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Cloning and Expression of Antibiotic Production Genes

Bio/Technology volume 2, pages 63–72 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

Recent advances in the molecular genetics of antibiotic biosynthesis open new perspectives for improvement of antibiotic production. Genes coding for enzymes involved in antibiotic biosynthesis appear to be clustered on the DNA of antibiotic producers. Both low and high copy plasmids and phage vectors have been developed for cloning in antibiotic-producing Strepto-myces. DNA can be introduced by polyethylene glycol-assisted transformation or transfection of Streptomyces protoplasts. Several specific genes for antibiotic biosynthesis have been cloned. Expression of genes coding for antibiotic biosynthesis has been achieved both in Streptomyces and in E. coli. Expression of Streptomyces genes in E. coli appears to occur only by transcriptional readthrough from E. coli promoters. Promoter-probe vectors have been constructed and used to clone DNA sequences containing transcriptional control signals. Increasing antibiotic production by amplification of the genes coding for limiting enzymes in the biosynthetic pathways is now possible. A likely outcome in the next few years is the construction of combinations of genes that may synthesize entirely new antibiotics that do not exist in nature.

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  1. Departmento de Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de León, León, Spain

    Juan F. Martín & José A. Gil

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Martín, J., Gil, J. Cloning and Expression of Antibiotic Production Genes. Nat Biotechnol 2, 63–72 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0184-63

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