title: Draft genome sequencing and comparative analysis of Aspergillus sojae NBRC4239.
abstract: We conducted genome sequencing of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus sojae NBRC4239 isolated from the koji used to prepare Japanese soy sauce. We used the 454 pyrosequencing technology and investigated the genome with respect to enzymes and secondary metabolites in comparison with other Aspergilli sequenced. Assembly of 454 reads generated a non-redundant sequence of 39.5-Mb possessing 13 033 putative genes and 65 scaffolds composed of 557 contigs. Of the 2847 open reading frames with Pfam domain scores of >150 found in A. sojae NBRC4239, 81.7% had a high degree of similarity with the genes of A. oryzae. Comparative analysis identified serine carboxypeptidase and aspartic protease genes unique to A. sojae NBRC4239. While A. oryzae possessed three copies of α-amyalse gene, A. sojae NBRC4239 possessed only a single copy. Comparison of 56 gene clusters for secondary metabolites between A. sojae NBRC4239 and A. oryzae revealed that 24 clusters were conserved, whereas 32 clusters differed between them that included a deletion of 18 508 bp containing mfs1, mao1, dmaT, and pks-nrps for the cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) biosynthesis, explaining the no productivity of CPA in A. sojae. The A. sojae NBRC4239 genome data will be useful to characterize functional features of the koji moulds used in Japanese industries.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Division, Kikkoman Corporation, 399 Noda, Noda City, Chiba 278-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kenshiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oguma
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Masahira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hanya
mesh_terms: D001230:Aspergillus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements