Genetic localization and heterologous expression of validamycin biosynthetic gene cluster isolated from Streptomyces hygroscopicus var. limoneus KCCM 11405 (IFO 12704)

The validamycin biosynthetic gene cluster was isolated from Streptomyces hygroscopicus var. limoneus KTCC 1715 (IFO 12704) using a pair of degenerated PCR primers designed from the sequence of AcbC, 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone synthase in the acarbose biosynthesis. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the 37-kb DNA region revealed 22 complete ORFs including vldA, the acbC ortholog. Located around vldA, vldB to K were predicted to encode adenyltransferase, kinase, ketoreductase (or epimerase/dehydratase), glycosyltransferase, aminotransferase, dehydrogenase, phosphatase/phosphomutase, glycosyl hydrolase, transport protein, and glycosyltransferase, respectively. Apparently absent were any regulatory components within the sequenced region. The disruption of vldA abolished the validamycin biosynthesis and the plasmid-based complementation with vldABC restored production to the vldA-mutant; this substantiated that vldABC are essential to validamycin biosynthesis. This finding enabled us to discover the complete validamycin biosynthetic cluster. The cosmid clone of pJWS3001 harboring the 37-kb DNA region conferred validamycin-accumulation to Streptomyces lividans, indicating that the entire gene cluster of validamycin biosynthesis had been isolated. Additionally, Streptomyces albus, transformed with pJWS3001, produced a high level of alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity in a R2YE liquid culture, which highlights the portability of the cluster within Streptomyces. The product of vldI was characterized as a glucoamylase (kcat, 32 s(-1); K(m), 5 mg/ml of starch) that does not play any apparent role in the validamycin biosynthesis. In order to characterize the upstream region, a vldW knockout was achieved via gene-replacement. A phenotypic study of the resulting mutant revealed that vldW is not essential for the host's ability to control Pellicularia filamentosa growth. The current information suggests that vldA to vldH is the genetic region essential to validamycin biosynthesis. This promises excellent opportunities to elucidate biosynthetic route(s) to the validamycin complex and to engineer the pathway for industrial application.     

Gene cluster responsible for validamycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. jinggangensis 5008

A gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of validamycin, an aminocyclitol antibiotic widely used as a control agent for sheath blight disease of rice plants, was identified from Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. jinggangensis 5008 using heterologous probe acbC, a gene involved in the cyclization of D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate to 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone of the acarbose biosynthetic gene cluster originated from Actinoplanes sp. strain SE50/110. Deletion of a 30-kb DNA fragment from this cluster in the chromosome resulted in loss of validamycin production, confirming a direct involvement of the gene cluster in the biosynthesis of this important plant protectant. A sequenced 6-kb fragment contained valA (an acbC homologue encoding a putative cyclase) as well as two additional complete open reading frames (valB and valC, encoding a putative adenyltransferase and a kinase, respectively), which are organized as an operon. The function of ValA was genetically demonstrated to be essential for validamycin production and biochemically shown to be responsible specifically for the cyclization of D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate to 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone in vitro using the ValA protein heterologously overexpressed in E. coli. The information obtained should pave the way for further detailed analysis of the complete biosynthetic pathway, which would lead to a complete understanding of validamycin biosynthesis.     

Identification of the gene encoding an N-acetylpuromycin N-acetylhydrolase in the puromycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces alboniger.

The biologically inactive compound N-acetylpuromycin is the last intermediate of the puromycin antibiotic biosynthetic pathway in Streptomyces alboniger. Culture filtrates from either this organism or Streptomyces lividans transformants harboring the puromycin biosynthetic gene cluster cloned in low-copy-number cosmids contained an enzymic activity which hydrolyzes N-acetylpuromycin to produce the active antibiotic. A gene encoding the deacetylase enzyme was located at one end of this cluster, subcloned in a 2.5-kb DNA fragment, and expressed from a high-copy-number plasmid in S. lividans.     

Identification of 8-amino-2,5,7-trihydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione, a novel intermediate in the biosynthesis of Streptomyces meroterpenoids

Furaquinocin is a natural polyketide-isoprenoid hybrid (meroterpenoid) produced by Streptomyces sp. strain KO-3988. All of the fur genes required for furaquinocin biosynthesis have been cloned, and the heterologous production of furaquinocin has been demonstrated in Streptomyces albus. Here, we report the identification of 8-amino-2,5,7-trihydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione (8-amino-flaviolin) produced by the S. albus heterologous expression of the three contiguous genes encoding type III polyketide synthase (Fur1), monooxygenase (Fur2), and aminotransferase (Fur3) in the furaquinocin biosynthetic gene cluster. An S. albus transformant (S. albus/pWHM-Fur2_del3) harboring the fur gene cluster and lacking the fur3 gene did not produce furaquinocin, whereas furaquinocin production was restored when 8-amino-flaviolin was added to the culture medium of S. albus/pWHM-Fur2_del3. These results demonstrate that Fur3 aminotransferase is essential for furaquinocin biosynthesis and that 8-amino-flaviolin is an early-stage intermediate in furaquinocin biosynthesis. We propose that the biosynthetic pathway generating 8-amino-flaviolin is the common route for the biosynthesis of Streptomyces meroterpenoids.     

