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Sponge symbionts play defense

Nature Chemical Biology volume 10, pages 611–612 (2014)Cite this article

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The gene cluster that produces the sponge-derived cytotoxin calyculin A has been located in an uncultivated bacterial symbiont. Biochemical analyses reveal a pyrophosphorylated protoxin as the true biosynthetic product and suggest that calyculins result from activated chemical defense.

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Figure 1: Investigating the biosynthesis and activation of the sponge-derived metabolite calyculin A.

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  1. Emily P. Balskus is at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,

    Emily P Balskus

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  1. Emily P Balskus
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Correspondence to Emily P Balskus.

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Balskus, E. Sponge symbionts play defense. Nat Chem Biol 10, 611–612 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1588

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