Research Interests

Commercially important secondary (2E ) metabolites represent a multi-billion dollar market. In recent years we have focused on isolating 2E enzymes and genes from polyketide biosynthetic pathways in filamentous fungi. The characterization of 2E enzymes and genes (e.g. polyketide synthases) is a prerequisite to their use in industrial strain development and new drug discovery via protein and metabolic engineering. Understanding how regulatory genes dictate the non-growth associated nature of 2E metabolism will allow the timing and magnitude of 2E metabolite production to be varied and new biosynthetic pathways to be designed. In the case of deleterious 2E metabolites, an ability to detect such genes and to specifically impair their expression will be invaluable to both agriculture and the food and drug industries. The discovery and improvement of biocatalysts for the chiral biotransformation of drug intermediates is an additional interest.

Selected publications

• Robin D. Couch and G. Maurice Gaucher, 2004. Rational elimination of Aspergillus terreus sulochrin production. Journal of Biotechnology 108: 171-178
• Ellis, C. and G.M. Gaucher. 1995. Interaction of the DNA-binding domain of nitrogen regulatory factor NRFA with the upstream regions of secondary metabolic genes from Penicillium urticae , Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial Microbiology, San Jose, California, Aug 6-11.
• Summerer, S.M. and G.M. Gaucher. 1995. Analysis of polyketide gene expression using a GUS reporter gene, an invited contribution to a symposium on Secondary gene organization and regulatory mechanisms, 18th Fungal Genetics Conference, Pacific Grove, California, Mar. 21-26.
• M.J. Rollins and G.M. Gaucher. 1994. Ammonium repression of antibiotic and intracellular proteinase production in Penicillium urticae, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 41, 447-455.
• J. Wong and G.M. Gaucher. 1993. Studies in fungal polyketide biosynthesis - Norsolorinic anthrone monooxygenase from Aspergillus parasiticus, an invited contribution to a symposium on Synthesis and function of polyketides and related secondary metabolites, 17th Fungal Genetics Conference, Pacific Grove, California, Mar 23-28.
• C. Ellis and G.M. Gaucher. 1993. A putative regulatory gene associated with secondary metabolism in Penicillium urticae, Joint Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and the Canadian Society of Microbiologists, Toronto, July 31-Aug 6.
• Wang, I.K., C. Reeves and G.M. Gaucher. 1991. Isolation and sequencing of a genomic DNA clone containing the 3'-terminus of the 6-methylsalicylic acid polyketide synthetase gene of Penicillium urticae. Can. J. Microbiol. 37: 86-95.
• Lam, K.S., J. Neway and G.M. Gaucher. 1988. In vitro stabilization of 6-methylsalicylic acid synthetase from Penicillium urticae. Can. J. Microbiol. 34: 30-37.
• Scott, R.E., A. Jones and G.M. Gaucher. 1986. Manganese and antibiotic production III. The site of manganese control of patulin production in Penicillium urticae. Can. J. Microbiol. 32: 273-279.