Abstract Biosynthetic gene clusters are readily transferred between microbes through horizontal gene transfer, but to provide benefit to their host they must be induced to high levels during times of stress. Working with the insect pathogen Photorhabdus laumondii, here we study the effect of bacterial enhancer binding proteins (bEBPs) on natural product biosynthesis. We find that the AAA+ ATPase core of the Sinorhizobium meliloti bEBP DctD induces expression of five natural product classes in P.
