Cloning and heterologous expression of the entire set of structural genes for nikkomycin synthesis from Streptomyces tendae Tü901 in Streptomyces lividans

Abstract

A genomic library from Streptomyces tendae raised in shuttle cosmid vector pKC505 was screened with a previously isolated 8-kb DNA fragment containing the orfP1 gene, which is involved in nikkomycin biosynthesis. The entire set of structural genes for nikkomycin synthesis was heterologously expressed in S. lividans TK23 by introducing recombinant cosmids p24/32 and p9/43-2, carrying inserts of about 31 and 27 kb, respectively, overlapping by 15 kb. S. lividans transformants synthesized nikkomycins X, Z, I, and J, which were identified by high-pressure liquid chromatography analyses of culture filtrates.