TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparative genomics uncovers the prolific and distinctive metabolic potential of the cyanobacterial genus Moorea

AU - Leao, Tiago

AU - Castelão, Guilherme

AU - Korobeynikov, Anton

AU - Monroe, Emily A.

AU - Podell, Sheila

AU - Glukhov, Evgenia

AU - Allen, Eric E.

AU - Gerwick, William H.

AU - Gerwick, Lena

PY - 2017/3/21

Y1 - 2017/3/21

N2 - Cyanobacteria are major sources of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon in nature. In addition to the importance of their primary metabolism, some cyanobacteria are prolific producers of unique and bioactive secondary metabolites. Chemical investigations of the cyanobacterial genus Moorea have resulted in the isolation of over 190 compounds in the last two decades. However, preliminary genomic analysis has suggested that genome-guided approaches can enable the discovery of novel compounds from even well-studied Moorea strains, highlighting the importance of obtaining complete genomes. We report a complete genome of a filamentous tropical marine cyanobacterium, Moorea producens PAL, which reveals that about one-fifth of its genome is devoted to production of secondary metabolites, an impressive four times the cyanobacterial average. Moreover, possession of the complete PAL genome has allowed improvement to the assembly of three other Moorea draft genomes. Comparative genomics revealed that they are remarkably similar to one another, despite their differences in geography,morphology, and secondary metabolite profiles. Gene cluster networking highlights that this genus is distinctive among cyanobacteria, not only in the number of secondary metabolite pathways but also in the content of many pathways, which are potentially distinct from all other bacterial gene clusters to date. These findings portend that future genome-guided secondary metabolite discovery and isolation efforts should be highly productive.

AB - Cyanobacteria are major sources of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon in nature. In addition to the importance of their primary metabolism, some cyanobacteria are prolific producers of unique and bioactive secondary metabolites. Chemical investigations of the cyanobacterial genus Moorea have resulted in the isolation of over 190 compounds in the last two decades. However, preliminary genomic analysis has suggested that genome-guided approaches can enable the discovery of novel compounds from even well-studied Moorea strains, highlighting the importance of obtaining complete genomes. We report a complete genome of a filamentous tropical marine cyanobacterium, Moorea producens PAL, which reveals that about one-fifth of its genome is devoted to production of secondary metabolites, an impressive four times the cyanobacterial average. Moreover, possession of the complete PAL genome has allowed improvement to the assembly of three other Moorea draft genomes. Comparative genomics revealed that they are remarkably similar to one another, despite their differences in geography,morphology, and secondary metabolite profiles. Gene cluster networking highlights that this genus is distinctive among cyanobacteria, not only in the number of secondary metabolite pathways but also in the content of many pathways, which are potentially distinct from all other bacterial gene clusters to date. These findings portend that future genome-guided secondary metabolite discovery and isolation efforts should be highly productive.

KW - Biosynthetic gene clusters

KW - Gene cluster network

KW - Genome comparison

KW - Heterocyst glycolipids

KW - Tropical marine cyanobacteria

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016125113&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1618556114

DO - 10.1073/pnas.1618556114

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85016125113

VL - 114

SP - 3198

EP - 3203

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

SN - 0027-8424

IS - 12

ER -