Two genes involved in penicillin biosynthesis are linked in a 5.1 kb SalI fragment in the genome of Penicillium chrysogenum

Two genes, pcbC and penDE (also named ips and aat, respectively) encoding the enzymes isopenicillin N synthase and acyl-CoA:6-amino penicillanic acid (6-APA) acyltransferase, which are involved in the penicillin biosynthetic pathway in Penicillium chrysogenum, were cloned. Both genes are clustered together in a 5.1 kb SalI DNA fragment and are separated by a nontranscribed intergenic region of 1.5 kb. These genes are transcribed from different promoters in two separate transcripts of about 1.15 kb each. The penDE gene complements mutants of P. chrysogenum deficient in acyltransferase and the pcbC gene increases the level of isopenicillin N synthase in strains containing low levels of this enzyme. The clustering of penicillin biosynthetic genes is of great interest in the light of previous claims of horizontal transfer of the pcbC gene from beta-lactam producing Streptomyces to filamentous fungi.