AbstractThe biosynthesis of antibiotics in bacteria is usually believed to be an intracellular process, at the end of which the matured compounds are exported outside the cells. The biosynthesis of saframycin A (SFM-A), an antitumor antibiotic, requires a cryptic fatty acyl chain to guide the construction of a pentacyclic tetrahydroisoquinoline scaffold; however, the follow-up deacylation and deamination steps remain unknown. Herein we demonstrate that SfmE, a membrane-bound peptidase, hydrolyzes the fatty acyl chain to release the amino group; and SfmCy2, a secreted oxidoreductase covalently associated with FAD, subsequently performs an oxidative deamination extracellularly. These results not only fill in the missing steps of SFM-A biosynthesis, but also reveal that a FAD-binding oxidoreductase catalyzes an unexpected deamination reaction through an unconventional extracellular pathway in Streptmyces bacteria.

AbstractThe biosynthesis of antibiotics in bacteria is usually believed to be an intracellular process, at the end of which the matured compounds are exported outside the cells. The biosynthesis of saframycin A (SFM-A), an antitumor antibiotic, requires a cryptic fatty acyl chain to guide the construction of a pentacyclic tetrahydroisoquinoline scaffold; however, the follow-up deacylation and deamination steps remain unknown. Herein we demonstrate that SfmE, a membrane-bound peptidase, hydrolyzes the fatty acyl chain to release the amino group; and SfmCy2, a secreted oxidoreductase covalently associated with FAD, subsequently performs an oxidative deamination extracellularly. These results not only fill in the missing steps of SFM-A biosynthesis, but also reveal that a FAD-binding oxidoreductase catalyzes an unexpected deamination reaction through an unconventional extracellular pathway in Streptmyces bacteria.

Ranking among the most effective anticancer drugs, anthracyclines represent an important family of aromatic polyketides generated by type II polyketide synthases (PKSs). After formation of polyketide cores, the post-PKS tailoring modifications endow the scaffold with various structural diversities and biological activities. Here we demonstrate an unprecedented four-enzyme-participated hydroxyl regioisomerization process involved in the biosynthesis of kosinostatin. First, KstA15 and KstA16 function together to catalyze a cryptic hydroxylation of the 4-hydroxyl-anthraquinone core, yielding a 1,4-dihydroxyl product, which undergoes a chemically challenging asymmetric reduction-dearomatization subsequently acted by KstA11; then, KstA10 catalyzes a region-specific reduction concomitant with dehydration to afford the 1-hydroxyl anthraquinone. Remarkably, the shunt product identifications of both hydroxylation and reduction-dehydration reactions, the crystal structure of KstA11 with bound substrate and cofactor, and isotope incorporation experiments reveal mechanistic insights into the redox dearomatization and rearomatization steps. These findings provide a distinguished tailoring paradigm for type II PKS engineering.

Apart from its vital role as the terminal electron acceptor in oxidative phosphorylation in nature, dioxygen also serves as a universal agent which diversifies natural products by oxidative transformations. Ferrous iron and α-ketoglutarate (αKG)-dependent dioxygenases (αKGDs) are versatile enzymes that use dioxygen as an oxidant to catalyse various reactions via CH bond activation, including hydroxylation, dealkylation, desaturation, epoxidation, epimerisation, halogenation, cyclisation, peroxide formation, and ring expansion/contraction reactions. This review updates the reported αKGDs that catalyse reactions related to microbial natural product biosynthesis in the past 10 years. We hope that the versatility of αKGDs shown here can serve as an inspiration for future engineering and catalyst design, which could provide alternative methods to meet the on-going demand for fine chemicals and pharmaceutics.

Trioxacarcins (TXNs) are highly oxygenated, polycyclic aromatic natural products with remarkable biological activity and structural complexity. Evidence from 13C-labelled precursor feeding studies demonstrated that the scaffold was biosynthesized from one unit of L-isoleucine and nine units of malonyl-CoA, which suggested a different starter unit in the biosynthesis. Genetic analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster revealed 56 genes encoding a type II polyketide synthase (PKS), combined with a large amount of tailoring enzymes. Inactivation of seven post-PKS modification enzymes resulted in the production of a series of new TXN analogues, intermediates, and shunt products, most of which show high anti-cancer activity. Structural elucidation of these new compounds not only helps us to propose the biosynthetic pathway, featuring a type II PKS using a novel starter unit, but also set the stage for further characterization of the enzymatic reactions and combinatorial biosynthesis.

