Copper starvation induces antimicrobial isocyanide integrated into two distinct biosynthetic pathways in fungi

Abstract

The genomes of filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus, include many biosynthetic gene clusters of unknown function. Here, the authors show that copper starvation induces expression of an enzyme that generates a valine-derived isocyanide participating in two different pathways, for biosynthesis of acylated sugar alcohols and modified ergot alkaloids.