Thiostrepton induced proteins in Streptomyces, Amycolatopsis and Nocardia species

Abstract Thiostrepton-induced proteins have been observed in several actinomycetes, including Streptomyces clavuligerus (15 kDa protein), S. griseus (21 kDa), Nocardia lactamdurans (17 kDa), Amycolatopsis sp 239 (14 and 16 kDa), S. fradie (18 and 20 kDa) and S. coelicolor (17, 19, 30 and 56 kDa). The thiostrepton-induced proteins of S. coelicolor seem to be identical to those reported in S. lividans . The induction of the 18 and 20 kDa proteins of S. fradiae (up to 20% of the total protein in the cells) was dependent upon the concentration of thiostrepton (1 to 50 μg per ml) added to the cultures. The induction of proteins by thiostrepton in N. lactamdurans (and probably in the other actinomycetes as well) is not mediated by the tsr gene of pIJ702, since spontaneous thiostrepton-resistant mutants of N. lactamdurans which do not carry the tsr gene were used for the induction studies. Induction of proteins by thiostrepton may be a protective mechanism to counteract the strong effect of this antibiotic which is known to be produced by several soil microorganisms.