Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production

The biosynthetic pathway which leads, in Cephalosporium acremonium, to the production of the commercially important β-lactam antibiotic Cephalosporin C (CPC) has been the subject of extensive biochemical studies and is now well characterized. In contrast, genetic analysis in this organism was limite...

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Main Author: Norman, Elizabeth
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 1988
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14317/
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author Norman, Elizabeth
author_facet Norman, Elizabeth
author_sort Norman, Elizabeth
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description The biosynthetic pathway which leads, in Cephalosporium acremonium, to the production of the commercially important β-lactam antibiotic Cephalosporin C (CPC) has been the subject of extensive biochemical studies and is now well characterized. In contrast, genetic analysis in this organism was limited until the application of protoplast fusion techniques facilitated parasexual analysis and allowed a genetic map to be established. (Hamlyn 1982; Hamlyn et al 1985). Subsequently, work leading to our understanding of the genetic basis of the CPC biosynthetic pathway in C. acremonium began. (Perez-Martinez 1984; Perez-Martinez and Peberdy in preparation). The studies described here were aimed at extending this understanding to a point at which individual genes implicated in the pathway could be identified and positioned on the linkage map. A programme of mutagenesis resulted in the production of a number of 'blocked' mutant strains of C. acremonium which were phenotypically particular steps of the CPC biosynthetic pathway. The segregation of several of these mutations relative to other genetic markers was examined. Crosses designed to detect complementation between mutations resulting in a 'blocked' phenotype were carried out and involved strains produced in other laboratories in addition to those characterized during this work. Complementation was shown between two mutations which apparently affected the same step in CPL biosynthesis (the conversion of penicillin N into deacetoxycephalosporin C) and evidence for the linkage of one of the mutations (cnp-6) to a mutation resulting in a requirement for inositol was obtained. During the course of the complementation studies, it was noted that the haploid and heterozygous products obtained following C. acremonium protoplast fusion crosses did not always behave in the typical manner described previously. (Hamlyn 1984). The persistent heterogeneity of these fusion products and the possible implications of this are discussed.
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spelling nottingham-143172025-02-28T11:30:04Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14317/ Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production Norman, Elizabeth The biosynthetic pathway which leads, in Cephalosporium acremonium, to the production of the commercially important β-lactam antibiotic Cephalosporin C (CPC) has been the subject of extensive biochemical studies and is now well characterized. In contrast, genetic analysis in this organism was limited until the application of protoplast fusion techniques facilitated parasexual analysis and allowed a genetic map to be established. (Hamlyn 1982; Hamlyn et al 1985). Subsequently, work leading to our understanding of the genetic basis of the CPC biosynthetic pathway in C. acremonium began. (Perez-Martinez 1984; Perez-Martinez and Peberdy in preparation). The studies described here were aimed at extending this understanding to a point at which individual genes implicated in the pathway could be identified and positioned on the linkage map. A programme of mutagenesis resulted in the production of a number of 'blocked' mutant strains of C. acremonium which were phenotypically particular steps of the CPC biosynthetic pathway. The segregation of several of these mutations relative to other genetic markers was examined. Crosses designed to detect complementation between mutations resulting in a 'blocked' phenotype were carried out and involved strains produced in other laboratories in addition to those characterized during this work. Complementation was shown between two mutations which apparently affected the same step in CPL biosynthesis (the conversion of penicillin N into deacetoxycephalosporin C) and evidence for the linkage of one of the mutations (cnp-6) to a mutation resulting in a requirement for inositol was obtained. During the course of the complementation studies, it was noted that the haploid and heterozygous products obtained following C. acremonium protoplast fusion crosses did not always behave in the typical manner described previously. (Hamlyn 1984). The persistent heterogeneity of these fusion products and the possible implications of this are discussed. 1988 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14317/1/381089.pdf Norman, Elizabeth (1988) Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
spellingShingle Norman, Elizabeth
Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production
title Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production
title_full Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production
title_fullStr Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production
title_full_unstemmed Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production
title_short Biochemical genetics of Cephalosporin C production
title_sort biochemical genetics of cephalosporin c production
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14317/