STUDIES ON THE BIOSYNTHESES OF ITURIN, AN ANTIBIOTIC OF BACILLUS-SUBTILIS, AND A LIPOPEPTIDE CONTAINING BETA-HYDROXY FATTY-ACIDS

The biosynthesis of iturin an antibiotic containing a β-amino fatty acid, was studied by incubating Bacillus subtilis in the presence of various 14C-labelled precursors. Sodium acetate or palmitic acid were incorporated into the β-amino acids of iturin. Among the α-amino acids (asparagine, glutamine, serine, proline and tyrosine) in the peptidic part of iturin, asparagine appears to be the best precursor. In the presence of sodium [14C]asparagine, there was a synthesis of radioactive compound (compound X) before the synthesis of radioactive iturin. Compound X contained asparagine and/or aspartic acid, glutamine and/or glutamic acid and β-hydroxy fatty acids. © 1990.