Targeted accumulation of selective anticancer depsipeptides by reconstructing the precursor supply in the neoantimycin biosynthetic pathway

Background Neoantimycins are a group of 15-membered ring depsipeptides isolated from Streptomycetes with a broad-spectrum of anticancer activities. Neoantimycin biosynthesis is directed by the hybrid multimodular megaenzymes of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase. We previously discovered a new neoantimycin analogue unantimycin B, which was demonstrated to have selective anticancer activities and was produced from the neoantimycin biosynthetic pathway with a starter unit of 3-hydroxybenzoate, instead of the 3-formamidosalicylate unit that is common for neoantimycins. However, the low fermentation titre and tough isolation procedure have hindered in-depth pharmacological investigation of unantimycin B as an anticancer agent. Results In this work, we genetically constructed two unantimycin B producer strains and inhibited neoantimycins production by removing nat O and nat J-L genes essential for 3-formamidosalicylate biosynthesis, therefore facilitating chromatographic separation of unantimycin B from the complex fermentation extract. Based on the Δ nat O mutant, we improved unantimycin B production twofold, reaching approximately 12.8 mg/L, by feeding 3-hydroxybenzoate during fermentation. Furthermore, the production was improved more than sixfold, reaching approximately 40.0 mg/L, in the Δ nat O strain introduced with a chorismatase gene highly expressed under a strong promoter for endogenously over-producing 3-hydroxybenzoate. Conclusion This work provides a case of targeting accumulation and significant production improvement of medicinally interesting natural products via genetic manipulation of precursor biosynthesis in Streptomycetes , the talented producers of pharmaceutical molecules.