Reductive microbial conversion of anthracycline antibiotics

CytA, a reductase in the cytorhodin biosynthesis pathway, inactivates anthracycline drugs in Streptomyces

Antibiotic-producing microorganism can develop strategies to deal with self-toxicity. Cytorhodins X and Y, cosmomycins A and B, and iremycin, are produced as final products from a marine-derived Streptomyces sp. SCSIO 1666. These C-7 reduced metabolites show reduced antimicrobial and comparable cytotoxic activities relative to their C-7 glycosylated counterparts. However, the biosynthetic mechanisms and relevant enzymes that drive C-7 reduction in cytorhodin biosynthesis have not yet been characterized. Here we report the discovery and characterization of a reductase, CytA, that mediates C-7 reduction of this anthracycline scaffold; CytA endows the producer Streptomyces sp. SCSIO 1666 with a means of protecting itself from the effects of its anthracycline products. Additionally, we identified cosmomycins C and D as two intermediates involved in cytorhodin biosynthesis and we also broadened the substrate specificity of CytA to clinically used anthracycline drugs.

Nonaqueous biocatalytic synthesis of new cytotoxic doxorubicin derivatives: exploiting unexpected differences in the regioselectivity of salt-activated and solubilized subtilisin

Two enzymes, Mucor javanicus lipase and subtilisin Carlsberg (SC), catalyzed the nonaqueous acylation of doxorubicin (DOX). Compared to the untreated enzyme the rate of DOX acylation at the C-14 position with vinyl butyrate in toluene was 25-fold higher by lipase ion-paired with Aerosol OT (AOT) and 5-fold higher by lipase activated by 98% (w/w) KCl co-lyophilization (3.21 and 0.67 mumol/min g-lipase, respectively, vs 0.13 mumol/min g-lipase). Particulate subtilisin Carlsberg (SC) was nearly incapable of DOX acylation, but ion-paired SC (AOT-SC) catalyzed acylation at a rate of 2.85 mumol/min g-protease. The M. javanicus formulations, AOT-SC, and SC exclusively acylated the C14 primary hydroxyl group of DOX. Co-lyophilization of SC with 98% (w/w) KCl expanded the enzyme's regiospecificity such that KCl-SC additionally acylated the C4' hydroxyl and C3' amine groups. The total rate of DOX conversion with KCl-SC was 56.7 mumol/min g-protease. The altered specificity of KCl-SC is a new property of the enzyme imparted by the salt activation, and represents the first report of unnatural regioselectivity exhibited by a salt-activated enzyme. Using AOT-SC catalysis, four unique selectively acylated DOX analogues were generated, and KCl-SC was used to prepare DOX derivatives acylated at the alternative sites. Cytotoxicities of select derivatives were evaluated against the MCF7 breast cancer cell line (DOX IC50 = 27 nM) and its multidrug-resistant sub-line, MCF7-ADR (DOX IC50 = 27 muM). The novel derivative 14-(2-thiophene acetate) DOX was relatively potent against both cell lines (IC50 of 65 nM and 8 muM, respectively) and the 14-(benzyl carbonate) DOX analogue was as potent as DOX against the MCF7 line (25 nM). Activated biocatalysts and their novel regioselectivity differences thus enabled single-step reaction pathways to an effective collection of doxorubicin analogues.

Compartmentation of enzymes interconverting aclacinomycins in Streptomyces species AM 33352

The enzymatic interconversion of the aclacinomycins A (I), Y (II), and B (III) by Streptomyces spec. AM 33352/S 182 producing these aklavinone glycosides was investigated. The enzymes converting I to II and III, as well as vice versa, are located within different compartments separated by the cytoplasmic membrane. Aclacinomycin A (I) is biotransformed to II and III by the cell-free mycelium extract while the entire mycelium carries out the same type of conversion towards the opposite direction. Changes of enzyme activity are correlated to alterations in the ratio of aklavinone glycosides throughout the fermentation. A hypothesis is developed concerning the role of compartmentized oxidoreductase(s) in the passive flux of I from inside the cells to outside.

Inhibitors of the cleavage of aclacinomycins

The reductive cleavage of the aclacinomycins A (I), Y (II), and B (III) by intact mycelia or subcellular fractions of the producer strain S. spec. AM 33352/F43 is suppressed in the presence of uncouplers, complex-forming agents, detergents, and some metal anions such as chromate. Increased concentration of the latter in complete cultures caused rearrangement of I to III.

Anthracycline antitumour agents. A review of physicochemical, analytical and stability properties

A review of physicochemical and analytical properties of anthracycline antitumour agents is presented. The following subjects are discussed: protolytic equilibria, partition and partition coefficients, self-association, adsorptive properties, metal complexation, spectroscopy and chromatography. Furthermore, the stability of anthracyclines in solutions, in pharmaceutical preparations and in biological media is discussed.

