Email: j.piret@neu.edu

Phone: 617.373.5266
Fax: 617.373.3724

Location: 306C Mugar Life Sciences
Mail: NU/Biology
         134 Mugar Life Sciences
         360 Huntington Avenue
         Boston, MA 02115 USA

Research Description

We study molecular mechanisms controlling antibiotic formation and cellular development in the industrially important prokaryotes, Streptomyces. They are common soil bacteria known for their ability to produce numerous, chemically diverse secondary products of medical, industrial and agricultural value. These include about 70% of the antibiotics used in human therapy, as well as anti-viral agents, anti-tumour agents, enzyme inhibitors and modulators of the immune system. Streptomyces and other actinomycetes are also used to produce industrially important enzymes such as amylases, proteases, lipases on a large scale.

In Streptomyces, cellular morphological development and secondary product formation usually occur in parallel and share common regulatory controls. We are interested in both of these aspects of Streptomyces biology. Using molecular approaches, we are investigating the roles of some of the genes required for normal cellular development in the model genetic organisms, Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans. We are also studying genes involved in antibiotic production, in particular, cephalosporins biosynthesis in Streptomyces clavuligerus.

Tunca, Sedef, Ebru I Yilmaz, Jacqueline Piret, Paloma Liras, Gulay Ozcengiz. 2004. Cloning, characterization and heterologous expression of the aspartokinase and aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase genes of the cephamycin C-producer Streptomyces clavuligerus. Research in Microbiology 155: 525-534.

Adrio, J. L., G. A. Hintermann, A. L. Demain and J. M. Piret. 2002. Construction of hybrid deacetoxycephalosporin synthases (expandases) by in vivo homeologous recombination. Enzyme and Microbial Technology 31: 932-940.

Adrio, J. L., G. A. Hintermann, A. L. Demain and J. M. Piret. 2002. Construction of hybrid deacetoxycephalosporin synthases (expandases) by in vivo homeologous recombination. Enzyme and Microbial Technology 31: 932-940.

Adrio, J. L., H. Cho, J. M. Piret and A. L. Demain. 1999. Inactivation of deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase in extracts of Streptomyces clavuligerus during bioconversion of penicillin G to deacetoxycephalosporin G. Enzyme & Microbial Technology 25: 497-501.

Cho, H., J. L. Adrio, J. M. Luengo, S. Wolfe, S. Ocran, G. Hintermann, J. M. Piret and A. L. Demain. 1998. Elucidation of conditions allowing conversion of penicillin G and other penicillins to deacetoxycephalosporins by resting cells and extracts of Streptomyces clavuligerus NP1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 95: 11544-11548.

[Back to Top]