Secondary metabolites from the Burkholderia pseudomallei complex: structure, ecology, and evolution.

Publication Year
2020

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

Bacterial secondary metabolites play important roles in promoting survival, though few have been carefully studied in their natural context. Numerous gene clusters code for secondary metabolites in the genomes of members of the Bptm group, made up of three closely related species with distinctly different lifestyles: the opportunistic pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei, the non-pathogenic saprophyte Burkholderia thailandensis, and the host-adapted pathogen Burkholderia mallei. Several biosynthetic gene clusters are conserved across two or all three species, and this provides an opportunity to understand how the corresponding secondary metabolites contribute to survival in different contexts in nature. In this review, we discuss three secondary metabolites from the Bptm group: bactobolin, malleilactone (and malleicyprol), and the 4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-alkylquinolines, providing an overview of each of their biosynthetic pathways and insight into their potential ecological roles. Results of studies on these secondary metabolites provide a window into how secondary metabolites contribute to bacterial survival in different environments, from host infections to polymicrobial soil communities.

Journal
J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol
Volume
47
Issue
9-10
Pages
877-887
Date Published
2020 Oct
ISSN Number
1476-5535
Alternate Journal
J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol
PMCID
PMC7746414
PMID
33052546