A bistable gene switch for antibiotic biosynthesis: the butyrolactone regulon in Streptomyces coelicolor.

ABSTRACT: Many microorganisms, including bacteria of the class Streptomycetes, produce various secondary metabolites including antibiotics to gain a competitive advantage in their natural habitat. The production of these compounds is highly coordinated in a population to expedite accumulation to an effective concentration. Furthermore, as antibiotics are often toxic even to their producers, a coordinated production allows microbes to first arm themselves with a defense mechanism to resist their own antibiotics before production commences. One possible mechanism of coordination among individuals is through the production of signaling molecules. The gamma-butyrolactone system in Streptomyces coelicolor is a model of such a signaling system for secondary metabolite production. The accumulation of these

SUBMITTER: Mehra S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2444045 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature