predicted roles of the uncharacterized clustered genes in aflatoxin biosynthesis预测的角色但一个个聚集在黄曲霉毒素生物合成基因.pdf

Toxins 2009, 1, 37-58; doi:10.3390/toxins1010037 OPEN ACCESS toxins ISSN 2072-6651 /journal/toxins Review Predicted Roles of the Uncharacterized Clustered Genes in Aflatoxin Biosynthesis Kenneth C. Ehrlich Southern Regional Research Center, ARS, USDA/1100 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA; E-Mail: ken.ehrlich@; Tel.: +1-504-286-4369; Fax: +1-504-286-4419 Received: 11 August 2009; in revised form: 22 September 2009 / Accepted: 24 September 2009 / Published: 25 September 2009 Abstract: Biosynthesis of the toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxins (AFs) requires the activity of more than 27 enzymes. The roles in biosynthesis of newly described enzymes are discussed in this review. We suggest that HypC catalyzes the oxidation of norsolorinic acid anthrone; AvfA (AflI), the ring-closure step in formation of hydroxyversicolorone; HypB, the second oxidation step in conversion of O-methylsterigmatocystin to AF; and HypE and NorA (AflE), the final two steps in AFB 1 formation. HypD, an integral membrane protein, affects fungal development and lowers AF production while AflJ (AflS), has a partial methyltransferase domain that may be important in its function as a transcriptional co-activator. Keywords: biosynthesis; oxidation; enzymes; Aspergillus ; secondary metabolism 1. Introduction The aflatoxins (AFs) are the most studied of all of the fungal toxins (for recent reviews, see references [1–10]). Not