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afsR2 : a previously undetected gene encoding a 63‐amino‐acid protein that stimulates antibiotic production in Streptomyces lividans
Author(s) -
Vögtil Martin,
Chang PoaChun,
Cohen Stanley N.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb01303.x
Subject(s) - actinorhodin , biology , gene cluster , gene , regulator gene , transcription (linguistics) , streptomyces griseus , streptomyces , genetics , locus (genetics) , activator (genetics) , regulation of gene expression , streptomyces coelicolor , bacteria , mutant , linguistics , philosophy
Summary Earlier work has shown that the afsR genetic locus promotes formation of the pigmented antibiotics actinorhadin and undecylprodiglosin in Streptomyces lividans and its close relative, Streptomyces coeiicolor . A protein designated as AfsR has been implicated in this activity. We report here the existence of a previously unknown gene, afsR2 , which is separate from and adjacent to the AfsR‐encoding sequence and which, when present at high copy number, (i) stimulates transcription of biosynthetic and regulatory genes in the actinorhodin gene cluster ( act ), and (ii) stimulates the synthesis of undecyiprodigiosin., We show that the effects of afsR2 on actinorhodin synthesis are mediated through transcription of the act ll‐0RF4 locus, which encodes a transcriptional activator of other genes in the act cluster. Analysis of the oloned afsR2 gene indicates that its activity is the result of the 63‐amino‐acid protein it specifies.