Hutchinson's legacy: keeping on polyketide biosynthesis

J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2011 Jan;64(1):51-7. doi: 10.1038/ja.2010.126. Epub 2010 Nov 10.

Abstract

Professor Charles Richard Hutchinson (Hutch) dedicated his research to the study of polyketide compounds, in particular, those produced by actinomycetes. Hutch principally centered his efforts to study the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds, antibiotic and antitumor drugs, and to develop new derivatives with improved therapeutic properties. After dedicating 40 years to the study of polyketides, Hutch leaves us, as legacy, the knowledge that he and his collaborators have accumulated and shared with the scientific community. The best tribute we can offer to him is keeping on the study of polyketides and other bioactive compounds, in an effort to generate more safer and useful drugs. In this review, the work on the polyketides, borrelidin, steffimycin and streptolydigin, performed at the laboratory of Professors Salas and Méndez at University of Oviedo (Spain) during the last 10 years, is summarized.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Actinobacteria / enzymology
  • Actinobacteria / genetics
  • Actinobacteria / metabolism*
  • Aminoglycosides / metabolism*
  • Anthracyclines / metabolism*
  • Fatty Alcohols / metabolism
  • Multigene Family
  • Polyketide Synthases / genetics
  • Polyketide Synthases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Aminoglycosides
  • Anthracyclines
  • Fatty Alcohols
  • steffimycin
  • streptolydigin
  • borrelidin
  • Polyketide Synthases