Methods for thaxtomin production and modified streptomyces with increased thaxtomin production

A method of increasing production of a thaxtomin compound in a Streptomyces bacterium, the method comprising:

• providing a Streptomyces bacterium from a species capable of producing one or more thaxtomin compounds under standard thaxtomin-inducing conditions;
• genetically modifying the Streptomyces bacterium by creating a mutation in the bacterium, wherein the mutation reduces activity of a CebR protein encoded by a cebR gene, such that the genetically modified Streptomyces has increased production of a thaxtomin compound as compared to a corresponding wild type Streptomyces bacterium.

A method of increasing production of a thaxtomin compound in a Streptomyces bacterium capable of producing one or more thaxtomin compounds under standard thaxtomin-inducing conditions, the method comprising suppressing the activity of a CebR protein encoded by a cebR gene.

A method of producing a thaxtomin compound, the method comprising:

• culturing genetically modified Streptomyces bacteria, wherein the genetically modified Streptomyces bacteria is selected from the group of Streptomyces species capable of producing one or more thaxtomin compounds under standard thaxtomin-inducing conditions and wherein the genetically modified Streptomyces bacteria comprise a mutation of a native cebR gene, wherein the mutation reduces production or functionality of a CebR repressor encoded by the cebR gene, such that the modified Streptomyces bacteria produce a greater amount of the thaxtomin compound as compared to a corresponding wild type Streptomyces bacteria.