Sesquiterpene Synthase from the Botrydial Biosynthetic Gene Cluster of the Phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea

The fungus Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of the economically important gray mold disease that affects more than 200 ornamental and agriculturally important plant species. B. cinerea is a necrotrophic plant pathogen that secretes nonspecific phytotoxins, including the sesquiterpene botrydial and the polyketide botcinic acid. The region surrounding the previously characterized BcBOT1 gene has now been identified as the botrydial biosynthetic gene cluster. Five genes including BcBOT1 and BcBOT2 were shown by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to be co-regulated through the calcineurin signaling pathway. Inactivation of the BcBOT2 gene, encoding a putative sesquiterpene cyclase, abolished botrydial biosynthesis, which could be restored by in trans complementation. Inactivation of BcBOT2 also resulted in overproduction of botcinic acid that was observed to be strain-dependent. Recombinant BcBOT2 protein converted farnesyl diphosphate to the parent sesquiterpene of the botrydial biosynthetic pathway, the tricyclic alcohol presilphiperfolan-8 beta-ol.