Characterization of the complete zwittermicin A biosynthesis gene cluster from Bacillus cereus.

ABSTRACT: Bacillus cereus UW85 produces the linear aminopolyol antibiotic zwittermicin A (ZmA). This antibiotic has diverse biological activities, such as suppression of disease in plants caused by protists, inhibition of fungal and bacterial growth, and amplification of the insecticidal activity of the toxin protein from Bacillus thuringiensis. ZmA has an unusual chemical structure that includes a d amino acid and ethanolamine and glycolyl moieties, as well as having an unusual terminal amide that is generated from the modification of the nonproteinogenic amino acid beta-ureidoalanine. The diverse biological activities and unusual structure of ZmA have stimulated our efforts to understand how this antibiotic is biosynthesized. Here, we present the identification of the complete ZmA biosynthesis gen

SUBMITTER: Kevany BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2643575 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature