A cryptic pigment biosynthetic pathway uncovered by heterologous expression is essential for conidial development in Pestalotiopsis fici

What is it about?

Fungal pigments play important roles in UV protection and asexual development but it is a challenge to identify the especially in a plant endophytic fungus, Pestalotiopsis fici. By heterologous expression of a cryptic pigment biosynthetic gene cluster in an advanced host Aspergillus nidulans, the pathway metabolite scytalone from DHN melanin was characterized and provided the chemical evidence that the pigment is essential for spore structural development.

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