Gamma-butyrolactones: Streptomyces signalling molecules regulating antibiotic production and differentiation

Intriguing properties of the angucycline antibiotic auricin and complex regulation of its biosynthesis

Streptomyces bacteria are major producers of bioactive natural products, including many antibiotics. We identified a gene cluster, aur1, in a large linear plasmid of Streptomyces aureofaciens CCM3239. The cluster is responsible for the production of a new angucycline polyketide antibiotic auricin. Several tailoring biosynthetic genes were scatted in rather distant aur1 flanking regions. Auricin was produced in a very narrow growth phase interval of several hours after entry into stationary phase, after which it was degraded to non-active metabolites because of its instability at the high pH values reached after the production stage. Strict transcriptional regulation of the auricin biosynthetic gene cluster has been demonstrated, including feed-forward and feedback control by auricin intermediates via several of the huge number of regulatory genes present in the aur1 cluster. The complex mechanism may ensure strict confinement of auricin production to a specific growth stage.

Lessons learned from the transformation of natural product discovery to a genome-driven endeavor

Natural product discovery is currently undergoing a transformation from a phenotype-driven field to a genotype-driven one. The increasing availability of genome sequences, coupled with improved techniques for identifying biosynthetic gene clusters, has revealed that secondary metabolomes are strikingly vaster than previously thought. New approaches to correlate biosynthetic gene clusters with the compounds they produce have facilitated the production and isolation of a rapidly growing collection of what we refer to as "reverse-discovered" natural products, in analogy to reverse genetics. In this review, we present an extensive list of reverse-discovered natural products and discuss seven important lessons for natural product discovery by genome-guided methods: structure prediction, accurate annotation, continued study of model organisms, avoiding genome-size bias, genetic manipulation, heterologous expression, and potential engineering of natural product analogs.

Deglycosylation as a mechanism of inducible antibiotic resistance revealed using a global relational tree for one-component regulators

The ligands that interact with the vast majority of small-molecule binding transcription factors are unknown, a significant gap in our understanding of sensory perception by cells. TetR-family regulators (TFRs) are found in most prokaryotes and are involved in regulating virtually every aspect of prokaryotic life however only a few TFRs have been characterized. We report the application of phylogenomics to the identification of cognate ligands for TFRs. Using phylogenomics we identify a TFR, KijR, that responds to the antibiotic kijanimicin. We go on to show that KijR represses a gene, kijX, which confers resistance to kijanimicin. Finally we show that KijX inactivates kijanimicin by the hydrolytic removal of sugar residues. This is a demonstration of antibiotic resistance by deglycosylation.

Small molecule inhibitors of AI-2 signaling in bacteria: state-of-the-art and future perspectives for anti-quorum sensing agents

Bacteria respond to different small molecules that are produced by other neighboring bacteria. These molecules, called autoinducers, are classified as intraspecies (i.e., molecules produced and perceived by the same bacterial species) or interspecies (molecules that are produced and sensed between different bacterial species). AI-2 has been proposed as an interspecies autoinducer and has been shown to regulate different bacterial physiology as well as affect virulence factor production and biofilm formation in some bacteria, including bacteria of clinical relevance. Several groups have embarked on the development of small molecules that could be used to perturb AI-2 signaling in bacteria, with the ultimate goal that these molecules could be used to inhibit bacterial virulence and biofilm formation. Additionally, these molecules have the potential to be used in synthetic biology applications whereby these small molecules are used as inputs to switch on and off AI-2 receptors. In this review, we highlight the state-of-the-art in the development of small molecules that perturb AI-2 signaling in bacteria and offer our perspective on the future development and applications of these classes of molecules.

A novel TetR family transcriptional regulator, SAV576, negatively controls avermectin biosynthesis in Streptomyces avermitilis

Avermectins produced by Streptomyces avermitilis are potent anti-parasitic agents that are useful in animal health care, agriculture, and the treatment of human infections. In a search for novel regulators that affect avermectin biosynthesis, comparative transcriptome analysis was performed between wild-type strain ATCC31267 and avermectin overproducing strain 76-02-e, revealing some differentially expressed genes. SAV576, which is downregulated in 76-02-e and encodes a TetR family transcriptional regulator (TFR), was shown to inhibit avermectin production by indirectly affecting the expression of ave genes. SAV576 directly repressed the transcription of its gene SAV576 and of adjacent genes SAV575 (encodes cytochrome P450/NADPH-ferrihemoprotein reductase) and SAV574. The SAV576-binding sites within the bidirectional SAV575-SAV576 promoter region were determined by DNase I footprinting assays. A consensus 15-bp palindromic sequence CCRTACRVYGTATGS was found in these binding sites and shown to be important for SAV576-binding activity. SAV575, an important target gene of SAV576, was shown to exert a positive effect on avermectin production. The study findings extend our limited knowledge of the complex regulation of avermectin biosynthesis and provide a basis for rational genetic manipulation of S. avermitilis to improve avermectin production through control of SAV576 and its target gene.

