Hydroxylation of mutilin by Streptomyces griseus and Cunninghamella echinulata

Biotransformation of mutilin and pleurommilin by microbial cultures was investigated to provide a source of 8-hydroxymutilin or 8-hydroxypleuromutilin. LC/MS analysis of culture broths showed that several strains gave M+16 products from mutilin and one culture gave an M+16 product from pleuromutilin, suggesting addition of oxygen. Biotransformation products were extracted from culture broths with ethyl acetate, dried, and purified by chromatography on silica gel. Streptomyces griseus strains SC 1754 and SC 13971 (ATCC 13273) converted mutilin to (8S)-, (7S)-, and (2S)-hydroxymutilin. Cunninghamella echinulata SC 16162 (NRRL 3655) gave (2S)-hydroxymutilin or (2R)-hydroxypleuromutilin from biotransformation of mutilin or pleuromutilin, respectively. The biotransformation of mutilin by S. griseus strain SC 1754 was scaled up in 15-, 60-, and 100-L fermentations to produce a total of 49 g of (8S)-hydroxymutilin (BMS-303786), 17 g of (7S)-hydroxymutilin (BMS-303789) and 13 g of (2S)-hydroxymutilin (BMS-303782) from 162 g of mutilin.