Genetic potential for secondary metabolite production in stromatolite communities

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters 2005-02, Vol.243 (1), p.293-301
• Main Authors: Burns, Brendan P., Seifert, Alexander, Goh, Falicia, Pomati, Francesco, Jungblut, Anne-Dorothee, Serhat, Alper, Neilan, Brett A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenylation; Amino acids; Anti-Bacterial Agents - metabolism; Antibiotics; Australia; Bacterial Toxins - metabolism; Bacteriology; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Biological and medical sciences; Communities; Cyanobacteria; Cyanobacteria - enzymology; Cyanobacteria - genetics; Cyanobacteria - growth & development; Cyanobacteria - isolation & purification; Ecosystem; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Hepatotoxicity; Leptolyngybya; MALDI-TOF; Metabolism. Enzymes; Metabolites; Microbiology; Microcoleus; Microorganisms; Molecular Sequence Data; Peptide Synthases - genetics; Peptide Synthases - metabolism; Peptide synthetase; Peptides; Phylogeny; Plectonema; Polyketide synthase; Polyketide Synthases - genetics; Polyketide Synthases - metabolism; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Seawater - microbiology; Secondary metabolites; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Species diversity; Spectral analysis; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Spectrum analysis; Stromatolites; Symploca
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.12.019

The cyanobacterial communities associated with stromatolites surviving in extreme habitats are a potentially rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites. We screened for the potential for production of bioactive metabolites in diverse species of cyanobacteria isolated from stromatolites in Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Australia. Using degenerate primer sets, putative peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase genes were detected from strains of Symploca, Leptolyngybya, Microcoleus, Pleuorocapsa, and Plectonema sp. Sequence analysis indicates the enzymes encoded by these genes may be responsible for the production of different secondary metabolites, such as hepatotoxins and antibiotics. Computer modelling was also conducted to predict the putative amino acid recognised by the unknown adenylation domain in the NRPS sequences. Mass spectral analysis also allowed the putative identification of the cyclic peptides cyanopeptolin S and 21-bromo-oscillatoxin A in two of the isolates. This is the first time evidence of secondary metabolite production has been shown in stromatolite-associated microorganisms.