Enzymatic Formation of Oxygen-Containing Heterocycles in Natural Product Biosynthesis.

Oxygen-containing heterocycles are widely encountered in natural products that display diverse pharmacological properties and have potential benefits to human health. The formation of O-heterocycles catalyzed by different types of enzymes in the biosynthesis of natural products not only contributes to the structural diversity of these compounds, but also enriches our understanding of nature's ability to construct complex molecules. This minireview focuses on the various modes of enzymatic O-heterocyclization identified in natural product biosynthesis and summarizes the possible mechanisms involved in ring closure.