Enhanced production of aureofuscin by over-expression of AURJ3M, positive regulator of aureofuscin biosynthesis in Streptomyces aureofuscus

Aims: The production of aureofuscin is very low in the wild‐type strain. We attempt to increase the production of aureofuscin by over‐expression of a controlling gene in the wild‐type strain. Methods and Results: The aurj3M gene was PCR‐amplified from Streptomyces aureofuscus SYAU0709, ligated into vector pMD19 and sequenced. The predicted translation of the 579‐bp cloned fragment was 97% similar to pimM from Streptomyces natalensis, which has an N‐terminal PAS domain and a LuxR‐type C‐terminal helix–turn–helix. Recombinant bacterial strains were constructed by transforming SYAU0709 with an expression plasmid (pBJJ3M) that contained aurj3M, thereby increasing the number of aurj3M gene copies. Conclusions: Bioassays for the antibiotic compound aureofuscin indicated that the recombinant bacteria had greater antifungal activity than the wild‐type strain. Specifically, the recombinant strain produced approx. 600% more aureofuscin, as quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis. Significance and Impact of the Study: To our knowledge, this approach has not been attempted in S. aureofuscus before and few genes in the aureofuscin pathway have been cloned and characterized.     

PimT, an amino acid exporter controls polyene production via secretion of the quorum sensing pimaricin-inducer PI-factor in Streptomyces natalensis

Background  

Polyenes represent a major class of antifungal agents characterised by the presence of a series of conjugated double bonds in their planar hydroxylated macrolide ring structure. Despite their general interest, very little is known about the factors that modulate their biosynthesis. Among these factors, we have recently discovered a new inducing compound (PI-factor) in the pimaricin producer Streptomyces natalensis, which elicits polyene production in a manner characteristic of quorum sensing. Here, we describe the involvement of an amino-acid exporter from S. natalensis in modulating the expression of pimaricin biosynthetic genes via secretion of the quorum-sensing pimaricin-inducer PI-factor.     

Discovery of a pimaricin analog JBIR-13, from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces bicolor</Emphasis> NBRC 12746 as predicted by sequence analysis of type I polyketide synthase gene

Sequence analysis of ketosynthase domain amplicons from Streptomyces bicolor NBRC 12746^T revealed the presence of previously unreported type I polyketide synthases (PKS-I) genes. The clustering of these genes with the reference PKS-1 sequences suggested the possibility to produce a polyene compound similar to pimaricin. Thus, the cultured sample from NBRC 12746^T was analyzed for the production of polyene compounds. The strain produced an antifungal compound which displayed the UV absorption spectrum of tetraene macrolides. The structure determination based on the spectroscopic analysis of the purified compound resulted in the identification of a novel pimaricin analog JBIR-13 (1). This study therefore strongly suggested that a careful analysis of PKS-I genes can provide valuable information in the search of novel bioactive compounds within a class predicted from phylogenetic analysis. H. Komaki and M. Izumikawa contributed equally to this work.     

Steroid interference with antifungal activity of polyene antibiotics

Wide differences exist among the polyene antibiotics, nystatin, rimocidin, filipin, pimaricin, and amphotericin B, with reference to steroid interference with their antifungal activities against Candida albicans. Of the numerous steroids tested, ergosterol was the only one which effectively antagonized the antifungal activity of all five polyene antibiotics. The antifungal activities of nystatin and amphotericin B were the least subject to vitiation by the addition of steroids other than ergosterol, and those of filipin, rimocidin, and pimaricin were the most sensitive to interference. Attempts to delineate the structural requirements of steroids possessing polyene-neutralizing activity in growing cultures of C. albicans are discussed. The ultraviolet absorbance of certain antibiotic steroid combinations was also studied.     

Novel Production of Isochainin by a Strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces </Emphasis>sp<Emphasis Type="Italic">.</Emphasis> Isolated from Rhizosphere Soil of the Indigenous Moroccan Plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Argania Spinosa</Emphasis> L

Summary An actinomycete strain (designated Ap1) isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Argania spinosa L. strongly inhibited the growth of two plant pathogens: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. albedinis and Verticillium dahliae. The spore morphology suggested that the Ap1 strain belonged to the genus Streptomyces. The antifungal compound produced by Ap1 was purified by HPLC and identified as the polyene macrolide, isochainin, by NMR and mass spectroscopy. Ap1 showed normal biosynthesis of isochainin in comparison with S. cellulosae ATTC 12625, in which precursor-directed biosynthesis by feeding ethyl (Z)-16-phenylhexadec-9-enoate to the culture medium is required. In addition, Streptomyces sp. strain Ap1 produces isochainin with a 6.5-fold higher concentration than Streptomyces cellulosae ATTC 12625.     

