A synthetic metabolic pathway has been constructed in vitro consisting of the type III polyketide synthase from Streptomyces coelicolor and peroxidases from soybean and Caldariomyces fumago (chloroperoxidase). This has resulted in the synthesis of the pentaketide flaviolin and its dimeric derivative, and a wide range of pyrones and their coupled derivatives with flaviolin, as well as their halogenated derivatives. The addition of acyl-CoA oxidase to the pathway prior to the polyketide synthase resulted in unsaturated pyrone side chains, further broadening the product spectrum that can be achieved. The approach developed in this work, therefore, provides a new model to exploit biocatalysis in the synthesis of complex natural product derivatives.
PF1163A () is a fungal metabolite that inhibits sterol-C4-methyl oxidase. In this study, we identified the biosynthetic gene cluster of and elucidated its biosynthetic pathway through heterologous expression experiments. Polyketide synthase-nonribosomal synthetase hybrid PfaA, which is responsible for the biosynthesis of PF1163A, harbors an unusual domain organization with tandem condensation (C) domains and a terminal condensation domain.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) used as nutritional supplements. The natural EPA content in sp. is low, and traditional strategies to increase EPA levels often compromise DHA content or lipid accumulation, hindering industrial coproduction.
Polycyclic tetramate macrolactams (PoTeMs) represent a growing class of bioactive natural products that are derived from a common tetramate polyene precursor, lysobacterene A, produced by an unusual bacterial iterative polyketide synthase (PKS) / non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS). The structural and functional diversity of PoTeMs is biosynthetically elaborated from lysobacterene A by pathway-specific cyclizing and modifying enzymes. This results in diverse core structure decoration and cyclization patterns.
University of California Los Angeles, Dept. of Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering, 5531 Boelter Hall, 420 Westwood Plaza, 90095, Los Angeles, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
While sugar-containing natural products are commonly biosynthesized via glycosyltranferases using sugar-UDP as the electrophile, nature has evolved alternative strategies of glyco-modification to expand the diversity of natural products. Hydroxyl groups on sugars can serve as nucleophiles in the release of polyketide products from polyketide synthases. Herein, we demonstrate a highly reducing polyketide synthase (HRPKS) from the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma afroharzianum T22, which is terminated with a carnitine acyltransferase (cAT) domain, catalyzes the biosynthesis of a d-galactose esterified polyketide named as trichogalactin.
Lichens are mutualistic associations consisting of a primary fungal host, and one to few primary phototrophic symbiont(s), usually a green alga and/or a cyanobacterium. They form complex thallus structures, which provide unique and stable habitats for many other microorganisms. Frequently isolated from lichens are the so-called black fungi, or black yeasts, which are mainly characterized by melanized cell walls and extremophilic lifestyles.