Exogenous 1,4-butyrolactone stimulates A-factor-like cascade and validamycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces hygroscopicus 5008

γ-Butyrolactones (GBLs), such as A-factor, are one type of signaling molecules produced by Streptomyces species and have been reported to regulate secondary metabolism. However, they are usually produced in very small amount, which has hindered their structural elucidation and application for antibiotic overproduction. In this work, 1,4-butyrolactone (1,4-BL), as an easily accessible and cheap analogue of GBLs, was applied to the fermentation of validamycin A (VAL-A), an important antifungal antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus 5008. The addition of 1,4-BL enhanced VAL-A production by 30% in both shaking flasks and bioreactors. The transcriptional levels of the adpA homologue (adpA-H) and VAL-A biosynthetic genes were significantly increased. Among the three A-factor receptor homologous genes identified in the genome of S. hygroscopicus 5008, shbR3 was proved to be responsible for the inducing activity of 1,4-BL by gene disruption and circular dichroism analysis, and ShbR3 could bind to the promoter region of adpA-H as indicated by EMSA analysis. Furthermore, the mutation of adpA-H abolished the transcription of VAL-A biosynthetic genes and VAL-A productivity. In EMSA analysis, AdpA-H could directly bind to the promoter regions of VAL-A gene cluster. Moreover, addition of the 1,4-BL also improved the VAL-A production in a high-yielding strain TL01. The results showed that 1,4-BL could stimulate A-factor-like cascade and subsequently enhance VAL-A production in S. hygroscopicus 5008.

Maternal and environmental effects on symbiont-mediated antimicrobial defense

Bacteria produce a remarkable diversity of bioactive molecules with antimicrobial properties. Despite the importance of such compounds for human medicine, little is known about the factors influencing antibiotic production in natural environments. Recently, several insects have been found to benefit from symbiont-produced antimicrobial compounds for defense against pathogenic microbes. In the European beewolf, Philanthus triangulum (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae), bacteria of the genus Streptomyces provide protection against pathogens by producing antimicrobials on the larval cocoon during hibernation, thereby significantly enhancing the survival probability of the beewolf larva. To investigate the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on antibiotic production, we exposed beewolf cocoons to different environmental conditions and quantified the amount of Streptomyces-produced antibiotics by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results revealed no significant influence of temperature, humidity, or pathogen load on the antibiotic amount, indicating that antibiotic production is not affected by current environmental conditions but rather may be optimized to serve as a reliable long-term protection during the unpredictable phase of beewolf hibernation. However, the amount of antibiotics was positively correlated with the symbiont population size on the cocoon, which in turn is affected by the number of Streptomyces cells provided by the mother into the brood cell. Additionally, we found a positive correlation between the amount of hydrocarbons and the number and length of bacterial cells in the antennal gland secretion, suggesting that maternal investment affects symbiont growth and, thus, antibiotic production on the larval cocoon.

Repression of antibiotic downregulator WblA by AdpA in Streptomyces coelicolor

The upstream region of antibiotic downregulatory wblA in Streptomyces coelicolor was found to contain AdpA binding motifs. A key morphological regulator, AdpA was shown to specifically bind these motifs by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. An adpA disruption mutant exhibited increased wblA transcription, suggesting that AdpA negatively regulates wblA transcription in S. coelicolor.

Gamma-butyrolactone and furan signaling systems in Streptomyces

Streptomyces bacteria produce different classes of diffusible signaling molecules that trigger secondary metabolite production and/or morphological development within the cell population. The biosynthesis of gamma-butyrolactones (GBLs) and 2-alkyl-4-hydroxymethylfuran-3-carboxylic acids (AHFCAs) signaling molecules is related and involves an essential AfsA-like butenolide synthase. This chapter first describes the catalytic role of AfsA-like enzyme then provides details about methods for the discovery and characterization of potentially novel signaling molecules. In section 4, one approach for establishing the biological role of these signaling molecules is presented.

