Biosynthetic Gene Clusters and Anatoxin-a Detection in a Whole Genome of Microcoleus sp.. HI-ES

Cyanobacteria is a group of microorganisms that are known to produce a wide range of biologically active metabolites as well as a wide range of cyanotoxins such as anatoxins. In this study, the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that are responsible for bioactive secondary compounds production were genetically identified in the whole genome sequence of Microcoleus sp. HI-ES using antiSMASH 6.0 tool. Moreover, the gene sequence that is responsible for anatoxin production was also identified using both RAST tool and the NCBI database. The results have revealed that Microcoleus sp. HI-ES harbor 10 BGCs responsible for NRPS-like, NRPS, resorcinol, terpenes and T1PKS. The pharmaceutical impacts and the biological activities of these BGCs were also discussed. The anatoxin gene sequences detected in Microcoleus sp. HI-ES genome was closest homology to anatoxin gene sequences in Oscillatoria nigroviridis PCC 7112, Planktothrix agardhii, PCC 7805, Anabaena cylindrica PCC 7122, Aphanizomenon flosaquae KM1D3 and Nostoc sp. TCL240-02 with homology percentages of 93.71%, 81.55%, 75.60%, 74.21% and 74.73%, respectively. Other cyanobacteria genera that show query coverage and/or homology less than 70% were also reported. Finally, the phylogenetic tree based on anatoxin gene sequences between Microcoleus sp. HI-ES and cyanobacteria genera found in the NCBI was constructed using MEGA-X program with1000x replicates.