Characterization of a mitomycin-binding drug resistance mechanism from the producing organism, Streptomyces lavendulae

Protein aggregation: A detrimental symptom or an adaptation mechanism?

Protein quality control mechanisms oversee numerous aspects of protein lifetime. From the point of protein synthesis, protein homeostasis machineries take part in folding, solubilization, and/or degradation of impaired proteins. Some proteins follow an alternative path upon loss of their solubility, thus are secluded from the cytosol and form protein aggregates. Protein aggregates differ in their function and composition, rendering protein aggregation a complex phenomenon that continues to receive plenty of attention in the scientific and medical communities. Traditionally, protein aggregates have been associated with aging and a large spectrum of protein folding diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, or cataract. However, a body of evidence suggests that they may act as an adaptive mechanism to overcome transient stressful conditions, serving as a sink for the removal of misfolded proteins from the cytosol or storage compartments for machineries required upon stress release. In this review, we present examples and evidence elaborating different possible roles of protein aggregation and discuss their potential roles in stress survival, aging, and disease, as well as possible anti-aggregation interventions.

Unravelling the mechanisms of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance co-selection in environmental bacteria

The co-selective pressure of heavy metals is a contributor to the dissemination and persistence of antibiotic resistance genes in environmental reservoirs. The overlapping range of antibiotic and metal contamination and similarities in their resistance mechanisms point to an intertwined evolutionary history. Metal resistance genes are known to be genetically linked to antibiotic resistance genes, with plasmids, transposons, and integrons involved in the assembly and horizontal transfer of the resistance elements. Models of co-selection between metals and antibiotics have been proposed, however, the molecular aspects of these phenomena are in many cases not defined or quantified and the importance of specific metals, environments, bacterial taxa, mobile genetic elements, and other abiotic or biotic conditions are not clear. Co-resistance is often suggested as a dominant mechanism, but interpretations are beset with correlational bias. Proof of principle examples of cross-resistance and co-regulation has been described but more in-depth characterizations are needed, using methodologies that confirm the functional expression of resistance genes and that connect genes with specific bacterial hosts. Here, we comprehensively evaluate the recent evidence for different models of co-selection from pure culture and metagenomic studies in environmental contexts and we highlight outstanding questions.

A Secreted BBE-Like Enzyme Acting as a Drug-Binding Efflux Carrier Confers Microbial Self-Resistance to Mitomycin C

The berberine bridge enzyme (BBE)-like flavoproteins have attracted continuous attention for their capability to catalyze various oxidative reactions. Here we demonstrate that MitR, a secreted BBE-like enzyme, functions as a special drug-binding efflux protein evolved from quinone reductase. Moreover, this protein provides self-resistance to its hosts toward the DNA-alkylating agent mitomycin C with a distinctive strategy, featured by independently performing drug binding and efflux.

Identification of a novel structure-specific endonuclease AziN that contributes to the repair of azinomycin B-mediated DNA interstrand crosslinks

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) induced by the highly genotoxic agent azinomycin B (AZB) can cause severe perturbation of DNA structure and even cell death. However, Streptomyces sahachiroi, the strain that produces AZB, seems almost impervious to this danger because of its diverse and distinctive self-protection machineries. Here, we report the identification of a novel endonuclease-like gene aziN that contributes to drug self-protection in S. sahachiroi. AziN expression conferred AZB resistance on native and heterologous host strains. The specific binding reaction between AziN and AZB was also verified in accordance with its homology to drug binding proteins, but no drug sequestering and deactivating effects could be detected. Intriguingly, due to the high affinity with the drug, AziN was discovered to exhibit specific recognition and binding capacity with AZB-mediated ICL structures, further inducing DNA strand breakage. Subsequent in vitro assays demonstrated the structure-specific endonuclease activity of AziN, which cuts both damaged strands at specific sites around AZB-ICLs. Unravelling the nuclease activity of AziN provides a good entrance point to illuminate the complex mechanisms of AZB-ICL repair.

Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms in Antibiotic-Producing and Pathogenic Bacteria

Antibiotic resistance poses a tremendous threat to human health. To overcome this problem, it is essential to know the mechanism of antibiotic resistance in antibiotic-producing and pathogenic bacteria. This paper deals with this problem from four points of view. First, the antibiotic resistance genes in producers are discussed related to their biosynthesis. Most resistance genes are present within the biosynthetic gene clusters, but some genes such as paromomycin acetyltransferases are located far outside the gene cluster. Second, when the antibiotic resistance genes in pathogens are compared with those in the producers, resistance mechanisms have dependency on antibiotic classes, and, in addition, new types of resistance mechanisms such as Eis aminoglycoside acetyltransferase and self-sacrifice proteins in enediyne antibiotics emerge in pathogens. Third, the relationships of the resistance genes between producers and pathogens are reevaluated at their amino acid sequence as well as nucleotide sequence levels. Pathogenic bacteria possess other resistance mechanisms than those in antibiotic producers. In addition, resistance mechanisms are little different between early stage of antibiotic use and the present time, e.g., β-lactam resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Lastly, guanine + cytosine (GC) barrier in gene transfer to pathogenic bacteria is considered. Now, the resistance genes constitute resistome composed of complicated mixture from divergent environments.

Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms in Bacteria: Relationships Between Resistance Determinants of Antibiotic Producers, Environmental Bacteria, and Clinical Pathogens

Emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria poses a serious public health challenge worldwide. However, antibiotic resistance genes are not confined to the clinic; instead they are widely prevalent in different bacterial populations in the environment. Therefore, to understand development of antibiotic resistance in pathogens, we need to consider important reservoirs of resistance genes, which may include determinants that confer self-resistance in antibiotic producing soil bacteria and genes encoding intrinsic resistance mechanisms present in all or most non-producer environmental bacteria. While the presence of resistance determinants in soil and environmental bacteria does not pose a threat to human health, their mobilization to new hosts and their expression under different contexts, for example their transfer to plasmids and integrons in pathogenic bacteria, can translate into a problem of huge proportions, as discussed in this review. Selective pressure brought about by human activities further results in enrichment of such determinants in bacterial populations. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand distribution of resistance determinants in bacterial populations, elucidate resistance mechanisms, and determine environmental factors that promote their dissemination. This comprehensive review describes the major known self-resistance mechanisms found in producer soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces and explores the relationships between resistance determinants found in producer soil bacteria, non-producer environmental bacteria, and clinical isolates. Specific examples highlighting potential pathways by which pathogenic clinical isolates might acquire these resistance determinants from soil and environmental bacteria are also discussed. Overall, this article provides a conceptual framework for understanding the complexity of the problem of emergence of antibiotic resistance in the clinic. Availability of such knowledge will allow researchers to build models for dissemination of resistance genes and for developing interventions to prevent recruitment of additional or novel genes into pathogens.

Comparison of Strategies to Overcome Drug Resistance: Learning from Various Kingdoms

Drug resistance, especially antibiotic resistance, is a growing threat to human health. To overcome this problem, it is significant to know precisely the mechanisms of drug resistance and/or self-resistance in various kingdoms, from bacteria through plants to animals, once more. This review compares the molecular mechanisms of the resistance against phycotoxins, toxins from marine and terrestrial animals, plants and fungi, and antibiotics. The results reveal that each kingdom possesses the characteristic features. The main mechanisms in each kingdom are transporters/efflux pumps in phycotoxins, mutation and modification of targets and sequestration in marine and terrestrial animal toxins, ABC transporters and sequestration in plant toxins, transporters in fungal toxins, and various or mixed mechanisms in antibiotics. Antibiotic producers in particular make tremendous efforts for avoiding suicide, and are more flexible and adaptable to the changes of environments. With these features in mind, potential alternative strategies to overcome these resistance problems are discussed. This paper will provide clues for solving the issues of drug resistance.

Self-resistance mechanisms to DNA-damaging antitumor antibiotics in actinobacteria

Streptomyces and few other Actinobacteria naturally produce compounds currently used in chemotherapy for being cytotoxic against various types of tumor cells by damaging the DNA structure and/or inhibiting DNA functions. DNA-damaging antitumor antibiotics belong to different classes of natural compounds that are structurally unrelated such as anthracyclines, bleomycins, enediynes, mitomycins, and prodiginines. By targeting a ubiquitous molecule and housekeeping functions, these compounds are also cytotoxic to their producer. How DNA-damaging antitumor antibiotics producing actinobacteria avoid suicide is the theme of the current review which illustrates the different strategies developed for self-resistance such as toxin sequestration, efflux, modification, destruction, target repair/protection, or stochastic activity. Finally, the observed spatio-temporal correlation between cell death, morphogenesis, and prodiginine production in S. coelicolor suggests a new physiological role for these molecules, that, together with their self-resistance mechanisms, would function as new types of toxin-antitoxin systems recruited in programmed cell death processes of the producer.

Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms in Bacteria: Relationships Between Resistance Determinants of Antibiotic Producers, Environmental Bacteria, and Clinical Pathogens

Emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria poses a serious public health challenge worldwide. However, antibiotic resistance genes are not confined to the clinic; instead they are widely prevalent in different bacterial populations in the environment. Therefore, to understand development of antibiotic resistance in pathogens, we need to consider important reservoirs of resistance genes, which may include determinants that confer self-resistance in antibiotic producing soil bacteria and genes encoding intrinsic resistance mechanisms present in all or most non-producer environmental bacteria. While the presence of resistance determinants in soil and environmental bacteria does not pose a threat to human health, their mobilization to new hosts and their expression under different contexts, for example their transfer to plasmids and integrons in pathogenic bacteria, can translate into a problem of huge proportions, as discussed in this review. Selective pressure brought about by human activities further results in enrichment of such determinants in bacterial populations. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand distribution of resistance determinants in bacterial populations, elucidate resistance mechanisms, and determine environmental factors that promote their dissemination. This comprehensive review describes the major known self-resistance mechanisms found in producer soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces and explores the relationships between resistance determinants found in producer soil bacteria, non-producer environmental bacteria, and clinical isolates. Specific examples highlighting potential pathways by which pathogenic clinical isolates might acquire these resistance determinants from soil and environmental bacteria are also discussed. Overall, this article provides a conceptual framework for understanding the complexity of the problem of emergence of antibiotic resistance in the clinic. Availability of such knowledge will allow researchers to build models for dissemination of resistance genes and for developing interventions to prevent recruitment of additional or novel genes into pathogens.

Engineered production of cancer targeting peptide (CTP)-containing C-1027 in Streptomyces globisporus and biological evaluation

Conjugation of cancer targeting peptides (CTPs) with small molecular therapeutics has emerged as a promising strategy to deliver potent (but typically nonspecific) cytotoxic agents selectively to cancer cells. Here we report the engineered production of a CTP (NGR)-containing C-1027 and evaluation of its activity against selected cancer cell lines. C-1027 is an enediyne chromoprotein produced by Streptomyces globisporus, consisting of an apo-protein (CagA) and an enediyne chromophore (C-1027). NGR is a CTP that targets CD13 in tumor vasculature. S. globisporus SB1026, a recombinant strain engineered to encode CagA with the NGR sequence fused at its C-terminus, directly produces the NGR-containing C-1027 that is equally active as the native C-1027. Our results demonstrate the feasibility to produce CTP-containing enediyne chromoproteins by metabolic pathway engineering and microbial fermentation and will inspire efforts to engineer other CTP-containing drug binding proteins for targeted delivery.

Escherichia coli ClbS is a colibactin resistance protein

The genomic pks island codes for the biosynthetic machinery that produces colibactin, a peptide-polyketide metabolite. Colibactin is a genotoxin that contributes to the virulence of extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli and promotes colorectal cancer. In this work, we examined whether the pks-encoded clbS gene of unknown function could participate in the self-protection of E. coli-producing colibactin. A clbS mutant was not impaired in the ability to inflict DNA damage in HeLa cells, but the bacteria activated the SOS response and ceased to replicate. This autotoxicity phenotype was markedly enhanced in a clbS uvrB double mutant inactivated for DNA repair by nucleotide excision but was suppressed in a clbS clbA double mutant unable to produce colibactin. In addition, ectopic expression of clbS protected infected HeLa cells from colibactin. Thus, ClbS is a resistance protein blocking the genotoxicity of colibactin both in the procaryotic and the eucaryotic cells.

