Molecular and genetic basis for ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides in fungi

Fungi are prolific producers of secondary metabolites. Understanding their biosynthesis is crucial to drug discovery and crop protection efforts. Here, we investigate an emerging class of these compounds, the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Importantly, we show that victorin, a famous agent of fungal virulence, is a member of this class. Furthermore, we unveil the biosynthetic gene cluster that encodes victorin and investigate how victorin biosynthesis is regulated. Overall, this work expands our current understanding of fungal secondary metabolism and host-pathogen interaction.