RESUMO
Individual plants belonging to different species of the family Celastraceae collected from their natural habitats in South Africa (Putterlickia verrucosa (E. Meyer ex Sonder) Szyszyl., Putterlickia pyracantha (L.) Szyszyl., Putterlickia retrospinosa van Wyk and Mostert) and Brazil (Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss., Maytenus evonymoides Reiss., Maytenus aquifolia Mart.) were investigated for the presence of maytansinoids and of maytansine, an ansamycin of high cytotoxic activity. Maytansinoids were not detectable in plants grown in Brazil. Analysis of plants growing in South Africa, however, showed clearly that maytansinoids were present in some individual plants but were not detectable in others. Molecular biological analysis of a Putterlickia verrucosa cell culture gave no evidence for the presence of the aminohydroxybenzoate synthase gene which is unique to the biosynthesis of aminohydroxybenzoate, a precursor of the ansamycins including maytansinoids. Moreover, this gene was not detectable in DNA extracted from the aerial parts of Putterlickia plants. In contrast, observations indicate that this gene may be present in microbes of the rhizosphere of Putterlickia plants. Our observations are discussed with respect to the possibility that the roots of Putterlickia plants may be associated with microorganisms which are responsible for the biosynthesis of maytansine or maytansinoids.
Assuntos
Maitansina/análogos & derivados , Maitansina/análise , Maytenus/química , 3-Desoxi-7-Fosfo-Heptulonato Sintase/genética , Animais , Celastraceae/química , Células Cultivadas/química , Células Cultivadas/enzimologia , DNA de Plantas/genética , Meio Ambiente , Eucariotos/efeitos dos fármacos , Hidroliases/genética , Maitansina/farmacologia , Penicillium/efeitos dos fármacos , Raízes de Plantas/microbiologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
Wood from three different plants of the Celastraceae growing in their natural habitats in Brazil (Maytenus aquifolia Mart.) and South Africa [Putterlickia retrospinosa van Wyk and Mostert, P. verrucosa (E. Meyer ex Sonder) Szyszyl.] was established as a source of endophytic bacteria using a medium selective for actinomycetes. Two isolates were identified as Streptomyces setonii and S. sampsonii whereas two others were not assignable to any of the known Streptomyces species. They were preliminarily named Streptomyces Q21 and Streptomyces MaB-QuH-8. The latter strain produces a new chloropyrrol and chlorinated anthracyclinone. The chloropyrrol showed high activity against a series of multiresistent bacteria and mycobacteria.