负调节基因nsdA在链霉菌中同源性及激活沉默抗生素合成基因簇的研究

nsdA基因是在天蓝色链霉菌中发现的抗生素合成负调控基因。以nsdA基因片段为探针,通过Southern杂交发现nsdA存在于多种链霉菌中。根据天蓝色链霉菌和阿维链霉菌的nsdA序列设计PCR引物,扩增多种链霉菌中nsdA基因并测序。发现在不同链霉菌中nsdA基因的相似性高达77%~100%。其中变铅青链霉菌与天蓝色链霉菌A3(2)的nsdA序列100%一致。变铅青链霉菌通常不合成放线紫红素,中断nsdA获得的突变菌株WQ2能够合成放线紫红素;在WQ2中重新引入野生型nsdA,又失去产抗生素能力。表明nsdA的中断可以激活变铅青链霉菌中沉默的放线紫红素生物合成基因簇的表达;nsdA的广泛存在及其序列高度保守则提示可以尝试用于这些菌种的抗生素高产育种。     

Cloning, analysis, and heterologous expression of a polyketide synthase gene cluster of Streptomyces curacoi.

Streptomyces curacoi produces curamycin, an antibiotic based on a modified orsellinic acid skeleton that is synthesized by the polyketide pathway. We have cloned, characterized, and partly sequenced a polyketide synthase gene cluster of S. curacoi. The sequence data reveal an organization of open reading frames that is similar to those of other polyketide synthetic clusters, although the biosynthetic products differ considerably in size and structure. We propose that one of the predicted open reading frames (curA) encodes polykeptide synthase, on the basis of its homology with other enzymes with similar functions. Expression of the cloned chromosomal fragment in the heterologous host S. lividans leads to the production of a brown pigment in large quantities. The analysis and expression of the cur genes for detailed molecular studies of the mechanism of polyketide biosynthesis is discussed.     

Cloning and expression in a heterologous host of the complete set of genes for biosynthesis of the Streptomyces coelicolor antibiotic undecylprodigiosin

A fragment of DNA carrying the hitherto unisolated members of the cluster of genes (red) for biosynthesis of the red-pigmented antibiotic undecylprodigiosin of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was isolated. This was done by cloning random fragments of S. coelicolor DNA into the closely related Streptomyces lividans 66 and recovering a clone that caused overproduction of undecylprodigiosin. The effect was probably due to the presence of the cloned redD gene, which functions as a positive regulator of the expression of the red cluster, activating the normally poorly expressed red genes of S. lividans. Two fragments from either end of the red cluster were cloned adjacent to each other on a low-copy-number Streptomyces vector. Double crossing-over occurring between these plasmid-borne sequences and the chromosomal copy of the same DNA in S. coelicolor led to isolation of the entire red cluster as a single cloned fragment. Isolation of antibiotic biosynthetic genes by the effects of an activator in a self-cloning experiment, and in vivo reconstitution of a large cluster of genes by homologous recombination, may turn out to be usefully generalizable procedures.     

Cloning and expression of Mycobacterium bovis BCG DNA in "Streptomyces lividans"

The ability of "Streptomyces lividans" to use the expression signals of genes from Mycobacterium bovis BCG was tested in vivo by using gene fusions. Random DNA fragments from M. bovis BCG were inserted into promoter-probe plasmids in Escherichia coli and in "S. lividans." Comparison with promoter activity detected with random DNA fragments from the respective hosts suggested that "S. lividans" efficiently utilizes a high proportion of mycobacterial promoters, whereas a smaller fraction are expressed, and expressed more weakly, in E. coli. M. bovis BCG DNA fragments were also inserted into the specially constructed translational fusion vector (pIJ688) in "S. lividans." pIJ688 contains the kanamycin phosphotransferase gene (neo) from transposon Tn5, truncated at its amino terminus, as the indicator. The results suggested that "S. lividans" uses M. bovis BCG translational signals almost as efficiently as its own signals. Moreover, several hybrid proteins with an M. bovis BCG-derived amino terminus seemed to be reasonably stable in "S. lividans." These experiments indicate that "S. lividans" may be a suitable host for the expression of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes from their own signals. This is a precondition for the expression of entire biosynthetic pathways, which could be valuable in the production of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The vectors may also have wider applications for the analysis of gene expression in Streptomyces.     