Characterization of a novel DNA glycosylase from S. sahachiroi involved in the reduction and repair of azinomycin B induced DNA damage

Azinomycin B is a hybrid polyketide/nonribosomal peptide natural product and possesses antitumor activity by interacting covalently with duplex DNA and inducing interstrand crosslinks. In the biosynthetic study of azinomycin B, a gene (orf1) adjacent to the azinomycin B gene cluster was found to be essential for the survival of the producer, Streptomyces sahachiroi ATCC33158. Sequence analyses revealed that Orf1 belongs to the HTH_42 superfamily of conserved bacterial proteins which are widely distributed in pathogenic and antibiotic-producing bacteria with unknown functions. The protein exhibits a protective effect against azinomycin B when heterologously expressed in azinomycin-sensitive strains. EMSA assays showed its sequence nonspecific binding to DNA and structure-specific binding to azinomycin B-adducted sites, and ChIP assays revealed extensive association of Orf1 with chromatin in vivo. Interestingly, Orf1 not only protects target sites by protein–DNA interaction but is also capable of repairing azinomycin B-mediated DNA cross-linking. It possesses the DNA glycosylase-like activity and specifically repairs DNA damage induced by azinomycin B through removal of both adducted nitrogenous bases in the cross-link. This bifunctional protein massively binds to genomic DNA to reduce drug attack risk as a novel DNA binding protein and triggers the base excision repair system as a novel DNA glycosylase.

Structural biological study of self-resistance determinants in antibiotic-producing actinomycetes

As antibiotics act to inhibit the growth of bacteria, the drugs are useful for treating bacterial infectious diseases. However, microorganisms that produce antibiotics must be protected from the lethal effect of their own antibiotic product. In this review, the fruit of our group's current research on self-protection mechanisms of Streptomyces producing antibiotics that inhibit DNA, protein and bacterial cell wall syntheses will be described.

Biophysical characterization of in vitro bound Streptomyces peucetius daunorubicin-serine protease complex

A serine protease of Streptomyces peucetius is found in association with daunorubicin in the culture filtrate and co-purifies as a complex as reported earlier by us (Dubey et al., 2013). The same protease was purified without drug attachment from dpsA(-) mutant of S. peucetius, which does not produce daunorubicin. Drug-protein complex was made in vitro by mixing daunorubicin and the protease. Spectral analysis and circular dichroism (CD) analysis were employed to determine the interaction between daunorubicin and the protease. Our study showed that interaction of daunorubicin with the protease affects the spectral characteristics of the drug and changes the secondary structure of the protein. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis showed that the drug-protein interaction results in partial conversion of the drug to aglyconic form. The complex formation implies sequestration of the drug when it attains potentially lethal level in the extracellular milieu of S. peucetius culture.

Molecular insights on the biosynthesis of antitumour compounds by actinomycetes

Natural products are traditionally the main source of drug leads. In particular, many antitumour compounds are either natural products or derived from them. However, the search for novel antitumour drugs active against untreatable tumours, with fewer side-effects or with enhanced therapeutic efficiency, is a priority goal in cancer chemotherapy. Microorganisms, particularly actinomycetes, are prolific producers of bioactive compounds, including antitumour drugs, produced as secondary metabolites. Structural genes involved in the biosynthesis of such compounds are normally clustered together with resistance and regulatory genes, which facilitates the isolation of the gene cluster. The characterization of these clusters has represented, during the last 25 years, a great source of genes for the generation of novel derivatives by using combinatorial biosynthesis approaches: gene inactivation, gene expression, heterologous expression of the clusters or mutasynthesis. In addition, these techniques have been also applied to improve the production yields of natural and novel antitumour compounds. In this review we focus on some representative antitumour compounds produced by actinomycetes covering the genetic approaches used to isolate and validate their biosynthesis gene clusters, which finally led to generating novel derivatives and to improving the production yields.

Expression of the Streptomyces coelicolor SoxR regulon is intimately linked with actinorhodin production

The [2Fe-2S]-containing transcription factor SoxR is conserved in diverse bacteria. SoxR is traditionally known as the regulator of a global oxidative stress response in Escherichia coli, but recent studies suggest that this function may be restricted to enteric bacteria. In the vast majority of nonenterics, SoxR is predicted to mediate a response to endogenously produced redox-active metabolites. We have examined the regulation and function of the SoxR regulon in the model antibiotic-producing filamentous bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor. Unlike the E. coli soxR deletion mutant, the S. coelicolor equivalent is not hypersensitive to oxidants, indicating that SoxR does not potentiate antioxidant defense in the latter. SoxR regulates five genes in S. coelicolor, including those encoding a putative ABC transporter, two oxidoreductases, a monooxygenase, and a possible NAD-dependent epimerase/dehydratase. Expression of these genes depends on the production of the benzochromanequinone antibiotic actinorhodin and requires intact [2Fe-2S] clusters in SoxR. These data indicate that actinorhodin, or a redox-active precursor, modulates SoxR activity in S. coelicolor to stimulate the production of a membrane transporter and proteins with homology to actinorhodin-tailoring enzymes. While the role of SoxR in S. coelicolor remains under investigation, these studies support the notion that SoxR has been adapted to perform distinct physiological functions to serve the needs of organisms that occupy different ecological niches and face different environmental challenges.

