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Formicamycins, antibacterial polyketides produced by Streptomyces formicae isolated from African Tetraponera plant-ants.

ABSTRACT: We report a new Streptomyces species named S. formicae that was isolated from the African fungus-growing plant-ant Tetraponera penzigi and show that it produces novel pentacyclic polyketides that are active against MRSA and VRE. The chemical scaffold of these compounds, which we have called the formicamycins, is similar to the fasamycins identified from the heterologous expression of clones isolated from environmental DNA, but has significant differences that allow the scaffold to be decorated with up to four halogen atoms. We report the structures and bioactivities of 16 new molecules and show, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, that biosynthesis of these compounds is encoded by a single type 2 polyketide synthase biosynthetic gene cluster in the S. formicae genome. Our work has identified the first antibiotic from the Tetraponera system and highlights the benefits of exploring unusual ecological niches for new actinomycete strains and novel natural products.

SUBMITTER: Qin Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5414599 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Formicamycins, antibacterial polyketides produced by Streptomyces formicae isolated from African Tetraponera plant-ants.

Qin Zhiwei Z Munnoch John T JT Munnoch John T JT Devine Rebecca R Holmes Neil A NA Seipke Ryan F RF Wilkinson Karl A KA Wilkinson Barrie B Hutchings Matthew I MI

Chemical science 20170213 4

We report a new Streptomyces species named S. formicae that was isolated from the African fungus-growing plant-ant Tetraponera penzigi and show that it produces novel pentacyclic polyketides that are active against MRSA and VRE. The chemical scaffold of these compounds, which we have called the formicamycins, is similar to the fasamycins identified from the heterologous expression of clones isolated from environmental DNA, but has significant differences that allow the scaff ...[more]

PMID: 28507698

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Project description:Resistance of bacteria, fungi and cancer cells to antibiotics and other drugs is recognized as one of the major problems in current medicine. Therefore, a search for new biologically active compounds able to either kill pathogenic cells or inhibit their growth is mandatory. Hard-to-reach habitats appear to be unexplored sources of microorganisms producing previously unknown antibiotics and other molecules revealing potentially therapeutic properties. Caves belong to such habitats, and Actinobacteria are a predominant group of microorganisms occurring there. This group of bacteria are known for production of many antibiotics and other bioactive compounds. Interestingly, it was demonstrated previously that infection with bacteriophages might enhance production of antibiotics by them. Here, we describe a series of newly isolated strains of Actinobacteria that were found in caves from the Tatra Mountains (Poland). Phage induction tests indicated that some of them may bear active prophages able to produce virions upon treatment with mitomycin C or UV irradiation. Among all the examined bacteria, two newly isolated Streptomyces sp. strains were further characterized to demonstrate their ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria (strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Enterococcus sp., Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and fungi (different species and strains from the genus Candida). Moreover, extracts from these Streptomyces strains reduced viability of the breast-cancer cell line T47D. Chemical analyses of these extracts indicated the presence of isomers of dichloranthrabenzoxocinone and 4,10- or 10,12-dichloro-3-O-methylanthrabenzoxocinone, which are putative antimicrobial compounds. Moreover, various previously unknown (unclassified) molecules were also detected using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, suggesting that tested Streptomyces strains may synthesize a battery of bioactive compounds with antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities. These results indicate that further studies on the newly isolated Actinobacteria might be a promising approach to develop novel antibacterial, antifungal, and/or anticancer drugs.

Project description:The ccr gene, encoding crotonyl coenzyme A (CoA) reductase (CCR), was cloned from Streptomyces cinnamonensis C730.1 and shown to encode a protein with 90% amino acid sequence identity to the CCRs of Streptomyces collinus and Streptomyces coelicolor. A ccr-disrupted mutant, S. cinnamonensis L1, was constructed by inserting the hyg resistance gene into a unique BglII site within the ccr coding region. By use of the ermE* promoter, the S. collinus ccr gene was expressed from plasmids in S. cinnamonensis C730. 1/pHL18 and L1/pHL18. CCR activity in mutant L1 was shown to decrease by more than 90% in both yeast extract-malt extract (YEME) medium and a complex fermentation medium, compared to that in wild-type C730.1. Compared to C730.1, mutants C730.1/pHL18 and L1/pHL18 exhibited a huge increase in CCR activity (14- and 13-fold, respectively) in YEME medium and a moderate increase (3.7- and 2. 7-fold, respectively) in the complex fermentation medium. In the complex fermentation medium, S. cinnamonensis L1 produced monensins A and B in a ratio of 12:88, dramatically lower than the 50:50 ratio observed for both C730.1 and C730.1/pHL18. Plasmid (pHL18)-based expression of the S. collinus ccr gene in mutant L1 increased the monensin A/monensin B ratio to 42:58. Labeling experiments with [1, 2-(13)C(2)]acetate demonstrated the same levels of intact incorporation of this material into the butyrate-derived portion of monensin A in both C730.1 and mutant C730.1/pLH18 but a markedly decreased level of such incorporation in mutant L1. The addition of crotonic acid at 15 mM led to significant increases in the monensin A/monensin B ratio in C730.1 and C730.1/pHL18 but had no effect in S. cinnamonensis L1. These results demonstrate that CCR plays a significant role in providing butyryl-CoA for monensin A biosynthesis and is present in wild-type S. cinnamonensis C730.1 at a level sufficient that the availability of the appropriate substrate (crotonyl-CoA) is limiting.

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Formicamycins, antibacterial polyketides produced by Streptomyces formicae isolated from African Tetraponera plant-ants.

Publications

Formicamycins, antibacterial polyketides produced by <i>Streptomyces formicae</i> isolated from African <i>Tetraponera</i> plant-ants.

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