Initiation of actinorhodin export in Streptomyces coelicolor

Many microorganisms produce molecules having antibiotic activity and expel them into the environment, presumably enhancing their ability to compete with their neighbours. Given that these molecules are often toxic to the producer, mechanisms must exist to ensure that the assembly of the export apparatus accompanies or precedes biosynthesis. Streptomyces coelicolor produces the polyketide antibiotic actinorhodin in a multistep pathway involving enzymes encoded by genes that are clustered together. Embedded within the cluster are genes for actinorhodin export, two of which, actR and actA resemble the classic tetR and tetA repressor/efflux pump-encoding gene pairs that confer resistance to tetracycline. Like TetR, which represses tetA, ActR is a repressor of actA. We have identified several molecules that can relieve repression by ActR. Importantly (S)-DNPA (an intermediate in the actinorhodin biosynthetic pathway) and kalafungin (a molecule related to the intermediate dihydrokalafungin), are especially potent ActR ligands. This suggests that along with the mature antibiotic(s), intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway might activate expression of the export genes thereby coupling export to biosynthesis. We suggest that this could be a common feature in the production of many bioactive natural products.     

A gene cluster for biosynthesis of the sesquiterpenoid antibiotic pentalenolactone in Streptomyces avermitilis

Streptomyces avermitilis, an industrial organism responsible for the production of the anthelminthic avermectins, harbors a 13.4 kb gene cluster containing 13 unidirectionally transcribed open reading frames corresponding to the apparent biosynthetic operon for the sesquiterpene antibiotic pentalenolactone. The advanced intermediate pentalenolactone F, along with the shunt metabolite pentalenic acid, could be isolated from cultures of S. avermitilis, thereby establishing that the pentalenolactone biosynthetic pathway is functional in S. avermitilis. Deletion of the entire 13.4 kb cluster from S. avermitilis abolished formation of pentalenolactone metabolites, while transfer of the intact cluster to the pentalenolactone nonproducer Streptomyces lividans 1326 resulted in production of pentalenic acid. Direct evidence for the biochemical function of the individual biosynthetic genes came from expression of the ptlA gene (SAV2998) in Escherichia coli. Assay of the resultant protein established that PtlA is a pentalenene synthase, catalyzing the cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate to pentalenene, the parent hydrocarbon of the pentalenolactone family of metabolites. The most upstream gene in the cluster, gap1 (SAV2990), was shown to correspond to the pentalenolactone resistance gene, based on expression in E. coli and demonstration that the resulting glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the normal target of pentalenolactone, was insensitive to the antibiotic. Furthermore, a second GAPDH isozyme (gap2, SAV6296) has been expressed in E. coli and shown to be inactivated by pentalenolactone.     

Beta-lactamase genes of Streptomyces badius, Streptomyces cacaoi and Streptomyces fradiae: cloning and expression in Streptomyces lividans

Genes encoding extracellular beta-lactamases (EC 3.5.2.6) of Gram-positive Streptomyces badius, Streptomyces cacaoi and Streptomyces fradiae have been cloned into Streptomyces lividans. The beta-lactamase gene of S. badius was initially isolated on a 7 kb BamHI fragment and further located on a 1300 bp DNA segment. An 11 kb BamHI fragment was isolated encompassing the S. cacaoi beta-lactamase gene, which was subcloned to a 1250 bp DNA fragment. The beta-lactamase gene of S. fradiae was cloned on an 8 kb BamHI fragment and mapped to a 4 kb DNA segment. Each of the three BamHI fragments encompassing the beta-lactamase genes hybridized to a BamHI fragment of the corresponding size in chromosomal DNA from the respective strain used for cloning. The activities of the three beta-lactamases were predominantly found to be extracellular in the S. lividans recombinants. The S. badius and S. cacaoi beta-lactamases exhibited a 10-100-times lower activity in S. lividans, whereas the S. fradiae beta-lactamase showed an approximately 10-fold higher activity in the cloned state, compared with the activities found in the original strains.     

Biosynthesis of a natural polyketide-isoprenoid hybrid compound, furaquinocin A: identification and heterologous expression of the gene cluster

Furaquinocin (FQ) A, produced by Streptomyces sp. strain KO-3988, is a natural polyketide-isoprenoid hybrid compound that exhibits a potent antitumor activity. As a first step toward understanding the biosynthetic machinery of this unique and pharmaceutically useful compound, we have cloned an FQ A biosynthetic gene cluster by taking advantage of the fact that an isoprenoid biosynthetic gene cluster generally exists in flanking regions of the mevalonate (MV) pathway gene cluster in actinomycetes. Interestingly, Streptomyces sp. strain KO-3988 was the first example of a microorganism equipped with two distinct mevalonate pathway gene clusters. We were able to localize a 25-kb DNA region that harbored FQ A biosynthetic genes (fur genes) in both the upstream and downstream regions of one of the MV pathway gene clusters (MV2) by using heterologous expression in Streptomyces lividans TK23. This was the first example of a gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of a polyketide-isoprenoid hybrid compound. We have also confirmed that four genes responsible for viguiepinol [3-hydroxypimara-9(11),15-diene] biosynthesis exist in the upstream region of the other MV pathway gene cluster (MV1), which had previously been cloned from strain KO-3988. This was the first example of prokaryotic enzymes with these biosynthetic functions. By phylogenetic analysis, these two MV pathway clusters were identified as probably being independently distributed in strain KO-3988 (orthologs), rather than one cluster being generated by the duplication of the other cluster (paralogs).