The Bioconversion of (3RS,E)- and (3RS,Z)-Nerolidol into Oxygenated Products by Streptomyces cinnamonensis. Possible Implications for the Biosynthesis of the Polyether Antibiotic Monensin A??

The ability of the monensin-producing organism Streptomyces cinnamonensis to bioconvert the (E)-and (Z)-isomers of nerolidol (= 3,7,1 1-trimethyldodeca-1,6,10-trien-3-ol) into new oxygenated products has been investigated. When a ³H-labelled racemic form of each sesquiterpene was added to fermentations of S. cinnamonensis, several new ³H-labelled products could be detected. Two products were isolated from bioconversion of (E)-nerolidol, the amide 8 and the 9 (Scheme 2), whereas four products were isolated from the bioconversion of (Z)-nerolidol, the epoxydiol 10 , triols 11 and 12 , and the tetrahydrofuryl alcohol 13 (Scheme 4). Products 9 – 13 were obtained as a 1 : 1 mixture of diastereoisomers, and 12 was shown to arise by the overall anti addition of two OH groups to the trisubstituted (Z)-double bond of (Z)-nerolidol. Both isomers of nerolidol as well as the acetylene 7 are inhibitors of monensin production in shake cultures of S. cinnamonensis.