Antibiotic Overproduction by rpsL and rsmG Mutants of Various Actinomycetes

Certain streptomycin resistance mutations (i.e., rpsL and rsmG) result in the overproduction of antibiotics in various actinomycetes. Moreover, rpsL rsmG double-mutant strains show a further increase in antibiotic production. rpsL but not rsmG mutations result in a marked enhancement of oligomycin production in Streptomyces avermitilis and erythromycin production in Saccharopolyspora erythraea, accompanied by increased transcription of a key developmental regulator gene, bldD, in the latter organism.