Production of Antitumoral Retamycin During Fed-Batch Fermentations of Streptomyces olindensis

Intensification of bioprocesses with filamentous microorganisms

Many industrial biotechnological processes use filamentous microorganisms to produce platform chemicals, proteins, enzymes and natural products. Product formation is directly linked to their cellular morphology ranging from dispersed mycelia over loose clumps to compact pellets. Therefore, the adjustment and control of the filamentous cellular morphology pose major challenges for bioprocess engineering. Depending on the filamentous strain and desired product, optimal morphological shapes for achieving high product concentrations vary. However, there are currently no overarching strain- or product-related correlations to improve process understanding of filamentous production systems. The present book chapter summarizes the extensive work conducted in recent years in the field of improving product formation and thus intensifying biotechnological processes with filamentous microorganisms. The goal is to provide prospective scientists with an extensive overview of this scientifically diverse, highly interesting field of study. In the course of this, multiple examples and ideas shall facilitate the combination of their acquired expertise with promising areas of future research. Therefore, this overview describes the interdependence between filamentous cellular morphology and product formation. Moreover, the currently most frequently used experimental techniques for morphological structure elucidation will be discussed in detail. Developed strategies of morphology engineering to increase product formation by tailoring and controlling cellular morphology and thus to intensify processes with filamentous microorganisms will be comprehensively presented and discussed.

Taxonomy, Physiology, and Natural Products of Actinobacteria

Actinobacteria are Gram-positive bacteria with high G+C DNA content that constitute one of the largest bacterial phyla, and they are ubiquitously distributed in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Many Actinobacteria have a mycelial lifestyle and undergo complex morphological differentiation. They also have an extensive secondary metabolism and produce about two-thirds of all naturally derived antibiotics in current clinical use, as well as many anticancer, anthelmintic, and antifungal compounds. Consequently, these bacteria are of major importance for biotechnology, medicine, and agriculture. Actinobacteria play diverse roles in their associations with various higher organisms, since their members have adopted different lifestyles, and the phylum includes pathogens (notably, species of Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Propionibacterium, and Tropheryma), soil inhabitants (e.g., Micromonospora and Streptomyces species), plant commensals (e.g., Frankia spp.), and gastrointestinal commensals (Bifidobacterium spp.). Actinobacteria also play an important role as symbionts and as pathogens in plant-associated microbial communities. This review presents an update on the biology of this important bacterial phylum.

Evolutionary dynamics of rhomboid proteases in Streptomycetes

Background

Proteolytic enzymes are ubiquitous and active in a myriad of biochemical pathways. One type, the rhomboids are intramembrane serine proteases that release their products extracellularly. These proteases are present in all forms of life and their function is not fully understood, although some evidence suggests they participate in cell signaling. Streptomycetes are prolific soil bacteria with diverse physiological and metabolic properties that respond to signals from other cells and from the environment. In the present study, we investigate the evolutionary dynamics of rhomboids in Streptomycetes, as this can shed light into the possible involvement of rhomboids in the complex lifestyles of these bacteria.

Results

Analysis of Streptomyces genomes revealed that they harbor up to five divergent putative rhomboid genes (arbitrarily labeled families A–E), two of which are orthologous to rhomboids previously described in Mycobacteria. Characterization of each of these rhomboid families reveals that each group is distinctive, and has its own evolutionary history. Two of the Streptomyces rhomboid families are highly conserved across all analyzed genomes suggesting they are essential. At least one family has been horizontally transferred, while others have been lost in several genomes. Additionally, the transcription of the four rhomboid genes identified in Streptomyces coelicolor, the model organism of this genus, was verified by reverse transcription.

Conclusions

Using phylogenetic and genomic analysis, this study demonstrates the existence of five distinct families of rhomboid genes in Streptomycetes. Families A and D are present in all nine species analyzed indicating a potentially important role for these genes. The four rhomboids present in S. coelicolor are transcribed suggesting they could participate in cellular metabolism. Future studies are needed to provide insight into the involvement of rhomboids in Streptomyces physiology. We are currently constructing knock out (KO) mutants for each of the rhomboid genes from S. coelicolor and will compare the phenotypes of the KOs to the wild type strain.