Molecular regulation of antibiotic biosynthesis in streptomyces

Streptomycetes are the most abundant source of antibiotics. Typically, each species produces several antibiotics, with the profile being species specific. Streptomyces coelicolor, the model species, produces at least five different antibiotics. We review the regulation of antibiotic biosynthesis in S. coelicolor and other, nonmodel streptomycetes in the light of recent studies. The biosynthesis of each antibiotic is specified by a large gene cluster, usually including regulatory genes (cluster-situated regulators [CSRs]). These are the main point of connection with a plethora of generally conserved regulatory systems that monitor the organism's physiology, developmental state, population density, and environment to determine the onset and level of production of each antibiotic. Some CSRs may also be sensitive to the levels of different kinds of ligands, including products of the pathway itself, products of other antibiotic pathways in the same organism, and specialized regulatory small molecules such as gamma-butyrolactones. These interactions can result in self-reinforcing feed-forward circuitry and complex cross talk between pathways. The physiological signals and regulatory mechanisms may be of practical importance for the activation of the many cryptic secondary metabolic gene cluster pathways revealed by recent sequencing of numerous Streptomyces genomes.

Cytochrome P450 107U1 is required for sporulation and antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor

The filamentous bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor has a complex life cycle involving the formation of hair-like aerial mycelia on the colony surface, which differentiate into chains of spores. Genes required for the initiation of aerial mycelium formation have been termed 'bld' (bald), describing the smooth, undifferentiated colonies of mutant strains. We report the identification of a new bld gene designated as sco3099 and biochemical analysis of its encoded enzyme, cytochrome P450 (P450, or CYP) 107U1. Deletion of sco3099 resulted in a mutant defective in aerial hyphae sporulation and sensitive to heat shock, indicating that P450 107U1 plays a key role in growth and development of S. coelicolor. This is the first P450 reported to participate in a sporulation process in Streptomycetes. The substrate and catalytic properties of P450 107U1 were further investigated in mass spectrometry-based metabolomic studies. Glycocholic acid (from the medium) was identified as a substrate of P450 107U1 and was oxidized to glyco-7-oxo-deoxycholic acid. Although this reaction is apparently not relevant to the observed sporulation deficiency, it suggests that P450 107U1 might exert its physiological function by oxidizing other steroid-like molecules.

Pleiotropic control of secondary metabolism and morphological development by KsbC, a butyrolactone autoregulator receptor homologue in Kitasatospora setae

The γ-butyrolactone autoregulator signaling cascades have been shown to control secondary metabolism and/or morphological development among many Streptomyces species. However, the conservation and variation of the regulatory systems among actinomycetes remain to be clarified. The genome sequence of Kitasatospora setae, which also belongs to the family Streptomycetaceae containing the genus Streptomyces, has revealed the presence of three homologues of the autoregulator receptor: KsbA, which has previously been confirmed to be involved only in secondary metabolism; KsbB; and KsbC. We describe here the characterization of ksbC, whose regulatory cluster closely resembles the Streptomyces virginiae barA locus responsible for the autoregulator signaling cascade. Deletion of the gene ksbC resulted in lowered production of bafilomycin and a defect of aerial mycelium formation, together with the early and enhanced production of a novel β-carboline alkaloid named kitasetaline. A putative kitasetaline biosynthetic gene cluster was identified, and its expression in a heterologous host led to the production of kitasetaline together with JBIR-133, the production of which is also detected in the ksbC disruptant, and JBIR-134 as novel β-carboline alkaloids, indicating that these genes were biosynthetic genes for β-carboline alkaloid and thus are the first such genes to be discovered in bacteria.

Kitasetaline, a novel β-carboline alkaloid from Kitasatospora setae NBRC 14216T

With the genetically modified Kitasatospora setae NBRC 14216(T) strain, a new β-carboline alkaloid, kitasetaline (1), was produced on solid medium. The structure was elucidated on the basis of physicochemical evidence. This is the first report of this type of alkaloid found in the genus Kitasatospora.

