• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.14-19
• /
• 2011

A cyclic undecapeptide-family natural product, cyclosporin A (CyA), which is one of the most valuable immunosuppressive drugs, is produced nonribosomally by a multifunctional cyclosporin synthetase enzyme complex in a filamentous fungal strain named Tolypocladium niveum. Previously, structural modifications of cyclosporins such as a regionspecific hydroxylation at the $4^{th}$ N-methyl leucine in a rare actinomycetes called Sebekia benihana were reported to lead to dramatic changes in their bioactive spectra. However, the reason behind this change could not be determined since a system to genetically manipulate S. benihana has not yet been developed. To address this limitation, in this study, we utilized the most commonly practiced gene manipulation techniques including conjugation-based foreign gene transfer-and-expression as well as targeted gene disruption to genetically manipulate S. benihana. Using these optimized genetic manipulation systems, a putative cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) gene named CYP506, which is involved in CyA hydroxylation in S. benihana, was specifically disrupted and genetically complemented. The S. benihana${\Delta}$CYP506 exhibited a significantly reduced CyA hydroxylation yield as well as considerable yield restoration by functional complementation of the S. benihana CYP506 gene, suggesting that the genetically manipulated S. benihana CYP mutant strains may serve as a more efficient bioconversion host for various valuable metabolites including CyA.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.475-480
• /
• 2010

Actinomycetes are Gram-positive soil bacteria and one of the most important industrial microorganisms due to superior biosynthetic capabilities of many valuable secondary metabolites as well as production of various valuable bioconversion enzymes. Among them are cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP), which are hemoproteins encoded by a super family of genes, are universally distributed in most of the organisms from all biological kingdoms. Actinomycetes are a rich source of soluble CYP enzymes, which play critical roles in the bioactivation and detoxification of a wide variety of metabolite biosynthesis and xenobiotic transformation. Cyclosporin A (CyA), one of the most commonly-prescribed immunosuppressive drugs, was previously reported to be hydroxylated at the position of 4th N-methyl leucine by a rare actinomycetes called Sebekia benihana, leading to display different biological activity spectrum such as loss of immunosuppressive activities yet retaining hair growth-stimulating side effect. In order to improve this regio-selective CyA hydroxylation in S. benihana, previously-identified several secondary metabolite up-regulatory genes from Streptomyces coelicolor and S. avermitilis were heterologously overexpressed in S. benihana using an $ermE^*$ promoter-containing Streptomyces integrative expression vector. Among tested, SCO4967 encoding a conserved hypothetical protein significantly stimulated region-specific CyA hydroxylation in S. benihana, implying that some common regulatory systems functioning in both biosynthesis and bioconversion of secondary metabolite might be present in different actinomycetes species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.295-298
• /
• 2006

Actinomycetes are ubiquitous Gram-positive soil bacteria and a group of the most important industrial microorganisms for the biosynthesis of many valuable secondary metabolites as well as the source of various bioconversion enzymes. Cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP), a hemebinding protein, is known to be involved in the modification of various natural compounds, including polyketides, fatty acids, steroids, and some aromatic compounds. Previously, six different novel CYP genes were isolated from a rare actinomycetes called Sebekia benihana, and they were completely sequenced, revealing significant amino acid similarities to previously known CYP genes involved in Streptomyces secondary metabolism. In the present study, these six CYP genes were functionally expressed in Streptomyces lividans, using an $ermE^{*}$ promoter-containing Streptomyces expression vector. Among six CYP genes, two S. benihana CYP genes (CYP503 and CYP504) showed strong hydroxylation activities toward 7-ethoxycoumarin. Furthermore, the recombinant S. lividans containing both the S. benihana CYP506-ferredoxin genes as well as the S. coelicolor feredoxin reductase gene also demonstrated cyclosporin A hydroxylation activity, suggesting potential application of actinomycetes CYPs for the biocatalysts of natural product bioconversion.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.308-314
• /
• 2004

A degenerate set of PCR primers based on two conserved regions (heme binding region and oxygen ligand pocket) were designed and successfully applied to amplify DNA fragments of cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) genes from a rare actinomycetes, S. benihana. The PCR amplified products were employed as a DNA probe to clone the entire CYP genes from S. benihana genomic library. Five different CYP-positive cosmids were isolated by colony hybridization as well as PCR confirmation. The complete nucleotide sequencing of five different CYP genes revealed that each unique CYP showed a significant amino acid homology to previously-known CYP genes involved in streptomycetes secondary metabolism. In addition, four CYP genes (CYP502, CYP503, CYP504, CYP506) were found to be linked to ferredoxin genes in the chromosome, and the CYP503 gene showed the high degree of amino acid similarity to the previously well-characterized CYP105 family in streptomycetes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.188-191
• /
• 2005

Abstract Cyclosporins are a family of clinically-important immunosuppressive cyclic peptides produced by Tolypocladium inflatum. The structural modification of cyclosporins via hydroxylation at various positions of N-methyl leucines in cyclosporin A leads to a dramatic change of their bioactive spectra. Among over 100 soil actinomycetes screened, two actinomycetes species, Sebekia benihana and Pseudonocardia autotrophica, were identified to contain superior cyclosporin A hydroxylation activities. A HPLC-based cyclosporin A hydroxylation assay revealed that each strain possesses distinctive hydroxylation specificity and regiospecificity; mono-hydroxylation at the 4th N-methyl leucine of cyclosporin A by S. benihana, and di-hydroxylations at both 4th and 9th N-methyl leucines of cyclosporin A by P. autotrophica. The conversion yields for cyclosporin A hydroxylation by both S. benihana and P. autotrophica were significantly improved from less than 10% and 18% up to 58% and 45%, respectively, in the optimized culture containing molybdenum with 0.05 g/l of cyclosporin A concentration. An ancymidol-specific inhibition of cyclosporin hydroxylation also suggested that the regiospecific cyclosporin hydroxylation might be catalyzed by a putative cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.25 no.10
• /
• pp.1634-1639
• /
• 2015

Cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) in actinomycetes plays an important role in the biosynthesis and bioconversion of various secondary metabolites. Two unique CYPs named CYP-sb21 and CYP-pa1, which were identified from Sebekia benihana and Pseudonocardia autotrophica, respectively, were proven to transfer a hydroxyl group at the 4^th or 9^th N-methyl leucine position of immunosuppressive agent cyclosporin A (CsA). Interestingly, these two homologous CYPs showed different CsA regio-selectivities. CYP-sb21 exhibited preferential hydroxylation activity at the 4^th position over the 9^th position, whereas CYP-pa1 showed the opposite preference. To narrow down the CYP domain critical for CsA regio-selectivity, each CYP was divided into four domains, and each domain was swapped with its counterpart from the other CYP. A total of 18 hybrid CYPs were then individually tested for CsA regio-selectivity. Although most of the hybrid CYPs failed to exhibit a significant change in regio-selectivity in the context of CsA hydroxylation, hybrid CYP-pa1 swapped with the second domain of CYP-sb21 showed a higher preference for the 9^th position. Moreover, hybrid CYPsb21 containing seven amino acids from the 2nd domain of CYP-pa1 showed higher preference for the 4^th position. These results imply that the 2nd domain of CsA-specific CYP plays a critical role in CsA regio-selectivity, thereby setting the stage for biotechnological application of CsA regio-selective hydroxylation.