[Epigenetic regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in filamentous fungi: a review]

Abstract

Secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi are important sources of new drugs, and their biosynthetic processes are regulated by numerous factors. Recent studies indicate that many filamentous fungal secondary metabolites are regulated by epigenetic modifications, which not only affect the titers of secondary metabolites, but also activate the cryptic gene clusters. This review summarizes recent advances of epigenetic application in filamentous fungal secondary metabolite biosynthesis, especially the types of fungal epigenetic modification and epigenetic remodeling of the fungal secondary metabolism. The application of epigenetic theory in filamentous fungi is becoming a new strategy for fungal strain improvement and a powerful method to obtain novel natural products.