Roles of fkbN in positive regulation and tcs7 in negative regulation of FK506 biosynthesis in Streptomyces sp. strain KCTC 11604BP

FK506 is an important 23-member polyketide macrolide with immunosuppressant activity. Its entire biosynthetic gene cluster was previously cloned from Streptomyces sp. strain KCTC 11604BP, and sequence analysis identified three putative regulatory genes, tcs2, tcs7, and fkbN, which encode proteins with high similarity to the AsnC family transcriptional regulators, LysR-type transcriptional regulators, and LAL family transcriptional regulators, respectively. Overexpression and in-frame deletion of tcs2 did not affect the production of FK506 or co-occurring FK520 compared to results for the wild-type strain, suggesting that tcs2 is not involved in their biosynthesis. fkbN overexpression improved the levels of FK506 and FK520 production by approximately 2.0-fold, and a deletion of fkbN caused the complete loss of FK506 and FK520 production. Although the overexpression of tcs7 decreased the levels of FK506 and FK520 production slightly, a deletion of tcs7 caused 1.9-fold and 1.5-fold increases in FK506 and FK520 production, respectively. Finally, fkbN overexpression in the tcs7 deletion strain resulted in a 4.0-fold (21 mg liter(-1)) increase in FK506 production compared to that by the wild-type strain. This suggests that fkbN encodes a positive regulatory protein essential for FK506/FK520 biosynthesis and that the gene product of tcs7 negatively regulates their biosynthesis, demonstrating the potential of exploiting this information for strain improvement. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) analyses of the transcription levels of the FK506 biosynthetic genes in the wild-type and mutant strains proved that most of the FK506 biosynthetic genes are regulated by fkbN in a positive manner and negatively by tcs7.

Characterization of a new ScbR-like γ-butyrolactone binding regulator (SlbR) in Streptomyces coelicolor

γ-Butyrolactones in Streptomyces are well recognized as bacterial hormones, and they affect secondary metabolism of Streptomyces. γ-Butyrolactone receptors are considered important regulatory proteins, and various γ-butyrolactone synthases and receptors have been reported in Streptomyces. Here, we characterized a new regulator, SCO0608, that interacted with SCB1 (γ-butyrolactone of Streptomyces coelicolor) and bound to the scbR/A and adpA promoters. The SCO0608 protein sequences are not similar to those of any known γ-butyrolactone binding proteins in Streptomyces such as ScbR from S. coelicolor or ArpA from Streptomyces griseus. Interestingly, SCO0608 functions as a repressor of antibiotic biosynthesis and spore formation in R5 complex media. We showed the existence of another type of γ-butyrolactone receptor in Streptomyces, and this SCO0608 was named ScbR-like γ-butyrolactone binding regulator (SlbR) in S. coelicolor.

Cascades and networks of regulatory genes that control antibiotic biosynthesis

Onset of the biosynthesis of bioactive secondary metabolites in batch cultures of actinomycetes occurs after the rapid growth phase, following a transition phase which involves complex metabolic changes. This transition is triggered by nutrient starvation or by other environmental stress signals. Expression of genes encoding bioactive secondary metabolites is governed by cascades of pathway specific regulators and networks of cross-talking global regulators. Pathway specific regulators such as Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins, LAL-type and LysR-type regulators respond to autoregulatory proteins that act in concert with their cognate ligands (e.g. γ-butyrolactone receptor proteins and their cognate γ-butyrolactone ligands). Global regulators such as PhoR-PhoP and other two component systems and orphan response regulators, such as GlnR, control set of genes affecting primary and secondary metabolism. GlnR and, therefore, nitrogen metabolism genes are under phosphate control exerted by binding of PhoP to PHO boxes located in the promoter region of GlnR. A few pleiotropic regulatory genes, such as areB (ndgR), dmdR1 or dasR connect primary metabolism (amino acid biosynthesis, N-acetylglucosamine or iron levels) with antibiotic biosynthesis. Some atypical response regulators that require specific small ligands appear to be involved in feedback control of antibiotic production. All these mechanisms together modulate, in a coordinated manner, different aspects of Streptomyces metabolism as a real "protection net" that prevents drastic changes in metabolism that may be deleterious for cell survival.

Waking up Streptomyces secondary metabolism by constitutive expression of activators or genetic disruption of repressors

Streptomycete bacteria are renowned as a prolific source of natural products with diverse biological activities. Production of these metabolites is often subject to transcriptional regulation: the biosynthetic genes remain silent until the required environmental and/or physiological signals occur. Consequently, in the laboratory environment, many gene clusters that direct the biosynthesis of natural products with clinical potential are not expressed or at very low level preventing the production/detection of the associated metabolite. Genetic engineering of streptomycetes can unleash the production of many new natural products. This chapter describes the overexpression of pathway-specific activators, the genetic disruption of pathway-specific repressors, and the main strategy used to identify and characterize new natural products from these engineered Streptomyces strains.

