Exchange of the native promoter to the arabinose-inducible promoter PBAD was established in entomopathogenic bacteria to silence and/or activate gene clusters involved in natural product biosynthesis. This allowed the "on-demand" production of GameXPeptides, xenoamicins, and the blue pigment indigoidine. The gene clusters for the novel "mevalagmapeptides" and the highly toxic xenorhabdins were identified by this approach.
Keywords: biosynthesis; natural products; overproduction; promoter-exchange approach; “silent” gene cluster.
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