ABSTRACT
Secondary metabolites produced by fungi are an exceptionally rich source of drugs for the treatment of human diseases. These compounds have also been used as structural leads for synthesizing innovative drugs. The regulation of biosynthesis of secondary metabolites is due to the action of structural genes that control the transcription factors. The production of these metabolites can also be controlled by transcription factors encoded by genes unrelated to the known biosynthesis. Conventional conditions of fungal cultivation used in laboratories are poor to mimic natural habitats of fungi, and this can partially explain why most of the genes responsible for production of unknown metabolites are transcriptionally silenced in 118the artificial environment. This chapter embodies several examples as to how the epigenetic tools, like modifications in the histones and in the DNA, can be used to modulate the biosynthetic pathways for the production of secondary metabolites by fungi.