Streptomycin-induced expression in Bacillus subtilis of YtnP, a lactonase-homologous protein that inhibits development and streptomycin production in Streptomyces griseus

Bacillus subtilis induces expression of the gene ytnP in the presence of the antimicrobial streptomycin, produced by the Gram-positive bacterium Streptomyces griseus. ytnP encodes a lactonase-homologous protein that is able to inhibit the signaling pathway required for the streptomycin production and development of aerial mycelium in S. griseus.

Signals and regulators that govern Streptomyces development

Streptomyces coelicolor is the genetically best characterized species of a populous genus belonging to the gram-positive Actinobacteria. Streptomycetes are filamentous soil organisms, well known for the production of a plethora of biologically active secondary metabolic compounds. The Streptomyces developmental life cycle is uniquely complex and involves coordinated multicellular development with both physiological and morphological differentiation of several cell types, culminating in the production of secondary metabolites and dispersal of mature spores. This review presents a current appreciation of the signaling mechanisms used to orchestrate the decision to undergo morphological differentiation, and the regulators and regulatory networks that direct the intriguing development of multigenomic hyphae first to form specialized aerial hyphae and then to convert them into chains of dormant spores. This current view of S. coelicolor development is destined for rapid evolution as data from '-omics' studies shed light on gene regulatory networks, new genetic screens identify hitherto unknown players, and the resolution of our insights into the underlying cell biological processes steadily improve.

Gamma-butyrolactone regulatory system of Streptomyces chattanoogensis links nutrient utilization, metabolism, and development

Gamma-butyrolactones (GBLs) produced by several Streptomyces species have been shown to serve as quorum-sensing signaling molecules for activating antibiotic production. The GBL system of Streptomyces chattanoogensis L10, a producer of antifungal agent natamycin, consists of three genes: scgA, scgX, and scgR. Both scgA and scgX contribute to GBL production, while scgR encodes a GBL receptor. ΔscgA and ΔscgX mutants of S. chattanoogensis behaved identically: they had a growth defect in submerged cultures and delayed or abolished the morphological differentiation and secondary metabolites production on solid medium. ScgR could bind to the promoter region of scgA and repress its transcription. Moreover, scgA seems also to be controlled by a GBL-mediated negative-feedback system. Hence, it is apparent that GBL biosynthesis is tightly controlled to ensure the correct timing for metabolic switch. An additional direct ScgR-target gene gbdA was identified by genomic SELEX and transcriptional analysis. Comparative proteomic analysis between L10 and its ΔscgA mutant revealed that the GBL system affects the expression of more than 50 proteins, including enzymes involved in carbon uptake system, primary metabolism, and stress response, we thus conclude that scgR-scgA-scgX constitute a novel GBL regulatory system involved in nutrient utilization, triggering adaptive responses, and finally dictating the switch from primary to secondary metabolism.

Avenolide, a Streptomyces hormone controlling antibiotic production in Streptomyces avermitilis

Gram-positive bacteria of the genus Streptomyces are industrially important microorganisms, producing >70% of commercially important antibiotics. The production of these compounds is often regulated by low-molecular-weight bacterial hormones called autoregulators. Although 60% of Streptomyces strains may use γ-butyrolactone-type molecules as autoregulators and some use furan-type molecules, little is known about the signaling molecules used to regulate antibiotic production in many other members of this genus. Here, we purified a signaling molecule (avenolide) from Streptomyces avermitilis--the producer of the important anthelmintic agent avermectin with annual world sales of $850 million--and determined its structure, including stereochemistry, by spectroscopic analysis and chemical synthesis as (4S,10R)-10-hydroxy-10-methyl-9-oxo-dodec-2-en-1,4-olide, a class of Streptomyces autoregulator. Avenolide is essential for eliciting avermectin production and is effective at nanomolar concentrations with a minimum effective concentration of 4 nM. The aco gene of S. avermitilis, which encodes an acyl-CoA oxidase, is required for avenolide biosynthesis, and homologs are also present in Streptomyces fradiae, Streptomyces ghanaensis, and Streptomyces griseoauranticus, suggesting that butenolide-type autoregulators may represent a widespread and another class of Streptomyces autoregulator involved in regulating antibiotic production.