Identification of functionally clustered nystatin-like biosynthetic genes in a rare actinomycetes, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudonocardia autotrophica</Emphasis>

The polyene antibiotics, including nystatin, pimaricin, amphotericin, and candicidin, comprise a family of very valuable antifungal polyketide compounds, and they are typically produced by soil actinomycetes. Previously, using a polyene cytochrome P450 hydroxylase-specific genome screening strategy, Pseudonocardia autotrophica KCTC9441 was determined to contain genes potentially encoding polyene biosynthesis. Here, sequence information of an approximately 125.7-kb contiguous DNA region in five overlapping cosmids isolated from the P. autotrophica KCTC9441 genomic library revealed a total of 23 open reading frames, which are presumably involved in the biosynthesis of a nystatin-like compound tentatively named NPP. The deduced roles for six multi-modular polyketide synthase (PKS) catalytic domains were found to be highly homologous to those of previously identified nystatin biosynthetic genes. Low NPP productivity suggests that the functionally clustered NPP biosynthetic pathway genes are tightly regulated in P. autotrophica. Disruption of a NPP PKS gene completely abolished both NPP biosynthesis and antifungal activity against Candida albicans, suggesting that polyene-specific genome screening may constitute an efficient method for isolation of potentially valuable previously identified polyene genes and compounds from various rare actinomycetes widespread in nature.     

Engineered Biosynthesis of Disaccharide-Modified Polyene Macrolides

Recent work has uncovered genes for two glycosyltransferases that are thought to catalyze mannosylation of mycosaminyl sugars of polyene macrolides. These two genes are nypY from Pseudonocardia sp. strain P1 and pegA from Actinoplanes caeruleus. Here we analyze these genes by heterologous expression in various strains of Streptomyces nodosus, producer of amphotericins, and in Streptomyces albidoflavus, which produces candicidins. The NypY glycosyltransferase converted amphotericins A and B and 7-oxo-amphotericin B to disaccharide-modified forms in vivo. The enzyme did not act on amphotericin analogs lacking exocyclic carboxyl or mycosamine amino groups. Both NypY and PegA acted on candicidins. This work confirms the functions of these glycosyltransferases and provides insights into their acceptor substrate tolerance. Disaccharide-modified polyenes may have potential as less toxic antibiotics.     

Analysis and manipulation of amphotericin biosynthetic genes by means of modified phage KC515 transduction techniques

Amphotericin B is a medically important antifungal antibiotic that is produced by Streptomyces nodosus. Genetic manipulation of this organism has led to production of the first amphotericin analogues by engineered biosynthesis. Here, these studies were extended by sequencing the chromosomal regions flanking the amphotericin polyketide synthase genes, and by refining the phage KC515 transduction method for disruption and replacement of S. nodosus genes. A hybrid vector was constructed from KC515 DNA and the Escherichia coli plasmid pACYC177. This vector replicated as a plasmid in E. coli and the purified DNA yielded phage plaques on Streptomyces lividans after polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated transfection of protoplasts. The left flank of the amphotericin gene cluster was found to include amphRI, RII, RIII and RIV genes that are similar to regulatory genes in other polyene biosynthetic gene clusters. One of these regulatory genes, amphRI, was found to have a homologue, amphRVI, located in the right flank at a distance of 127 kbp along the chromosome. However, disruption of amphRVI using the hybrid vector had no effect on the yield of amphotericin obtained from cultures grown on production medium. The hybrid vector was also used for precise deletion of the DNA coding for two modules of the AmphC polyketide synthase protein. Analysis by UV spectrophotometry revealed that the deletion mutant produced a novel pentaene, with reduced antifungal activity but apparently greater water-solubility than amphotericin B. This shows the potential for use of the new vector in engineering of this and other biosynthetic pathways in Streptomyces.     

ABC转运蛋白SgnA/B促进纳他霉素胞外转运与高产

纳他霉素是一种天然、广谱、高效的多烯大环内酯类还原性抗真菌剂,广泛应用于食品真菌污染的防治和临床真菌感染的治疗。纳他霉素胞外转运效率可能是限制褐黄孢链霉菌(Streptomyces gilvosporeus)发酵高产纳他霉素的重要因素。通过生物信息学及分子对接技术分析纳他霉素胞外转运蛋白SgnA/B,发现SgnA和SgnB两个异源二聚体组成的ABC转运蛋白是内向开口构象的转运蛋白,且2个结合位点与纳他霉素结合能力有强弱差异,更有利于纳他霉素的胞外转运。本研究以纳他霉素生产菌株——褐黄孢链霉菌F607为出发菌株,构建了sgnA/B基因超表达菌株F-EX,以分析sgn A/B基因超表达对纳他霉素合成及胞外转运的影响。研究发现,纳他霉素对数合成期的F-EX菌株不仅提高了纳他霉素胞外/胞内比,其120 h发酵总产量也提高了12.5%,达到7.38 g/L。最后,通过转录组测序发现,sgnA/B基因超表达除提高纳他霉素胞外转运效率外,还影响了与多种氨基酸、丙酸盐、糖、五碳化合物代谢和TCA循环相关基因的表达。研究表明,强化纳他霉素胞外转运有利于纳他霉素的合成,是提高褐黄孢链霉菌纳他霉素产量的有效...     

