Genes for the biosynthesis of spinosyns: applications for yield improvement in Saccharopolyspora spinosa

Spinosyns A and D are the active ingredients in an insect control agent produced by fermentation of Saccharopolyspora spinosa. Spinosyns are macrolides with a 21-carbon, tetracyclic lactone backbone to which the deoxysugars forosamine and tri-O-methylrhamnose are attached. The spinosyn biosynthesis genes, except for the rhamnose genes, are located in a cluster that spans 74 kb of the S. spinosa genome. DNA sequence analysis, targeted gene disruptions and bioconversion studies identified five large genes encoding type I polyketide synthase subunits, and 14 genes involved in sugar biosynthesis, sugar attachment to the polyketide or cross-bridging of the polyketide. Four rhamnose biosynthetic genes, two of which are also necessary for forosamine biosynthesis, are located outside the spinosyn gene cluster. Duplication of the spinosyn genes linked to the polyketide synthase genes stimulated the final step in the biosynthesis — the conversion of the forosamine-less pseudoaglycones to endproducts. Duplication of genes involved in the early steps of deoxysugar biosynthesis increased spinosyn yield significantly. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2001) 27, 399–402. Received 31 May 2001/ Accepted in revised form 09 July 2001     

Viability, strength, and fragmentation of Saccharopolyspora erythraea in submerged fermentation.

Two fermentations of the commercially important erythromycin-producing filamentous bacterium Saccharopolyspora erythraea were conducted in defined media. One was glucose-limited and the other nitrate-limited. The viability of the hyphae was determined using the fluorescent stain BacLight (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR). Also, the force required to strain hyphae to breakage was determined using micromanipulation and a sensitive force transducer. In both fermentations, fragmentation coincided with the appearance of regions in the mycelia with permeabilised membranes (considered nonviable). Under glucose-limitation, hyphal breaking force rose to 1,050 +/- 130 nN at the end of the growth phase and fell to an undetectable value as a result of glucose exhaustion. Under nitrate-limitation, hyphal breaking force fell from 900 +/- 160 nN during the growth phase to 550 +/- 40 nN in the stationary phase. In both cases image analysis showed that the dimensions of mycelia were of the same order, suggesting that the major factor influencing fragmentation was the appearance of nonviable regions (assumed to be weak). The location in which nonviable regions first appear within hyphae could not be determined because of their appearance coinciding with fragmentation.     

Effects of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase gene knockouts on erythromycin production in carbohydrate-based and oil-based fermentations of Saccharopolyspora erythraea

In carbohydrate-based fermentations of Saccharopolyspora erythraea, a polar knockout of the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) gene, mutB, improved erythromycin production an average of 126% (within the range of 102–153% for a 0.95 confidence interval). In oil-based fermentations, where erythromycin production by the wild-type strain averages 184% higher (141–236%, 0.95 CI) than in carbohydrate-based fermentations, the same polar knockout in mutB surprisingly reduced erythromycin production by 66% (53–76%, 0.95 CI). A metabolic model is proposed where in carbohydrate-based fermentations MCM acts as a drain on the methylmalonyl-CoA metabolite pool, and in oil-based fermentations, MCM acts in the reverse direction to fill the methylmalonyl-CoA pool. Therefore, the model explains, in part, how the well-known oil-based process improvement for erythromycin production operates at the biochemical level; furthermore, it illustrates how the mutB erythromycin strain improvement mutation operates at the genetic level in carbohydrate-based fermentations.     

High frequency transformation of the industrial erythromycin-producing bacterium Saccharopolyspora erythraea

The DNA transformation in the industrial erythromycin-producing Saccharopolyspora erythraea was investigated as standard protoplast transformation methods are ineffective. Intergeneric conjugal transfer of DNA from E. coli demonstrated transformation efficiencies from 0.05 × 10⁻⁸ to 7.2 × 10⁻⁸ exconjugants generated per recipient. Electroporation-mediated methodologies were also established. More than 10⁵ transformants were acquired per μg DNA. The proposed protocol provides an alternative route for the introduction of DNA into industrial strains.     

