title: Molecular screening of xerophilic Aspergillus strains producing mycophenolic acid.
abstract: Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is the fungal secondary metabolite displaying several biological properties. Up to now, screening of fungal strains producing MPA has mainly been the result of the search of this molecule in their culture medium by chemical methods. Here we developed a molecular approach by targeting the expression level of the MpaC gene encoding the polyketide synthase, one of the key enzymes involved in the MPA synthesis. Thirty xerophilic Aspergillus strains were identified using the RNA polymerase II subunit and the β-tubulin genes. Seven Aspergillus species were evidenced. The expression level of the MpaC gene was quantified and compared to the MPA production rate. Only Aspergillus pseudoglaucus and all the eight strains of this species produced MPA. While the MpaC gene was not expressed or weakly expressed in the MPA non-producing strains, all the A. pseudoglaucus strains presented a high level of expression of this gene. The highest expression level of the MpaC gene among the MPA non-producing strains was significantly lower than the lowest expression level of this gene in the MPA producing strains. To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates the effectiveness of molecular approach for the screening of MPA-producing species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS/USMB Université Grenoble Alpes, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. Electronic address: bello.mouhamadou@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr.
authors.forename: Bello
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mouhamadou
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS/USMB Université Grenoble Alpes, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Lucile
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sage
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS/USMB Université Grenoble Alpes, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Périgon
authors.affiliation: Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, UNIROUEN, ABTE, 14000 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Séguin
authors.affiliation: Labéo Frank Duncombe, 14000 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bouchart
authors.affiliation: Labéo Frank Duncombe, 14000 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Legendre
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS/USMB Université Grenoble Alpes, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caillat
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS/USMB Université Grenoble Alpes, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Hayet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamouni
authors.affiliation: Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, UNIROUEN, ABTE, 14000 Caen, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garon
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000378:metabolism; D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular / Q000378:metabolism; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005820:Genetic Testing; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D048630:Polyketide Synthases / Q000235:genetics*; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular; D014404:Tubulin; D048630:Polyketide Synthases; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid
keywords: Aspergillus species; Molecular approaches; Phylogeny; Secondary metabolites