MUTACTIN, A NOVEL POLYKETIDE FROM STREPTOMYCES-COELICOLOR - STRUCTURE AND BIOSYNTHETIC RELATIONSHIP TO ACTINORHODIN

In 1979 Rudd and Hopwood1reported the isolation of 75 mutants of Streptomyces coelicolor A 3(2) which were unable to synthesize the pigment antibiotic, actinorhodin (1). These were grouped into seven classes based on various phenotypic characteristics, particularly their ability to engage in cosynthesis of l.1 Subsequent chemical analysis, based on a modification of the cosynthesis assay, led to the isolation of several intermediates of 1 biosynthesis accumulated by these mutants.2-4 The biosynthetic intermediate in extracts of mutant B40, a member of class VII, the earliest class of mutants acting as secretors in the cosynthesis assay,1 proved too unstable for isolation. However, another less polar material was uniquely prominent in chromatograms of these extracts, was identified as a novel 16-carbon polyketide, and was called mutactin. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.