Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 5, 2026

A High-Yield Streptomyces Transcription-Translation Toolkit for Synthetic Biology and Natural Product Applications
Published on: September 10, 2021
Biomass-derived molecules modulate the behavior of Streptomyces coelicolor for antibiotic production
Shashi Kant Bhatia1,2, Bo-Rahm Lee1, Ganesan Sathiyanarayanan1
1Department of Microbial Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143-701, South Korea.
Abstract:
Various chemicals, i.e., furfural, vanillin, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and acetate produced during the pretreatment of biomass affect microbial fermentation. In this study, effect of vanillin, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and acetate on antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor is investigated. IC 50 value of vanillin, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and acetate was recorded as 5, 11.3 and 115 mM, respectively. Vanillin was found as a very effective molecule, and it completely abolished antibiotic (undecylprodigiosin and actinorhodin) production at 1 mM concentration, while 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and acetate have little effect. Microscopic analysis with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed that addition of vanillin inhibits mycelia formation and increases differentiation of S. coelicolor cells. Vanillin increases expression of genes responsible for sporulation (ssgA) and decreases expression of antibiotic transcriptional regulator (redD and actII-orf4), while it has no effect on genes related to the mycelia formation (bldA and bldN) and quorum sensing (scbA and scbR). Vanillin does not affect the glycolysis process, but may affect acetate and pyruvate accumulation which leads to increase in fatty acid accumulation. The production of antibiotics using biomass hydrolysates can be quite complex due to the presence of exogenous chemicals such as furfural and vanillin, and needs further detailed study.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Biosynthesis in Bacteria
Biological Methods for Microbial Control
Bacterial Signaling

