Genomic identification and analysis of specialized metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters in plants using plantiSMASH

Plants produce a vast diversity of specialized metabolites, which play important roles in the interactions with their microbiome, as well as with animals and other plants. Many such molecules have valuable biological activities that render them (potentially) useful as medicines, flavors and fragrances, nutritional ingredients, or cosmetics. Recently, plant scientists have discovered that the genes for many biosynthetic pathways for the production of such specialized metabolites are physically clustered on the chromosome within biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). The Plant Secondary Metabolite Analysis Shell (plantiSMASH) allows for the automated identification of such plant BGCs, facilitates comparison of BGCs across genomes, and helps users to predict the functional interactions of pairs of genes within and between BGCs based on coexpression analysis. In this chapter, we provide a detailed protocol on how to install and run plantiSMASH, and how to interpret its results to draw biological conclusions that are supported by the data.</p

Identification, cloning and heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene cluster for desertomycin

From our in-house microbial genome database of secondary metabolite producers, we identified a candidate biosynthetic gene cluster for desertomycin from Streptomyces nobilis JCM4274. We report herein the cloning of the 127-kb entire gene cluster for desertomycin biosynthesis using bacterial artificial chromosome vector. The entire biosynthetic gene cluster for desertomycin was introduced in the heterologous host, Streptomyces lividans TK23, with an average yield of more than 130 mg l(-1)