Bacterial Diversity and Phylogenetic Analysis of Type II Polyketide Synthase Gene from Manao-Pee Cave, Thailand

Abstract

A subterranean limestone cave, Manao-Pee, was investigated for bacterial diversity and potential secondary metabolites production. Comparative 16 S rRNA analysis revealed that cave soil was highly dominated by Actinobacteria; whereas, Proteobacteria was highly abundant outside the cave. As Actinobacteria are biotechnologically valuable for their secondary metabolites, the diversity of the β-ketoacyl synthase (KSβ) was investigated. The results showed that the identified KSβ has 61–80% amino acid sequence identity to known sequences. Phylogenetic analysis placed some of the sequences in novel clades, suggesting the presence of novel KSβ domains. Thus, Manao-Pee cave is a promising habitat to discover potential novel bioactive compounds.