Genetic Studies into Musty Odor Production by Actinomycetes Available to Purchase

Musty taste and odor is a serious problem for drinking water. Much data regarding its occurrence are being accumulated. However, we may be able to solve this problem by inquiring into the nature of secondary metabolism through the mevalonic acid pathway in actinomycetes and/or cyanobacteria that yield musty smelling compounds. Therefore, genetic analysis is applied to look for new solutions.

By investigating Streptomyces sp. with the protocol to recover plasmid DNA, it was difficult to get the infinitesimally small covalently closed circular (ccc) plasmid. On the other hand, Streptomyces strains which have been cured, which implicates plasmids, lost phenotypic characters such as musty odor production with aerial mycelium and pigment formation. DNA in Streptomyces are unstable and often cause amplification and deletion. The existence of giant linear plasmids was detected in musty smelling strains using pulsed – field gel electrophoresis.