On the mechanism of reductive activation in the mode of action of some anticancer drugs

Bioactivation of a number of DNA-specific antitumor drugs depends on oxidoreduction. Bleomycin, neocarzinostatin and anthracycline glycosides are the best known among such drugs in terms of reductive activation processes. Their reduction results in short-lived radical or electrophilic intermediates attacking DNA stereospecifically. The physico-chemical properties of these drugs and the nature of DNA damage are reviewed. Models for DNA-intercalation, electron-donor systems involved in drug metabolisation, and the role of oxygen in radical reactions, are discussed in the light of recent reports.

Anthracyclic products from Streptomyces erythromogenes nov. sp. Biotransformation of daunomycin (Dn) by an acellular preparation and synergism between Dn and some known antibiotics

The filtrate broth as well as mycelium of the new strain Streptomyces erythrochromogenes nov. sp. isolated from Saudi Arabian soil, produce the antitumor antibiotic daunomycin 1 and two anthracyclic derivatives: 7-deoxy 13-dihydrodaunomycinone 2 and 7-deoxy daunomycinone 4. The biotransformation of 1 to 2 and 4 by an acellular enzyme preparation from the strain was found to be NADPH and/or NADH dependent. Mixtures of daunomycin 1 with chloramphenicol or penicillin showed superior antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis ICC strain, than the individual antibiotics.

Effect of aeration efficiency and carbon source on the production of anthracyclines in Streptomyces galilaeus

Biosynthesis of anthracyclines in Streptomyces galilaeus during submerged cultivation is considerably influenced by aeration and by the concentration of glucose in the medium. At higher values of oxygen absorption rate both the production of epsilon-pyrromycinone glycosides in the wild strain JA 3043 and its production mutant G-167 and accumulation of free epsilon-pyrromycinone in the blocked mutant G-162 were found to be higher; the production of 7-deoxyaglycones was lower in all strains. The studied strains differed in the rate of glucose consumption and in the ability to utilize starch for the biosynthesis of anthracyclines. A two-fold concentration of glucose in the medium resulted in the G-162 strain in an increase of the yield of epsilon-pyrromycinone by 120%. The production of glycosides in strain G-167 increased even after exhaustion of glucose from the medium and the amount of 7-deoxyaglycones simultaneously decreased.

Biotransformations of anthracyclinones in Streptomyces coeruleorubidus and Streptomyces galilaeus

The ability to transorm biologically exogenous daunomycinone, 13-dihydrodaunomycinone, aklavinone, 7-deoxyaklavinone, epsilon-rhodomycinone, epsilon-isorhodomycinone and epsilon-pyrromycinone was studied in submerged cultures of the following strains: wild Streptomyces coeruleorubidus JA 10092 (W1) and its improved variants 39-146 and 84-17 (type P1) producing glycosides of daunomycinone and of 13-dihydrodaunomycinone, together with epsilon-rhodomycinone, 13-dihydrodaunomycinone and 7-deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone; in five mutant types of S. coeruleorubidus (A, B, C, D, E) blocked in the biosynthesis of glycosides and differing in the production of free anthracyclinones; in the wild Streptomyces galilaeus JA 3043 (W2) and its improved variant G-167 (P2) producing glycosides of epsilon-pyrromycinone and of aklavinone together with 7-deoxy and bisanhydro derivatives of both aglycones; in two mutant types S. galilaeus (F and G) blocked in biosynthesis of glycosides and differing in the occurrence of anthracyclinones. The following bioconversions were observed: daunomycinone leads to 13-dihydrodaunomycinone and 7-deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone (all strains); 13-dihydrodaunomycinone leads to 7-deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone (all strains); daunomycinone or 13-dihydrodaunomycinone leads to glycosides of daunomycinone and of 13-dihydrodaunomycinone, identical with metabolites W1 and P1 (type A), or only a single glycoside of daunomycinone (type E); aklavinone leads to epsilon-rhodomycinone (types A and B); aklaviinone leads to 7-deoxyaklavinone and bisanhydroaklavinone (type C); epsilon-rhodomycinone leads to zeta-rhodomycinone (types C, E); epsilon-rhodomycinone leads to glycosides of epsilon-rhodomycinone (types W2, P2); epsilon-isorhodomycinone leads to glycosides of epsilon-isorhodomycinone (types W2, P2); epsilon-pyrromycinone leads to a glycoside of epsilon-pyrromycinone (types W1, P1). 7-Deoxyaklavinone remained intact in all tests. Exogenous daunomycinone suppressed the biosynthesis of its own glycosides in W1 and P1; it simultaneously increased the production of epsilon-rhodomycinone in P1.

7-Deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone in cultures of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus

7-Deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone was isolated from three strains of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus. Its production was found to rise at the end of cultivation and to be stimulated by lowered aeration intensity.

Antitumor antibiotic bioactivation, biotransformation and derivatization by microbial systems

Microbial transformations refer to reactions catalyzed by microbial enzymes, especially when specific and useful metabolites accumulate in fermentation media. These transformations have tremendous potential for use in the development of new antitumor drugs and these can also be used as models of mammalial metabolism. Microbial transformation experiments with antibiotics such as bleomycin, anthracyclines and with a variety of plant products are described.