Sequestration of Guest Intermediates by Dalesconol Bioassembly Lines in <i>Daldinia eschscholzii</i>

Microbial constructions of secondary metabolites are generally biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC)-based, and the forging of different BGC-sourced intermediates tends to be overlooked. Here, we show that the dalesconol bioassembly lines in Daldinia eschscholzii can sequester guest intermediates (i.e., building blocks produced outside the dalesconol biosynthetic gene cluster) to form arrays of skeletally undescribed molecules such as (+)-dalescone A, a potent inhibitor against the NLRP3 inflammasome activation.