Phylogenetic analyses reveal monophyletic origin of the ergot alkaloid gene dmaW in fungi

Miao Liu, Daniel G. Panaccione, Christopher L. Schardl

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ergot alkaloids are indole-derived mycotoxins that are important in agriculture and medicine. Ergot alkaloids are produced by a few representatives of two distantly related fungal lineages, the Clavicipitaceae and the Trichocomaceae. Comparison of the ergot alkaloid gene clusters from these two lineages revealed differences in the relative positions and orientations of several genes. The question arose: is ergot alkaloid biosynthetic capability from a common origin? We used a molecular phylogenetic approach to gain insights into the evolution of ergot alkaloid biosynthesis. The 4-γ,γ-dimethylallyltryptophan synthase gene, dmaW, encodes the first step in the pathway. Amino acid sequences deduced from dmaW and homologs were submitted to phylogenetic analysis, and the results indicated that dmaW of Aspergillus fumigatus (mitosporic Trichocomaceae) has the same origin as corresponding genes from clavicipitaceous fungi. Relationships of authentic dmaW genes suggest that they originated from multiple gene duplications with subsequent losses of original or duplicate versions in some lineages.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)15-30
Number of pages16
JournalEvolutionary Bioinformatics
Volume2009
Issue number5
StatePublished - Jun 4 2009

Keywords

  • 4-γ
  • Amino acid sequence
  • Clavicipitaceae
  • GBlocks
  • Gene phylogeny
  • Mycotoxins
  • Trichocomaceae
  • γ-dimethylallyltryptophan synthase gene

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Genetics
  • Computer Science Applications

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