Biosynthesis of C-nucleoside antibiotics in actinobacteria: recent advances and future developments.

Epidemic diseases and antibiotic resistance are urgent threats to global health, and human is confronted with an unprecedented dilemma to conquer them by expediting development of new natural product related drugs. C-nucleoside antibiotics, a remarkable group of microbial natural products with diverse biological activities, feature a heterocycle base linked with a ribosyl moiety via an unusual C-glycosidic bond, and have played significant roles in healthcare and for plant protection. Elucidating how nature biosynthesizes such a group of antibiotics has provided the basis for engineered biosynthesis as well as targeted genome mining of more C-nucleoside antibiotics towards improved properties. In this review, we mainly summarize the recent advances on the biosynthesis of C-nucleoside antibiotics, and we also tentatively discuss the future developments on rationally accessing C-nucleoside diversities in a more efficient and economical way via synthetic biology strategies.

N-Acetyl-Cysteinylated Streptophenazines from Streptomyces.

Here, we describe two N-acetyl-cysteinylated streptophenazines (1 and 2) produced by the soil-derived Streptomyces sp. ID63040 and identified through a metabolomic approach. These metabolites attracted our interest due to their low occurrence frequency in a large library of fermentation broth extracts and their consistent presence in biological replicates of the producer strain. The compounds were found to possess broad-spectrum antibacterial activity while exhibiting low cytotoxicity. The biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces sp. ID63040 was found to be highly similar to the streptophenazine reference cluster in the MIBiG database, which originates from the marine Streptomyces sp. CNB-091. Compounds 1 and 2 were the main streptophenazine products from Streptomyces sp. ID63040 at all cultivation times but were not detected in Streptomyces sp. CNB-091. The lack of obvious candidates for cysteinylation in the Streptomyces sp. ID63040 biosynthetic gene cluster suggests that the N-acetyl-cysteine moiety derives from cellular functions, most likely from mycothiol. Overall, our data represent an interesting example of how to leverage metabolomics for the discovery of new natural products and point out the often-neglected contribution of house-keeping cellular functions to natural product diversification.

Planomonospora: A Metabolomics Perspective on an Underexplored Actinobacteria Genus.

Despite an excellent track record, microbial drug discovery suffers from high rates of rediscovery. Better workflows for the rapid investigation of complex extracts are needed to increase throughput and to allow early prioritization of samples. In addition, systematic characterization of poorly explored strains is seldomly performed. Here, we report a metabolomic study of 72 isolates belonging to the rare actinomycete genus Planomonospora, using a workflow of commonly used open access tools to investigate its secondary metabolites. The results reveal a correlation of chemical diversity and strain phylogeny, with classes of metabolites exclusive to certain phylogroups. We were able to identify previously reported Planomonospora metabolites, including the ureylene-containing oligopeptide antipain, the thiopeptide siomycin including new congeners, and the ribosomally synthesized peptides sphaericin and lantibiotic 97518. In addition, we found that Planomonospora strains can produce the siderophore desferrioxamine or a salinichelin-like peptide. Analysis of the genomes of three newly sequenced strains led to the detection of 59 gene cluster families, of which three were connected to products found by LC-MS/MS profiling. This study demonstrates the value of metabolomic studies to investigate poorly explored taxa and provides a first picture of the biosynthetic capabilities of the genus Planomonospora.

Effective approaches to discover new microbial metabolites in a large strain library.

Natural products have provided many molecules to treat and prevent illnesses in humans, animals and plants. While only a small fraction of the existing microbial diversity has been explored for bioactive metabolites, tens of thousands of molecules have been reported in the literature over the past 80 years. Thus, the main challenge in microbial metabolite screening is to avoid the re-discovery of known metabolites in a cost-effective manner. In this perspective, we report and discuss different approaches used in our laboratory over the past few years, ranging from bioactivity-based screening to looking for metabolic rarity in different datasets to deeply investigating a single Streptomyces strain. Our results show that it is possible to find novel chemistry through a limited screening effort, provided that appropriate selection criteria are in place.

Challenges and advances in genetic manipulation of filamentous actinomycetes - the remarkable producers of specialized metabolites.

