Identification and characterization of Streptomyces ghanaensis ATCC14672 integration sites for three actinophage-based plasmids.

Streptomyces ghanaensis produces the antibiotic moenomycin A, which is the only known direct inhibitor of bacterial peptidoglycan glycosyltransferases (transglycosylases). Recent progress in understanding moenomycin biosynthesis opens the door to the generation of novel moenomycins via biocombinatorial approaches. To realize the promise of such an approach, one needs better knowledge of the S. ghanaensis genome and diverse genetic tools for stable expression of recombinant constructs in this strain. In this respect, we report the intergeneric Escherichia coli-S. ghanaensis conjugal transfer of plasmids pRT801 and pSOK804 based on the actinophage BT1 and VWB integrase systems, respectively. The attB sites for these two plasmids and for pSET152 were characterized. In particular, sequencing revealed that a putative Arg-tRNA gene serves as an integration site for both phage VWB and pSAM2-like actinomycete integrative and conjugative element recently suggested to be widespread and functional in actinomycetes. The stability of the studied plasmids and their neutrality with respect to antibiotic production warrant their use for manipulations of S. ghanaensis genome.