The autoregulator receptor homologue AvaR3 plays a regulatory role in antibiotic production, mycelial aggregation and colony development of Streptomyces avermitilis

The γ-butyrolactone autoregulator receptor has been shown to control secondary metabolism and/or morphological differentiation across many Streptomyces species. Streptomyces avermitilis produces an important anthelmintic agent (avermectin) and two further polyketide antibiotics, filipin and oligomycin. Genomic analysis of S. avermitilis revealed that this micro-organism has the clustered putative autoregulator receptor genes distant from the antibiotic biosynthetic gene clusters. Here, we describe the characterization of avaR3, one of the clustered receptor genes, which encodes a protein containing an extra stretch of amino acid residues that has not been found in the family of autoregulator receptors. Disruption of avaR3 resulted in markedly decreased production of avermectins, with delayed expression of avermectin biosynthetic genes, suggesting that AvaR3 positively controls the avermectin biosynthetic genes. Moreover, the disruption caused increased production of filipin without any changes in the transcriptional profile of the filipin biosynthetic genes, suggesting that filipin production is indirectly controlled by AvaR3. The avaR3 disruptant displayed fragmented growth in liquid culture and conditional morphological defects on solid medium. These findings demonstrated that AvaR3 acts as a global regulator that controls antibiotic production and cell morphology.

Characterisation of a γ-butyrolactone receptor of Streptomyces tacrolimicus: effect on sporulation and tacrolimus biosynthesis

Streptomyces tacrolimicus (ATCC 55098) was reported to produce the immunosuppressant tacrolimus. The wild-type strain sporulates sparsely and produces very low levels of this immunosuppressant. The lack of genetic knowledge of this strain has hampered strain improvement. In this work, we have cloned the gene encoding a γ-butyrolactone receptor protein (Gbr). The gbr gene is linked to two genes encoding two subunits of the dihydroxyacetone kinase, putatively involved in the biosynthesis of the dihydroxyacetone phosphate precursor of γ-butyrolactone but is not flanked by γ-butyrolactone synthetase genes. The Gbr protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that Gbr binds to a specific autoregulatory element sequence located 338 bp upstream of the gbr gene, indicating that its expression is self-regulated. The deletion mutant Δgbr showed a very early and intense sporulation in two different media. A phenotype similar to that of the wild-type strain was restored by complementation of the Δgbr mutant with a wild-type gbr allele. Duplication of the gbr gene resulted in a slower sporulation. The Δgbr mutant produced much lower amount (32%) of tacrolimus quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. This analysis, using an optimised system, allowed the resolution of tacrolimus from ascomycin and other contaminant metabolites. Our results indicate that the Gbr protein regulates negatively the sporulation and positively the production of tacrolimus.

SabR enhances nikkomycin production via regulating the transcriptional level of sanG, a pathway-specific regulatory gene in Streptomyces ansochromogenes

BACKGROUND

sabR is a pleiotropic regulatory gene which has been shown to positively regulate the nikkomycin biosynthesis and negatively affect the sporulation of Streptomyces ansochromogenes. In this study, we investigate the mechanism of SabR on modulating nikkomycin production in Streptomyces ansochromogenes.

RESULTS

The transcription start point of sabR was determined by high-resolution S1 nuclease mapping and localized at the nucleotide T at position 37 bp upstream of the potential sabR translation start codon (GTG). Disruption of sabR enhanced its own transcription, but retarded the nikkomycin production. Over-expression of sabR enhanced nikkomycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces ansochromogenes. EMSA analysis showed that SabR bound to the upstream region of sanG, but it did not bind to the upstream region of its encoding gene (sabR), sanF and the intergenic region between sanN and sanO. DNase 1 footprinting assays showed that the SabR-binding site upstream of sanG was 5'-CTTTAAGTCACCTGGCTCATTCGCGTTCGCCCAGCT-3' which was designated as SARE. Deletion of SARE resulted in the delay of nikkomycin production that was similar to that of sabR disruption mutant.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that SabR modulated nikkomycin biosynthesis as an enhancer via interaction with the promoter region of sanG, and expanded our understanding about regulatory cascade in nikkomycin biosynthesis.

Insights into the biosynthesis of hormaomycin, an exceptionally complex bacterial signaling metabolite

Hormaomycin produced by Streptomyces griseoflavus is a structurally highly modified depsipeptide that contains several unique building blocks with cyclopropyl, nitro, and chlorine moieties. Within the genus Streptomyces, it acts as a bacterial hormone that induces morphological differentiation and the production of bioactive secondary metabolites. In addition, hormaomycin is an extremely potent narrow-spectrum antibiotic. In this study, we shed light on hormaomycin biosynthesis by a combination of feeding studies, isolation of the biosynthetic nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene cluster, and in vivo and in vitro functional analysis of enzymes. In addition, several nonnatural hormaomycin congeners were generated by feeding-induced metabolic rerouting. The NRPS contains numerous highly repetitive regions that suggest an evolutionary scenario for this unusual bacterial hormone, providing new opportunities for evolution-inspired metabolic engineering of novel nonribosomal peptides.

