Characterization of the Nodularin Synthetase Gene Cluster and Proposed Theory of the Evolution of Cyanobacterial Hepatotoxins

The identification of the nodularin biosynthetic gene cluster and evolution of hepatotoxicity in cyanobacteria reported in this study may be valuable for future studies on toxic cyanobacterial bloom formation and an appreciation of the natural evolution of nonribosomal biosynthesis pathways will be vital for future combinatorial engineering and rational design of novel metabolites and pharmaceuticals.