DNA-binding activity of LndI protein and temporal expression of the gene that upregulates landomycin E production in Streptomyces globisporus 1912.

The gene lndI is involved in the pathway-specific positive regulation of biosynthesis of the antitumour polyketide landomycin E in Streptomyces globisporus 1912. LndI was overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a protein C-terminally fused to the intein-chitin-binding-domain tag and purified in a one-step column procedure. Results of in vivo LndI titration, DNA gel mobility-shift assays and promoter-probing experiments indicate that LndI is an autoregulatory DNA-binding protein that binds to its own gene promoter and to the promoter of the structural gene lndE. Enhanced green fluorescent protein was used as a reporter to study the temporal and spatial pattern of lndI transcription. Expression of lndI started before cells entered mid-exponential phase and peak expression coincided with maximal accumulation of landomycin E and biomass. In solid-phase analysis, lndI expression was evident in substrate mycelia but was absent from aerial hyphae and spores.