New aminocoumarin antibiotics derived from 4-hydroxycinnamic acid are formed after heterologous expression of a modified clorobiocin biosynthetic gene cluster.

Three new aminocoumarin antibiotics, termed ferulobiocin, 3-chlorocoumarobiocin and 8'-dechloro-3-chlorocoumarobiocin, were isolated from the culture broth of a Streptomyces coelicolor M512 strain expressing a modified clorobiocin biosynthetic gene cluster. Structural analysis showed that these new aminocoumarins were very similar to clorobiocin, with a substituted 4-hydroxycinnamoyl moieties instead of the prenylated 4-hydroxybenzoyl moiety of clorobiocin. The possible biosynthetic origin of these moieties is discussed.