Biosynthesis of the polyoxins, nucleoside peptide antibiotics: glutamate as an origin of 2-amino-2-deoxy-L-xylonic acid (polyoxamic acid).

The biosynthetic origin of the carbon skeleton of 2-amino-2-deoxy-L-xylonic acid (polyoxamic acid) is described. This aminoaldonic acid is the N terminus of the nucleoside peptide antibiotics, the polyoxins, produced by Streptomyces cacaoi var. asoensis. In vivo experiments concerning incorporation and distribution of radioactivity from a number of 14C-labeled compounds have clearly shown that the carbon skeleton of glutamate is a precursor for this aminoaldonic acid and sugars are incorporated only after their conversion into gluamate through the glycolytic and the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways. Experiments utilizing [14C]-acetate and succinate have also indicated multiple passages through the Krebs cycle are operating before their incorporation into polyoxamic acid via glutamate. The distribution of 14C between C-1 and C-5 of polyoxamic acid from [5-14C]glutamate experiment has indicated that 40% of glutamate incorporated only after the reversible conversion into alpha-ketoglutarate followed by the passage through the Krebs cycle. Lack of incorporation of 3H in the [1-14C;2-3H]- and [5-14C;2-3H]glutamate experiments is discussed in terms of a reaction(s) between glutamate and polyoxamic acid.