The Regulons of Atra

Bacteria of the genus Streptomyces have been a rich source of antibiotics, in addition to antifungals, antivirals and anti-tumourals. Indeed 80% of the antibiotics in clinical or veterinary use are derived from the metabolism of Streptomyces. Steptomyces coelicolor is used as a model for studying the regulation of secondary metabolism and morphological development. Previous work has identified a transcription factor called AtrA that regulates the production of actinorhodin, a pigment antibiotic. A combination of in vitro and in silico studies suggests that AtrA may control the metabolism of acetyl CoA, which is a precursor for several important classes of natural products.