Streptomycin biosynthesis - Shigella boydii CDC 3083-94 (serotype 18)

Streptomycin is an aminocyclitol-aminoglycoside antibiotic produced by Streptomyces griseus. Streptomycin consists of aminocyclitol (streptidine), 6-deoxyhexose (streptose), and N-methyl-L-glucosamine moieties, which are formed by independent biosynthetic pathways. All of the moieties are derived from D-glucose. The streptidine moiety is synthesized via myo-inositol, which is then oxidized at C-1 and transaminated to give scyllo-inosamine. After phosphorylation, the compound is transamidinated by arginine. The same procedure is repeated at the C-3 position. The streptose moiety is made from D-glucose via a dTDP-glucose pathway. The exact biosynthetic route for the N-methyl-L-glucosamine moiety is unknown, though the biosynthetic gene cluster have been proposed.