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Production of actinorhodin-related "blue pigments" by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)
Open accessAbstract
The genetically well-known strain Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) produces the pH indicator (red/blue) antibiotic actinorhodin, but not all the "blue pigment" produced by this strain is actinorhodin. When the organism was subjected to various nutrient limitations (ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, or trace elements), and also during growth cessation caused by a relatively low medium pH, blue pigment production was initiated but the pigment and its location varied. At pH 4.5 to 5.5, significant formation of actinorhodin occurred and was located exclusively intracellularly. At pH 6.0 to 7.5 a different blue pigment was produced intracellularly as well as extracellularly. It was purified and identified as gamma-actinorhodin (the lactone form of actinorhodin). Analysis of act mutants of S. coelicolor A3(2) confirmed that both pigments are derived from the act biosynthetic pathway. Mutants with lesions in actII-ORF2, actII-ORF3, or actVA-ORF1, previously implicated or suggested to be involved in actinorhodin export, were impaired in production of gamma-actinorhodin, suggesting that synthesis of gamma-actinorhodin from actinorhodin is coupled to its export from the cell. However, effects on the level of actinorhodin production were also found in some mutants.
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Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) produces a second blue pigment besides actinorhodin, identified as gamma-actinorhodin (the lactone form of actinorhodin), whose production and cellular location depend on nutrient limitation and medium pH. Mutants in genes previously implicated in actinorhodin export were impaired in gamma-actinorhodin production, suggesting its synthesis from actinorhodin is coupled to export.
Key findings
- Under various nutrient limitations (ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, or trace elements) and during growth cessation caused by relatively low medium pH, blue pigment production was initiated, but the pigment and its location varied.
- At pH 4.5 to 5.5, significant formation of actinorhodin occurred and was located exclusively intracellularly.
- At pH 6.0 to 7.5, a different blue pigment was produced intracellularly as well as extracellularly; it was purified and identified as gamma-actinorhodin (the lactone form of actinorhodin).
- Analysis of act mutants confirmed both pigments derive from the act biosynthetic pathway; mutants with lesions in actII-ORF2, actII-ORF3, or actVA-ORF1 (previously implicated or suggested in actinorhodin export) were impaired in gamma-actinorhodin production, suggesting synthesis of gamma-actinorhodin from actinorhodin is coupled to its export from the cell, though effects on actinorhodin production levels were also found in some mutants.
Methods
- Design: S. coelicolor A3(2) was subjected to various nutrient limitations (ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, trace elements) and to growth cessation caused by relatively low medium pH; blue pigment production, identity, and location were examined.
- The pH 6.0–7.5 pigment was purified and identified as gamma-actinorhodin; act mutants of S. coelicolor A3(2) were analyzed to test pathway origin and the role of export-related genes.
- Main analysis details beyond the abstract are not available in the provided text (only the abstract and reference list are given; the full text is a PDF link).
Limitations
- Not stated in the paper (only the abstract is available in the provided text).
- Evident from the text: the provided material is the abstract and reference list only, so experimental detail, quantitative data beyond the reported pH ranges, and any limitations discussed in the full article cannot be assessed.
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10 Own result · 1 Own interpretation · 1 No basis given
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However, effects on the level of actinorhodin production were also found in some mutants.”
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“but not all the”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) produces the pH indicator (red/blue) antibiotic actinorhodin.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It was purified and identified as gamma-actinorhodin (the lactone form of actinorhodin).”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Mutants with lesions in actII-ORF2, actII-ORF3, or actVA-ORF1, previously implicated or suggested to be involved in actinorhodin export, were impaired in production of gamma-actinorhodin”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“When the organism was subjected to various nutrient limitations (ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, or trace elements), and also during growth cessation caused by a relatively low medium pH, blue pigment production was initiated but the pigment and its location varied.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“At pH 4.5 to 5.5, significant formation of actinorhodin occurred and was located exclusively intracellularly.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“When the organism was subjected to various nutrient limitations (ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, or trace elements), and also during growth cessation caused by a relatively low medium pH, blue pigment production was initiated but the pigment and its location varied.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“At pH 6.0 to 7.5 a different blue pigment was produced intracellularly as well as extracellularly.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“When the organism was subjected to various nutrient limitations (ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, or trace elements), and also during growth cessation caused by a relatively low medium pH, blue pigment production was initiated but the pigment and its location varied.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Analysis of act mutants of S. coelicolor A3(2) confirmed that both pigments are derived from the act biosynthetic pathway.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper relies on this without support.
Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) produces the pH indicator (red/blue) antibiotic actinorhodin.
“The genetically well-known strain Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) produces the pH indicator (red/blue) antibiotic actinorhodin”
The paper relies on this without support.
Mutants with lesions in actII-ORF2, actII-ORF3, or actVA-ORF1 are involved in actinorhodin export.
“Mutants with lesions in actII-ORF2, actII-ORF3, or actVA-ORF1, previously implicated or suggested to be involved in actinorhodin export”
Citations
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Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Bergmeyer H. U. and H.-O. Beutler. 1985. Ammonia p. 454-461. In H. U. Bergmeyer J. Bergmeyer and M. Grassl (ed.) Methods of enzymatic analysis 3rd ed. vol. 8. VCH Publishers New York.
- Christiansen P. 1970. Isolierung Strukturermittlung und absolute Konfiguration neuer Actinorhodine. Ph.D. thesis. University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany.
- McNicolas C. 1991. Ph.D. thesis. University of Bristol Bristol United Kingdom.
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Metadata
- Authors
- Bystrykh, L. V., Fernández-Moreno, M. A., Herrema, J. K., Malpartida, F., Hopwood, D. A., & Dijkhuizen, L.
- Affiliations
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Department of Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Venue
- Journal of Bacteriology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Published
- 1996-04
- Volume
- 178
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 2238-2244
- ISSN
- 0021-9193 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-5530
- PMC
- PMC177931
- OpenAlex
- W2142314320
- Cited by
- 245
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 4.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Bacteriology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (submittedVersion)
- PubMed Central (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Default journal
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology › Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biotechnology › Microbial Metabolism and Applications
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Keywords
- actinorhodin, Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), blue pigments, acid-base indicators, lactone formation, nutrient limitation, low pH, intracellular pigments
- MeSH terms
- Benzoisochromanequinones, Anthraquinones, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Biological Transport, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Lactones, Mutation, Pigments, Biological, Spectrophotometry, Streptomyces
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