Journal
CHEMICAL SCIENCE
Volume 8, Issue 4, Pages 3218-3227Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/c6sc04265a
Keywords
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Categories
Funding
- MRC Milstein award [G0801721]
- NERC [NE/J01074X/1, NE/M015033/1]
- Norwich Research Park (NRP) Translational Award
- BBSRC NPRONET [BB/L013754/1]
- Norwich Research Park BBSRC Doctoral Training Program Studentship [BB/M011216/1]
- BBSRC via Institute Strategic Programme Grant [BB/J004561/1]
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [BBS/E/J/000CA589, BBS/E/J/000PR9790, BBS/E/J/000PR9791, 1654308, BBS/E/J/000C0665, BB/L013754/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- Medical Research Council [G0801721] Funding Source: researchfish
- Natural Environment Research Council [NE/J01074X/1, NE/M015033/1, NE/M014657/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- BBSRC [BBS/E/J/000CA589, BBS/E/J/000PR9790, 1654308, BB/L013754/1, BBS/E/J/000C0665, BBS/E/J/000PR9791] Funding Source: UKRI
- MRC [G0801721] Funding Source: UKRI
- NERC [NE/J01074X/1, NE/M014657/1, NE/M015033/1] Funding Source: UKRI
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We report a new Streptomyces species named S. formicae that was isolated from the African fungus-growing plant-ant Tetraponera penzigi and show that it produces novel pentacyclic polyketides that are active against MRSA and VRE. The chemical scaffold of these compounds, which we have called the formicamycins, is similar to the fasamycins identified from the heterologous expression of clones isolated from environmental DNA, but has significant differences that allow the scaffold to be decorated with up to four halogen atoms. We report the structures and bioactivities of 16 new molecules and show, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, that biosynthesis of these compounds is encoded by a single type 2 polyketide synthase biosynthetic gene cluster in the S. formicae genome. Our work has identified the first antibiotic from the Tetraponera system and highlights the benefits of exploring unusual ecological niches for new actinomycete strains and novel natural products.
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