Thesis

Comparative metabolomic analysis of phylogenetically diverse actinomycetes

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2026
Thesis identifier
  • T17695
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 202280726
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Qualification Name
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Abstract
  • In the ongoing search for new antibiotics, ‘rare’ actinomycetes are increasingly recognised as an untapped source of biomedically relevant chemistry. Genera such as Salinispora, Pseudonocardia and Micromonospora have recently yielded both biosynthetic and chemical novelty. Clinically important antibiotics including erythromycin, vancomycin, teicoplanin and fidaxomicin trace their origins to these rare taxa, underscoring their pharmaceutical significance. In this study, we investigated the influence of abiotic factors—temperature and salinity—on secondary metabolite production by Rhodococcus and Micromonospora strains, respectively. Seven Rhodococcus spp. and ten Micromonospora spp., isolated from diverse marine environments including a Mexican lagoon, the sub-Arctic, and Antarctica, were cultured under varying conditions. Rhodococcus strains were grown at 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C using strain-specific growth curves to normalise extraction stage, while Micromonospora strains were cultured on solid A1 medium across salinities of 0 ‰, 15 ‰, 25 ‰, 35 ‰, and 40 ‰. These treatments generated 94 Rhodococcus and 63 Micromonospora cultures, all analysed by LC-HRMS/MS. Our results revealed that Rhodococcus KRD197 exhibited an increased production of polyketides and carbohydrates under reduced temperature conditions. Meanwhile, Micromonospora KRD324 displayed antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus subtilis, potentially linked to a cluster of macrolides with high similarity to the juvenimicin-family of antibiotics. [Illustrative figure in thesis text].
Advisor / supervisor
  • Herron, Paul R.
  • Duncan, Katherine R.
  • Dufès, Christine
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2025

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