Targeted genome mining for natural product discovery.

Natural products are a rich source of bioactive compounds, which are encoded by the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Genome mining is an essential strategy for identifying and characterizing BGCs. Targeted genome mining excels in the identification of similar BGCs based on key biosynthetic enzymes across multiple genomes.

Targeted genome mining with GATOR-GC maps the evolutionary landscape of biosynthetic diversity.

Gene clusters, groups of physically adjacent genes that work collectively, are pivotal to bacterial fitness and valuable in biotechnology and medicine. While various genome mining tools can identify and characterize gene clusters based on homology, they often overlook their evolutionary diversity, a crucial factor in revealing novel cluster functions and applications. To address this gap, we developed GATOR-GC, a targeted, homology-based genome mining tool that enables comprehensive and flexible exploration of gene clusters in a single execution.

antiSMASH 8.0: extended gene cluster detection capabilities and analyses of chemistry, enzymology, and regulation.

Microorganisms synthesize small bioactive compounds through their secondary or specialized metabolism. Those compounds play an important role in microbial interactions and soil health, but are also crucial for the development of pharmaceuticals or agrochemicals. Over the past decades, advancements in genome sequencing have enabled the identification of large numbers of biosynthetic gene clusters directly from microbial genomes.

Targeted genome mining with GATOR-GC maps the evolutionary landscape of biosynthetic diversity.

Gene clusters, groups of physically adjacent genes that work collectively, are pivotal to bacterial fitness and valuable in biotechnology and medicine. While various genome mining tools can identify and characterize gene clusters, they often overlook their evolutionary diversity, a crucial factor in revealing novel cluster functions and applications. To address this gap, we developed GATOR-GC, a targeted genome mining tool that enables comprehensive and flexible exploration of gene clusters in a single execution.

MIBiG 4.0: advancing biosynthetic gene cluster curation through global collaboration.

Specialized or secondary metabolites are small molecules of biological origin, often showing potent biological activities with applications in agriculture, engineering and medicine. Usually, the biosynthesis of these natural products is governed by sets of co-regulated and physically clustered genes known as biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). To share information about BGCs in a standardized and machine-readable way, the Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG) data standard and repository was initiated in 2015.

Biosynthesis and function of 7-deazaguanine derivatives in bacteria and phages.

SUMMARYDeazaguanine modifications play multifaceted roles in the molecular biology of DNA and tRNA, shaping diverse yet essential biological processes, including the nuanced fine-tuning of translation efficiency and the intricate modulation of codon-anticodon interactions. Beyond their roles in translation, deazaguanine modifications contribute to cellular stress resistance, self-nonself discrimination mechanisms, and host evasion defenses, directly modulating the adaptability of living organisms. Deazaguanine moieties extend beyond nucleic acid modifications, manifesting in the structural diversity of biologically active natural products.

Prodigiosin Production and Photoprotective/Antigenotoxic Properties in Serratia marcescens Indigenous Strains from Eastern Cordillera of Colombia.

Serratia marcescens is a bacterial species that produces an antibacterial pigment (Prodigiosin) showing a wide adaptive response to environmental stresses. The study aimed to investigate Prodigiosin production in S. marcescens wild-type strains, as well as its relation to photoprotection and antigenotoxicity against UVB.