title: Aspergillus nidulans synthesize insect juvenile hormones upon expression of a heterologous regulatory protein and in response to grazing by Drosophila melanogaster larvae.
abstract: Secondary metabolites are known to serve a wide range of specialized functions including communication, developmental control and defense. Genome sequencing of several fungal model species revealed that the majority of predicted secondary metabolite related genes are silent in laboratory strains, indicating that fungal secondary metabolites remain an underexplored resource of bioactive molecules. In this study, we combine heterologous expression of regulatory proteins in Aspergillus nidulans with systematic variation of growth conditions and observe induced synthesis of insect juvenile hormone-III and methyl farnesoate. Both compounds are sesquiterpenes belonging to the juvenile hormone class. Juvenile hormones regulate developmental and metabolic processes in insects and crustaceans, but have not previously been reported as fungal metabolites. We found that feeding by Drosophila melanogaster larvae induced synthesis of juvenile hormone in A. nidulans indicating a possible role of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in affecting fungal-insect antagonisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Morten Thrane
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Marie Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Klejnstrup
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohlfs
authors.forename: Diana Chinyere
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Anyaogu
authors.forename: Jakob Blæsbjerg
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Charlotte Held
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Gotfredsen
authors.forename: Mikael Rørdam
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Bjarne Gram
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Uffe Hasbro
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: Thomas Ostenfeld
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000254:growth & development*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007605:Juvenile Hormones