Variable genetic architectures produce virtually identical molecules in bacterial symbionts of fungus-growing ants

Significance Bacterially produced natural products comprise a group of molecules with highly diverse and generally complex structures that possess a remarkable array of biological activities. These molecules are separated into families sharing a common structural core and, accordingly, conserved sets of genes encoding the biosynthetic enzymes required to generate these shared structural features. Genomic characterization of related bacteria that produce remarkably similar molecules led to the surprising discovery that gene context was not conserved for the respective biosynthetic pathways. A comparison of these variable arrangements documents one way in which closely related symbiotic bacteria acquire the capacity to produce new molecules with new functions.

Variable genetic architectures produce virtually identical molecules in bacterial symbionts of fungus-growing ants Journal Articles