title: Cholesterol oxidases act as signaling proteins for the biosynthesis of the polyene macrolide pimaricin.
abstract: The gene cluster responsible for pimaricin biosynthesis in Streptomyces natalensis contains a cholesterol oxidase-encoding gene (pimE) surrounded by genes involved in pimaricin production. Gene-inactivation and -complementation experiments revealed that pimE encodes a functional cholesterol oxidase and, surprisingly, that it is also involved in pimaricin biosynthesis. This extracellular enzyme was purified from S. natalensis culture broths to homogeneity, and it was shown to restore pimaricin production when added to the mutant culture broths. Other cholesterol oxidases also triggered pimaricin production, suggesting that these enzymes could act as signaling proteins for polyene biosynthesis. This finding constitutes the description of a cholesterol oxidase gene with an involvement in antibiotic biosynthesis, and it broadens the scope of the biological functions for this type of oxidase.
authors: Instituto de Biotecnología INBIOTEC, 24006 León, Spain.
authors: Marta V
authors: MV
authors: Mendes
authors: Eliseo
authors: E
authors: Recio
authors: Nuria
authors: N
authors: Antón
authors: Susana M
authors: SM
authors: Guerra
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Santos-Aberturas
authors: Juan F
authors: JF
authors: Martín
authors: Jesús F
authors: JF
authors: Aparicio
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D002789:Cholesterol Oxidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010866:Natamycin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010866:Natamycin; D002789:Cholesterol Oxidase