BIOSYNTHESIS OF INDOLE-3-ACETIC-ACID VIA THE INDOLE-3-ACETAMIDE PATHWAY IN STREPTOMYCES SPP

Various Streptomyces spp. including S. violaceus, S. scabies, S. grise us, S. exfoliatus S. coelicolor and S. lividans secrete indole-3-aceti c acid (IAA) when fed with L-tryptophan (Trp). production of IAA was d etected in Streptomyces strains causing potato scab as well as in non- pathogenic strains. The pathways for IAA synthesis from Trp were inves tigated in S. violaceus and S. exfoliatus. Indole-3-acetamide (IAM), i ndole-3-lactic acid (ILA), indole-3-ethanol (IEt) and IAA were identif ied by HPLC and GC-MS. Streptomyces cells were capable of catabolizing IAM, ILA, IEt and indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAId) into IAA. incorporati on of radioactivity into IAM, IAA and IAL but not IEt was detected whe n cells were fed with L-[3-C-14]tryptophan. Results indicate the prese nce of the IAM pathway (Trp --> IAM --> IAA) and the possible presence of additional pathways for IAA biosynthesis in Streptomyces.