Mycobiology.  2016 Jun;44(2):105-111. 10.5941/MYCO.2016.44.2.105.

Systematic Analysis of the Anticancer Agent Taxol-Producing Capacity in Colletotrichum Species and Use of the Species for Taxol Production

• Choi J
• Park JG
• Ali MS
• Choi SJ
• Baek KH

• KMID: 2328633
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5941/MYCO.2016.44.2.105

Abstract

Paclitaxel (taxol) has long been used as a potent anticancer agent for the treatment of many cancers. Ever since the fungal species Taxomyces andreanae was first shown to produce taxol in 1993, many endophytic fungal species have been recognized as taxol accumulators. In this study, we analyzed the taxol-producing capacity of different Colletotrichum spp. to determine the distribution of a taxol biosynthetic gene within this genus. Distribution of the taxadiene synthase (TS) gene, which cyclizes geranylgeranyl diphosphate to produce taxadiene, was analyzed in 12 Colletotrichum spp., of which 8 were found to contain the unique skeletal core structure of paclitaxel. However, distribution of the gene was not limited to closely related species. The production of taxol by Colletotrichum dematium, which causes pepper anthracnose, depended on the method in which the fungus was stored, with the highest production being in samples stored under mineral oil. Based on its distribution among Colletotrichum spp., the TS gene was either integrated into or deleted from the bacterial genome in a species-specific manner. In addition to their taxol-producing capacity, the simple genome structure and easy gene manipulation of these endophytic fungal species make them valuable resources for identifying genes in the taxol biosynthetic pathway.

Keyword

Colletotrichum spp.; Genome; Horizontal gene transfer; Taxadiene synthase; Taxol

MeSH Terms

Biosynthetic Pathways
Colletotrichum*
Fungi
Gene Transfer, Horizontal
Genome
Genome, Bacterial
Methods
Mineral Oil
Paclitaxel*
Mineral Oil
Paclitaxel