BIOSYNTHESIS OF THE ANTIBIOTIC OBAFLUORIN FROM PARA-AMINOPHENYLALANINE AND GLYCINE (GLYOXYLATE)

Results of experiments using 'resting' cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens with [2-C-13]-, [1-C-13]- and [2-H-2(2)]-glycine as precursors show that glyoxylic acid is specifically the source of C-1 and C-2 of the antibiotic obafluorin 1. The C-13 labelling patterns are consistent with the passage of the precursors through the tartronic semialdehyde and glyoxylate pathways. The glycine derivative 6 is not a precursor for 1. The analogues 24 and 25 of p-aminophenylalanine 3 are synthesised and tested as substrates for biosynthesis in P. fluorescens. With 24, the metabolite 26 is detected; no metabolites of 25 are detected.