Identification of a Polyketide Synthase Involved in Sorbicillin Biosynthesis by Penicillium chrysogenum.
Secondary metabolism in Penicillium chrysogenum was intensively subjected to classical strain improvement (CSI), the resulting industrial strains producing high levels of β-lactams. During this process, the production of yellow pigments, including sorbicillinoids, was eliminated as part of a strategy to enable the rapid purification of β-lactams. Here we report the identification of the polyketide synthase (PKS) gene essential for sorbicillinoid biosynthesis in P. chrysogenum We demonstrate that the production of polyketide precursors like sorbicillinol and dihydrosorbicillinol as well as their derivatives bisorbicillinoids requires the function of a highly reducing PKS encoded by the gene Pc21g05080 (pks13). This gene belongs to the cluster that was mutated and transcriptionally silenced during the strain improvement program. Using an improved β-lactam-producing strain, repair of the mutation in pks13 led to the restoration of sorbicillinoid production. This now enables genetic studies on the mechanism of sorbicillinoid biosynthesis in P. chrysogenum and opens new perspectives for pathway engineering.



Sorbicillinoids are secondary metabolites with antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities produced by filamentous fungi. This study identified the gene cluster responsible for sorbicillinoid formation in Penicillium chrysogenum, which now allows engineering of this diverse group of compounds.
Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.|Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Oleksandr
O
Salo
Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.|Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Fernando
F
Guzmán-Chávez
Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands.|Netherlands Metabolomics Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Marco I
MI
Ries
DSM Biotechnology Center, Delft, The Netherlands.
Peter P
PP
Lankhorst
Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.|DSM Biotechnology Center, Delft, The Netherlands.
Roel A L
RAL
Bovenberg
Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands.|Netherlands Metabolomics Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Rob J
RJ
Vreeken
Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands a.j.m.driessen@rug.nl.|Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentations, Delft, The Netherlands.
Arnold J M
AJM
Driessen
D060847:Metabolic Engineering; D010408:Penicillium chrysogenum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism; D048630:Polyketide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012118:Resorcinols / Q000378:metabolism*
D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012118:Resorcinols; C473616:sorbicillin; D048630:Polyketide Synthases