Organization of the biosynthetic genes encoding deoxyactagardine B (DAB), a new lantibiotic produced by Actinoplanes liguriae NCIMB41362

Deoxyactagardine B (DAB) is a hitherto unknown type B lantibiotic, produced by Actinoplanes liguriae NCIMB41362. The mature peptide is 19 amino acids in length and structurally analogous to actagardine, differing by two amino acids (V15L and I16V) and the absence of a sulfoxide bond between residues 14 and 19. The biosynthetic genes encoding DAB are clustered, and in addition to the structural gene ligA include genes believed to encode for the proteins responsible for the modification, transport and regulation of DAB synthesis. Surprisingly, despite the presence of a gene that shares significant homology to the monooxygenase garO from the actagardine biosynthetic gene cluster, the oxidized form of DAB has not been detected. A lanA gene encoding the DAB peptide has been introduced into the plasmid pAGvarX and delivered into a strain of Actinoplanes garbadinensis lacking the structural gene for actagardine, garA (A. garbadinensis Delta garA). Expression of this gene in A. garbadinensis Delta garA resulted in the production of actagardine B, an oxidized form of DAB. The Journal of Antibiotics (2010) 63, 351-358; doi:10.1038/ja.2010.48; published online 2 June 2010