• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2019

Myxococcus stipitatus, a myxobacterium, forms spherical fruiting bodies with stems on edaphic substrates in enrichment cultures for isolation. However, an agar medium on which purely isolated strains of M. stipitatus form this type of fruiting bodies has not been known until now. In this study, since M. stipitatus DSM 14675 forms a hemispherical fruiting body-like structure on CYS agar medium, the effects of CYS medium components on fruiting body formation were investigated. Based on the results obtained, an agar medium on which M. stipitatus forms spherical fruiting bodies with stems was developed. Additionally, a liquid medium in which M. stipitatus grows in a dispersed manner was also formulated in this investigation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1068-1077
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• 2018

DKxanthenes are a class of yellow secondary metabolites produced by myxobacterial genera Myxococcus and Stigmatella. We identified a putative 49.5 kb DKxanthene biosynthetic gene cluster from Myxococcus stipitatus DSM 14675 by genomic sequence and mutational analyses. The cluster consisted of 15 genes (MYSTI_06004-MYSTI_06018) encoding polyketide synthases, non-ribosomal peptide synthases, and proteins with unknown functions. Disruption of the genes by plasmid insertion resulted in defects in the production of yellow pigments. High-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses indicated that the yellow pigments produced by M. stipitatus DSM 14675 might be novel DKxanthene derivatives. M. stipitatus did not require DKxanthenes for the formation of heat-resistant viable spores, unlike Myxococcus xanthus. Furthermore, DKxanthenes showed growth inhibitory activity against the fungi Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Rhizopus stolonifer.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2014

Myxococcus stipitatus KYC4013 extract exhibited the most potent antifungal activity among the extracts of 207 Myxococcus strains isolated in Korea. High-resolution LC-MS analysis revealed that M. stipitatus KYC4013 produces five antifungal substances and three other secondary metabolites that were predicted to be melithiazol and phenalamide derivatives, respectively. The putative melithiazol derivatives were best produced in CYS medium and the putative phenalamide derivatives were best produced in VY3 medium.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.108-112
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• 2002

Drug resistance is one of the most significant impediments to successful chemotherapy of cancer. Multidrug-resistance (MDR) is characterized by decreased cellular sensitivity to anticancer agents due to the overexpression of P-glycoprotein. By employing a resistant subline of HCT15 to adriamycin (CL02), we undertook the screening for agents which were effective to multidrug-resistant cancer cells. As a result, a myxobacterial strain JW150 was selected for study since an activity against CL02 cells was discovered in the strain. Cytotoxicity-guided fractionation of the culture broth led to the isolation of cystothiazole A and melithiazole F. The producing organism was identified as Myxococcus stipitatus by taxonomic comparison with type strains of Myxococcus sp. as well as its morphological and physiological characteristics. Cystothiazole A and melithiazole F demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against certain human cancer cells with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 0.03~ $0.72{\mu}{\textrm{g}}$/ml. Both compounds were interestingly as active against drug-resistant sublines CL02 and CP70 as against the corresponding parental cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1636-1642
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• 2016

Phenalamide is a bioactive secondary metabolite produced by Myxococcus stipitatus. We identified a 56 kb phenalamide biosynthetic gene cluster from M. stipitatus DSM 14675 by genomic sequence analysis and mutational analysis. The cluster is comprised of 12 genes (MYSTI_04318- MYSTI_04329) encoding three pyruvate dehydrogenase subunits, eight polyketide synthase modules, a non-ribosomal peptide synthase module, a hypothetical protein, and a putative flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding protein. Disruption of the MYSTI_04324 or MYSTI_04325 genes by plasmid insertion resulted in a defect in phenalamide production. The organization of the phenalamide biosynthetic modules encoded by the fifth to tenth genes (MYSTI_04320-MYSTI_04325) was very similar to that of the myxalamid biosynthetic gene cluster from Stigmatella aurantiaca Sg a15, as expected from similar backbone structures of the two substances. However, the loading module and the first extension module of the phenalamide synthase encoded by the first to fourth genes (MYSTI_04326-MYSTI_04329) were found only in the phenalamide biosynthetic gene cluster from M. stipitatus DSM 14675.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.391-399
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• 2016

