Judith Schimana

Cloning and analysis of the simocyclinone biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces antibioticus Tü 6040

Abstract. The biosynthetic gene cluster of the aminocoumarin antibiotic simocyclinone D8 was cloned by screening a cosmid library of Streptomyces antibioticus Tü 6040 with a heterologous probe from a gene encoding a cytochrome P450 enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the aminocoumarin antibiotic novobiocin. Sequence analysis of a 39.4-kb region revealed the presence of 38 ORFs. Six of the identified ORFs showed striking similarity to genes from the biosynthetic gene clusters of the aminocoumarin antibiotics novobiocin and coumermycin A1. Simocyclinone also contains an angucyclinone moiety, and 12 of the ORFs showed high sequence similarity to biosynthetic genes of other angucyclinone antibiotics. Possible functions within the biosynthesis of simocyclinone D8 could be assigned to 23 ORFs by comparison with sequences in GenBank. Experimental proof for the function of the identified gene cluster was provided by a gene inactivation experiment, which resulted in the abolishment of the formation of the aminocoumarin moiety of simocyclinone. Feeding of the mutant with the aminocoumarin moiety of novobiocin led to a new, artificial simocyclinone derivative.

Endophenazines A-D, New Phenazine Antibiotics from the Arthropod Associated Endosymbiont Streptomyces anulatus

Four new members of the phenazine family, endophenazines A-D, and the already known phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (tubermycin B) were detected in the culture broth of various endosymbiotic Streptomyces anulatus strains by chemical screening in a combination of TLC-staining reagents and HPLC-diode array analysis. The endosymbiotic strains were isolated from four different arthropod hosts at various sites. The new phenazine compounds showed antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria and some filamentous fungi, and herbicidal activity against Lemna minor (duckweed).

Microbial growth and production kinetics of Streptomyces antibioticus Tü 6040.

Streptomyces antibioticus Tü 6040 is the producer of simocyclinones, which belong to a novel family of angucyclinone antibiotics some of which show antitumor activities. Growth and antibiotic production is dependent on the medium composition, especially on the carbon and nitrogen source, and on the fermentation conditions. The best results with respect to antibiotic productivity were achieved using a chemically defined medium with glycerol and L-lysine as carbon and nitrogen source, respectively, in an airlift fermenter with minimised shear stress at low gas flow rates withour oxygen limitation. These conditions led to a homogeneous formation of pellets of 1–2 mm in diameter and guaranteed reproducible product yields of the main compound, simocyclinone D8, in the range of 300 mg/l.

Biaryl-Bridged Lipopeptides from Streptomyces sp. TÜ 6075

HPLC-DAD screening for new metabolites [1] from Streptomyces sp. TU 6075 revealed two series of compounds composed of five colorless and seven yellow fractions. For structure elucidation, ES-FTICR-MS, chiral GC-MS, Edman sequencing, and NMR spectroscopy were used. The isolated compounds, termed arylomycins, represent the first example of lipopeptides containing biaryl-bridged amino acids. The majority of the arylomycins exhibit antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.