The Serratia gene cluster encoding biosynthesis of the red antibiotic, prodigiosin, shows species- and strain-dependent genome context variation

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Serratia gene cluster encoding biosynthesis of the red antibiotic, prodigiosin, shows species- and strain-dependent genome context variation

AU - Harris, Abigail K P

AU - Williamson, Neil R

AU - Slater, Holly

AU - Cox, Anthony

AU - Abbasi, Sophia

AU - Foulds, Ian

AU - Simonsen, Henrik Toft

AU - Leeper, Finian J

AU - Salmond, George P C

PY - 2004/11

Y1 - 2004/11

N2 - The prodigiosin biosynthesis gene cluster (pig cluster) from two strains of Serratia (S. marcescens ATCC 274 and Serratia sp. ATCC 39006) has been cloned, sequenced and expressed in heterologous hosts. Sequence analysis of the respective pig clusters revealed 14 ORFs in S. marcescens ATCC 274 and 15 ORFs in Serratia sp. ATCC 39006. In each Serratia species, predicted gene products showed similarity to polyketide synthases (PKSs), non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPSs) and the Red proteins of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). Comparisons between the two Serratia pig clusters and the red cluster from Str. coelicolor A3(2) revealed some important differences. A modified scheme for the biosynthesis of prodigiosin, based on the pathway recently suggested for the synthesis of undecylprodigiosin, is proposed. The distribution of the pig cluster within several Serratia sp. isolates is demonstrated and the presence of cryptic clusters in some strains shown. The pig cluster of Serratia marcescens ATCC 274 is flanked by cueR and copA homologues and this configuration is demonstrated in several S. marcescens strains, whilst these genes are contiguous in strains lacking the pig cluster.

AB - The prodigiosin biosynthesis gene cluster (pig cluster) from two strains of Serratia (S. marcescens ATCC 274 and Serratia sp. ATCC 39006) has been cloned, sequenced and expressed in heterologous hosts. Sequence analysis of the respective pig clusters revealed 14 ORFs in S. marcescens ATCC 274 and 15 ORFs in Serratia sp. ATCC 39006. In each Serratia species, predicted gene products showed similarity to polyketide synthases (PKSs), non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPSs) and the Red proteins of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). Comparisons between the two Serratia pig clusters and the red cluster from Str. coelicolor A3(2) revealed some important differences. A modified scheme for the biosynthesis of prodigiosin, based on the pathway recently suggested for the synthesis of undecylprodigiosin, is proposed. The distribution of the pig cluster within several Serratia sp. isolates is demonstrated and the presence of cryptic clusters in some strains shown. The pig cluster of Serratia marcescens ATCC 274 is flanked by cueR and copA homologues and this configuration is demonstrated in several S. marcescens strains, whilst these genes are contiguous in strains lacking the pig cluster.

KW - Bacterial Proteins

KW - Blotting, Southern

KW - DNA Fingerprinting

KW - DNA, Bacterial

KW - DNA-Binding Proteins

KW - Gene Order

KW - Genes, Bacterial

KW - Genetic Variation

KW - Molecular Sequence Data

KW - Multigene Family

KW - Open Reading Frames

KW - Peptide Synthases

KW - Polyketide Synthases

KW - Prodigiosin

KW - Sequence Analysis, DNA

KW - Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

KW - Serratia

KW - Streptomyces coelicolor

U2 - 10.1099/mic.0.27222-0

DO - 10.1099/mic.0.27222-0

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 15528645

SN - 1350-0872

VL - 150

SP - 3547

EP - 3560

JO - Microbiology

JF - Microbiology

IS - Pt 11

ER -