Avoidance of suicide in antibiotic-producing microbes

Many microbes synthesize potentially autotoxic antibiotics, mainly as secondary metabolites, against which they need to protect themselves. This is done in various ways, ranging from target-based strategies (i.e. modification of normal drug receptors or de novo synthesis of the latter in drug-resistant form) to the adoption of metabolic shielding and/or efflux strategies that prevent drug-target interactions. These self-defence mechanisms have been studied most intensively in antibiotic-producing prokaryotes, of which the most prolific are the actinomycetes. Only a few documented examples pertain to lower eukaryotes while higher organisms have hardly been addressed in this context. Thus, many plant alkaloids, variously described as herbivore repellents or nitrogen excretion devices, are truly antibiotics-even if toxic to humans. As just one example, bulbs of Narcissus spp. (including the King Alfred daffodil) accumulate narciclasine that binds to the larger subunit of the eukaryotic ribosome and inhibits peptide bond formation. However, ribosomes in the Amaryllidaceae have not been tested for possible resistance to narciclasine and other alkaloids. Clearly, the prevalence of suicide avoidance is likely to extend well beyond the remit of the present article.

Growth of Arthrobacter sp. strain JBH1 on nitroglycerin as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen

Arthrobacter sp. strain JBH1 was isolated from nitroglycerin-contaminated soil by selective enrichment. Detection of transient intermediates and simultaneous adaptation studies with potential intermediates indicated that the degradation pathway involves the conversion of nitroglycerin to glycerol via 1,2-dinitroglycerin and 1-mononitroglycerin, with concomitant release of nitrite. Glycerol then serves as the source of carbon and energy.

Antitumor compounds from actinomycetes: from gene clusters to new derivatives by combinatorial biosynthesis

Covering: up to October 2008. Antitumor compounds produced by actinomycetes and novel derivatives generated by combinatorial biosynthesis are reviewed (with 318 references cited.) The different structural groups for which the relevant gene clusters have been isolated and characterized are reviewed, with a description of the strategies used for the generation of the novel derivatives and the activities of these compounds against tumor cell lines.

Hydroxyquinone O-Methylation in Mitomycin Biosynthesis

Mitomycins are bioreductively activated DNA-alkylating agents. One member of this family, mitomycin C, is in clinical use as part of combination therapy for certain solid tumors. The cytotoxicity displayed by mitomycins is dependent on their electrochemical potential which, in turn, is governed in part by the substituents of the quinone moiety. In this paper we describe studies on the biogenesis of the quinone methoxy group present in mitomycins A and B. An engineered Streptomyces lavendulae strain in which the mmcR methyltransferase gene had been deleted failed to produce the three mitomycins (A, B, and C) that are typically isolated from the wild type organism. Analysis of the culture extracts from the mmcR-deletion mutant strain revealed that two new metabolites, 7-demethylmitomycin A and 7-demethylmitomycin B, had accumulated instead. Production of mitomycins A and C or mitomycin B was selectively restored upon supplementing the culture medium of a S. lavendulae strain unable to produce the key precursor 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoate with either 7-demethylmitomycin A or 7-demethylmitomycin B, respectively. MmcR methyltransferase obtained by cloning and overexpression of the corresponding mmcR gene was shown to catalyze the 7-O-methylation of both C9beta- and C9alpha-configured 7-hydroxymitomycins in vitro. This study provides direct evidence for the catalytic role of MmcR in formation of the 7-OMe group that is characteristic of mitomycins A and B and demonstrates the prerequisite of 7-O-methylation for the production of the clinical agent mitomycin C.

