Selective isolation and ansamycin-targeted screenings of commensal actinomycetes from the "maytansinoids-producing" arboreal Trewia nudiflora.

To verify the hypothesis on the involvement of commensal actinomycetes in the biosynthesis of plant maytansinoids that belong to the ansamycin family, selective isolation and targeted screenings were conducted. In total, 164 endophytic actinomycetes isolates were obtained from the roots, twigs, seeds, callus, and germ-free seedlings of "maytansinoids-producing" Trewia nudiflora Linn. by selective isolation methods. Crude extracts of the isolates were screened by antifungal bioassay against Penicillium avellaneum UC-4376, thin-layer chromatography, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry detection according to the bioactivity as well as structural characteristics of maytansinoids. Respectively, 25.0%, 64.8%, and 26.7% of the extracts were positive in corresponding screenings. Ten isolates showed positive results in all three different screenings. To confirm on a genetic level, 28 representative isolates from 20 morphological groups were screened by polymerase chain reaction with 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid synthase gene and carbamoyltransferase gene primers, both of which were involved in the biosynthesis of ansamycins. According to the results of the targeted screenings, two isolates Streptomyces sp. 5B and Streptomyces sp. M27m3 might have the potential of producing ansamycins, which further enhanced the hypothesis that endophyte(s) might be involved in the biosynthesis of plant maytansinoids.