Figure 3. Detection of carboxylates secreted by S.avermitilis, S. costaricanus, and S. milbemycinicus.
Carboxylates were extracted from species of Streptomyces and labeled with a pyridinium moiety for easier detection by mass spectrometry. For example, to detect dodecanoate after Streptomyces cell-free supernatants were extracted and concentrated, dodecanoate and the other carboxylates in the extract were converted to pyridinium esters by treatment with carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) in acetonitrile (ACN).