Phylogeny of Streptomyces species and evidence for horizontal transfer of entire and partial antibiotic gene clusters

The phylogenetic relationships of a collection of streptomycete soil isolates and type strains were resolved by sequence analysis of trpB, a housekeeping gene involved in tryptophan biosynthesis. The analysis confirmed that two isolates were recipients in a gene transfer event, demonstrated by phylogenetic incongruency between trpB and strB1 trees. One strain had acquired the entire streptomycin biosynthetic cluster, whilst the other contained only strRAB1, the resistance gene and two flanking genes from the cluster. Sequence analysis of trpB, as part of a polyphasic approach, was a useful tool in determining intra-generic relationships within the genus Streptomyces.