Regulation of biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. I. Biosynthesis of chlortetracycline and tricarboxylic acid cycle activity

In the course of submerged cultivation of low‐production and industrial production strains of Streptomyces aureofaciens, the activity of enzymes of the tricurboxylic acid cycle was studied. The activities of citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7), aconitate hydratase (EC 4.2.1.3), isocitrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.42), fumarate hydratase (EC 4.2.1.2), and malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) were estimated spectrophotometrically in cell‐free preparations. In the growth phase, mainly the initial reactions of the cycle were active with both strains. In production‐phase, the activities of enzymes in the low‐production strain were 2–5 × higher than in the production strain. Benzylthioeyanate, at a concentration of 5 × l0−5M, stimulated chlortetracycline production of both strains with accompanying decrease in activity of the enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The role of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in control of chlortetracycline biosynthesis is discussed.