Herbicides with new modes of action and safer toxicological and environmental profiles are
needed to manage the evolution of weeds that are resistant to commercial herbicides. The unparalleled
structural diversity of natural products makes these compounds a promising source for new herbicides.
In 2009, a novel nucleoside phytotoxin, albucidin, with broad activity against grass and broadleaf
weeds was isolated from a strain of Streptomyces albus subsp. chlorinus NRRL B-24108. Here, we report
the identification and heterologous expression of the previously uncharacterized albucidin gene
cluster. Through a series of gene inactivation experiments, a minimal set of albucidin biosynthetic
genes was determined. Based on gene annotation and sequence homology, a model for albucidin
biosynthesis was suggested. The presented results enable the construction of producer strains for
a sustainable supply of albucidin for biological activity studies