Streptothricin biosynthesis is catalyzed by enzymes related to nonribosomal peptide bond formation.
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In a search for strains producing biocides with a wide spectrum of activity, a new strain was isolated. This strain was taxonomically characterized as Streptomyces rochei F20, and the chemical structure of the bioactive product extracted from its fermentation broth was determined to be a mixture of streptothricins. From a genomic library of the producer strain prepared in the heterologous host Streptomyces lividans, a 7.2-kb DNA fragment which conferred resistance to the antibiotic was isolated. DNA sequencing of 5.2 kb from the cloned fragment revealed five open reading frames (ORFs) such that ORF1, -2, -3, and -4 were transcribed in the same direction while ORF5 was convergently arranged. The deduced product of ORF1 strongly resembled those of genes involved in peptide formation by a nonribosomal mechanism; the ORF2 product strongly resembled that of mphA and mphB isolated from Escherichia coli, which determines resistance to several macrolides by a macrolide 2'-phosphotransferase activity; the ORF3 product had similarities with several hydrolases; and the ORF5 product strongly resembled streptothricin acetyltransferases from different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. ORF5 was shown to be responsible for acetyl coenzyme A-dependent streptothricin acetylation. No similarities in the databases for the ORF4 product were found. Unlike other peptide synthases, that for streptothricin biosynthesis was arranged as a multienzymatic system rather than a multifunctional protein. Insertional inactivation of ORF1 and ORF2 (and to a lesser degree, of ORF3) abolishes antibiotic biosynthesis, suggesting their involvement in the streptothricin biosynthetic pathway. (+info)
A-53930A and B, novel N-type Ca2+ channel blockers.
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A-53930A, B and C, which inhibit N-type Ca2+ channels, were isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces vinaceusdrappus SANK 62394. A-53930A and B were new compounds which contained a carbamoyl group on the 6-hydroxyl group of the D-gulosamine part of streptothricin. A-53930C was identical to streptothricin B. A-53930A, B and C inhibited [125I]omega-conotoxin MVIIA binding to N-type Ca2+ channels (IC50= 0.17, 0.091 and 0.071 microM), but did not inhibit [3H]PN200-110 binding to L-type Ca2+ channels (IC50 > 50 microM). These compounds also inhibited [3H]norepinephrine release from chick cerebral cortex synaptosomes (IC50=91.0, 20.6 and 39.5 microM), indicating these compounds selectively block N-type Ca2+ channels which are important for neurotransmitter release. It was also revealed that although A-53930C had antimicrobial activity against gram-negative and -positive bacteria and fungi, A-53930A and B showed weak activity only against gram-negative bacteria. (+info)