The mitomycin C (MMC)-binding protein from MMC-producing microorganisms protects from the lethal effect of bleomycin: crystallographic analysis to elucidate the binding mode of the antibiotic to the protein

Antibiotic-producing microorganisms must be protected from the lethal effect of their own antibiotic. We have previously determined the X-ray crystal structure of the bleomycin (Bm)-binding protein, designated BLMA, as a self-resistance determinant from Bm-producing Streptomyces verticillus, which suggests that the binding of the first Bm to one of two pockets formed in the BLMA homodimer induces the cooperative binding of the second Bm to the other pocket. In the present study, we noticed that the X-ray crystallographic structure of a self-resistance determinant from a mitomycin C-producing microorganism, designated MRDP, reveals similarity to the folding pattern on the BLMA, although no sequence homology exists. To clarify the hypothesis that MRDP may function as a resistance determinant to Bm, we characterized and determined the crystal structure of MRDP complexed with the Cu(II)-bound form of BmA(2) grouped into the Bm family of antibiotics. The biochemical and structural studies for Bm binding provide evidence that the first Bm binds anti-cooperatively to a pocket of MRDP with binding affinity of the nanomolar order, whereas the second Bm binds to the other pocket, which has binding affinity of the micromolar order. The invisibility of the second Bm in the structure agrees with the observation that Escherichia coli-expressing MRDP displays lower resistance to Bm than that expressing BLMA. The structure of MRDP, which is complexed with the Cu(II)-bound BmA(2), revealed that the gamma-aminopropyldimethylsulphonium moiety of the antibiotic is sandwiched between the peripheral residues of the binding pocket and that its positively charged sulphonium head is accommodated completely in the negatively charged region of the MRDP pocket. Furthermore, the Cu(II)-bound BmA(2) has a very compact structure, in which the bithiazole ring of BmA(2) is folded back to the metal-binding domain.

A novel extracellular protein of Streptomyces peucetius binds to daunorubicin but does not inhibit the bioactivity of the antibiotic

Extracellular proteins of Streptomyces peucetius that bind to a red pigment were identified during the course of isolation of mutants defective in daunorubicin production. Two pigment-protein complexes were partially purified and this complex inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis. Routine solvent extraction could not separate the pigment from purified pigment-protein complex. Treatment with 2% SDS at 100 degrees C followed by solvent extraction also failed to separate the protein from the pigment. However, the pigment could be separated from the purified pigment-protein complex by heating it in 0.1M HCl at 100 degrees C followed by solvent extraction. The pigment extracted from the complex was analyzed by HPLC and found to be daunorubicin.

Molecular basis of mitomycin C resistance in streptomyces: structure and function of the MRD protein

Mitomycin C (MC) is a potent anticancer agent. Streptomyces lavendulae, which produces MC, protects itself from the lethal effects of the drug by expressing several resistance proteins. One of them (MRD) binds MC and functions as a drug exporter. We report the crystal structure of MRD and its complex with an MC metabolite, 1,2-cis-1-hydroxy-2,7-diaminomitosene, at 1.5 A resolution. The drug is sandwiched by pi-stacking interactions of His-38 and Trp-108. MRD is a dimer. The betaalphabetabetabeta fold of the MRD molecule is reminiscent of methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase, bleomycin resistance proteins, glyoxalase I, and extradiol dioxygenases. The location of the binding site is identical to the ones in evolutionarily related enzymes, suggesting that the protein may have been recruited from a different metabolic pathway.

Characterization of a quinone reductase activity for the mitomycin C binding protein (MRD): Functional switching from a drug-activating enzyme to a drug-binding protein

Self-protection in the mitomycin C (MC)-producing microorganism Streptomyces lavendulae includes MRD, a protein that binds MC in the presence of NADH and functions as a component of a unique drug binding-export system. Characterization of MRD revealed that it reductively transforms MC into 1,2-cis-1-hydroxy-2,7-diaminomitosene, a compound that is produced in the reductive MC activation cascade. However, the reductive reaction catalyzed by native MRD is slow, and both MC and the reduced product are bound to MRD for a relatively prolonged period. Gene shuffling experiments generated a mutant protein (MRD(E55G)) that conferred a 2-fold increase in MC resistance when expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified MRD(E55G) reduces MC twice as fast as native MRD, generating three compounds that are identical to those produced in the reductive activation of MC. Detailed amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the region around E55 in MRD strongly resembles the second active site of prokaryotic catalase-peroxidases. However, native MRD has an aspartic acid (D52) and a glutamic acid (E55) residue at the positions corresponding to the catalytic histidine and a nearby glycine residue in the catalase-peroxidases. Mutational analysis demonstrated that MRD(D52H) and MRD(D52H/E55G) conferred only marginal resistance to MC in E. coli. These findings suggest that MRD has descended from a previously unidentified quinone reductase, and mutations at the active site of MRD have greatly attenuated its catalytic activity while preserving substrate-binding capability. This presumed evolutionary process might have switched MRD from a potential drug-activating enzyme into the drug-binding component of the MC export system.

