The biosynthetic genes for prenylated phenazines are located at two different chromosomal loci of Streptomyces cinnamonensis DSM 1042

Streptomyces cinnamonensis DSM 1042 produces two types of isoprenoid secondary metabolites: the prenylated naphthalene derivative furanonaphthoquinone I (FNQ I), and isoprenylated phenazines which are termed endophenazines. Previously, a 55 kb gene cluster was identified which contained genes for both FNQ I and endophenazine biosynthesis. However, several genes required for the biosynthesis of these metabolites were not present in this cluster. We now re‐screened the cosmid library for genes of the mevalonate pathway and identified a separate genomic locus which contains the previously missing genes. This locus (15 kb) comprised orthologues of four phenazine biosynthesis genes known from Pseudomonas strains. Furthermore, the locus contained a putative operon of six genes of the mevalonate pathway, as well as the gene epzP which showed sequence similarity to a recently discovered class of prenyltransferases. Inactivation and complementation experiments proved the involvement of epzP in the prenylation reaction in endophenazine biosynthesis. This newly identified genomic locus is more than 40 kb distant from the previously identified cluster. The protein EpzP was expressed in Escherichia coli in form of a his‐tag fusion protein and purified. The enzyme catalysed the prenylation of 5,10‐dihydrophenazine‐1‐carboxylic acid (dihydro‐PCA) using dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) as isoprenoid substrate. K(m) values were determined as 108 µM for dihydro‐PCA and 25 µM for DMAPP.