BlmB and TlmB provide resistance to the bleomycin family of antitumor antibiotics by N-acetylating metal-free bleomycin, tallysomycin, phleomycin, and zorbamycin.

The bleomycin (BLM) family of glycopeptide-derived antitumor antibiotics consists of BLMs, tallysomycins (TLMs), phleomycins (PLMs), and zorbamycin (ZBM). The self-resistant elements BlmB and TlmB, discovered from the BLM- and TLM-producing organisms Streptomyces verticillus ATCC15003 and Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC31158, respectively, are N-acetyltransferases that provide resistance to the producers by disrupting the metal-binding domain of the antibiotics required for activity. Although each member of the BLM family of antibiotics possesses a conserved metal-binding domain, the structural differences between each member, namely, the bithiazole moiety and C-terminal amine of BLMs, have been suggested to instill substrate specificity within BlmB. Here we report that BlmB and TlmB readily accept and acetylate BLMs, TLMs, PLMs, and ZBM in vitro but only in the metal-free forms. Kinetic analysis of BlmB and TlmB reveals there is no strong preference or rate enhancement for specific substrates, indicating that the structural differences between each member of the BLM family play a negligible role in substrate recognition, binding, or catalysis. Intriguingly, the zbm gene cluster from Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC21892 does not contain an N-acetyltransferase, yet ZBM is readily acetylated by BlmB and TlmB. We subsequently established that S. flavoviridis lacks the homologue of BlmB and TlmB, and ZbmA, the ZBM-binding protein, alone is sufficient to provide ZBM resistance. We further confirmed that BlmB can indeed confer resistance to ZBM in vivo in S. flavoviridis, introduction of which into wild-type S. flavoviridis further increases the level of resistance.

Cloning and sequencing of the kedarcidin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptoalloteichus sp. ATCC 53650 revealing new insights into biosynthesis of the enediyne family of antitumor antibiotics.

Enediyne natural product biosynthesis is characterized by a convergence of multiple pathways, generating unique peripheral moieties that are appended onto the distinctive enediyne core. Kedarcidin (KED) possesses two unique peripheral moieties, a (R)-2-aza-3-chloro-ß-tyrosine and an iso-propoxy-bearing 2-naphthonate moiety, as well as two deoxysugars. The appendage pattern of these peripheral moieties to the enediyne core in KED differs from the other enediynes studied to date with respect to stereochemical configuration. To investigate the biosynthesis of these moieties and expand our understanding of enediyne core formation, the biosynthetic gene cluster for KED was cloned from Streptoalloteichus sp. ATCC 53650 and sequenced. Bioinformatics analysis of the ked cluster revealed the presence of the conserved genes encoding for enediyne core biosynthesis, type I and type II polyketide synthase loci likely responsible for 2-aza-l-tyrosine and 3,6,8-trihydroxy-2-naphthonate formation, and enzymes known for deoxysugar biosynthesis. Genes homologous to those responsible for the biosynthesis, activation, and coupling of the l-tyrosine-derived moieties from C-1027 and maduropeptin and of the naphthonate moiety from neocarzinostatin are present in the ked cluster, supporting 2-aza-l-tyrosine and 3,6,8-trihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid as precursors, respectively, for the (R)-2-aza-3-chloro-ß-tyrosine and the 2-naphthonate moieties in KED biosynthesis.

A designer bleomycin with significantly improved DNA cleavage activity.

