Chitinase inhibitor allosamidin is a signal molecule for chitinase production in its producing Streptomyces I. Analysis of the chitinase whose production is promoted by allosamidin and growth accelerating activity of allosamidin.
Allosamidin, a typical secondary metabolite of Streptomyces, has been known as a chitinase inhibitor. We found that allosamidin can dramatically promote chitinase production and growth of its producer, Streptomyces sp. AJ9463, in a chitin medium at a few hundred nM. Allosamidin promoted production of the main chitinase detected in the culture filtrate and the chitin-hydrolytic activity of the chitinase was not inhibited by allosamidin at the concentration. The gene encoding the chitinase showed that it is a family 18 chitinase and it was revealed that two genes encoding proteins constructing two-component regulatory system were present at 5'-upstream region of the chitinase gene. Allosamidin is located in the microbial mycelia cultured in a medium without chitin, but it was released from the mycelia by responding to chitin. These results show that allosamidin acts as a key signal molecule for chitinase production in its producing strain, which may be useful for its growth in chitin-rich environment.
Suzuki
Shigeo
S
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Nakanishi
Eiyu
E
Ohira
Tsuyoshi
T
Kawachi
Ryu
R
Nagasawa
Hiromichi
H
Sakuda
Shohei
S
D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism; D002688:Chitinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014312:Trisaccharides; C054851:allosamidin; D002686:Chitin; C019117:N,N',N''-triacetylchitotriose; D002688:Chitinases; D000117:Acetylglucosamine