Modification of aklavinone and aclacinomycins in vitro and in vivo by rhodomycin biosynthesis gene products.

The rdm genes B, C and E from Streptomyces purpurascens encode enzymes that tailor aklavinone and aclacinomycins. We report that in addition to hydroxylation of aklavinone to epsilon-rhodomycinone, RdmE (aklavinone-11-hydroxylase) hydroxylated 11-deoxy-beta-rhodomycinone to beta-rhodomycinone both in vivo and in vitro. 15-Demethoxyaklavinone and decarbomethoxyaklavinone did not serve as substrates. RdmC (aclacinomycin methyl esterase) converted aclacinomycin T (AcmT) to 15-demethoxyaclacinomycin T, which was in turn converted to 10-decarbomethoxyaclacinomycin T and then to rhodomycin B by RdmB (aclacinomycin-10-hydroxylase). RdmC and RdmB were most active on AcmT, the one-sugar derivative, with their activity decreasing by 70-90% on two- and three-sugar aclacinomycins. Aclacinomycin A competitively inhibited the AcmT modifications at C-10. The results presented here suggest that in vivo the modifications at C-10 take place principally after addition of the first sugar.