Isolation and partial characterization of a cryptic polyene gene cluster in Pseudonocardia autotrophica

The polyene antibiotics, a category that includes nystatin, pimaricin, amphotericin, and candicidin, comprise a family of very promising antifungal polyketide compounds and are typically produced by soil actinomycetes. The biosynthetic gene clusters for these polyenes have been previously investigated, revealing the presence of highly similar cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) genes. Using polyene CYP-specific PCR screening with several actinomycete genomic DNAs, Pseudonocardia autotrophica was determined to contain a unique polyene-specific CYP gene. Genomic DNA library screening using the polyene-specific CYP gene probe identified a positive cosmid clone, which contained a DNA fragment of approximately 34.5 kb. The complete sequencing of this DNA fragment revealed a total of seven complete and two incomplete open reading frames, which were found to be highly similar, but still unique, when compared to previously known polyene biosynthetic genes. These results suggest that the polyene-specific screening approach may constitute an efficient method for the isolation of potentially valuable cryptic polyene biosynthetic gene clusters from various rare actinomycetes.     

Engineered biosynthesis and characterisation of disaccharide-modified 8-deoxyamphoteronolides

Several polyene macrolides are potent antifungal agents that have severe side effects. Increased glycosylation of these compounds can improve water solubility and reduce toxicity. Three extending glycosyltransferases are known to add hexoses to the mycosaminyl sugar residues of polyenes. The Actinoplanes caeruleus PegA enzyme catalyses attachment of a D-mannosyl residue in a β-1,4 linkage to the mycosamine of the aromatic heptaene 67-121A to form 67-121C. NppY from Pseudonocardia autotrophica adds an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine to the mycosamine of 10-deoxynystatin. NypY from Pseudonocardia sp. P1 adds an extra hexose to a nystatin, but the identity of the sugar is unknown. Here, we express the nypY gene in Streptomyces nodosus amphL and show that NypY modifies 8-deoxyamphotericins more efficiently than C-8 hydroxylated forms. The modified heptaene was purified and shown to be mannosyl-8-deoxyamphotericin B. This had the same antifungal activity as amphotericin B but was slightly less haemolytic. Chemical modification of this new disaccharide polyene could give better antifungal antibiotics.

     

Characterization and analysis of the regulatory network involved in control of lipomycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces aureofaciens Tü117

Analysis of the α-lipomycin biosynthesis gene cluster of Streptomyces aureofaciens Tü117 led to the identification of five putative regulatory genes, which are congregated into a subcluster. Analysis of the lipReg1–4 and lipX1 showed that they encode components of two-component signal transduction systems (LipReg1 and LipReg2), multiple antibiotics resistance-type regulator (LipReg3), large ATP-binding regulators of the LuxR family-type regulator (LipReg4), and small ribonuclease (LipRegX1), respectively. A combination of targeted gene disruptions, complementation experiments, lipomycin production studies, and gene expression analysis via RT-PCR suggests that all regulatory lip genes are involved in α-lipomycin production. On the basis of the obtained data, we propose that LipReg2 controls the activity of LipReg1, which in its turn govern the expression of the α-lipomycin pathway-specific regulatory gene lipReg4. The ribonuclease gene lipX1 and the transporter regulator lipReg3 appear to work independently of genes lipReg1, lipReg2, and lipReg4.     

Transformable mutants of a biopesticide strainStreptomyces griseoviridis K61

Summary The aim of this work was to isolate transformable mutants ofStreptomyces griseoviridis K61 without affecting the secondary metabolism of this strain.S. griseoviridis K61 produces an antifungal aromatic heptaene polyene antibiotic, and is used as a biological control agent. In protoplast transformation experiments using plasmid pIJ702 DNA, the few spontaneous transformants were phenotypically bald and their secondary metabolism was pleiotropically affected. By mutagenizing K61 withN-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) a highly transformable variant K61-42 was obtained. Protoplasts ofS. griseoviridis K61-42 could be transformed by several model plasmids producing 10⁴–10⁵ transformants/g plasmid DNA. The polyene synthesis of K61-42 was normal, making this strain a useful tool in genetic studies on the mechanism of biopesticide action.     

康宁木霉对龟裂链霉菌MY02诱导活性及其诱导组分的初步分析

利用真菌作为诱导菌株评价其对龟裂链霉菌(Streptomyces rimosus) MY02的活性代谢产物的影响,并对其诱导条件进行优化。当以康宁木霉(Trichoderma koningii)和香菇真菌(Lentinus edodes)作为诱导菌株,黄瓜枯萎病菌(Fusarium oxysporum f sp.cucumarinum)作为指示菌,以菌株MY02作为被诱导菌株时,康宁木霉和香菇真菌对菌株MY02的抗真菌活性均具有明显的正向诱导作用,菌株MY02的抗真菌活性均比对照明显增强。以康宁木霉作为诱导菌株时,其最佳诱导条件为接种量2%,添加时间为发酵36 h。通过初步分析康宁木霉的诱导组分为其发酵产生的多糖类物质。