Studies on the Biosynthesis of Blasticidin S

Biosynthesis of blasticidin S by the producing organism Streptomyces griseochromogenes has been investigated with the use of ¹⁴C-labeled compounds. Studies on the incorporation of the labeled compounds demonstrated that blasticidin S was biosynthesized from d-glucose, cytosine, l-arginine and l-methionine as precursors.

During efforts in looking for a metabolic intermediates on the biosynthetic pathway of blasticidin S, it was found that a compound closely related in nature to the parent antibiotic accumulated under a restricted conditions. After the isolation of this compound the structure was elucidated as leucylblasticidin S on the basis of its spectral and degradative evidences. The biosynthetic role of leucylblasticidin S was confirmed as a direct metabolic intermediate with the use of washed cells of Streptomyces griseochromogenes.