A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand Lichens
ABSTRACT Actinomycetes are prolific producers of industrially valuable and medically important compounds. Historically, the most efficient method of obtaining compounds has been bioactivity-guided isolation and characterization of drug-like molecules from culturable soil actinomycetes. Unfortunately...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2023-04-01
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| Series: | mSystems |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01030-22 |
| _version_ | 1827150147890446336 |
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| author | Peng Hou Vincent V. Nowak Chanel J. Taylor Mark J. Calcott Allison Knight Jeremy G. Owen |
| author_facet | Peng Hou Vincent V. Nowak Chanel J. Taylor Mark J. Calcott Allison Knight Jeremy G. Owen |
| author_sort | Peng Hou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Actinomycetes are prolific producers of industrially valuable and medically important compounds. Historically, the most efficient method of obtaining compounds has been bioactivity-guided isolation and characterization of drug-like molecules from culturable soil actinomycetes. Unfortunately, this pipeline has been met with an increasing number of rediscoveries, to the point where it is no longer considered an attractive approach for drug discovery. To address this challenge and to continue finding new compounds, researchers have increasingly focused on alternative environmental niches and screening methods. Here, we report the genetic investigation of actinomycetes from an underexplored source, New Zealand lichens. In this work, we obtain draft genome sequences for 322 lichen-associated actinomycetes. We then explore this genetic resource with an emphasis on biosynthetic potential. By enumerating biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in our data sets and comparing these to various reference collections, we demonstrate that actinomycetes sourced from New Zealand lichens have the genetic capacity to produce large numbers of natural products, many of which are expected to be broadly different from those identified in previous efforts predominantly based on soil samples. Our data shed light on the actinomycete assemblage in New Zealand lichens and demonstrate that lichen-sourced actinobacteria could serve as reservoirs for discovering new secondary metabolites. IMPORTANCE Lichens are home to complex and distinctive microbial cohorts that have not been extensively explored for the ability to produce novel secondary metabolites. Here, we isolate and obtain genome sequence data for 322 actinomycetes from New Zealand lichens. In doing so, we delineate at least 85 potentially undescribed species, and show that lichen associated actinomycetes have the potential to yield many new secondary metabolites, and as such, might serve as a productive starting point for drug discovery efforts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:40:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe7a14c330e647c58c37aae6bec0848f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-5077 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-20T21:29:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mSystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe7a14c330e647c58c37aae6bec0848f2024-08-11T18:54:34ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSystems2379-50772023-04-018210.1128/msystems.01030-22A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand LichensPeng Hou0Vincent V. Nowak1Chanel J. Taylor2Mark J. Calcott3Allison Knight4Jeremy G. Owen5School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandDepartment of Botany, Otago University, Dunedin, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandABSTRACT Actinomycetes are prolific producers of industrially valuable and medically important compounds. Historically, the most efficient method of obtaining compounds has been bioactivity-guided isolation and characterization of drug-like molecules from culturable soil actinomycetes. Unfortunately, this pipeline has been met with an increasing number of rediscoveries, to the point where it is no longer considered an attractive approach for drug discovery. To address this challenge and to continue finding new compounds, researchers have increasingly focused on alternative environmental niches and screening methods. Here, we report the genetic investigation of actinomycetes from an underexplored source, New Zealand lichens. In this work, we obtain draft genome sequences for 322 lichen-associated actinomycetes. We then explore this genetic resource with an emphasis on biosynthetic potential. By enumerating biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in our data sets and comparing these to various reference collections, we demonstrate that actinomycetes sourced from New Zealand lichens have the genetic capacity to produce large numbers of natural products, many of which are expected to be broadly different from those identified in previous efforts predominantly based on soil samples. Our data shed light on the actinomycete assemblage in New Zealand lichens and demonstrate that lichen-sourced actinobacteria could serve as reservoirs for discovering new secondary metabolites. IMPORTANCE Lichens are home to complex and distinctive microbial cohorts that have not been extensively explored for the ability to produce novel secondary metabolites. Here, we isolate and obtain genome sequence data for 322 actinomycetes from New Zealand lichens. In doing so, we delineate at least 85 potentially undescribed species, and show that lichen associated actinomycetes have the potential to yield many new secondary metabolites, and as such, might serve as a productive starting point for drug discovery efforts.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01030-22biosynthetic gene clustergenome miningnatural productnonribosomal peptidepolyketide |
| spellingShingle | Peng Hou Vincent V. Nowak Chanel J. Taylor Mark J. Calcott Allison Knight Jeremy G. Owen A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand Lichens mSystems biosynthetic gene cluster genome mining natural product nonribosomal peptide polyketide |
| title | A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand Lichens |
| title_full | A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand Lichens |
| title_fullStr | A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand Lichens |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand Lichens |
| title_short | A Genomic Survey of the Natural Product Biosynthetic Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from New Zealand Lichens |
| title_sort | genomic survey of the natural product biosynthetic potential of actinomycetes isolated from new zealand lichens |
| topic | biosynthetic gene cluster genome mining natural product nonribosomal peptide polyketide |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01030-22 |
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