[Streptomycetes--producers of polyketide antibiotics]

Abstract

The review is dedicated to biosynthesis of polyketides compounds by streptomycetes. It contains new data about structure of streptomycete chromosome, structure and action mechanism of polyketidesynthases of I and II types and gene clusters determining the biosynthesis of polyketides. A new promising approach is considered--the combinatorial biosynthesis of hybrid "unnatural" antibiotics by means of gene engineering construction of recombinant strains bearing the biosynthetic genes of bacterial aromatic polyketidesynthases.