title: Fatty acid and beta-amino acid syntheses in strains of Bacillus subtilis producing iturinic antibiotics.
abstract: Iturinic antibiotics, produced by different strains of Bacillus subtilis, contain long-chain beta-amino acids (beta-AA). The regulation of the synthesis of fatty acids (FA) and beta-AA was studied by modifying the culture medium. Addition of possible precursors, branched-chain alpha-amino acids, to the medium affected the FA and beta-AA compositions. According to this, the B. subtilis strains can be divided into two groups. The first contains the producers of mycosubtilin and bacillomycin F which synthesize a high level of iso C16 chains; the second contains the producers of bacillomycin D, bacillomycin L and iturin which synthesize a high level of n carbon chains. The incorporation of radioactive sodium acetate into FA and beta-AA showed rapid FA synthesis followed by a second synthetic step. Although the detailed mechanism has not yet been elucidated, this second step, corresponding to the beta-AA synthesis, seemed to be a key step in determining the alkyl chain of beta-AA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie Microbienne, URA (C.N.R.S.) 1176, Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hourdou
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Besson
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tenoux
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000378:metabolism; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010455:Peptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D010455:Peptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C012448:mycosubtiline; C013579:iturin A; C015015:bacillomycin L; C027845:bacillomycin D; C034571:bacillomycin F