Aspergillus mulundensis sp. nov., a new species for the fungus producing the antifungal echinocandin lipopeptides, mulundocandins

J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2016 Mar;69(3):141-8. doi: 10.1038/ja.2015.105. Epub 2015 Oct 14.

Abstract

The invalidly published name Aspergillus sydowii var. mulundensis was proposed for a strain of Aspergillus that produced new echinocandin metabolites designated as the mulundocadins. Reinvestigation of this strain (Y-30462=DSMZ 5745) using phylogenetic, morphological, and metabolic data indicated that it is a distinct and novel species of Aspergillus sect. Nidulantes. The taxonomic novelty, Aspergillus mulundensis, is introduced for this historically important echinocandin-producing strain. The closely related A. nidulans FGSC A4 has one of the most extensively characterized secondary metabolomes of any filamentous fungus. Comparison of the full-genome sequences of DSMZ 5745 and FGSC A4 indicated that the two strains share 33 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. These shared gene clusters represent ~45% of the total secondary metabolome of each strain, thus indicating a high level intraspecific divergence in terms of secondary metabolism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Aspergillus / chemistry
  • Aspergillus / classification*
  • Aspergillus / isolation & purification*
  • DNA, Fungal / genetics
  • Echinocandins / pharmacology*
  • Lipopeptides / pharmacology*
  • Metabolome
  • Multigene Family
  • Phylogeny*
  • Secondary Metabolism
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • DNA, Fungal
  • Echinocandins
  • Lipopeptides
  • mulundocandin