Innovations in Molecular Biotechnology

ABSTRACT

Actinomycetes, are Gram-positive bacteria with high G+C content and diverse biosynthetic gene clusters. They synthesize various bioactive secondary metabolites, including antibiotics, antifungals, anticancer agents, and immunosuppressive compounds. Their genetic makeup supports regulatory mechanisms and horizontal gene transfer, enhancing their metabolic adaptability and ecological success. This review highlights methodologies such as genome sequencing and chemotaxonomic markers in identification of Actinomycetes, which have markedly enhanced researchers’ capacity to explore these organisms for their full potential. Over 10,000 potential BGCs have been identified, but most are silent under standard laboratory conditions, highlighting a research deficiency in genotype-chemotype correlation. Genome sequencing has revolutionized genomics, but the structural prediction bottleneck makes it challenging for bioinformatics tools to accurately forecast new chemical scaffolds and biological functions. This review explores advanced strategies for activating silent BGCs, such as co-culture elicitation, synthetic biology, and integrative multi-omics techniques, in silico prediction. Actinomycetes play a crucial role in biomedical innovation, contributing to the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules for cancer and chronic diseases.

KEYWORDS

1. Actinomycetes
2. Streptomyces
3. Biosystematics
4. Biosynthetic pathways
5. Metabolites