• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.682-687
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• 1999

Virginiae butanolide C(VB-C) is one of the butyrolactone autoregulators, which triggers the production of virginiamycin in Streptomyces virginiae. In order to investigate the function of VB-C as inducer in other strains, Streptomyces erythraeus was used as a test strain(parent). VB-C binding receptor gene was introduced into S. erythraeus(transformant) and the production of VBs and specific VB-C binding protein were analysed in parent and transformant. When 300ng/ml of the synthetic VB-C was added at 0, 20, 44 h cultivation of the parent and at 44 h cultivation of the transformant, the initial production times a antibiotics were shortened by more than 8 and 6 h, respectively. The transformant showed strong antibiotic activity against B. subtilis. These results suggest that the VB-C might have an ability to induce the production of secondary metabolites in S. erythraeus.