Covering: up to February 2019Actinomycetes are Gram positive bacteria of the phylum Actinobacteria. These organisms are one of the most important sources of structurally diverse, clinically used antibiotics and other valuable bioactive products, as well as biotechnologically relevant enzymes. Most strains were discovered by their ability to produce a given molecule and were often poorly characterized, physiologically and genetically. The development of genetic methods for Streptomyces and related filamentous actinomycetes has led to the successful manipulation of antibiotic biosynthesis to attain structural modification of microbial metabolites that would have been inaccessible by chemical means and improved production yields. Moreover, genome mining reveals that actinomycete genomes contain multiple biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), however only a few of them are expressed under standard laboratory conditions, leading to the production of the respective compound(s). Thus, to access and activate the so-called "silent" BGCs, to improve their biosynthetic potential and to discover novel natural products methodologies for genetic manipulation are required. Although different methods have been applied for many actinomycete strains, genetic engineering is still remaining very challenging for some "underexplored" and poorly characterized actinomycetes. This review summarizes the strategies developed to overcome the obstacles to genetic manipulation of actinomycetes and allowing thereby rational genetic engineering of this industrially relevant group of microorganisms. At the end of this review we give some tips to researchers with limited or no previous experience in genetic manipulation of actinomycetes. The article covers the most relevant literature published until February 2019.

Antibacterial Aromatic Polyketides Incorporating the Unusual Amino Acid Enduracididine.

The increasing incidence of infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens requires new efforts for the discovery of novel antibiotics. By screening microbial extracts in an assay aimed at identifying compounds interfering with cell wall biosynthesis, based on differential activity against a Staphylococcus aureus strain and its isogenic l-form, the potent enduracyclinones (1, 2), containing the uncommon amino acid enduracididine linked to a six-ring aromatic skeleton, were discovered from different Nonomuraea strains. The structures of 1 and 2 were established through a combination of derivatizations, oxidative cleavages, and NMR analyses of natural and 13C-15N-labeled compounds. Analysis of the biosynthetic cluster provides the combination of genes for the synthesis of enduracididine and type II polyketide synthases. Enduracyclinones are active against Gram-positive pathogens (especially Staphylococcus spp.), including multi-drug-resistant strains, with minimal inhibitory concentrations in the range of 0.0005 to 4 µg mL-1 and with limited toxicity toward eukaryotic cells. The combined results from assays and macromolecular syntheses suggest a possible dual mechanism of action in which both peptidoglycan and DNA syntheses are inhibited by these molecules.

Discovery, properties, and biosynthesis of pseudouridimycin, an antibacterial nucleoside-analog inhibitor of bacterial RNA polymerase.

Pseudouridimycin (PUM) is a novel pseudouridine-containing peptidyl-nucleoside antibiotic that inhibits bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) through a binding site and mechanism different from those of clinically approved RNAP inhibitors of the rifamycin and lipiarmycin (fidaxomicin) classes. PUM was discovered by screening microbial fermentation extracts for RNAP inhibitors. In this review, we describe the discovery and characterization of PUM. We also describe the RNAP-inhibitory and antibacterial properties of PUM. Finally, we review available information on the gene cluster and pathway for PUM biosynthesis and on the potential for discovering additional novel pseudouridine-containing nucleoside antibiotics by searching bacterial genome and metagenome sequences for sequences similar to pumJ, the pseudouridine-synthase gene of the PUM biosynthesis gene cluster.

Expanding the potential of NAI-107 for treating serious ESKAPE pathogens: synergistic combinations against Gram-negatives and bactericidal activity against non-dividing cells.

Objectives: To characterize NAI-107 and related lantibiotics for their in vitro activity against Gram-negative pathogens, alone or in combination with polymyxin, and against non-dividing cells or biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus. NAI-107 was also evaluated for its propensity to select or induce self-resistance in Gram-positive bacteria. Methods: We used MIC determinations and chequerboard experiments to establish the antibacterial activity of the examined compounds against target microorganisms. Time-kill assays were used to evaluate killing of exponential and stationary-phase cells. The effects on biofilms (growth inhibition and biofilm eradication) were evaluated using biofilm-coated pegs. The frequency of spontaneous resistant mutants was evaluated by either direct plating or by continuous sub-culturing at 0.5 × MIC levels, followed by population analysis profiles. Results: The results showed that NAI-107 and its brominated variant are highly active against Neisseria gonorrhoeae and some other fastidious Gram-negative pathogens. Furthermore, all compounds strongly synergized with polymyxin against Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and showed bactericidal activity. Surprisingly, NAI-107 alone was bactericidal against non-dividing A. baumannii cells. Against S. aureus, NAI-107 and related lantibiotics showed strong bactericidal activity against dividing and non-dividing cells. Activity was also observed against S. aureus biofilms. As expected for a lipid II binder, no significant resistance to NAI-107 was observed by direct plating or serial passages. Conclusions: Overall, the results of the current work, along with previously published results on the efficacy of NAI-107 in experimental models of infection, indicate that this lantibiotic represents a promising option in addressing the serious threat of antibiotic resistance.

