Bacterial-Like Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases Produce Cyclopeptides in the Zygomycetous Fungus Mortierella alpina

Fungal natural compounds are industrially produced, with application in antibiotic treatment, cancer medications, and crop plant protection. Traditionally, higher fungi have been intensively investigated concerning their metabolic potential, but reidentification of already known is frequently observed. Hence, alternative strategies to acquire novel bioactive molecules required. We present the genus Mortierella as representative early-diverging an underestimated resource products. alpina produces two families cyclopeptides, designated malpicyclins malpibaldins, respectively, via pentamodular nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). These enzymes much more closely related bacterial than other fungal NRPSs, suggesting a origin these NRPS genes . Both were biochemically characterized involved as-yet-unknown biosynthetic pathways products basal fungi. this report establishes prolific compound producers sheds light on capacity.