Modular polyketide synthases (PKSs) are well known to use ketosynthase (KS)-driven carbon–carbon bond formation, dehydratase-mediated dehydration to form double bonds, and product release by thioesterase (TE), all of which are regarded as the “canonical” roles for most polyketide biosyntheses. FR901464 is biosynthesized by a complex acyltransferase-less PKS system involving a nonterminal TE domain and several mutated KS domains. Here we demonstrate that this TE catalyzes the dehydration of the polyketide intermediate to yield a cis-double bond and a mutated KS transfers the nascent polyketide chain with only a cis-double bond to the downstream acyl carrier protein. These findings not only provide new insights into different enzymatic functions of PKS domains but also suggest an alternative strategy for cis-double bond formation during the polyketide assembly line.

In this work, two enzymes responsible for the biogenesis of possible [4 + 2] reaction precursors in the quartromicin biosynthetic pathway were characterized: acetylation of 1 to yield 2 was catalyzed by QmnD3, and subsequent acetic acid elimination of 2 to form double bond product 3 was catalyzed by QmnD4. Site-directed mutagenesis assay of QmnD3 and QmnD4 was investigated, and a general base-catalyzed mechanism for QmnD4 is proposed.

Many γ-butyrolactone-autoregulator receptors control the production of secondary metabolites in Streptomyces spp. Hence, AvaR1, an autoregulator receptor protein in Streptomyces avermitilis, was characterized as a negative regulator of avermectin (Ave) production. Deletion of AvaR1 in a high-producing strain increased production of Ave B1a approx. 1.75 times (~700 μg/ml) compared with the parent strain. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that AvaR1 regulates the biosynthesis of Ave but not through the aveR pathway-specific regulatory gene. A special signaling molecule, avenolide, increased production of Ave. This study has refined our understanding of how avenolide regulates the production of Aves which is promising for developing new methods to improve the production of antibiotics in industrial strains.

Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs), generally catalyzing the transformation of carbonylic compounds into the corresponding esters or lactones known as Baeyer–Villiger oxidation in organic chemistry, are widely distributed among microorganisms and have stimulated great interest as biocatalysts for organic synthesis. The physiological roles of this type of MOs are usually classified as degradation of organic compounds involved in primary metabolism. Recently, increasing numbers of BVMOs have been found to be involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, especially for postmodification; however, to date, none of them has been reported functionally as a tailoring domain within polyketide synthase (PKS) acting on carrier protein-tethered substrates. FR901464, an antitumor natural product that targets spliceosome and inhibits both splicing and nuclear retention of pre-mRNA, was elucidated to be biosynthesized by a hybrid acyltransferase-less PKS/nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) system. Within the hybrid system, an unprecedented domain that was proposed to mediate the chain release process was located in the termination module. In this paper, we report the in vitro biochemical characterization of this domain to be a BVMO tailoring domain that catalyzes the BV oxidation of an acyl carrier protein (ACP)-tethered thioester to an ACP-linked thiocarbonate, which represents the first example of BVMOs operating in cis within the PKS and NRPS biosynthetic paradigm.Keywords: Baeyer−Villiger monooxygenase; FR901464; tailoring domain; thiocarbonate; thioester

Analysis of naphthyridinomycin gene cluster revealed that this antibiotic is generated by nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) machinery. However, four modules encoded by two genes do not correspond with the structural units in the final product. Genetic and biochemical characterization of the gene cluster suggested that the leader peptide mechanism for the NRPS assembly line was involved in biosynthesis of this tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid.

•Analysis and characterization of the kosinostatin biosynthetic gene cluster•Pyrrolopyrrole moiety originates from nicotinic acid and ribose•Bicyclic amidine is constructed by a process similar to the tryptophan biosynthesis•A PCP-tethered building block is generated parallel to type II PKSKosinostatin (KST), an antitumor antibiotic, features a pyrrolopyrrole moiety spirally jointed to a five-membered ring of an anthraquinone framework glycosylated with a γ-branched octose. By a combination of in silico analysis, genetic characterization, biochemical assay, and precursor feeding experiments, a biosynthetic pathway for KST was proposed, which revealed (1) the pyrrolopyrrole moiety originates from nicotinic acid and ribose, (2) the bicyclic amidine is constructed by a process similar to the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, and (3) a discrete adenylation enzyme and a peptidyl carrier protein (PCP) are responsible for producing a PCP-tethered building block parallel to type II polyketide synthase (PKS) rather than for the PKS priming step by providing the starter unit. These findings provide an opportunity to further explore the inexplicable enzymatic logic that governs the formation of pyrrolopyrrole moiety and the spirocyclic skeleton.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (145 K)Download as PowerPoint slide