Antibacterial Paramagnetic Quinones from Actinoallomurus.

Four metabolites, designated paramagnetoquinone A, B, C, and D (1-4), were isolated from three strains belonging to the actinomycete genus Actinoallomurus. Compounds 1 and 2 showed potent antibacterial activity with MIC values lower than 0.015 µg/mL against Gram-positive pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant strains. Since compounds 1 and 2 were NMR-silent due to the presence of an oxygen radical, structure elucidation was achieved through a combination of derivatizations, oxidations, and analysis of 13C-labeled compounds. The paramagnetoquinones share the same carbon scaffold as tetracenomycin but carry two quinones and a five-membered lactone fused to the aromatic system. Compounds 2 and 1 are identical except for an unprecedented replacement of a methoxy in 2 by a methylamino group in 1. Related compounds devoid of methyl group(s) and of antibacterial activity were isolated from a different Actinoallomurus strain. The likely pmq biosynthetic gene cluster was identified from strain ID145113. While the cluster encodes many of the expected enzymes involved in the formation of aromatic polyketides, it also encodes a dedicated ketoacid dehydrogenase complex and an unusual acyl carrier protein transacylase, suggesting that an unusual starter unit might prime the polyketide synthase.

Elucidating the molecular physiology of lantibiotic NAI-107 production in Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024.

BACKGROUND: The filamentous actinomycete Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024 produces the lantibiotic NAI-107, which is an antibiotic peptide effective against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. In actinomycetes, antibiotic production is often associated with a physiological differentiation program controlled by a complex regulatory and metabolic network that may be elucidated by the integration of genomic, proteomic and bioinformatic tools. Accordingly, an extensive evaluation of the proteomic changes associated with NAI-107 production was performed on Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024 by combining two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and gene ontology approaches. RESULTS: Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024 cultivations in a complex medium were characterized by stages of biomass accumulation (A) followed by biomass yield decline (D). NAI-107 production started at 90 h (A stage), reached a maximum at 140 h (D stage) and decreased thereafter. To reveal patterns of differentially represented proteins associated with NAI-107 production onset and maintenance, differential proteomic analyses were carried-out on biomass samples collected: i) before (66 h) and during (90 h) NAI-107 production at A stage; ii) during three time-points (117, 140, and 162 h) at D stage characterized by different profiles of NAI-107 yield accumulation (117 and 140 h) and decrement (162 h). Regulatory, metabolic and unknown-function proteins, were identified and functionally clustered, revealing that nutritional signals, regulatory cascades and primary metabolism shift-down trigger the accumulation of protein components involved in nitrogen and phosphate metabolism, cell wall biosynthesis/maturation, lipid metabolism, osmotic stress response, multi-drug resistance, and NAI-107 transport. The stimulating role on physiological differentiation of a TetR-like regulator, originally identified in this study, was confirmed by the construction of an over-expressing strain. Finally, the possible role of cellular response to membrane stability alterations and of multi-drug resistance ABC transporters as additional self-resistance mechanisms toward the lantibiotic was confirmed by proteomic and confocal microscopy experiments on a Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024 lantibiotic-null producer strain which was exposed to an externally-added amount of NAI-107 during growth. CONCLUSION: This study provides a net contribution to the elucidation of the regulatory, metabolic and molecular patterns controlling physiological differentiation in Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024, supporting the relevance of proteomics in revealing protein players of antibiotic biosynthesis in actinomycetes.

Advancing cell wall inhibitors towards clinical applications.

