The A-factor-binding protein of Streptomyces griseus negatively controls streptomycin production and sporulation.

A-factor, 2-(6'-methylheptanoyl)-3R-hydroxymethyl-4-butanolide, is an autoregulator essential for streptomycin production and sporulation in Streptomyces griseus. S. griseus 2247 that requires no A-factor for streptomycin production or sporulation was found to have a defect in the A-factor-binding protein. This observation implied that the A-factor-binding protein in the absence of A-factor repressed the expression of both phenotypes in the wild-type strain. Screening among mutagenized S. griseus colonies for strains producing streptomycin and sporulating in the absence of A-factor yielded three mutants that were also deficient in the A-factor-binding protein. Reversal of the defect in the A-factor-binding protein of these mutants led to the simultaneous loss of streptomycin production and sporulation. These data suggested that the A-factor-binding protein played a role in repressing both streptomycin production and sporulation and that the binding of A-factor to the protein released its repression. Mutants deficient in the A-factor-binding protein began to produce streptomycin and sporulate at an earlier stage of growth than did the wild-type strain. These mutants produced approximately 10 times more streptomycin than did the parental strain. These findings are consistent with the idea that the intracellular concentration of A-factor determines the timing of derepression of the gene(s) whose expression is repressed by the A-factor-binding protein.     

The regulator of streptomycin gene expression, StrR, of Streptomyces griseus is a DNA binding activator protein with multiple recognition sites

In Streptomyces griseus the expression of at least one streptomycin biosynthetic gene, strB1 , is dependent on the pathway-specific activator protein StrR. We show here that StrR is a DNA-binding protein which specifically interacts with the strB1 promoter fragment. Footprinting experiments demonstrate that the StrR protein binds to an inverted repeat located upstream of the strB1 promoter. Further StrR-binding sites having the consensus sequence GTTCGActG(N)₁₁CagTcGAAc were identified in the str—sts gene clusters of S. griseus and Streptomyces glaucescens by sequence comparison, gel retardation, and footprinting studies. The genetic and biochemical evidence strongly supports the model of the StrR protein activating the expression of streptomycin biosynthetic genes by interacting with multiple binding sites within the str—sts gene clusters of S. griseus and S. glaucescens .     

Rsistance to streptomycin in a producing strain of Streptomyces griseus.

Streptomyces griseus S 104 was sensitive to streptomycin during exponential growth in a medium which, in the subsequent stationary phase, supported production of the antibiotic in yields above 200 mug/ml. When antibiotic production began cultures developed a tolerance toward their lethal metabolite. This was not due to an increase in pH associated with antibiotic production, since pH effects on streptomycin sensitivity in S. griseus were in the reverse direction. However, the degree of tolerance was directly related to the amount of cell material present. Streptomycin production caused no change in the proportion of resistant variants in the population, nor did it cause the severe inhibition of protein synthesis observed in non-producing cultures exposed to the antibiotic. The lack of an effect on protein synthesis is attributed to the absence of streptomycin with in the cytoplasm since soluble extracts from mycelium harvested in the production phase were inactive when bioassayed immediately after cell disruption. However, they developed antibacterial activity rapidly when heated, and more slowly when incubated at 25 degrees C. The addition of phosphatase inhibitors during incubation prevented the appearance of antibiotic activity, and it was concluded that a small amount of streptomycin phosphate is present in the mycelium during antibiotic production. Differences in (14C) streptomycin uptake suggested that the mycelium was appreciably less permeable to the antibiotic in the production phase than during exponential growth. However, a small amount was taken up and much of it was in the soluble fraction of disrupted cells. Bioassays showed that this 14C-labeled antibiotic within the cells had been partially inactivated, suggesting that conversion of streptomycin to an inactive derivative is involved in the mechanism which protects the organism from its metabolite.     

Physiological factors affecting streptomycin production by Streptomyces griseus ATCC 12475 in batch and continuous culture

Abstract Conditions of growth are described for the production of streptomycin by Streptomyces griseus ATCC 12475 using chemically defined minimal medium and complex medium. It was found using batch cultures that early synthesis of the antibiotic occurred during growth in minimal medium but was delayed until the onset of stationary phase in complex medium. This effect was independent of whether spores or vegetative cells were used as inoculum. Stability of streptomycin biosynthesis in continuous culture was dependent on dilution rate and medium employed. Cultures were highly unstable when grown on complex medium but could be maintained in steady states in continuous culture using minimal medium when the dilution rate was increased in a stepwise manner, starting at a dilution rate of 0.02 h⁻¹ (15% of μ _max). The effect of changing dilution rate on growth, streptomycin production and the level of streptomycin phosphotransferase was examined using this technique.     