The bleomycins (BLMs) are used clinically in combination with a number of other agents for the treatment of several types of tumors, and the BLM, etoposide, and cisplatin treatment regimen cures 90-95% of metastatic testicular cancer patients. BLM-induced pneumonitis is the most feared, dose-limiting side effect of BLM in chemotherapy, which can progress into lung fibrosis and affect up to 46% of the total patient population. There have been continued efforts to develop new BLM analogues in the search for anticancer drugs with better clinical efficacy and lower lung toxicity. We have previously cloned and characterized the biosynthetic gene clusters for BLMs from Streptomyces verticillus ATCC15003, tallysomycins from Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC31158, and zorbamycin (ZBM) from Streptomyces flavoviridis SB9001. Comparative analysis of the three biosynthetic machineries provided the molecular basis for the formulation of hypotheses to engineer novel analogues. We now report engineered production of three new analogues, 6'-hydroxy-ZBM, BLM Z, and 6'-deoxy-BLM Z and the evaluation of their DNA cleavage activities as a measurement for their potential anticancer activity. Our findings unveiled: (i) the disaccharide moiety plays an important role in the DNA cleavage activity of BLMs and ZBMs, (ii) the ZBM disaccharide significantly enhances the potency of BLM, and (iii) 6'-deoxy-BLM Z represents the most potent BLM analogue known to date. The fact that 6'-deoxy-BLM Z can be produced in reasonable quantities by microbial fermentation should greatly facilitate follow-up mechanistic and preclinical studies to potentially advance this analogue into a clinical drug.

Comparative analysis of the biosynthetic gene clusters and pathways for three structurally related antitumor antibiotics: bleomycin, tallysomycin, and zorbamycin.

The biosynthetic gene clusters for the glycopeptide antitumor antibiotics bleomycin (BLM), tallysomycin (TLM), and zorbamycin (ZBM) have been recently cloned and characterized from Streptomyces verticillus ATCC15003, Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC31158, and Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC21892, respectively. The striking similarities and differences among the biosynthetic gene clusters for the three structurally related glycopeptide antitumor antibiotics prompted us to compare and contrast their respective biosynthetic pathways and to investigate various enzymatic elements. The presence of different numbers of isolated nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) domains in all three clusters does not result in major structural differences of the respective compounds. The seemingly identical domain organization of the NRPS modules responsible for heterocycle formation, on the other hand, is contrasted by the biosynthesis of two different structural entities, bithiazole and thiazolinyl-thiazole, for BLM/TLM and ZBM, respectively. Variations in sugar biosynthesis apparently dictate the glycosylation patterns distinct for each of the BLM, TLM, and ZBM glycopeptide scaffolds. These observations demonstrate nature's ingenuity and flexibility in achieving structural differences and similarities via various mechanisms and will surely inspire combinatorial biosynthesis efforts to expand on natural product structural diversity.

Oxazolomycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces albus JA3453 featuring an "acyltransferase-less" type I polyketide synthase that incorporates two distinct extender units.

The oxazolomycins (OZMs) are a growing family of antibiotics produced by several Streptomyces species that show diverse and important antibacterial, antitumor, and anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity. Oxazolomycin A is a peptide-polyketide hybrid compound containing a unique spiro-linked beta-lactone/gamma-lactam, a 5-substituted oxazole ring. The oxazolomycin biosynthetic gene cluster (ozm) was identified from Streptomyces albus JA3453 and localized to 79.5-kb DNA, consisting of 20 open reading frames that encode non-ribosomal peptide synthases, polyketide synthases (PKSs), hybrid non-ribosomal peptide synthase-PKS, trans-acyltransferases (trans-ATs), enzymes for methoxymalonyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthesis, putative resistance genes, and hypothetical regulation genes. In contrast to classical type I polyketide or fatty acid biosynthases, all 10 PKS modules in the gene cluster lack cognate ATs. Instead, discrete ATs OzmM (with tandem domains OzmM-AT1 and OzmM-AT2) and OzmC were equipped to carry out all of the loading functions of both malonyl-CoA and methoxymalonyl-ACP extender units. Strikingly, only OzmM-AT2 is required for OzmM activity for OZM biosynthesis, whereas OzmM-AT1 seemed to be a cryptic AT domain. The above findings, together with previous results using isotope-labeled precursor feeding assays, are assembled for the OZM biosynthesis model to be proposed. The incorporation of both malonyl-CoA (by OzmM-AT2) and methoxymalonyl-ACP (by OzmC) extender units seemed to be unprecedented for this class of trans-AT type I PKSs, which might be fruitfully manipulated to create structurally diverse novel compounds.

Functional characterization of tlmH in Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC 31158 unveiling new insight into tallysomycin biosynthesis and affording a novel bleomycin analog.

