Abstract
The gene strQ was identified as the last gene of a putative transcription unit, strB1FGHPQ, located in the gene cluster for the production of 5'-hydroxy-streptomycin (OH-Sm) in Streptomyces glaucescens GLA.0. [In contrast, the corresponding operon in the str/sts-gene cluster of the Sm-producer Streptomyces griseus, strB1FGHIK, differs in the two distal genes; Mansouri, K. & Piepersberg, W. (1991) Mol. Gen. Genet. 228, 459-469]. The deduced StrQ protein exhibited similarities to members of the enzyme family of hexose-1-phosphate nucleotidylyltransferases (NDP-hexose synthases or pyrophosphorylases), with the strongest similarity to the subfamily of alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate cytidylyltransferases (CDP-D-glucose synthases). The StrQ protein was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein revealed an enzyme activity of that of a CDP-D-glucose synthase and a substrate specificity restricted to CTP and alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate. The K(m) and Vmax values determined for CTP are 44 microM and 920 microM and for alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate 195 microM and 1.06 mM, respectively. The CDP-D-glucose synthase activity was also detected in cells of S. glaucescens under the conditions of antibiotic production, but was absent from cells of the streptomycin producer S. griseus N2-3-11. Also, the genomes of several strains of S. griseus did not seem to possess strQ-related genes. In contrast, hybridisation experiments indicated that genes homologous to strQ were probably present in various other actinomycetes producing aminoglycosides. A possible function of the StrQ protein in the OH-Sm biosynthetic pathway of GLA.0 is discussed.
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