Mutants of Streptomyces cattleya defective in the synthesis of a factor required for thienamycin production.

Thienamycin non-producing mutants of Streptomydes cattleya were identified that displayed a cross-feeding relationship. A diffusible product from one of these mutants (RK-11) resulted in restoration of thienamycin production when fed to cultures of another mutant (RK-4). In vivo radiolabeling experiments were conducted to test whether the RK-11 mutant produced a late biosynthetic intermediate which contained a carbapenem ring and a cysteaminyl and/or a hydroxyethyl side chain. Both [35S]cystine and [methyl-3H]methionine were used to label the RK-11 product which was then fed to RK-4 cultures. None of the thienamycin subsequently produced by RK-4 converter cells was labeled, implying the lack of either side chain of the thienamycin molecule in the RK-11 product. Further stability studies suggested that the RK-11 product does not contain a carbapenem ring. Additional feeding experiments with RK-4 cells also ruled out the possibility that the RK-11 product is a co-factor necessary for thienamycin production. It is concluded that the RK-11 product may regulate expression of the thienamycin gene cluster.