Relationship of prodigiosin condensing enzyme activity to the biosynthesis of prodigiosin and its precursors in Serratia marcescens.

Prodigiosin condensing enzyme (PCE) activities were present in Serratia marcescens wild type 08, mutants OF, WF and 9-3-3. Their specific activities exhibited different maxima and at different times during the late log phase or the early stationary phase of cell growth. The levels of prodigiosin and its precursors also showed a significant increase at this period. The results support that prodigiosin and/or its precursors are secondary metabolites. The ubiquity of the PCE activity in mutants deficient in prodigiosin biosynthesis suggest that this particular enzyme may also be present in non-pigmented clinical isolates.