Natural products represent a major source of approved drugs and still play an important role in supplying chemical diversity. Consistently, 2014 has seen new, natural product-derived antibiotics approved for human use by the US Food and Drug Administration. One of the recently approved second-generation glycopeptides is dalbavancin, a semi-synthetic derivative of the natural product A40,926. This compound inhibits bacterial growth by binding to lipid intermediate II (Lipid II), a key intermediate in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Like other recently approved antibiotics, dalbavancin has a complex history of preclinical and clinical development, with several companies contributing to different steps in different years. While our work on dalbavancin development stopped at the previous company, intriguingly our current pipeline includes two more Lipid II-binding natural products or derivatives thereof. In particular, we will focus on the properties of NAI-107 and related lantibiotics, which originated from recent screening and characterization efforts.

Two Master Switch Regulators Trigger A40926 Biosynthesis in Nonomuraea sp. Strain ATCC 39727.

UNLABELLED: The actinomycete Nonomuraea sp. strain ATCC 39727 produces the glycopeptide A40926, the precursor of dalbavancin. Biosynthesis of A40926 is encoded by the dbv gene cluster, which contains 37 protein-coding sequences that participate in antibiotic biosynthesis, regulation, immunity, and export. In addition to the positive regulatory protein Dbv4, the A40926-biosynthetic gene cluster encodes two additional putative regulators, Dbv3 and Dbv6. Independent mutations in these genes, combined with bioassays and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses, demonstrated that Dbv3 and Dbv4 are both required for antibiotic production, while inactivation of dbv6 had no effect. In addition, overexpression of dbv3 led to higher levels of A40926 production. Transcriptional and quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analyses showed that Dbv4 is essential for the transcription of two operons, dbv14-dbv8 and dbv30-dbv35, while Dbv3 positively controls the expression of four monocistronic transcription units (dbv4, dbv29, dbv36, and dbv37) and of six operons (dbv2-dbv1, dbv14-dbv8, dbv17-dbv15, dbv21-dbv20, dbv24-dbv28, and dbv30-dbv35). We propose a complex and coordinated model of regulation in which Dbv3 directly or indirectly activates transcription of dbv4 and controls biosynthesis of 4-hydroxyphenylglycine and the heptapeptide backbone, A40926 export, and some tailoring reactions (mannosylation and hexose oxidation), while Dbv4 directly regulates biosynthesis of 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine and other tailoring reactions, including the four cross-links, halogenation, glycosylation, and acylation. IMPORTANCE: This report expands knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms used to control the biosynthesis of the glycopeptide antibiotic A40926 in the actinomycete Nonomuraea sp. strain ATCC 39727. A40926 is the precursor of dalbavancin, approved for treatment of skin infections by Gram-positive bacteria. Therefore, understanding the regulation of its biosynthesis is also of industrial importance. So far, the regulatory mechanisms used to control two other similar glycopeptides (balhimycin and teicoplanin) have been elucidated, and beyond a common step, different clusters seem to have devised different strategies to control glycopeptide production. Thus, our work provides one more example of the pitfalls of deducing regulatory roles from bioinformatic analyses only, even when analyzing gene clusters directing the synthesis of structurally related compounds.

The lantibiotic NAI-107 binds to bactoprenol-bound cell wall precursors and impairs membrane functions.

The lantibiotic NAI-107 is active against Gram-positive bacteria including vancomycin-resistant enterococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. To identify the molecular basis of its potency, we studied the mode of action in a series of whole cell and in vitro assays and analyzed structural features by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The lantibiotic efficiently interfered with late stages of cell wall biosynthesis and induced accumulation of the soluble peptidoglycan precursor UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid-pentapeptide (UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide) in the cytoplasm. Using membrane preparations and a complete cascade of purified, recombinant late stage peptidoglycan biosynthetic enzymes (MraY, MurG, FemX, PBP2) and their respective purified substrates, we showed that NAI-107 forms complexes with bactoprenol-pyrophosphate-coupled precursors of the bacterial cell wall. Titration experiments indicate that first a 1:1 stoichiometric complex occurs, which then transforms into a 2:1 (peptide: lipid II) complex, when excess peptide is added. Furthermore, lipid II and related molecules obviously could not serve as anchor molecules for the formation of defined and stable nisin-like pores, however, slow membrane depolarization was observed after NAI-107 treatment, which could contribute to killing of the bacterial cell.

A Derivative of the Thiopeptide GE2270A Highly Selective against Propionibacterium acnes.

