Studies on the biosynthesis of surfactin, a lipopeptide antibiotic from Bacillus subtilis ATCC 21332

The biosynthesis of the lipopeptide antibiotic surfactin was studied in whole cells of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 21332 which incorporate 14C-labeled precursor amino acids directly into the product. [14C]Acetate appeared in the fatty acid portion of surfactin and was also partially converted into leucine. An enzyme was isolated and partially purified from a cell-free extract of the bacillus which catalyzes ATP-Pi-exchange reactions which are mediated by the amino acid components of surfactin. This activation pattern is consistent with a peptide synthesizing multienzyme which activates its substrate amino acids simultaneously as reactive aminoacyl phosphates.