Production of butyrolactone autoregulators by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

We report here that Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) produces at least seven butyrolactone autoregulators: two of the IM-2 type, four virginiae butanolide type, and one A-factor type. The most abundant one corresponds to virginiae butanolide-C9 having a C2 side chain of nine carbons. Model butyrolactone compounds as well as extracts of S. coelicolor mycelia showed clear induction of morphological differentiation, implying that S. coelicolor A3(2) probably possessed butyrolactone-type autoregulator(s) controlling the morphological differentiation.