A chromosomal locus encoding a phosphoserine phosphatase- and a truncated MinD-like protein affects differentiation in Streptomyces azureus ATCC14921

We isolated BalAl, a representative transformant of thiostrepton-producing strain Streptomyces azureus ATCC14921, which carries an approximately 2.5-k b chromosomal DNA fragment on a high-copy-number plasmid. While strain BalA l formed little aerial hyphae, its morphological defect was restored by cul tivation with S. azureus, S. laurentii, etc. Strain BalAl strongly inhibite d the growth of Bacillus subtilis more than its parent strain, and also inh ibited the development of its parent and some Streptomyces strains with thi ostrepton resistance. Furthermore, it induced Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) to produce undecylprodigiosin, at an early stage of growth. The 2.5-kb fra gment contained two orfs, orf1 and truncated orf2. The deduced products wer e somewhat similar to phosphoserine phosphatase-like protein and the N-term inal region of MinD-like protein, respectively. The individual function of orf1 or the function of both orf1 and truncated orf2 seems to induce partic ular phenotypes or properties in strain BalAl. (C) 2000 Federation of Europ ean Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.