Genome mining of actinomycin shunt products from Kitasatospora sp. YINM00002

Actinomycins are known for their anti-tumor, antibacterial and antiviral activities, and in particular for the ability of actinomycin D as a clinical drug to treat a variety of cancers. In our ongoing work to obtain novel natural products from endophytic actinomycetes derived from traditional Chinese herbs, we identified the potential to produce actinomycins in YINM00002, a Kitasatospora strain derived from Polygonatum kingianum. According to genome mining, we isolated actinomycins D and V (1 and 2) and small amounts of 4-methyl-3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (4-MHA) derivates (3 and 4) from strain fermentation broth. The presence of actinrhater A (3) and actinrhater B (4) reveals a mysterious shunt pathway in the early stages of actinomycin D biosynthesis. Our study provides a fresh perspective for further discovery and modification of novel actinomycins.

Automated summary

In this study, actinomycins and their derivatives were isolated from endophytic actinomycetes derived from traditional Chinese herbs. The discovery of a shunt pathway in the early stages of actinomycin D biosynthesis provides a fresh perspective for further research and modification of novel actinomycins.