A chemical derivative of the thiopeptide GE2270A, designated NAI003, was found to possess a substantially reduced antibacterial spectrum in comparison to the parent compound, being active against just a few Gram-positive bacteria. In particular, NAI003 retained low MICs against all tested isolates of Propionibacterium acnes and, to a lesser extent, against Enterococcus faecalis. Furthermore, NAI003 showed a time- and dose-dependent killing of both a clindamycin-resistant and a clindamycin-sensitive P. acnes isolate. Gel shift experiments indicated that, like the parent compound, NAI003 retained the ability to bind to elongation factors Tu (EF-Tus) derived from Escherichia coli, E. faecalis, or P. acnes, albeit with reduced efficiency. In contrast, EF-Tus derived from the NAI003-insensitive Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes did not bind this compound. These results were confirmed by in vitro studies using a hybrid translation system, which indicated that NAI003 can inhibit most efficiently protein synthesis driven by the P. acnes EF-Tu. P. acnes mutants resistant to NAI003 were isolated by direct plating. With one exception, all analyzed strains carried mutations in the tuf gene, encoding EF-Tu. Because of its selective effect on P. acnes in comparison to resident skin flora, NAI003 represents a promising candidate for the topical treatment of acne, which has already completed a phase 1 clinical study.

Brominated Variant of the Lantibiotic NAI-107 with Enhanced Antibacterial Potency.

We identified an Actinoallomurus strain producing NAI-107, a chlorinated lantibiotic effective against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens and previously reported from the distantly related genus Microbispora. Inclusion of KBr in the production medium of either the Actinoallomurus or the Microbispora producer readily afforded brominated variants of NAI-107, which were designated as NAI-108. The other post-translational modifications naturally occurring in this lantibiotic family (i.e., hydroxylation of Pro-14 and C-terminal decarboxylation) were unaffected by the presence of a brominated tryptophan. In addition to being the first example of a bromine-containing lantibiotic, NAI-108 displayed a small but consistent improvement in antibacterial activity against all tested strains. The brominated lantibiotic maintained the same rapid bactericidal activity as NAI-107 but at reduced concentrations, consistent with its increased potency and with the role played by the hydrophobicity of the first lanthionine ring. NAI-108 thus represents an interesting addition to a promising family of potent and effective lantibiotics.

Inorganic phosphate is a trigger factor for Microbispora sp. ATCC-PTA-5024 growth and NAI-107 production.

BACKGROUND: NAI-107, produced by the actinomycete Microbispora sp. ATCC-PTA-5024, is a promising lantibiotic active against Gram-positive bacteria and currently in late preclinical-phase. Lantibiotics (lanthionine-containing antibiotics) are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), encoded by structural genes as precursor peptides. The biosynthesis of biologically active compounds is developmentally controlled and it depends upon a variety of environmental stimuli and conditions. Inorganic phosphate (Pi) usually negatively regulates biologically-active molecule production in Actinomycetes, while it has been reported to have a positive control on lantibiotic production in Firmicutes strains. So far, no information is available concerning the Pi effect on lantibiotic biosynthesis in Actinomycetes. RESULTS: After having developed a suitable defined medium, Pi-limiting conditions were established and confirmed by quantitative analysis of polyphosphate accumulation and of expression of selected Pho regulon genes, involved in the Pi-limitation stress response. Then, the effect of Pi on Microbispora growth and NAI-107 biosynthesis was investigated in a defined medium containing increasing Pi amounts. Altogether, our analyses revealed that phosphate is necessary for growth and positively influences both growth and NAI-107 production up to a concentration of 5 mM. Higher Pi concentrations were not found to further stimulate Microbispora growth and NAI-107 production. CONCLUSION: These results, on one hand, enlarge the knowledge on Microbispora physiology, and, on the other one, could be helpful to develop a robust and economically feasible production process of NAI-107 as a drug for human use.

Characterization of the congeners in the lantibiotic NAI-107 complex.

NAI-107, a lantibiotic produced by Microbispora sp. 107891, shows potent activity against multi-drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. It is produced as a complex of related molecules, which is unusual for ribosomally synthesized peptides. Here we describe the identification, characterization, and antibacterial activity of the congeners produced by Microbispora sp. 107891 and by the related Microbispora corallina NRRL 30420. These molecules differ by the presence of two, one, or zero hydroxyl groups at Pro-14, by the presence of a chlorine at Trp-4, and/or by the presence of a sulfoxide on the thioether of the first lanthionine.

