Epopromycins, Novel Cell Wall Synthesis Inhibitors of Plant Protoplast Produced by Strcptomyces sp. NK04000.

The important difference of plant cells from mammalian cells is the existence of a cell wall which is made of cellulose.It is proposed that an inhibitor of cell wall synthesis might be a safer herbicide.In our screening for novel plant cell wall synthesis inhibitors as herbicides from microbial metabolites, we developed a new screening method using plant (lettuce) protoplasts for measurement of cell wall formation.Using this screening method, Streptomyces sp.NK04000was found to produce the novel cell wall synthesis inhibitors, epopromycins A (1) and B (2), which are analogues of eponemycin (3)1} (Fig. 1).