Strain Improvement and Genetic Characterization of Tautomycetin Biosynthesis in Streptomyces spp.

TMC (Tautomycetin) is a liner polyketide immunosuppressive antifungal compound produced by Streptomyces spp. Inhibition of T cell proliferation with TMC was observed highly efficient at 100-fold lower than those needed to achieve maximal inhibition with cyclosporin A. To elucidate the biosynthetic pathway of TMC, a genomic DNA library was constructed using a E. coil-Streptomyces shuttle cosmid vector, pOJ446. The DNA libraries were screened by colony blot hybridization using several polyketide ${\beta}-ketosynthase$ (KS) probes amplified from TMC-producing Streptomyces genomic DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), of which the degenerate primers were designed based on the highly conserved sequences present in KS domains of various type I polyketide synthase genes in Streptomyces species. This library construction and screening approach led to the isolation of several positive cosmid clones representing type I polyketide biosynthetic gene clusters. In addition, a Streptomyces regulatory gene called afsR2 (a global regulatory gene stimulating antibiotic production in both S. coelicolor and S. lividans) was successfully integrated into the TMC-producing Streptomyces chromosome via E. coil-Streptomyces heterologous conjugation mehtod. The more detailed results of production improvement and genetic characterization of TMC-producing Streptomyces spp. will be discussed.