Abstract
It has been reported that Bacillus vitellinus, a butirosin A-producing bacterium, has two enzymes: butirosin A-3'-phosphotransferase, catalyzing phosphorylation of butirosin A, and phosphatase, catalyzing dephosphorylation of butirosin A-3'-phosphate.
A phosphatase-negative mutant, P-15, was derived from a potent butirosin A producer, BA-44, by NTG treatment. The mutant, P-15, was found to produce a butirosin A derivative when it was grown in a medium containing a relatively high concentration of inorganic phosphate. This compound was isolated and confirmed to be butirosin A-6'-N-diphosphate by physico-chemical analysis and 13C-NMR spectrometry.
Furthermore, a mutant strain, AP-165, was derived from the phosphatase-negative mutant, P-15. This strain, AP-165, was isolated as a nonproducer on an agar piece of bouillon medium, but was found to accumulate a major product, 6'-deamino-6'-hydroxybutirosin A-6'-O-diphosphate, and a minor one, 6'-deamino-6'-hydroxybutirosin A-6'-O-monophosphate.
It seems likely that these phosphorylated compounds are possible intermediates of butirosin A biosynthesis in B. vitellinus.
