Clarification of the mechanisms by which improved transcription/translation apparatus in actinomycetes exploits their potential and its application to explore new secondary metabolites

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25712008
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied microbiology
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: HOSAKA Takeshi 信州大学, 学術研究院農学系, 准教授 (50391206)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 放線菌 / 二次代謝 / 抗生物質 / 転写 / 翻訳 / RNAポリメラーゼ / リボソーム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Biochemical and molecular biology analyses with antibiotic-overproducing drug-resistant mutants (rifampicin-, streptomycin-, and erythromycin-resistant mutants) of Streptomyces spp. revealed that a mutation in RNA polymerase, ribosomal protein or ribosomal RNA altered not only the transcription and translation apparatus but also the mechanisms of ATP generation and accuracy of DNA replication, resulting in activation of secondary metabolism, suggesting that such a dramatic alteration of cellular function causes increased production of secondary metabolites in Streptomyces strains. In addition, this study found that ribosome-targeting antibiotics at subinhibitory concentrations potentiate the production of secondary metabolites in Streptomyces strains and indicated that activating these strains by utilizing the dose-response effects of ribosome-targeting antibiotics could be used to effectively induce the production of cryptic secondary metabolites.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学