Characterization of a quinone reductase activity for the mitomycin C binding protein (MRD): Functional switching from a drug-activating enzyme to a drug-binding protein

Self-protection in the mitomycin C (MC)-producing microorganism Streptomyces lavendulae includes MRD, a protein that binds MC in the presence of NADH and functions as a component of a unique drug binding-export system. Characterization of MRD revealed that it reductively transforms MC into 1,2-cis-1-hydroxy-2,7-diaminomitosene, a compound that is produced in the reductive MC activation cascade. However, the reductive reaction catalyzed by native MRD is slow, and both MC and the reduced product are bound to MRD for a relatively prolonged period. Gene shuffling experiments generated a mutant protein (MRD(E55G)) that conferred a 2-fold increase in MC resistance when expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified MRD(E55G) reduces MC twice as fast as native MRD, generating three compounds that are identical to those produced in the reductive activation of MC. Detailed amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the region around E55 in MRD strongly resembles the second active site of prokaryotic catalase-peroxidases. However, native MRD has an aspartic acid (D52) and a glutamic acid (E55) residue at the positions corresponding to the catalytic histidine and a nearby glycine residue in the catalase-peroxidases. Mutational analysis demonstrated that MRD(D52H) and MRD(D52H/E55G) conferred only marginal resistance to MC in E. coli. These findings suggest that MRD has descended from a previously unidentified quinone reductase, and mutations at the active site of MRD have greatly attenuated its catalytic activity while preserving substrate-binding capability. This presumed evolutionary process might have switched MRD from a potential drug-activating enzyme into the drug-binding component of the MC export system.

Natural antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from larvae of the oil fly, Helaeomyia petrolei

Helaeomyia petrolei (oil fly) larvae inhabit the asphalt seeps of Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles, Calif. The culturable microbial gut contents of larvae collected from the viscous oil were recently examined, and the majority (9 of 14) of the strains were identified as Providencia spp. Subsequently, 12 of the bacterial strains isolated were tested for their resistance or sensitivity to 23 commonly used antibiotics. All nine strains classified as Providencia rettgeri exhibited dramatic resistance to tetracycline, vancomycin, bacitracin, erythromycin, novobiocin, polymyxin, colistin, and nitrofurantoin. Eight of nine Providencia strains showed resistance to spectinomycin, six of nine showed resistance to chloramphenicol, and five of nine showed resistance to neomycin. All 12 isolates were sensitive to nalidixic acid, streptomycin, norfloxacin, aztreonam, cipericillin, pipericillin, and cefotaxime, and all but OF008 (Morganella morganii) were sensitive to ampicillin and cefoxitin. The oil fly bacteria were not resistant to multiple antibiotics due to an elevated mutation rate. For each bacterium, the number of resistant mutants per 10(8) cells was determined separately on rifampin, nalidixic acid, and spectinomycin. In each case, the average frequencies of resistant colonies were at least 50-fold lower than those established for known mutator strain ECOR 48. In addition, the oil fly bacteria do not appear to excrete antimicrobial agents. When tested, none of the oil fly bacteria produced detectable zones of inhibition on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, or Candida albicans cultures. Furthermore, the resistance properties of oil fly bacteria extended to organic solvents as well as antibiotics. When pre-exposed to 20 microg of tetracycline per ml, seven of nine oil fly bacteria tolerated overlays of 100% cyclohexane, six of nine tolerated 10% xylene, benzene, or toluene (10:90 in cyclohexane), and three of nine (OF007, OF010, and OF011) tolerated overlays of 50% xylene-50% cyclohexane. The observed correlation between antibiotic resistance and organic solvent tolerance is likely explained by an active efflux pump that is maintained in oil fly bacteria by the constant selective pressure of La Brea's solvent-rich environment. We suggest that the oil fly bacteria and their genes for solvent tolerance may provide a microbial reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes.

