<jats:sec><jats:label /><jats:p><jats:italic>Nocardia terpenica</jats:italic> IFM 0406 is the producer of the immunosuppressants brasilicardins A‐D. Brasilicardin is a promising compound because of its unique mode of action and its higher potency and reduced toxicity compared to today's standard drugs. However, production of brasilicardin is so far hampered as <jats:italic>Nocardia terpenica</jats:italic> IFM 0406 synthesizes brasilicardin in only low amounts and represents a human pathogen (biosafety level 2 BSL2). In order to achieve a safe and high yield production of brasilicardin A (BraA), the authors heterologously express the brasilicardin gene cluster in the nocardioform actinomycete <jats:italic>Amycolatopsis japonicum</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>A. japonicum</jats:italic>::bcaAB01), which is fast growing, genetically accessible and closely related to <jats:italic>N. terpenica</jats:italic> IFM 0406. In <jats:italic>A. japonicum</jats:italic>::bcaAB01, four brasilicardin congeners, intermediates of the BraA biosynthesis, are produced. Investigation of the genes flanking the previously defined brasilicardin biosynthetic gene cluster revealed two novel genes (<jats:italic>bra0</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>bra12</jats:italic>), which are involved in brasilicardin biosynthesis: <jats:italic>bra12</jats:italic> encodes a transcriptional activator of the brasilicardin gene cluster. <jats:italic>bra0</jats:italic> codes for a dioxygenase involved in methoxylation of brasilicardin. Based on this finding the authors are able to revise the proposed brasilicardin biosynthesis.</jats:sec>