Intracellular cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate levels and streptomycin production in cultures of Streptomyces griseus.

Changes in the amount of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate within the mycelium of Streptomyces griseus were measured as cultures progressed through trophophase and idiophase in a complex medium supporting growth and streptomycin synthesis. Concentrations were highest before the cultures entered stationary phase and had declined 90% by 5 h before the antibiotic was produced. This low conentration was maintained while the antibiotic accumulated during the idiophase. The results indicate that the onset of streptomycin synthesis is not directly mediated by an increase in intracellular cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate concentration, and thus that antibiotic production in S. griseus is not controlled by catabolite repression.     

Genetics of streptomycin production in Streptomyces griseus: nucleotide sequence of five genes, strFGHIK, including a phosphatase gene.

Summary The cluster of streptomycin (SM) production genes in Streptomyces griseus was further analysed by determining the nucleotide sequence of genes strFGHIK. The products of the strF and/or strG genes may be involved in the formation of N-methyl-l-glucosamine, and that of the strH gene in the first glycosylation step condensing streptidine-6-phosphate and dihydrostreptose. The putative Strl protein showed strong similarity to the amino-terminal NAD(P)-binding sites of many dehydrogenases, especially of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases. The product of the strK gene strongly resembles the alkaline phosphatase of Escherichia coli. It was shown that S. griseus excretes an enzyme that specifically cleaves both SM-6-phosphate and — more slowly — SM-3-phosphate during the production phase for SM. The identity of this enzyme with the StrK protein was demonstrated by expression of the strK gene in Streptomyces lividans 66. Further evidence for an involvement of these genes in SM biosynthesis came from the fact that genes homologous to them were found in the equivalent gene cluster of the hydroxy-SM producer Streptomyces glaucescens; these, however, were in part differently organized. The ca. 5 kb DNA segment downstream of strI in S. griseus which contains the strK gene was found to be located in inverse orientation between the homologues of the aphD and strR genes in S. glaucescens.     

S-adenosylmethionine activates adpA transcription and promotes streptomycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces griseus

Using a two-plasmid system, we recently identified sigma(E)-dependent promoters directing expression of the sigma(E) regulon genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). Comparison of the promoters revealed a consensus sequence almost identical to the sigma(E)-dependent rpoEp3 promoter directing expression of rpoE. This two-plasmid system was previously optimized to identify nucleotides critical for the rpoEp3 promoter activity. However, two highly conserved nucleotides in the sigma(E) consensus sequence were not identified by this screening. In the present study, we have improved the two-plasmid screening system using a new optimized error-prone PCR mutagenesis. Together with site-directed mutagenesis, we further identified nucleotides critical for activity of the rpoEp3 promoter and quantified the effect of the particular mutation upon promoter activity. All the identified critical nucleotides of the rpoEp3 promoter (in capital) were located in the -35 (ggAACtt) and -10 (gTCtaA) regions and corresponded to the most conserved nucleotides in the sigma(E) consensus sequence. The expression of the wild-type and mutated rpoEp3 promoters was confirmed in S. Typhimurium and was found to exhibit a different pattern of sigma(E) activation compared with Escherichia coli, with a peak rpoEp3 promoter activity in early stationary phase followed by a decrease in late stationary phase.     

Self-cloning in Streptomyces griseus of an str gene cluster for streptomycin biosynthesis and streptomycin resistance.

