Bacteria gene discovery enhances key antibiotic production for farming and medicine

Monensin is a vital antibiotic used in agriculture and medicine. By analyzing the genome of Streptomyces cinnamonensis, the team discovered that specific genes (fadD, fadE, fadB, fadA) in the fatty acid degradation pathway significantly boost monensin synthesis.

Overexpression of these genes increased precursor availability and energy supply, leading to a 1.3-fold yield improvement in shake-flask cultures (18.88 g/L) and 1.2-fold in a 50-L bioreactor (37.31 g/L), marking the highest reported titers to date. The engineered strain, M5, demonstrated efficient fatty acid metabolism, reducing residual fatty acids by 33% and doubling malonyl-CoA levels.

This breakthrough not only clarifies monensin biosynthesis mechanism but also sets a foundation for industrial-scale optimization. The findings highlight the potential of metabolic engineering to address global antibiotic demand, offering a sustainable pathway for high-efficiency biomanufacturing.

The work entitled “Identification of specific genes related to efficient Monensin biosynthesis in Streptomyces cinnamonensis with genomic analysis” was published on Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing (published on Mar. 25, 2025).