Biosynthesis of prodigiosin, a secondary metabolite of Serratia marcescens.
- 1 March 1973
- journal article
- Vol. 25 (3), 396-402
Abstract
Prodigiosenes (prodigiosin and prodigiosin-like pigments) are known to be synthesized by only one genus of Eubacteriales and by two genera of Actinomycetales. Biosynthesis by Serratia marcescens occurs over a relatively narrow range of temperatures, although the bacteria grow over a broad range. When cultures of S. marcescens were incubated at 27 C in 1.0% casein hydrolysate, viable count and protein attained maximal values within 24 to 48 h, whereas prodigiosin did not reach a maximum until 96 h. The greatest amount of pigment was synthesized when cultures were in the senescent phase of growth. Suspensions of nonproliferating bacteria incubated at 27 C in only L-alanine also synthesized prodigiosin, although at a slower rate than growing cultures. Kinetics of growth for the wild-type, red S. marcescens and a white mutant were identical when incubated at 27 C, but the wild type produced abundant pigment. These results plus other data obtained from the literature suggest that prodigiosin is a secondary metabolite. The importance of this proposal to understanding the function of prodigiosin in S. marcescens is discussed.This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Labeling patterns in prodigiosin biosynthesisBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1972
- PRODIGIOSIN-LIKE PIGMENTS FROM ACTINOMADURA (NOCARDIA) PELLETIERIThe Journal of Antibiotics, 1971
- A novel, cyclic, tripyrrole pigment fromTetrahedron Letters, 1970
- Prodigiosene [5-(2-pyrryl)-2,21-dipyrrylmethene] and some substituted prodigiosenesThe Journal of Organic Chemistry, 1970
- Metacycloprodigiosin, a tripyrrole pigment from Streptomyces longisporus ruberJournal of the American Chemical Society, 1969
- A novel dipyrrolyldipyrromethene prodigiosin analog fromTetrahedron Letters, 1968
- Studies on the biosynthesis of prodigiosin in Serratia marcescensBiochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1963
- Intermediary Metabolism and Antibiotic SynthesisAdvances in applied microbiology, 1961
- Association of Pigment with the Cell Envelope of Serratia marcescens (Chromobacterium prodigiosum)Nature, 1960
- The biosynthesis of prodigiosin, the tripyrrylmethene pigment from Bacillus prodigiosus (Serratia marcescens)Biochemical Journal, 1950