An analysis of ABC toxin complex genes in fungi and the characterisation of EAS and IDT gene clusters in Metarhizium robertsii.

Metarhizium robertsii is a fungus that straddles several ecological roles in the soil. It is a well-characterised generalist entomopathogen, capable of infecting a wide range of insects, but also associates with plant roots in the rhizosphere and as an endophyte. Recent sequencing of the M. robertsii genome revealed a range of uncharacterised genes with potential roles in insect or plant interaction. These include putative genes for an ABC toxin complex and ergot alkaloid (EAS) and indole diterpene (IDT) biosynthesis pathways, which are the subject of this thesis.