Convergent transcription in the butyrolactone regulon in Streptomyces coelicolor confers a bistable genetic switch for antibiotic biosynthesis

cis-encoded antisense RNAs (cis asRNA) have been reported to participate in gene expression regulation in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. Its presence in Streptomyces coelicolor has also been reported recently; however, its role has yet to be fully investigated. Using mathematical modeling we explore the role of cis asRNA produced as a result of convergent transcription in scbA-scbR genetic switch. scbA and scbR gene pair, encoding repressor–amplifier proteins respectively, mediates the synthesis of a signaling molecule, the γ-butyrolactone SCB1 and controls the onset of antibiotic production. Our model considers that transcriptional interference caused by convergent transcription of two opposing RNA polymerases results in fatal collision and transcriptional termination, which suppresses transcription efficiency. Additionally, convergent transcription causes sense and antisense interactions between complementary sequences from opposing strands, rendering the full length transcript inaccessible for translation. We evaluated the role of transcriptional interference and the antisense effect conferred by convergent transcription on the behavior of scbA-scbR system. Stability analysis showed that while transcriptional interference affects the system, it is asRNA that confers scbA-scbR system the characteristics of a bistable switch in response to the signaling molecule SCB1. With its critical role of regulating the onset of antibiotic synthesis the bistable behavior offers this two gene system the needed robustness to be a genetic switch. The convergent two gene system with potential of transcriptional interference is a frequent feature in various genomes. The possibility of asRNA regulation in other such gene-pairs is yet to be examined.

The regulation of the secondary metabolism of Streptomyces: new links and experimental advances

Streptomycetes and other actinobacteria are renowned as a rich source of natural products of clinical, agricultural and biotechnological value. They are being mined with renewed vigour, supported by genome sequencing efforts, which have revealed a coding capacity for secondary metabolites in vast excess of expectations that were based on the detection of antibiotic activities under standard laboratory conditions. Here we review what is known about the control of production of so-called secondary metabolites in streptomycetes, with an emphasis on examples where details of the underlying regulatory mechanisms are known. Intriguing links between nutritional regulators, primary and secondary metabolism and morphological development are discussed, and new data are included on the carbon control of development and antibiotic production, and on aspects of the regulation of the biosynthesis of microbial hormones. Given the tide of antibiotic resistance emerging in pathogens, this review is peppered with approaches that may expand the screening of streptomycetes for new antibiotics by awakening expression of cryptic antibiotic biosynthetic genes. New technologies are also described that have potential to greatly further our understanding of gene regulation in what is an area fertile for discovery and exploitation

A new family of quorum sensing pheromones synthesized using S-adenosylmethionine and Acyl-CoAs

It is now widely accepted that populations of bacterial cells often co-ordinate their behaviour via diffusible chemical signals. Many different signals have been documented, but they fall into a relatively small number of families. One such signal, CAI-1, from Vibrio cholerae consists of a substituted 13-carbon alkane. In this issue, Bassler and colleagues provide evidence that CAI-1 exemplifies an entirely new class of pheromones. They also show that one species of Vibrio synthesizes and detects just one such pheromone, while another species synthesizes and detects several. Bioinformatics and data from another group indicate that this new class of signals may be widespread among beta- and gamma-proteobacteria.

Characterization and manipulation of the pathway-specific late regulator AlpW reveals Streptomyces ambofaciens as a new producer of Kinamycins

The genome sequence of Streptomyces ambofaciens, a species known to produce the congocidine and spiramycin antibiotics, has revealed the presence of numerous gene clusters predicted to be involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Among them, the type II polyketide synthase-encoding alp cluster was shown to be responsible for the biosynthesis of a compound with antibacterial activity. Here, by means of a deregulation approach, we gained access to workable amounts of the antibiotics for structure elucidation. These compounds, previously designated as alpomycin, were shown to be known members of kinamycin family of antibiotics. Indeed, a mutant lacking AlpW, a member of the TetR regulator family, was shown to constitutively produce kinamycins. Comparative transcriptional analyses showed that expression of alpV, the essential regulator gene required for activation of the biosynthetic genes, is strongly maintained during the stationary growth phase in the alpW mutant, a stage at which alpV transcripts and thereby transcripts of the biosynthetic genes normally drop off. Recombinant AlpW displayed DNA binding activity toward specific motifs in the promoter region of its own gene and that of alpV and alpZ. These recognition sequences are also targets for AlpZ, the γ-butyrolactone-like receptor involved in the regulation of the alp cluster. However, unlike that of AlpZ, the AlpW DNA-binding ability seemed to be insensitive to the signaling molecules controlling antibiotic biosynthesis. Together, the results presented in this study reveal S. ambofaciens to be a new producer of kinamycins and AlpW to be a key late repressor of the cellular control of kinamycin biosynthesis.

