Abstract
The hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin is produced by several cyanobacteria species, which may flourish in tropical and sub-tropical lakes. Biosynthesis of cylindrospermopsin is poorly understood but its chemical nature, and feeding experiments with stable isotopes, suggested that guanidinoacetic acid is the starter unit and indicated involvement of a polyketide synthase. We have identified a gene encoding an amidinotransferase from the cylindrospermopsin producing cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon ovalisporum. This is the first report on an amidinotransferase gene in cyanobacteria. It is likely to be involved in the formation of guanidinoacetic acid. The aoaA is located in a genomic region bearing genes encoding a polyketide synthase and a peptide synthetase, further supporting its putative role in cylindrospermopsin biosynthesis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 87-91 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | FEMS Microbiology Letters |
| Volume | 209 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 19 Mar 2002 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank Prof. P. Wolk for the isolation of axenic cultures of A. ovalisporum . This study was supported by Infrastructure Grant 1319-1-98 from the Israel Ministry of Science and Arts and by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF).
Funding
We thank Prof. P. Wolk for the isolation of axenic cultures of A. ovalisporum . This study was supported by Infrastructure Grant 1319-1-98 from the Israel Ministry of Science and Arts and by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Israel Ministry of Science and Arts | |
| Israel Science Foundation |
Keywords
- Amidinotransferase
- Aphanizomenon
- Cylindrospermopsin
- Polyketide synthase
- Toxic cyanobacterium