Tallysomycins (TLMs) belong to the bleomycin (BLM) family of anticancer antibiotics and differ from the BLMs principally by the presence of a 4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-L-talose attached to C-41 of the TLM backbone as part of a glycosylcarbinolamide. To facilitate an understanding of the differences in anticancer activities observed between TLMs and BLMs, we thought to generate des-talose TLM analogs by engineering TLM biosynthesis in Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC 31158. Here we report (i) the engineering of the DeltatlmH mutant SB8005 strain that produces the two TLM analogs, TLM H-1 and TLM H-2, (ii) production, isolation, and structural elucidation of TLM H-1 and TLM H-2 by NMR and mass spectroscopic analyses as the desired des-talose TLM analogs, and (iii) comparison of the DNA cleavage activities of TLM H-1 with selected TLMs and BLMs. These findings support the previous functional assignment of tlmH to encode an alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent hydroxylase and unveil the TlmH-catalyzed hydroxylation at both C-41 and C-42 and the TlmK-catalyzed glycosylation of a labile carbinolamide intermediate as the final two steps for TLM biosynthesis. TlmH is apparently distinct from other enzymes known to catalyze carbinolamide formation. The availability of TLM H-1 now sets the stage to study the TlmH enzymology in vitro and to elucidate the exact contribution of the l-talose to the anticancer activities of TLMs in vivo.

Nosiheptide biosynthesis featuring a unique indole side ring formation on the characteristic thiopeptide framework.

Nosiheptide (NOS), belonging to the e series of thiopeptide antibiotics that exhibit potent activity against various bacterial pathogens, bears a unique indole side ring system and regiospecific hydroxyl groups on the characteristic macrocyclic core. Here, cloning, sequencing, and characterization of the nos gene cluster from Streptomyces actuosus ATCC 25421 as a model for this series of thiopeptides has unveiled new insights into their biosynthesis. Bioinformatics-based sequence analysis and in vivo investigation into the gene functions show that NOS biosynthesis shares a common strategy with recently characterized b or c series thiopeptides for forming the characteristic macrocyclic core, which features a ribosomally synthesized precursor peptide with conserved posttranslational modifications. However, it apparently proceeds via a different route for tailoring the thiopeptide framework, allowing the final product to exhibit the distinct structural characteristics of e series thiopeptides, such as the indole side ring system. Chemical complementation supports the notion that the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent protein NosL may play a central role in converting tryptophan to the key 3-methylindole moiety by an unusual carbon side chain rearrangement, most likely via a radical-initiated mechanism. Characterization of the indole side ring-opened analogue of NOS from the nosN mutant strain is consistent with the proposed methyltransferase activity of its encoded protein, shedding light into the timing of the individual steps for indole side ring biosynthesis. These results also suggest the feasibility of engineering novel thiopeptides for drug discovery by manipulating the NOS biosynthetic machinery.

The biosynthetic gene cluster of zorbamycin, a member of the bleomycin family of antitumor antibiotics, from Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC 21892.

The biosynthetic gene cluster for the glycopeptide-derived antitumor antibiotic zorbamycin (ZBM) was cloned by screening a cosmid library of Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC 21892. Sequence analysis revealed 40 ORFs belonging to the ZBM biosynthetic gene cluster. However, only 23 and 22 ORFs showed striking similarities to the biosynthetic gene clusters for the bleomycins (BLMs) and tallysomycins (TLMs), respectively; the remaining ORFs do not show significant homology to ORFs from the related BLM and TLM clusters. The ZBM gene cluster consists of 16 nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes encoding eight complete NRPS modules, three incomplete didomain NRPS modules, and eight freestanding single NRPS domains or associated enzymes, a polyketide synthase (PKS) gene encoding one PKS module, six sugar biosynthesis genes, as well as genes encoding other biosynthesis and resistance proteins. A genetic system using Escherichia coli-Streptomyces flavoviridis intergeneric conjugation was developed to enable ZBM gene cluster boundary determinations and biosynthetic pathway manipulations.

In vivo manipulation of the bleomycin biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces verticillus ATCC15003 revealing new insights into its biosynthetic pathway.

