Newly characterized Streptomyces strain yields previously unknown natural products

Researchers from two German institutions have discovered two novel natural compounds, lavasamycin A and B, produced by a Streptomyces bacteria strain new to science. The strain, Streptomyces barkulensis subsp. lavasanensis, was isolated from a soil sample in Iran and identified as a new subspecies.

Both lavasamycins are anthraquinone derivatives with unique sugar attachments and a rare structural feature. In lab tests, lavasamycin A curbed the growth of Bacillus subtilis, a common lab bacterium, while lavasamycin B showed no such effect under the same conditions.

The team's research involved analyzing the genetic makeup of the strain to pinpoint the gene cluster responsible for lavasamycin synthesis. They found a repressor protein that inhibits the production of these compounds. By disabling this regulator, they boosted lavasamycin yield significantly.

This work illustrates the promise of uncharted Streptomyces strains for uncovering new antibiotics and other natural products. The study also sheds light on the genetic controls governing such biosynthetic processes.