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. 1974 Aug;71(8):3260–3264. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.8.3260

Ansamycin Biogenesis: Studies on a Novel Rifamycin Isolated from a Mutant Strain of Nocardia mediterranei

Richard J White 1, Edoardo Martinelli 1, Giancarlo Lancini 1
PMCID: PMC388664  PMID: 4528428

Abstract

A novel ansamycin, rifamycin W, was isolated from a mutant strain of Nocardia mediterranei. The metabolic origin of rifamycin W was studied by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Examination of the proton-decoupled pulse and Fourier transform 13C spectra of rifamycin W biogenetically enriched with [1-13C]-, [2-13C]-, and [3-13C]propionate and with [1-13C]acetate has revealed that the alignment of acetate and propionate units corresponds to that previously proposed for rifamycin S. Washed mycelium from a rifamycin B-producing strain of N. mediterranei transformed rifamycin W into rifamycin B. We suggest that rifamycin W is a normal intermediate in the biosynthesis of the other rifamycins. These results, together with the structural similarity of rifamycin W to the streptovaricins, reinforce our hypothesis that a common progenitor is involved in the biogenesis of all naphthalenic ansamycins.

Keywords: 13C-enriched precursors, 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy, blocked mutant

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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