Mechanistic insights into ammonium-driven metabolic regulation for enhanced nemadectin biosynthesis in Streptomyces cyaneogriseus

TL;DR

This study shows how ammonium boosts nemadectin antibiotic production in Streptomyces cyaneogriseus through metabolic and gene regulation changes.

Contribution

The study provides mechanistic insights into ammonium-driven nemadectin biosynthesis using multi-omics analysis.

Findings

Ammonium sulfate upregulates nemadectin biosynthetic genes and transcription factors.

Ammonium triggers metabolic reprogramming, enhancing acetyl-CoA and amino acid metabolism.

Reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle activity is linked to increased nemadectin production.

Abstract

Nemadectin, a milbemycin-class macrocyclic lactone antibiotic produced by Streptomyces cyaneogriseus, is a potent broad-spectrum insecticide with excellent environmental compatibility. Its derivative moxidectin, featuring a C-23 methoxime modification, demonstrates enhanced insecticidal activity and has become a commercially successful agrochemical. This study reveals ammonium regulation effectively boosts nemadectin biosynthesis in S. cyaneogriseus, with mechanistic insights gained through integrated multi-omics analysis. Transcriptomic profiling showed ammonium sulfate supplementation significantly upregulates the nemadectin biosynthetic gene cluster, including polyketide synthase (PKS) genes, backbone modification genes, and pathway-specific transcription factors, while also enhancing the expression of Avenolide-like signaling molecules and global transcription factor Afskne. Metabolomic dynamics revealed reinforced precursor biosynthesis through coordinated metabolic reprogramming: enhanced acetyl-CoA production, reinforced Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway and amino acid/acyl-CoA metabolism, coupled with reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle activity. Systematic integration of physiological phenotyping, metabolite profiling, and transcriptional regulation data comprehensively elucidated the ammonium-driven overproduction mechanism, providing critical insights for developing advanced fermentation strategies and genetic engineering approaches in industrial antibiotic production.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40643-026-01015-6.

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