Linear azole-containing peptides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides. We performed a chemical investigation on marine actinomycetes, and new linear azole-containing peptides named spongiicolazolicins A and B were found in the MeOH extracts of a newly isolated strain Streptomyces sp. CWH03 (NBRC 114659) and two strains of S. spongiicola (strain HNM0071T: DSM 103383T and strain 531S: NBRC 113560). The strain Streptomyces sp. CWH03 was indicated to be a new species closely related to S. spongiicola by phylogenetic analysis using the genome sequence. The new peptides named spongiicolazolicins A and B were isolated from the cell of Streptomyces sp. CWH03. The partial structure of spongiicolazolicin A was determined by 2D NMR experiments. Based on data of MS/MS experiments, the chemical structures of spongiicolazolicins A and B were proposed using the amino acid sequence deduced from the precursor-encoding gene, which was found from whole-genome sequence data of Streptomyces sp. CWH03. The biosynthetic gene cluster of spongiicolazolicins was proposed based on comparative analysis with that of a known linear azole peptide goadsporin. KEY POINTS: • Streptomyces sp. CWH03 was a new species isolated from marine sediment. • New linear azole-containing peptides named spongiicolazolicins A and B were isolated. • Biosynthetic pathway of spongiicolazolicins was proposed.
Keywords: Biosynthesis; Linear azole-containing peptide; MS/MS; NMR; Streptomyces spongiicola.