title: The decarboxylation of the weak-acid preservative, sorbic acid, is encoded by linked genes in Aspergillus spp.
abstract: The ability to resist anti-microbial compounds is of key evolutionary benefit to microorganisms. Aspergillus niger has previously been shown to require the activity of a phenylacrylic acid decarboxylase (encoded by padA1) for the decarboxylation of the weak-acid preservative sorbic acid (2,4-hexadienoic acid) to 1,3-pentadiene. It is now shown that this decarboxylation process also requires the activity of a putative 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3-octaprenyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid) decarboxylase, encoded by a gene termed ohbA1, and a putative transcription factor, sorbic acid decarboxylase regulator, encoded by sdrA. The padA1,ohbA1 and sdrA genes are in close proximity to each other on chromosome 6 in the A. niger genome and further bioinformatic analysis revealed conserved synteny at this locus in several Aspergillus species and other ascomycete fungi indicating clustering of metabolic function. This cluster is absent from the genomes of A. fumigatus and A. clavatus and, as a consequence, neither species is capable of decarboxylating sorbic acid.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plumridge
authors.forename: Petter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Melin
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stratford
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novodvorska
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shunburne
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Johannes A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roubos
authors.forename: Hildegard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Menke
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stam
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Archer
mesh_terms: D000466:Alkadienes / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000378:metabolism*; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases / Q000235:genetics; D003653:Decarboxylation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D023061:Gene Order; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010226:Parabens / Q000378:metabolism; D010420:Pentanes / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013011:Sorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D026801:Synteny; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000466:Alkadienes; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010226:Parabens; D010420:Pentanes; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases; C011970:1,3-pentadiene; C038193:4-hydroxybenzoic acid; D013011:Sorbic Acid