Direct detection of stringent alarmones (pp)pGpp using malachite green.

The alarmone (p)ppGpp serves as the signalling molecule for the bacterial universal stringent response and plays a crucial role in bacterial virulence, persistence, and stress adaptation. Consequently, there is a significant focus on developing new drugs that target and modulate the levels of (p)ppGpp as a potential strategy for controlling bacterial infections. However, despite the availability of various methods for detecting (p)ppGpp, a simple and straightforward detection method is needed. In this study, we demonstrated that malachite green, a well-established compound used for phosphate detection, can directly detect (p)ppGpp and its analogues esp., pGpp. By utilizing malachite green, we identified three new inhibitors of the hydrolase activity of SpoT, one of the two RelA-SpoT homolog (RSH) proteins responsible for making and hydrolyzing (p)ppGpp in Escherichia coli. These findings highlight the convenience and practicality of malachite green, which can be widely employed in high-throughput studies to investigate (pp)pGpp in vitro and discover novel regulators of RSH proteins.

Ancient and remote quartzite caves as a novel source of culturable microbes with biotechnological potential.

Quartzite caves located on table-top mountains (tepuis) in the Guyana Shield, are ancient, remote, and pristine subterranean environments where microbes have evolved peculiar metabolic strategies to thrive in silica-rich, slightly acidic and oligotrophic conditions. In this study, we explored the culturable fraction of the microbiota inhabiting the (ortho)quartzite cave systems in Venezuelan tepui (remote table-top mountains) and we investigated their metabolic and enzymatic activities in relation with silica solubilization and extracellular hydrolytic activities as well as the capacity to produce antimicrobial compounds. Eighty microbial strains were isolated with a range of different enzymatic capabilities. More than half of the isolated strains performed at least three enzymatic activities and four bacterial strains displayed antimicrobial activities. The antimicrobial producers Paraburkholderia bryophila CMB_CA002 and Sphingomonas sp. MEM_CA187, were further analyzed by conducting chemotaxonomy, phylogenomics, and phenomics. While the isolate MEM_CA187 represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas imawarii sp. nov. is proposed, P. bryophila CMB_CA002 is affiliated with a few strains of the same species that are antimicrobial producers. Chemical analyses demonstrated that CMB_CA002 produces ditropolonyl sulfide that has a broad range of activity and a possibly novel siderophore. Although the antimicrobial compounds produced by MEM_CA187 could not be identified through HPLC-MS analysis due to the absence of reference compounds, it represents the first soil-associated Sphingomonas strain with the capacity to produce antimicrobials. This work provides first insights into the metabolic potential present in quartzite cave systems pointing out that these environments are a novel and still understudied source of microbial strains with biotechnological potential.

Megalochelin, a Tridecapeptide Siderophore from a Talented Streptomycete.

Streptomycetes are bacteria known for their extraordinary biosynthetic capabilities. Herein, we describe the genome and metabolome of a particularly talented strain, Streptomyces ID71268. Its 8.4-Mbp genome harbors 32 bioinformatically predicted biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), out of which 10 are expressed under a single experimental condition. In addition to five families of known metabolites with previously assigned BGCs (nigericin, azalomycin F, ectoine, SF2766, and piericidin), we were able to predict BGCs for three additional metabolites: streptochlorin, serpetene, and marinomycin. The strain also produced two families of presumably novel metabolites, one of which was associated with growth inhibitory activity against the human opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii in an iron-dependent manner. Bioassay-guided fractionation, followed by extensive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and NMR analyses, established that the molecule responsible for the observed antibacterial activity is an unusual tridecapeptide siderophore with a ring-and-tail structure: the heptapeptide ring is formed through a C-C bond between a 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate (DHB) cap on Gly1 and the imidazole moiety of His7, while the hexapeptide tail is sufficient for binding iron. This molecule, named megalochelin, is the largest known siderophore. The megalochelin BGC encodes a 13-module nonribosomal peptide synthetase for the synthesis of the tridecapeptide, and a copper-dependent oxidase, likely responsible for the DHB-imidazole cross-link, whereas the genes for synthesis of the DHB starter unit are apparently specified in trans by a different BGC. Our results suggest that prolific producers of specialized metabolites may conceal hidden treasures within a background of known compounds.