Ramoplanins are lipopeptides effective against a wide range of Gram-positive pathogens. Ramoplanin A2 is in Phase III clinical trials. The structure–activity relationship of the unique 2Z,4E-fatty acid side-chain of ramoplanins indicates a significant contribution to the antimicrobial activities but ramoplanin derivatives with longer 2Z,4E-fatty acid side-chains are not easy to obtain by semi-synthetic approaches. To construct a strain that produces such analogues, an acyl-CoA ligase gene in a ramoplanin-producing Actinoplanes was inactivated and a heterologous gene from an enduracidin producer (Streptomyces fungicidicus) was introduced into the mutant. The resulting strain produced three ramoplanin analogues with longer alkyl chains, in which X1 was purified. The MIC value of X1 was ~0.12 μg/ml against Entrococcus sp. and was also active against vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 2 μg/ml).

Streptothricins (STs) are used commercially to treat bacterial and fungal diseases in agriculture. Mining of the sequenced microbial genomes uncovered two cryptic ST clusters from Streptomyces sp. C and Streptomyces sp. TP-A0356. The ST cluster from S. sp. TP-A0356 was verified by successful heterologous expression in Streptomyces coelicolor M145. Two new ST analogs were produced together with streptothricin F and streptothricin D in the heterologous host. The ST cluster was further confirmed by inactivation of gene stnO, which was proposed encoding an aminomutase supplying β-lysines for the poly-β-Lys chain formation. A putative biosynthetic pathway for STs is proposed based on bioinformatics analyses of the ST genes and experimental evidence.

Ramoplanins produced by Actinoplanes are new structural class of lipopeptide and are currently in phase III clinical trials for the prevention of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections. The depsipeptide structures of ramoplanins are synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS). Romo-orf17, a stand-alone NRPS, is responsible for the recruitment of Thr into the linear NRPS pathways for which the corresponding adenylation domain is absent. Here, systematical gene inactivation and complementation have been carried out in a Actinoplanes sp. using homologous recombination and site-specific integration methods. A hybrid gene coding for the N-terminal region of the stand-alone NRPS and the A-PCP domains of a heterologous NRPS restored production of ramoplanins. The results elucidate the unusual N-terminal region which is essential for the biosynthesis of ramoplanins.

Yatakemycin (YTM), an antitumor natural product, represents the most potent member of a class of potent anticancer natural products including CC-1065 and duocarmycins. Herein we describe the biosynthetic gene cluster of YTM, which was identified by genome scanning of Streptomyces sp. TP-A0356. This cluster consists of 31 open reading frames (ORFs) and was localized to a 36 kb DNA segment. Moreover, its involvement in YTM biosynthesis was confirmed by cluster deletion, gene replacement, and complementation. Inactivation of ytkT, which encodes a radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) protein, created a mutant strain that failed to produce YTM but accumulated a new metabolite, which was structurally elucidated as a precursor that was related to the formation of the cyclopropane ring. More importantly, biochemical characterization of the radical SAM-dependent enzyme YtkT revealed that it is a novel C-methyltransferase and contributes to an advanced intermediate during formation of the cyclopropane ring through a radical mechanism in the YTM biosynthetic pathway. On the basis of in silico analysis, genetic experiments, structure elucidation of the novel intermediate, and biochemical characterization, a biosynthetic pathway for yatakemycin was proposed, which sets the stage to further investigate the novel enzymatic mechanisms and engineer the biosynthetic machinery for the production of novel analogues.

The antiviral compounds quartromicins represent unique members of a family of spirotetronate natural products. In this study, a biosynthetic gene cluster of quartromicins was identified by degenerate primer PCR amplification of specific genes involved in the biosynthesis of the tetronate moiety. The biochemical results confirmed that 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate was incorporated into the tetronate ring, and the intermediates of this ring were also reconstructed in vitro. The data also suggested a module skipping strategy for the production of two alternative polyketide chains by the same polyketide synthase assembly line. These findings set the stage for further investigations of the stereodivergent intermolecular cyclization mechanism, and highlight how nature has constructed this type of C2 symmetric molecule through intermolecular dimerization.Graphical AbstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (151 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Cloning and sequencing of a quartromicin biosynthetic gene cluster ► Reconstruction of the tetronate ring intermediates in vitro ► Production of two alternative polyketide chains by the same PKS assembly line ► A module skipping strategy in quartromicin biosynthesis

