Microbe Profile: Streptomyces formicae KY5: an ANT-ibiotic factory

TL;DR

Streptomyces formicae KY5 is a microbe that produces powerful antibiotics and antifungal compounds, offering potential for new antimicrobial drugs.

Contribution

The study highlights the genetic tractability of S. formicae KY5 and its potential to produce novel antimicrobial compounds.

Findings

S. formicae KY5 produces formicamycins effective against Gram-positive pathogens like MRSA.

The microbe also produces an antifungal compound effective against drug-resistant fungi.

The genome encodes at least 45 secondary metabolite gene clusters, many potentially novel.

Abstract

Streptomyces formicae was isolated from Tetraponera penzigi plant-ants and has bioactivity against Gram-positive pathogens due to the production of formicamycins.

Streptomyces formicae KY5 was isolated from a Tetraponera penzigi plant-ant nest. It is primarily known for its production of the formicamycins, antibiotics with potent activity against Gram-positive pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and additionally produces an antifungal compound that inhibits multi-drug-resistant fungal pathogens including Lomentospora prolificans. S. formicae is genetically tractable using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, allowing for detailed analysis of the formicamycin biosynthetic gene cluster. AntiSMASH analysis predicts the genome to encode at least 45 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, many of which appear to encode novel compounds. Current research efforts are focussing on characterising the regulation of secondary metabolism at a global level in order to switch on pathways that are not typically expressed under standard laboratory conditions with the aim of identifying novel antimicrobials.