The Applied Microbiology team recently developed an innovative cloning construct (pDS0007) that now enables us to genetically modify even those actinobacteria that are notoriously difficult to manipulate, such as Streptomyces iranensis. This bacterial strain is well-known in the scientific community for being challenging to genetically engineer, but it also holds biotechnological potential as it is an alternative rapamycin producer and, due to its numerous biosynthetic gene clusters, is a source for novel bioactive natural products.
Using this new tool, we were able to specifically deactivate a gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of a phosphonate compound. This allowed us to directly demonstrate that this gene cluster is indeed necessary for phosphonate production in S. iranensis (DSM 41954) - an important step for further substance isolation and characterization. We have deposited the newly developed plasmid in our collection, making it accessible to other researchers. This success story underscores the synergy between research and collection work: new methods drive exciting scientific discoveries while also strengthening our resources for future projects.
For more information see
Gomez-Escribano, J.P., Zimmermann, A., Xia, S.N., Döppner, M., Moschny, J., Hughes, C.C., Mast, Y. (2025) Application of a replicative targetable vector system for difficult-to-manipulate streptomycetes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 109(1):89. doi: 10.1007/s00253-025-13477-3.
