Dissertation

Signalling pathways that control development and antibiotic production in streptomyces

Bacteria are highly complex and diverse organisms that have adapted to survive in ecological niches ranging from the most extreme to the most heterogeneous environments.

Author: M. urem
Date: 10 October 2017
Links: Thesis in Leiden Repository

Bacteria are highly complex and diverse organisms that have adapted to survive in ecological niches ranging from the most extreme to the most heterogeneous environments. Actinobacteria, with their beautiful morphologies and complex multicellular life cycle, are a striking example. These filamentous bacteria produce many enzymes and natural products, including two-thirds of all known antibiotics, which makes them highly relevant for medical, biotechnological and industrial applications. In Streptomyces, complex and intertwining regulatory networks, consisting of pathway-specific and global regulators, control development and antibiotic production in response to environmental stimuli and stresses. This thesis explores how the model organism Streptomyces coelicolor senses environmental signals, related to oxygen stress and the availability of aminosugars, and how the bacterium translates these into appropriate responses.