Patent ID: 7198922

Claim:
A process for the production of compounds of formula 1: and to pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein: R 1 is H or OH; R 2 –R 4 are each independently H, CH 3 , or CH 2 CH 3 ; R 5 is H or OH; and R 6 is H, CH 3 , or CH 2 CH 3 ; R 7 is H or desosamine; R 8 is H, CH 3 , or CH 2 CH 3 ; R 9 is OH, mycarose (R 12 is H), or cladinose (R 12 is CH 3 ), R 10 is H; or R 9 ═R 10 ═O; and R 11 is H, CH 3 , or CH 2 CH 3 , with the proviso that when R 2 –R 4 are CH 3 , R 6 is CH 3 , R 8 is CH 3 , and R 11 is CH 3 , then R 1 and R 5 are not H and R 12 is not H; or also when R 2 –R 4 are CH 3 , R 6 is CH 3 , R 8 is CH 3 , and R 11 is CH 3 , then R 1 and R 5 are not OH and R 12 is not H; said process comprising culturing a transformant organism which contains a DNA gene assembly which produces a 14-membered macrolide, said gene assembly comprising a loading module of the form KSq-ATq-ACP where: a) KSq represents a domain operative to decarboxylate a malonate substrate carried by the ACP; b) ATq represents an acyltransferase domain operative to load selectively a malonate unit onto the ACP; and c) ACP represents an acyl carrier protein and a plurality of extension modules, wherein said extension modules are not usually associated with a loading module that effects decarboxylation of a malonyl residue.