Natamycin is a polyene macrolide antibiotics with strong and broad spectrum antifungal activity. It not only effectively inhibits the growth and reproduction of fungi, but also prevents the formation of some mycotoxins. Consequently, it has been approved for use as an antifungal food preservative in most countries, and is also widely used in agriculture and healthcare. Streptomyces natalensis and Streptomyces chatanoogensis are the main producers of natamycin. This review summarizes the biosynthesis and regulatory mechanism of natamycin, as well as the strategies for improving natamycin production. Moreover, the future perspectives on natamycin research are discussed.
纳他霉素是一种对真菌具有广谱抗菌活性的多烯大环内酯类抗生素，它不仅能有效地抑制真菌的生长和繁殖，而且能够抑制一些真菌毒素的形成，已被大多数国家批准为抗真菌食品防腐剂使用，也被广泛应用于农业和医疗领域。纳塔尔链霉菌Streptomyces natalensis和恰努塔加链霉菌Streptomyces chatanoogensis是纳他霉素的主要产生菌，其生物合成过程及调控机制相关研究比较清楚。文中主要归纳了纳他霉素的生物合成和调控机制，探讨了提高纳他霉素产量的方法，并展望了纳他霉素未来的研究方向。.
Keywords: biosynthesis; food preservative; natamycin; regulatory mechanism.