Nikkomycin Z from Streptomyces tendae

Protein P8 was previously identified as a putative nikkomycin biosynthesis protein. The gene (nikC) encoding protein P8 was cloned from the Streptomyces tendae Tü901 nikkomycin gene cluster and sequenced. The nikC gene was inactivated by inserting a kanamycin resistance cassette; the mutant did not produce the biologically active nikkomycins I, J, X, and Z, but accumulated the nucleoside moieties nikkomycins C(X) and C(Z). The mutant was complemented to nikkomycin production (I, J, X, Z) by nikC expressed from the mel promoter of the vector pIJ702. Furthermore, the nikkomycin-negative phenotype was reversed by the addition of picolinic acid, a precursor of the peptidyl moiety of nikkomycins (nikkomycin D), into the culture medium. The nikC gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and identified and characterized at the enzyme level. NikC encodes an L-lysine 2-aminotransferase, and the activity was exclusively detected in nikkomycin producers and its presence correlated to nikkomycin production. The nikC-inactivated mutant grew with L-lysine as sole source of nitrogen and carbon, indicating that L-lysine 2-aminotransferase is not required for lysine catabolism. Our results identified the nikC-encoded L-lysine 2-aminotransferase as the nikkomycin biosynthetic enzyme that catalyzes the initial reaction in nikkomycin D biosynthesis. The NikC protein belongs to a novel family of pyridoxamine or pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent dehydrases and aminotransferases, some of which are involved in dideoxy- and deoxyaminosugar biosynthesis.

Streptomyces tendae Tü 901 produces the nucleoside peptide antibiotic nikkomycin. In shot-gun cloning experiments using pIJ699 as vector we isolated a 9.4-kb DNA fragment from S. tendae which complemented the nikkomycin nonproducing mutant NP9 to the formation of nikkomycin C/Cx and Kx. Nikkomycins were identified by HPLC analyses and their characteristic UV spectra. In Southern hybridization experiments the cloned DNA exclusively reacted with S. tendae DNA sequences. As shown by Northern dot blotting, transcripts of the isolated DNA fragment were only detected during stationary growth and correlated with the extent of nikkomycin production. When the recombinant plasmid pNP113 containing the 9.4-kb DNA fragment was transferred into the over-producing mutant Tü901/S2566, transformants exhibited a significantly decreased capacity for forming nikkomycin. Southern analysis of genomic DNA of these transformants revealed that severe rearrangements occurred in DNA sequences homologous to the 9.4-kb insert of pNP113.

The genes nikQ and nikR were identified by sequencing DNA of the nikkomycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces tendae Tü901/8c. The nikQ gene encodes a P450 cytochrome, and the predicted NikR gene product shows 48-56% sequence identity with uracil phosphoribosyltransferases from eukaryotic organisms. The nikQ and nikR genes were inactivated separately by insertion of a kanamycin-resistance cassette. Inactivation of the nikQ gene abolished synthesis of nikkomycins containing 4-formyl-4-imidazolin-2-one as the base (nikkomycins X and I), whereas production of nikkomycins containing uracil (nikkomycins Z and J) was not affected. Nikkomycin X and I production could be restored by feeding 4-formyl-4-imidazolin-2-one to the nikQ mutants, indicating that NikQ is responsible for its formation from L-histidine. Disruption of the nikR gene resulted in formation of decreased amounts of nikkomycins X and I, whereas nikkomycins Z and J were synthesized at wild-type levels. A fluorouracil-resistant nikR mutant lacking uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRTase) activity did not synthesize nikkomycins X and I and accumulated 4-formyl-4-imidazolin-2-one in its culture filtrate, whereas formation of nikkomycins Z and J was unimpaired. The mutant was complemented to nikkomycin X and I production by nikR expressed from the mel promoter of plasmid pIJ702. The nikR gene expressed in Escherichia coli led to the production of UPRTase activity. Our results indicate that NikR converts 4-formyl-4-imidazolin-2-one to yield 5'-phosphoribosyl-4-formyl-4-imidazolin-2-one, the precursor of nikkomycins containing this base.