Molecular Evidences for the Biosynthesis of Pederin by Endosymbiont

Pederin belongs to a group of antitumor compounds found in terrestrial beetles and marine sponges. It is apparently used by some members of the rove beetle Paederus as a chemical defense against predators. A recent cluster analysis of the putative pederin biosynthesis gene (ped) strongly suggests that pederin is produced by bacterial symbionts. This paper reviewed the criteria for proving symbiontic origin of bioactive metabolite, indirect and molecular evidences for pederin bacterial origin, as well as three sets of ped clusters and putative biosynthesis process of pederin.