An str gene cluster containing at least four genes (strR, strA, strB, and strC) involved in streptomycin biosynthesis or streptomycin resistance or both was self-cloned in Streptomyces griseus by using plasmid pOA154. The strA gene was verified to encode streptomycin 6-phosphotransferase, a streptomycin resistance factor in S. griseus, by examining the gene product expressed in Escherichia coli. The other three genes were determined by complementation tests with streptomycin-nonproducing mutants whose biochemical lesions were clearly identified. strR complemented streptomycin-sensitive mutant SM196 which exhibited impaired activity of both streptomycin 6-phosphotransferase and amidinotransferase (one of the streptomycin biosynthetic enzymes) due to a regulatory mutation; strB complemented strain SD141, which was specifically deficient in amidinotransferase; and strC complemented strain SD245, which was deficient in linkage between streptidine 6-phosphate and dihydrostreptose. By deletion analysis of plasmids with appropriate restriction endonucleases, the order of the four genes was determined to be strR-strA-strB-strC. Transformation of S. griseus with plasmids carrying both strR and strB genes enhanced amidinotransferase activity in the transformed cells. Based on the gene dosage effect and the biological characteristics of the mutants complemented by strR and strB, it was concluded that strB encodes amidinotransferase and strR encodes a positive effector required for the full expression of strA and strB genes. Furthermore, it was found that amplification of a specific 0.7-kilobase region of the cloned DNA on a plasmid inhibited streptomycin biosynthesis of the transformants. This DNA region might contain a regulatory apparatus that participates in the control of streptomycin biosynthesis.     

flhF, a Bacillus subtilis flagellar gene that encodes a putative GTP-binding protein

We describe the sequence and characterization of the Bacillus subtilis flhF gene. flhF encodes a basic polypeptide of 41 kDa that contains a putative GTP-binding motif. The sequence of FlhF reveals a structural relationship to two Escherichia coli proteins, Ffh and FtsY, as well as to other members of the SRP54 family, in a domain presumed to bind GTP. flhF is located in a large operon consisting of chemotaxis and flagellar genes. Cells deficient in flhF are nonmotile. Through the use of anti-flagellar antibodies we have established that flhF is a flagellar (fla) gene. Thus, flhF is a unique flagellar gene in that it encodes a GTP-binding protein with similarities to members of the SRP54 family of proteins. These data suggest that flagellar biosynthesis in B. subtilis requires GTP.     

Cloning of a DNA fragment from Streptomyces griseus which directs streptomycin phosphotransferase activity

DNA from Streptomyces griseus ATCC 12475 was partially digested with Sau3A and fragments were ligated into BglII-cleaved pIJ702. When the ligation mixture was used to transform protoplasts of Streptomyces lividans TK54, two transformants resistant to both thiostrepton and streptomycin were isolated. The hybrid plasmids pBV3 and pBV4 which they contained, carrying inserts of sizes 4.45 and 11.55 kbp respectively, each retransformed S. lividans to streptomycin resistance at high efficiency. Both plasmids hybridized to restriction digests of S. griseus chromosomal DNA in Southern blot experiments. In vitro deletion and sub-cloning experiments showed the sequence conferring streptomycin resistance to lie within a segment of 1.95 kbp. Extracts of TK54(pBV3) and TK54(pBV4) contained a streptomycin phosphotransferase similar to that in extracts of S. griseus. Streptomycin phosphotransferase activity appeared in extracts of S. griseus, TK54(pBV3) and TK54(pBV4) within 2 d of inoculation. When pBV3 and pBV4 were retransformed into S. griseus with selection for thiostrepton resistance, plasmid DNA of sizes corresponding to the incoming plasmids was found in the transformants. In these transformants the phosphotransferase appeared at 1.5 rather than 2 d, and reached a level over twice that of the original S. griseus strain.     

Cloning and characterization of a gene of Streptomyces griseus that increases production of extracellular enzymes in several species of Streptomyces.

Summary A 7.2 kbBglII restriction fragment, which increases the production of several extracellular enzymes, including alkaline phosphatase, amylase, protease, lipase and -galactosidase, was cloned inStreptomyces lividans from the DNA ofS. griseus ATCC 10137. This gene (namedsaf) showed a positive gene dosage effect on production of extracellular enzymes. When thesaf gene was introduced into cells in high copy numbers it delayed the formation of pigments and spores inS. lividans and also retarded actinorhodin production inStreptomyces coelicolor. Thesaf gene hybridized with specific bands in the DNA of severalStreptomyces strains tested. A 1 kb fragment containing thesaf gene was sequenced and contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 306 nucleotides which encodes a polypeptide of M_r 10 500. This ORF is contained within a fragment of 432 by which retained activity inStreptomyces. A fragment with promoter activity is present upstream of thesaf reading frame. The predicted Saf polypeptide has a strong positive charge, and does not show a typical amino acid composition for a membrane protein, and contains a DNA-binding domain similar to those found in several regulatory proteins.