Exploring the Genome of the Endophytic Fungus Botrytis deweyae: Prediction of Novel Secondary Metabolites Gene Clusters: Terpenes and Polyketides

Abstract

Fungi have played a pivotal role in human history, from the dangers of fungal toxins to the revolutionary discovery of penicillin. Fungal secondary metabolites (SMs), such as polyketides (PKs) and terpenes, have attracted considerable interest due to their diverse biological activities. Botrytis deweyae, an endophytic fungus, exhibits behaviors that are notably distinct from those of its necrotrophic relatives within the genus Botrytis. This study explores the importance of terpenes and PK gene clusters and their conservation between species. In addition, new putative biosynthetic gene clusters corresponding to those families were identified. Consequently, the new PKS BdPKS22-26 were also identified in other Botrytis species and other fungi. In addition, those new gene clusters identified in this work show differences in the degree of conservation and are phylogenetically closely related to some of the 21 PKSs previously described in the reference strain Botrytis cinerea B05.10. Moreover, a new gene cluster related to terpenes in B. deweyae B1 and B. cinerea B05.10 was also identified that had never been detected before. This new gene cluster is well conserved among other Botrytis species in many phylogenetically distant fungal lineages. Understanding the genetic basis and conservation of these putative biosynthetic gene clusters sheds light on the metabolic potential and ecological roles of B. deweyae and related fungal species.