Biosynthesis of the glycocinnamoylspermidine antibiotic, cinodine

The biosynthesis of cinodine from a combination of 14C- and 13C-labeled precursors has been investigated. Tyrosine was shown to be incorporated efficiently into the cinnamoyl moiety and glucosamine was found to be the origin of the three carbohydrate moieties. The relationship between the substrate dose and the enrichment of the labeled antibiotic has been elucidated so that it is possible to predict both the specific activity and the yield of the antibiotic obtained from the labeled substrates.