Genetic localization and molecular characterization of two key genes (mitAB) required for biosynthesis of the antitumor antibiotic mitomycin C

Mitomycin C (MC) is an antitumor antibiotic derived biosynthetically from 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA), D-glucosamine, and carbamoyl phosphate. A gene (mitA) involved in synthesis of AHBA has been identified and found to be linked to the MC resistance locus, mrd, in Streptomyces lavendulae. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that mitA encodes a 388-amino-acid protein that has 71% identity (80% similarity) with the rifamycin AHBA synthase from Amycolatopsis mediterranei, as well as with two additional AHBA synthases from related ansamycin antibiotic-producing microorganisms. Gene disruption and site-directed mutagenesis of the S. lavendulae chromosomal copy of mitA completely blocked the production of MC. The function of mitA was confirmed by complementation of an S. lavendulae strain containing a K191A mutation in MitA with AHBA. A second gene (mitB) encoding a 272-amino-acid protein (related to a group of glycosyltransferases) was identified immediately downstream of mitA that upon disruption resulted in abrogation of MC synthesis. This work has localized a cluster of key genes that mediate assembly of the unique mitosane class of natural products.

Molecular characterization and analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster for the antitumor antibiotic mitomycin C from Streptomyces lavendulae NRRL 2564

BACKGROUND

The mitomycins are natural products that contain a variety of functional groups, including aminobenzoquinone- and aziridine-ring systems. Mitomycin C (MC) was the first recognized bioreductive alkylating agent, and has been widely used clinically for antitumor therapy. Precursor-feeding studies showed that MC is derived from 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA), D-glucosamine, L-methionine and carbamoyl phosphate. A genetically linked AHBA biosynthetic gene and MC resistance genes were identified previously in the MC producer Streptomyces lavendulae NRRL 2564. We set out to identify other genes involved in MC biosynthesis.

RESULTS

A cluster of 47 genes spanning 55 kilobases of S. lavendulae DNA governs MC biosynthesis. Fourteen of 22 disruption mutants did not express or overexpressed MC. Seven gene products probably assemble the AHBA intermediate through a variant of the shikimate pathway. The gene encoding the first presumed enzyme in AHBA biosynthesis is not, however, linked within the MC cluster. Candidate genes for mitosane nucleus formation and functionalization were identified. A putative MC translocase was identified that comprises a novel drug-binding and export system, which confers cellular self-protection on S. lavendulae. Two regulatory genes were also identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall architecture of the MC biosynthetic gene cluster in S. lavendulae has been determined. Targeted manipulation of a putative MC pathway regulator led to a substantial increase in drug production. The cloned genes should help elucidate the molecular basis for creation of the mitosane ring system, as well efforts to engineer the biosynthesis of novel natural products.

Mitomycin resistance in Streptomyces lavendulae includes a novel drug-binding-protein-dependent export system

Sequence analysis of Streptomyces lavendulae NRRL 2564 chromosomal DNA adjacent to the mitomycin resistance locus mrd (encoding a previously described mitomycin-binding protein [P. Sheldon, D. A. Johnson, P. R. August, H.-W. Liu, and D. H. Sherman, J. Bacteriol. 179:1796-1804, 1997]) revealed a putative mitomycin C (MC) transport gene (mct) encoding a hydrophobic polypeptide that has significant amino acid sequence similarity with several actinomycete antibiotic export proteins. Disruption of mct by insertional inactivation resulted in an S. lavendulae mutant strain that was considerably more sensitive to MC. Expression of mct in Escherichia coli conferred a fivefold increase in cellular resistance to MC, led to the synthesis of a membrane-associated protein, and correlated with reduced intracellular accumulation of the drug. Coexpression of mct and mrd in E. coli resulted in a 150-fold increase in resistance, as well as reduced intracellular accumulation of MC. Taken together, these data provide evidence that MRD and Mct function as components of a novel drug export system specific to the mitomycins.

Genetic manipulation of antitumor-agent biosynthesis to produce novel drugs

Current methods of obtaining novel drugs may be complemented in the near future by the genetic engineering of antitumor-agent biosynthesis in microorganisms. Biosynthetic gene clusters from several antitumor pathways in actinomycetes are presently being characterized and expressed in order to generate novel drugs. Several novel hydroxylated and glycosylated antitumor-drug derivatives have been produced that show a relaxed substrate specificity for secondary-metabolic enzymes, which opens up the possibility of generating novel drugs by genetic manipulation.