Isolation of Sorangium cellulosum carrying epothilone gene clusters.

Epothilone and its analogs are a potent new class of anticancer compounds produced by myxobacteria. Thus, in an effort to identify new myxobacterial strains producing epothilone and its analogs, cellulose-degrading myxobacteria were isolated from Korean soils, and 13 strains carrying epothilone biosynthetic gene homologs were screened using a polymerase chain reaction. A migration assay revealed that Sorangium cellulosum KYC3013, 3016, 3017, and 3018 all produced microtubule-stabilizing compounds, and an LCMS/ MS analysis showed that S. cellulosum KYC3013 synthesized epothilone A.