Cloning a part of the ochratoxin A biosynthetic gene cluster of Penicillium nordicum and characterization of the ochratoxin polyketide synthase gene

Penicillium nordicum is a fungal species able to produce high amounts of ochratoxin A. A 10 kb genomic DNA fragment of P. nordicum has been cloned which carries three long open reading frames. One open reading frame (otapksPN) has homology to fungal polyketide synthases. The second open reading frame (npsPN) has homology to non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and the third open reading frame (aspPN) has homology to fungal alkaline serine proteinases. The non-ribosomal peptide synthetase and the polyketide synthase are convergently transcribed. Interestingly, the polyketide synthase can be identified by PCR only in P. nordicum strains and not in the related species Penicillium verrucosum or in ochratoxigenic Aspergillus species, indicating that the ochratoxin polyketide synthases are different in the important ochratoxigenic species. In contrast, the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase can be identified in P. nordicum and P. verrucosum, but not in other species. An inactivation of the polyketide synthase resulted in strains with abolished capacity to produce ochratoxin A. Expression of the polyketide synthase correlates with ochratoxin A biosynthesis.