Induced biosynthesis of cryptic polyketide metabolites in a Burkholderia thailandensis quorum sensing mutant.

Ishida K, Lincke T, Behnken S, Hertweck C (2010) Induced biosynthesis of cryptic polyketide metabolites in a Burkholderia thailandensis quorum sensing mutant. J Am Chem Soc 132(40), 13966-13968.

Abstract

Genetic manipulation of the LuxR-type quorum sensing regulator system in Burkholderia thailandensis caused a significant change in the metabolic profile: it led to activation of the thailandamide biosynthesis gene cluster, dramatically increased thailandamide production, and induced strong pigmentation. A novel polyketide metabolite, thailandamide lactone (2), which cannot be detected in the wild type, was isolated from the mutant broth, and its structure was elucidated by high-resolution mass spectrometry and IR and NMR spectroscopy. In a biological assay using tumor cell lines, 2 showed moderate antiproliferative activities. This finding not only points to complex regulation but also serves as a proof of concept that engineering quorum sensing mutants may enable the discovery of novel bioactive natural products encoded by silent or only weakly expressed biosynthetic pathway genes.

Leibniz-HKI-Autor*innen

Christian Hertweck
Keishi Ishida

Identifier

doi: 10.1021/ja105003g

PMID: 20853892