Design principles of the bacterial quorum sensing gene networks

Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) has attracted much interest as the manifestation of collective behavior in prokaryotic organisms once considered strictly solitary. Significant amount of genetic, biochemical, and structural data which, has been accumulated in studies on QS in many species allows us to map properties of specific molecules and their interactions on the observed population-wide bacterial behavior. The present review attempts to give a systems biology perspective on the structure of genetic regulatory networks that control QS and considers functional implications of a variety of design principles that recur in the organization of these networks across species.

Regulation of the biosynthesis of the macrolide antibiotic spiramycin in Streptomyces ambofaciens

Streptomyces ambofaciens synthesizes the macrolide antibiotic spiramycin. The biosynthetic gene cluster for spiramycin has been characterized for S. ambofaciens. In addition to the regulatory gene srmR (srm22), previously identified (M. Geistlich et al., Mol. Microbiol. 6:2019-2029, 1992), three putative regulatory genes had been identified by sequence analysis. Gene expression analysis and gene inactivation experiments showed that only one of these three genes, srm40, plays a major role in the regulation of spiramycin biosynthesis. The disruption of srm22 or srm40 eliminated spiramycin production while their overexpression increased spiramycin production. Expression analysis was performed by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) for all the genes of the cluster in the wild-type strain and in the srm22 (srmR) and srm40 deletion mutants. The results from the expression analysis, together with the ones from the complementation experiments, indicated that Srm22 is required for srm40 expression, Srm40 being a pathway-specific activator that controls most, if not all, of the spiramycin biosynthetic genes.

A secondary metabolite acting as a signalling molecule controls Pseudomonas entomophila virulence

Pseudomonas entomophila is an entomopathogenic bacterium that is lethal to Drosophila melanogaster within 1-2 days of ingestion of high doses. Flies orally infected with P. entomophila rapidly succumb despite the induction of both local and systemic immune responses. Recent studies suggest that its virulence relies on its ability to cause irreversible damages to the intestinal epithelium, in contrast to what is observed with milder pathogenic bacteria such as Erwinia carotovora carotovora Ecc15 or Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. The GacS/GacA two-component system plays a key role in P. entomophila pathogenicity. Here, we report the identification of the pvf genes, whose products are involved in production of a secondary metabolite involved in P. entomophila virulence. A pvf mutant is impaired in its ability to persist within the gut, to trigger the fly immune responses and to inflict gut damages. The expression of several genes is affected in a pvf mutant, independently of the Gac system. Moreover, growing a pvf mutant in medium supplemented with supernatant extracts from either the wild-type strain or a gacA mutant restore its pathogenicity. Collectively, our results indicate that we identified genes involved in the synthesis of a signalling molecule that controls P. entomophila virulence independently from the Gac system.

Regulation of a novel gene cluster involved in secondary metabolite production in Streptomyces coelicolor

Antibiotic biosynthesis in the streptomycetes is a complex and highly regulated process. Here, we provide evidence for the contribution of a novel genetic locus to antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor. The overexpression of a gene cluster comprising four protein-encoding genes (abeABCD) and an antisense RNA-encoding gene (α-abeA) stimulated the production of the blue-pigmented metabolite actinorhodin on solid medium. Actinorhodin production also was enhanced by the overexpression of an adjacent gene (abeR) encoding a predicted Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory protein (SARP), while the deletion of this gene impaired actinorhodin production. We found the abe genes to be differentially regulated and controlled at multiple levels. Upstream of abeA was a promoter that directed the transcription of abeABCD at a low but constitutive level. The expression of abeBCD was, however, significantly upregulated at a time that coincided with the initiation of aerial development and the onset of secondary metabolism; this expression was activated by the binding of AbeR to four heptameric repeats upstream of a promoter within abeA. Expressed divergently to the abeBCD promoter was α-abeA, whose expression mirrored that of abeBCD but did not require activation by AbeR. Instead, α-abeA transcript levels were subject to negative control by the double-strand-specific RNase, RNase III.