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Updated: Nov 16, 2025
From a Natural Product to Its Biosynthetic Gene Cluster: A Demonstration Using Polyketomycin from Streptomyces diastatochromogenes Tü6028
Published on: January 13, 2017
Identification and Predictions Regarding the Biosynthesis Pathway of Polyene Macrolides Produced by Streptomyces
Xing Han1,2, Jiao Wang2, Lianna Liu2,3
1Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
A group of polyene macrolides mainly composed of two constituents was isolated from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces roseoflavus Men-myco-93-63, which was isolated from soil where potato scabs were repressed naturally. One of these macrolides was roflamycoin, which was first reported in 1968, and the other was a novel compound named Men-myco-A, which had one methylene unit more than roflamycoin. Together, they were designated RM. This group of antibiotics exhibited broad-spectrum antifungal activities in vitro against 17 plant-pathogenic fungi, with 50% effective concentrations (EC50) of 2.05 to 7.09 μg/ml and 90% effective concentrations (EC90) of 4.32 to 54.45 μg/ml, which indicates their potential use in plant disease control. Furthermore, their biosynthetic gene cluster was identified, and the associated biosynthetic assembly line was proposed based on a module and domain analysis of polyketide synthases (PKSs), supported by findings from gene inactivation experiments.IMPORTANCEStreptomyces roseoflavus Men-myco-93-63 is a biocontrol strain that has been studied in our laboratory for many years and exhibits a good inhibitory effect in many crop diseases. Therefore, the identification of antimicrobial metabolites is necessary and our main objective. In this work, chemical, bioinformatic, and molecular biological methods were combined to identify the structures and biosynthesis of the active metabolites. This work provides a new alternative agent for the biological control of plant diseases and is helpful for improving both the properties and yield of the antibiotics via genetic engineering.
Insights
Researchers discovered new antifungal compounds, roflamycoin and Men-myco-A (collectively RM), from Streptomyces roseoflavus. These antibiotics show broad-spectrum activity against plant pathogens, offering potential for biocontrol strategies in agriculture.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Streptomyces roseoflavus Men-myco-93-63 is a biocontrol strain with a known inhibitory effect on crop diseases.
- Identifying novel antimicrobial metabolites is crucial for developing effective biocontrol agents.
- Previous research has established the potential of this strain in managing plant diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and identify antimicrobial metabolites from Streptomyces roseoflavus Men-myco-93-63.
- To characterize the antifungal activity of the isolated compounds against plant-pathogenic fungi.
- To elucidate the biosynthetic pathway of the identified antibiotics.
Main Methods:
- Fermentation of Streptomyces roseoflavus Men-myco-93-63.
- Isolation and structural elucidation of polyene macrolides using chemical methods.
- Antifungal activity assays to determine effective concentrations (EC50 and EC90).
- Bioinformatic analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster and polyketide synthases (PKSs).
- Gene inactivation experiments to support biosynthetic pathway elucidation.
Main Results:
- Two polyene macrolides, roflamycoin and a novel compound Men-myco-A (designated RM), were isolated.
- RM exhibited broad-spectrum in vitro antifungal activity against 17 plant-pathogenic fungi (EC50: 2.05–7.09 μg/ml; EC90: 4.32–54.45 μg/ml).
- The biosynthetic gene cluster was identified, and a biosynthetic assembly line was proposed based on PKS analysis and gene inactivation studies.
Conclusions:
- The isolated compounds RM demonstrate significant potential for use in agricultural plant disease control.
- The identified biosynthetic pathway provides a basis for genetic engineering to improve antibiotic properties and yield.
- This study offers a new alternative agent for biological control of plant diseases.
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