Functional Characterization of Two Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase Genes, P450 - 1 and P450 - 4 , of the Gibberellic Acid Gene Cluster in Fusarium proliferatum ( Gibberella fujikuroi MP-D)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Gibberella fujikuroi is a species complex with at least nine different biological species, termed mating populations (MPs) A to I (MP-A to MP-I), known to produce many different secondary metabolites. So far, gibberellin (GA) production is restricted to Fusarium fujikuroi ( G. fujikuroi MP-C), although at least five other MPs contain all biosynthetic genes. Here, we analyze the GA gene cluster and GA pathway in the closest related species, Fusarium proliferatum (MP-D), and demonstrate that the GA genes share a high degree of sequence homology with the corresponding genes of MP-C. The GA production capacity was restored after integration of the entire GA gene cluster from MP-C, indicating the existence of an active regulation system in F. proliferatum . The results further indicate that one reason for the loss of GA production is the accumulation of several mutations in the coding and 5′ noncoding regions of the ent -kaurene oxidase gene, P450 - 4 .