Signalling pathways that control development and antibiotic production in streptomyces

Abstract

Bacteria are highly complex

and diverse organisms that have adapted to survive in ecological niches ranging

from the most extreme to the most heterogeneous environments. Actinobacteria, with

their beautiful morphologies and complex multicellular life cycle, are a striking example. These filamentous bacteria produce many enzymes and natural products, including two-thirds of all known antibiotics, which makes them highly relevant for medical, biotechnological and industrial applications. In Streptomyces, complex and intertwining regulatory networks, consisting of pathway-specific and global regulators, control development and antibiotic production in response to environmental stimuli and stresses. This thesis explores how the model organism Streptomyces coelicolor senses environmental signals, related to oxygen stress and the availability of aminosugars, and how the bacterium translates these into appropriate responses.