Melithiazols are antifungal substances produced by the myxobacteria Melitangium lichenicola, Archangium gephyra, and Myxococcus stipitatus. Melithiazol biosynthetic genes have been identified in M. lichenicola, but not in A. gephyra and M. stipitatus until now. We identified a 37.3-kb melithiazol biosynthetic gene cluster from M. stipitatus DSM 14675 using genome sequence analysis and mutational analysis. The cluster is comprised of 9 genes (MYSTI_04973 to MYSTI_04965) that encode 4 polyketide synthase modules, 3 non-ribosomal peptide synthase modules, a putative fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase, a putative S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase, and a putative nitrilase. Disruption of the MYSTI_04972 or MYSTI_04973 gene by plasmid insertion resulted in defective melithiazol production. The organization of the melithiazol biosynthetic modules encoded by 8 genes from MYSTI_04972 to MYSTI_04965 was similar to that in M. lichenicola Me l46. However, the loading module encoded by the first gene (MYSTI_04973) was different from that of M. lichenicola Me l46, explaining the difference in the production of melithiazol derivatives between the M. lichenicola Me l46 and M. stipitatus strains.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.157-161
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• 2002

Drug resistance is one of the most significant impediments to successful chemotherapy of cancer. Multidrug-resistance (MDR) is characterized by decreased cellular sensitivity to anticancer agents due to the overexpression of P-glycoprotein. By employing adriamycin-resistance CL02 cancer cells, we undertook the screening for agents which were effective to multidrug-resistant cancer cells. As a result, a myxobacterial strain JW117 was selected for study since the solvent extract of cell mass of the strain was found to exhibit significant activity against the CL02 cancer cells. Cytotoxicity-guided chromatographic fractionation led to the isolation of phenalamides $A_2$ and $A_3$. The producing organism was identified as Myxococcus stipitatus by taxonomic comparison with type strains of Myxococcus sp. as well as its morphological and physiological characteristics. Phenalamides$ A_1$,$ A_2$ and $A_3$ were as active against drug-resistant cancer cells CL02 and CP70 as against the corresponding sensitive cells with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 0.23~0.57 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.114-118
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• 2002

Phenalamides $A_1{\sim}A_3$ were reisolated as cytotoxic substances from culture broth of Myxococcus stipitatus JW111. The producing strain was isolated from the marine sediment collected off the shore of Geomun Island, Korea. The active principles were extracted from cell mass with acetone and successively purified by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and finally recycling prep. HPLC. These compounds demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against certain human cancer cells, having $IC_50$ values ranging from 0.23 to 0.50 ${\mu}g/ml$. Moreover, they also inhibited the growth of adriamycin-resistant HCT/ADM human cancer cell line as well as its parent sensitive cell line.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.342-347
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• 2003

Clumping of cells is one of the major obstacles to culture wild myxobacterial strains in liquid media. In an effort to solve this problem, we tried a method isolating spontaneous mutants that grow dispersed in liquid media from a wild myxobacterial strain. Myxococcus stipitatus KYC1001, a newly isolated strain from Gyearyongsan National Park in Korea, clumps and sticks to the surface of culture vessels as other wild myxobacteria behave in liquid media. Taking an advantage of the characteristics that dispersed mutant cells would grow dispersed while most other wild type cells would clump and stick to the surface of culture vessels, spontaneous dispersed mutants were enriched by repeated subculturing of culture supernatant. A resultant mutant, KYC2001, did not form any clumps nor stick to the surface of culture flasks, but grew completely dispersed in liquid. Meanwhile, three other spontaneous mutants, KYC2002, KYC2003, and KYC2004, shelved partially dispersed phenotype. A major portion of the cells grew dispersed in liquid but they still formed some clumps.