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Updated: May 13, 2026

From a Natural Product to Its Biosynthetic Gene Cluster: A Demonstration Using Polyketomycin from Streptomyces diastatochromogenes Tü6028
Published on: January 13, 2017
Biosynthesis of 9-methylstreptimidone involves a new decarboxylative step for polyketide terminal diene formation
Bo Wang1, Yongxiang Song, Minghe Luo
1Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou 510301, China.
Abstract:
9-Methylstreptimidone is a glutarimide antibiotic showing antiviral, antifungal, and antitumor activities. Genome scanning, bioinformatics analysis, and gene inactivation experiments reveal a gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of 9-methylstreptimidone in Streptomyces himastatinicus. The unveiled machinery features both acyltransferase- and thioesterase-less iterative use of module 5 as well as a branching module for glutarimide generation. Impressively, inactivation of smdK leads to a new carboxylate analogue unveiling a new mechanism for polyketide terminal diene formation.
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