YM-216391, an antitumor natural product, represents a new class of cyclic peptides containing a polyoxazole-thiazole moiety. Herein we describe its gene cluster encoding the biosynthetic paradigm featuring a ribosomally synthesizing precursor peptide followed by a series of novel posttranslational modifications, which include (i) cleavage of both N-terminal leader peptide and C-terminal extension peptide and cyclization in a head-to-tail fashion, (ii) conversion of an l-Ile to d-allo-Ile, and (iii) β-hydroxylation of Phe by a P450 monooxygenase followed by further heterocyclization and oxidation to form a phenyloxazole moiety. The cluster was heterologously expressed in Streptomyces lividans to bypass difficult genetic manipulation. Deletion of the ymR3 gene, encoding a putative transcriptional regulator, increased the YM-216391 yield about 20-fold higher than the original yields for the heterologous expression of wild-type cluster, which set the stage for further combinatorial biosynthesis.

Saframycin A (SFM-A), a tetrahydroisoquinoline antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces lavendulae, shows potent anti-proliferation activities against a variety of tumor cell lines, and shares the core structure with ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), the anticancer drug for soft-tissue sarcoma. Characterization of the SFM-A biosynthetic gene cluster revealed three nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes and a series of genes encoding oxygenases. To investigate the function of sfmO2 gene, encoding a FAD-dependent monooxygenase/hydroxylase, we constructed the gene replacement mutant (sfmO2) strain S. lavendulae TL2007 and the corresponding gene complementation mutant strain S. lavendulae TL2008. A novel compound, SFM-O, was isolated from the sfmO2 replacement mutant strain and its structure was characterized by comparison to the HRMS and NMR spectra of SFM-A. These findings indicated that SfmO2 is responsible for the oxidation of ring A in the biosynthetic pathway of SFM-A, and the new compound SFM-O could be considered as an advanced intermediate in the semisynthesis of ET-743.

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) usually catalyze the biosynthesis of peptide natural products by sequential selection, activation, and condensation of amino acid precursors. It was reported that some fatty acids, α-ketoacids, and α-hydroxyacids originating from amino acid metabolism as well as polyketide-derived units can also be used by NRPS assembly lines as an alternative to amino acids. Ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), naphthyridinomycin (NDM), and quinocarcin (QNC) are three important antitumor natural products belonging to the tetrahydroisoquinoline family. Although ET-743 has been approved as an anticancer drug, the origin of an identical two-carbon (C2) fragment among these three antibiotics has not been elucidated despite much effort in the biosynthetic research in the past 30 y. Here we report that two unexpected two-component transketolases (TKases), NapB/NapD in the NDM biosynthetic pathway and QncN/QncL in QNC biosynthesis, catalyze the transfer of a glycolaldehyde unit from ketose to the lipoyl group to yield the glycolicacyl lipoic acid intermediate and then transfer the C2 unit to an acyl carrier protein (ACP) to form glycolicacyl-S-ACP as an extender unit for NRPS. Our results demonstrate a unique NRPS extender unit directly derived from ketose phosphates through (α,β-dihydroxyethyl)-thiamin diphosphate and a lipoyl group-tethered ester intermediate catalyzed by the TKase-ACP platform in the context of NDM and QNC biosynthesis, all of which also highlights the biosynthesis of ET-743. This hybrid system and precursor are distinct from the previously described universal modes involving the NRPS machinery. They exemplify an alternate strategy in hybrid NRPS biochemistry and enrich the diversity of precursors for NRPS combinatorial biosynthesis.

Trioxacarcins (TXNs) are highly oxygenated, polycyclic aromatic natural products with remarkable biological activity and structural complexity. Evidence from 13C-labelled precursor feeding studies demonstrated that the scaffold was biosynthesized from one unit of L-isoleucine and nine units of malonyl-CoA, which suggested a different starter unit in the biosynthesis. Genetic analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster revealed 56 genes encoding a type II polyketide synthase (PKS), combined with a large amount of tailoring enzymes. Inactivation of seven post-PKS modification enzymes resulted in the production of a series of new TXN analogues, intermediates, and shunt products, most of which show high anti-cancer activity. Structural elucidation of these new compounds not only helps us to propose the biosynthetic pathway, featuring a type II PKS using a novel starter unit, but also set the stage for further characterization of the enzymatic reactions and combinatorial biosynthesis.