Metabolomic Analysis of Aspergillus niger Isolated From the International Space Station Reveals Enhanced Production Levels of the Antioxidant Pyranonigrin A

Jillian Romsdahl; Adriana Blachowicz; Adriana Blachowicz; Yi-Ming Chiang; Kasthuri Venkateswaran; Clay C. C. Wang; Clay C. C. Wang

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00931

Frontiers in Microbiology (May 2020)

Metabolomic Analysis of Aspergillus niger Isolated From the International Space Station Reveals Enhanced Production Levels of the Antioxidant Pyranonigrin A

Jillian Romsdahl,
Adriana Blachowicz,
Adriana Blachowicz,
Yi-Ming Chiang,
Kasthuri Venkateswaran,
Clay C. C. Wang,
Clay C. C. Wang

Affiliations

Jillian Romsdahl: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Adriana Blachowicz: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Adriana Blachowicz: Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
Yi-Ming Chiang: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Kasthuri Venkateswaran: Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
Clay C. C. Wang: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Clay C. C. Wang: Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00931
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11

Abstract

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Secondary metabolite (SM) production in Aspergillus niger JSC-093350089, isolated from the International Space Station (ISS), is reported, along with a comparison to the experimentally established strain ATCC 1015. The analysis revealed enhanced production levels of naphtho-γ-pyrones and therapeutically relevant SMs, including bicoumanigrin A, aurasperones A and B, and the antioxidant pyranonigrin A. Genetic variants that may be responsible for increased SM production levels in JSC-093350089 were identified. These findings include INDELs within the predicted promoter region of flbA, which encodes a developmental regulator that modulates pyranonigrin A production via regulation of Fum21. The pyranonigrin A biosynthetic gene cluster was confirmed in A. niger, which revealed the involvement of a previously undescribed gene, pyrE, in its biosynthesis. UVC sensitivity assays enabled characterization of pyranonigrin A as a UV resistance agent in the ISS isolate.

Published in Frontiers in Microbiology

ISSN: 1664-302X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology

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