Diversity and distribution of the bmp gene cluster and its Polybrominated products in the genus Pseudoalteromonas

Abstract

Summary The production of pentabromopseudilin and related brominated compounds by Pseudoalteromonas spp. has recently been linked to the bmp biosynthetic gene cluster. This study explored the distribution and evolutionary history of this gene cluster in the genus Pseudoalteromonas. A phylogeny of the genus revealed numerous clades that do not contain type strains, suggesting considerable species level diversity has yet to be described. Comparative genomics revealed four distinct versions of the gene cluster distributed among 19 of the 101 Pseudoalteromonas genomes examined. These were largely localized to the least inclusive clades containing the Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea and Pseudoalteromonas phenolica type strains and show clear evidence of gene and gene cluster loss in certain lineages. Bmp gene phylogeny is largely congruent with the Pseudoalteromonas species phylogeny, suggesting vertical inheritance within the genus. However, the gene cluster is found in three different genomic environments suggesting either chromosomal rearrangement or multiple acquisition events. Bmp conservation within certain lineages suggests the encoded products are highly relevant to the ecology of these bacteria.

Genetic examination of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea and effects of its metamorphosis‐inducing factors

“…A previous work has demonstrated that some P . luteoviolacea strains possess the biosynthesis genes and the ability to produce brominated natural products (Busch et al ., 2019). However, a similar survey has not yet been performed for genes encoding MACs.…”

“…luteoviolacea phylogeny using 71 bacterial ribosomal genes (Eren et al ., 2015; Delmont and Eren, 2018; Lee, 2019). As observed previously (Vynne et al ., 2012; Busch et al ., 2019), P . luteoviolacea strains fall within one of two major clades (Fig.…”

“…Nineteen genomes of P . luteoviolacea strains have been isolated and sequenced from oceans around the world (Rypien et al ., 2010; Tran and Hadfield, 2011; Asahina and Hadfield, 2015; Maansson et al ., 2016; Thøgersen et al ., 2016) and display a significant diversity in gene content (Maansson et al ., 2016; Busch et al ., 2019). The chemical activity, stimulatory nature, genetic tractability and genomic diversity of P .…”

Ecological and biotechnological importance of secondary metabolites produced by coral‐associated bacteria

“…Busch et al . (2019) proposed vertical inheritance of the bmp biosynthetic gene cluster, which encodes the antibiotic pentabromopseudilin and related brominated natural products in marine Pseudoalteromonas lineages. Brominated compounds from Pseudoalteromonas play a role in larval attachment and metamorphosis in many coral species (Tebben et al .…”

Chemical Ecology of Marine Sponges: New Opportunities through “-Omics”

“…Sponge chemical ecology 5 (Agarwal et al 2017). The discovery of the hs_bmp gene cluster responsible for the production of PBDEs in H. spongeliae was facilitated by the prior discovery of the homologous bmp gene cluster in marine proteobacteria that encodes biosynthetic enzymes for the elaboration of numerous brominated phenols and pyrroles (Agarwal et al 2014(Agarwal et al , 2017El Gamal et al 2016;Busch et al 2019). Hybridization of fluorescent nucleotide probes revealed that cyanobacterial symbionts are also responsible for the biosynthesis of chlorinated peptidic natural products such as dysidinin in Dysideidae sponges (Flatt et al 2005).…”