Cloning and sequencing of the chaetocin biosynthetic gene cluster

Abstract

How a fungus does it: The epidithiodiketopiperazine (ETP) fungal alkaloids, which include gliotoxin, have garnered much attention since their initial isolation. The cloning and sequencing of the biosynthetic gene cluster for another ETP, chaetocin A were used to suggest a route towards dimerization and sulfur incorporation in these molecules.

Keywords: alkaloids; biosynthesis; chaetocin; epidithiodiketopiperazine; gliotoxin.