Iron-meditated fungal starvation by Lupine rhizosphere-associated and extremotolerant Streptomyces sp. S29 desferrioxamine production

Siderophores are iron-chelating compounds that aid iron uptake, one of the key strategies for microorganisms to carve out ecological niches in microbially diverse environments. Desferrioxamines are the principal siderophores produced by Streptomyces spp. Their biosynthesis has been well studied and as a consequence, the chemical potential of the pathway continues to expand. With all of this in mind, our study aimed to explore extremotolerant and Lupine rhizosphere-derived Streptomyces sp. S29 for its potential antifungal capabilities.

Cocultivation of isolate S29 was carried out with Aspergillus niger and Botrytis cinerea, both costly fungal phytopathogens in the wine industry. The results indicate that not only is Streptomyces sp. S29 extraordinary at producing hydroxamate siderophores but uses siderophore production as a means to ‘starve’ the fungi of iron. High resolution LC-MS/MS followed by GNPS molecular networking was used to observe the datasets for desferrioxamines and guided structure elucidation of new desferrioxamine analogues.

Comparing the new chemistry, using tools like molecular networking and MS2LDA, with the known biosynthesis, we show that the chemical potential of the desferrioxamine pathway has further room for expansion.