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The mystery of the trichothecene 3‐ O ‐acetyltransferase gene
Author(s) -
Kimura Makoto,
Matsumoto Gentaro,
Shingu Yoshinori,
Yoneyama Katsuyoshi,
Yamaguchi Isamu
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(98)01061-8
Subject(s) - trichothecene , gene cluster , gene , biology , genetics , acetyltransferase , regulator gene , fusarium , regulation of gene expression , acetylation
The trichothecene 3‐ O ‐acetyltransferase gene, Tri101 , plays a pivotal role for the well‐being of the type B trichothecene producer Fusarium graminearum . We have analyzed the cosmids containing Tri101 and found that this resistance gene is not in the biosynthetic gene cluster reported so far. It was located between the UTP‐ammonia ligase gene and the phosphate permease gene which are not related to trichothecene biosynthesis. These two ‘house‐keeping’ genes were also linked in Fusarium species that do not produce trichothecenes. The result suggests that the isolated occurrence of Tri101 is attributed to horizontal gene transfer and not to the reciprocal translocation of the chromosome containing the gene cluster. Interestingly, 3‐ O ‐acetylation was not always a primary self‐defensive strategy for all the t‐type trichothecene producers; i.e. the type A trichothecene producer Fusarium sporotrichioides did not acetylate T‐2 toxin in vivo although the fungus possessed a functional 3‐ O ‐acetyltransferase gene. Thus Tri101 appears to be a defense option which the producers have independently acquired in addition to their original resistance mechanisms.