title: Molecules to Ecosystems: Actinomycete Natural ProductsIn situ.
abstract: Actinomycetes, filamentous actinobacteria found in numerous ecosystems around the globe, produce a wide range of clinically useful natural products (NP). In natural environments, actinomycetes live in dynamic communities where environmental cues and ecological interactions likely influence NP biosynthesis. Our current understating of these cues, and the ecological roles of NP, is in its infancy. We postulate that understanding the ecological context in which actinomycete metabolites are made is fundamental to advancing the discovery of novel NP. In this review we explore the ecological relevance of actinomycetes and their secondary metabolites from varying ecosystems, and suggest that investigating the ecology of actinomycete interactions warrants particular attention with respect to metabolite discovery. Furthermore, we focus on the chemical ecology andin situanalysis of actinomycete NP and consider the implications for NP biosynthesis at ecosystem scales.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA, USA.
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Behie
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA, USA.
authors.forename: Bailey
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonet
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA, USA.
authors.forename: Vineetha M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Zacharia
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA, USA.
authors.forename: Dylan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McClung
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Traxler
keywords: actinomycetes; chemical ecology; in situ; microbial interactions; natural products