TY - JOUR
T1 - Integrating perspectives in actinomycete research: an ActinoBase review of 2020-21
AU - Undabarrena, Agustina
AU - Pereira, Camila F
AU - Kruasuwan, Worarat
AU - Parra, Jonathan
AU - Selem-Mojica, Nelly
AU - Vind, Kristiina
AU - Schniete, Jana Katharina
PY - 2021/9/13
Y1 - 2021/9/13
N2 - Last year ActinoBase, a Wiki-style initiative supported by the UK Microbiology Society, published a review highlighting the research of particular interest to the actinomycete community. Here, we present the second ActinoBase review showcasing selected reports published in 2020 and early 2021, integrating perspectives in the actinomycete field. Actinomycetes are well-known for their unsurpassed ability to produce specialised metabolites, of which many are used as therapeutic agents with antibacterial, antifungal, or immunosuppressive activities. Much research is carried out to understand the purpose of these metabolites in the environment, either within communities or in host interactions. Moreover, many efforts have been placed in developing computational tools to handle big data, simplify experimental design, and find new biosynthetic gene cluster prioritisation strategies. Alongside, synthetic biology has provided advances in tools to elucidate the biosynthesis of these metabolites. Additionally, there are still mysteries to be uncovered in understanding the fundamentals of filamentous actinomycetes' developmental cycle and regulation of their metabolism. This review focuses on research using integrative methodologies and approaches to understand the bigger picture of actinomycete biology, covering four research areas: i) technology and methodology; ii) specialised metabolites; iii) development and regulation; and iv) ecology and host interactions.
AB - Last year ActinoBase, a Wiki-style initiative supported by the UK Microbiology Society, published a review highlighting the research of particular interest to the actinomycete community. Here, we present the second ActinoBase review showcasing selected reports published in 2020 and early 2021, integrating perspectives in the actinomycete field. Actinomycetes are well-known for their unsurpassed ability to produce specialised metabolites, of which many are used as therapeutic agents with antibacterial, antifungal, or immunosuppressive activities. Much research is carried out to understand the purpose of these metabolites in the environment, either within communities or in host interactions. Moreover, many efforts have been placed in developing computational tools to handle big data, simplify experimental design, and find new biosynthetic gene cluster prioritisation strategies. Alongside, synthetic biology has provided advances in tools to elucidate the biosynthesis of these metabolites. Additionally, there are still mysteries to be uncovered in understanding the fundamentals of filamentous actinomycetes' developmental cycle and regulation of their metabolism. This review focuses on research using integrative methodologies and approaches to understand the bigger picture of actinomycete biology, covering four research areas: i) technology and methodology; ii) specialised metabolites; iii) development and regulation; and iv) ecology and host interactions.
KW - ActinoBase
KW - Actinobacteria
KW - development
KW - integrating perspectives
KW - methodology
KW - microbial 43 ecology
KW - natural products
KW - regulation
KW - specialised metabolites
KW - Streptomyces
M3 - Article (journal)
VL - 167
JO - Microbiology (United Kingdom)
JF - Microbiology (United Kingdom)
SN - 1350-0872
IS - 9
ER -