic Acid; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases; C021924:lanosterol synthase; C011267:helvolic acid