The induction of antibiotic synthesis in Saccharopolyspora erythraea and Streptomyces hygroscopicus by growth rate decrease is accompanied by a down-regulation of protein synthesis rate

Abstract The relationship between antibiotic production and culture growth rate in Saccharopolyspora erythraea and Streptomyces hygroscopicus was manipulated by changing the growth-limiting substrate. Carbon- and nitrogen-limited cultures were studied and antibiotic synthesis was obtained in both cases in Saccharopolyspora erythraea cultures and in nitrogen-limited Streptomyces hygroscopicus cultures. In all cultures where antibiotic was detected, onset of antibiotic production coincided with the minimal protein synthesis rate. Further investigation in Saccharopolyspora erythraea cultures indicated that this corresponded to minimum ratio of charged to uncharged tRNA, i.e. when uncharged tRNA accumulated. This latter phenomenon was investigated in the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor.     

糖多孢红霉菌同源片段长度与染色体重组率关系的研究

为了探索同源片段长度与糖多孢红霉菌染色体同源重组率的关系,化学合成或用重叠PCR合成带有突变位点、在突变位点两侧长度为（26bp+27bp）、（500bp+576bp）和（1908bp+1749bp）的同源序列,克隆于糖多孢红霉菌同源重组载体pWHM3后,分别构建了pWHM1113、 pWHM1116和 pWHM1119质粒。以PEG介导转化糖多孢红霉菌A226原生质体,3个质粒分别获得每皿30个、69个和170个转化子,但pWHM1113质粒不能与染色体有效整合,pWHM1116质粒与染色体整合率为转化子的2%,而pWHM1119质粒与染色体整合率达到转化子的19%。 pWHM1116和 pWHM1119质粒均可进行有效的染色体二次重组,将突变位位点引入染色体。因此,同源片段长度为（500bp+576bp）或更长时,可与糖多孢红霉菌染色体进行有效的单重组和双重组。     

Knocking out of tailoring genes eryK and eryG in an industrial erythromycin-producing strain of Saccharopolyspora erythraea leading to overproduction of erythromycin B, C and D at different conversion ratios

Aims: To overproduce erythromycin C, B or D and evaluate the effect of disruption of tailoring genes eryK and eryG in an industrial erythromycin producer. Methods and Results: The tailoring genes eryG and eryK were inactivated individually or simultaneously by targeted gene disruption in an industrial strain Saccharopolyspora erythraea HL3168 E3, resulting in the overproduction of erythromycin C (2·48 g l^?1), B (1·70 g l^?1) or D (2·15 g l^?1) in the mutant strain QL‐G, QL‐K or QL‐KG, respectively. Analysis of the erythromycin congeners throughout the fermentation indicated that, at the end of fermentation, comparatively large amount of erythromycin D (0·67 g l^?1) was accumulated in QL‐G, whereas only small amount of erythromycin D (0·10 g l^?1) was produced in QL‐K. Conclusions: Inactivation of tailoring genes eryG and eryK in the high producer did not affect the biosynthesis of erythromycin. However, erythromycin D could be more efficiently methylated by EryG than be hydroxylated by EryK. Significance and Impact of the Study: Development of the mutant strains provides a method for the economical large‐scale production of potent lead compounds. The information about the accumulation and conversion of erythromycins in the industrial strains may contribute to further improving erythromycin production.     

Sweet home actinomycetes: The 1999 MDS Panlabs Lecture

For the past 25 years, I have devoted most of my research efforts to the application of molecular genetics to yield improvement and production of novel secondary metabolites in actinomycetes. My group at Lilly Research Laboratories worked with a variety of Streptomyces species and with strains of Amycolatopsis and Saccharopolyspora. We developed molecular genetic tools to manipulate actinomycete genes, and applied them to important secondary metabolites, including tylosin, daptomycin, vancomycin, chloroeremomycin, and spinosyns. In the early years, I helped establish recombinant DNA technology to manufacture mammalian proteins, and more recently, helped implement microbial genomics as a research tool for antibiotic discovery. In this paper, I review some highlights, primarily from the actinomycete work. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 79–88. Received 25 October 1999/ Accepted in revised form 12 November 1999