Biosynthetic studies on saframycin A, a quinone antitumor antibiotic produced by Streptomyces lavendulae.

The biosynthesis of saframycin A, a heterocyclic quinone antitumor antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces lavendulae 314, was studied by feeding experiments with 14C and 13C precursors. Highly increased production of saframycin A and prolongation of the maximum production period of saframycin A were attained by constant pH control of the culture and by addition of chloramphenicol to the culture. The biosynthetic origin of the quinone skeleton common to the saframycin group was confirmed to be two tyrosine molecules which condense to generate the basic ring system of saframycin A. Feeding experiments with [1-13C]tyrosine showed specific labeling of C-11 and C-21 carbons of saframycin A, and the enrichment of the carbons was 40-fold over natural abundance. Two O- and two C-methyl and one N-methyl carbons arose directly from methionine, and alanine and glycine were the precursors for the pyruvoyl amide side chain of saframycin A.