Elucidation of biosynthetic genes for the meroterpenoid antibiotic ascofuranone using Acremonium egyptiacum

Ascofuranone is a meroterpenoid with a strong inhibitory activity against cyanide-insensitive alternative oxidases and with demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in a rodent infection model of African trypanosomiasis. This project aims at elucidating the biosynthetic pathway and the underlying genes, by combining genome sequencing of the producer strain F-1392 and comparative transcriptomics using high- and low-producing culture conditions.