Biochemical analysis reveals dihydrobenzofuran formation via enzymatic ring contraction in Neosartorya pseudofischeri, highlighting a novel route for antifungal synthesis.
Asperfuran is an antifungal natural product with a dihydrobenzofuran (DHB) nucleus. Herein, we identify a biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for its biosynthesis from Neosartorya pseudofischeri. Genetic and biochemical analysis revealed that the DHB nucleus of asperfuran is formed by a flavin-dependent monooxygenase-catalyzed ring contraction of a dihydroisocoumarin precursor, which is generated by a collaborative polyketide synthase assembly line with a C-terminal reductase domain. Our work unraveled a novel biosynthetic route to DHB synthesis.
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Xue et al. (2026) studied this question.
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