Bleomycin (BLM), an important clinically used antitumor compound, and its analogs are challenging to prepare by chemical synthesis. Genetic engineering of the biosynthetic pathway in the producer strain would provide an efficient and convenient method of generating new derivatives of this complex molecule in vivo. However, the BLM producing Streptomyces verticillus ATCC15003 has been refractory to all means of introducing plasmid DNA into its cells for nearly two decades. Several years after cloning and identification of the bleomycin biosynthetic gene cluster, this study demonstrates, for the first time, genetic accessibility of this pharmaceutically relevant producer strain by intergeneric Escherichia coli-Streptomyces conjugation. Gene replacement and in-frame deletion mutants were created by lambdaRED-mediated PCR targeting mutagenesis, and the secondary metabolite profile of the resultant mutants confirmed the identity of the BLM biosynthetic gene cluster and established its boundaries. Ultimately, the in-frame blmD deletion mutant strain S. verticillus SB5 resulted in the production of a bleomycin intermediate. The structure of this compound, decarbamoyl-BLM, was elucidated, and its DNA cleavage activity was compared with the parent compounds.

Identification of fredericamycin E from Streptomyces griseus: Insights into fredericamycin A biosynthesis highlighting carbaspirocycle formation.

Fredericamycin (FDM) A ( 1), a pentadecaketide featuring two sets of peri-hydroxy tricyclic aromatic moieties connected through a unique asymmetric carbaspiro center, exhibits potent cytotoxicity and represents a novel anticancer drug lead. We have localized previously the fdm gene cluster to a 33 kb DNA segment of Streptomyces griseus ATCC49344, the involvement of which in the biosynthesis of 1 was confirmed by gene inactivation, complementation, and heterologous expression experiments. We now report the isolation and characterization of FDM E ( 5), a heretofore undetected intermediate for 1 biosynthesis from S. griseus, shedding new insight into the mechanism of carbaspirocycle formation. The structure of 5 was elucidated through the combination of spectroscopic methods and isotope-labeling experiments. The core spiro[4.5]decane scaffold of 5 is characterized by a unique cyclohexa-1,2,4-triketone moiety. Transformation of the spiro[4.5]decane 5 into the spiro[4.4]nonane 1 can be rationalized by a biosynthetic benzilic acid-like rearrangement. This unusual rearrangement can be mimicked in vitro by proceeding under aerobic conditions in the absence of enzyme. FDM E displays cytotoxic activity on par with 1 against a selected set of cancer cells, a finding that further supports the unique molecular topology, resulting from the unprecedented carbaspirocycle as exemplified by 1 and 5, as a novel pharmacophore for this family of anticancer agents.

Characterization of the maduropeptin biosynthetic gene cluster from Actinomadura madurae ATCC 39144 supporting a unifying paradigm for enediyne biosynthesis.

The biosynthetic gene cluster for the enediyne antitumor antibiotic maduropeptin (MDP) from Actinomadura madurae ATCC 39144 was cloned and sequenced. Cloning of the mdp gene cluster was confirmed by heterologous complementation of enediyne polyketide synthase (PKS) mutants from the C-1027 producer Streptomyces globisporus and the neocarzinostatin producer Streptomyces carzinostaticus using the MDP enediyne PKS and associated genes. Furthermore, MDP was produced, and its apoprotein was isolated and N-terminal sequenced; the encoding gene, mdpA, was found to reside within the cluster. The biosynthesis of MDP is highlighted by two iterative type I PKSs--the enediyne PKS and a 6-methylsalicylic acid PKS; generation of (S)-3-(2-chloro-3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropionic acid derived from L-alpha-tyrosine; a unique type of enediyne apoprotein; and a convergent biosynthetic approach to the final MDP chromophore. The results demonstrate a platform for engineering new enediynes by combinatorial biosynthesis and establish a unified paradigm for the biosynthesis of enediyne polyketides.

Glycopeptide antitumor antibiotic zorbamycin from Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC 21892: strain improvement and structure elucidation.

Zorbamycin (1, ZBM) is a glycopeptide antitumor antibiotic first reported in 1971. The partial structures of 1 were speculated on the basis of its acid hydrolysis products, but the structure of the intact molecule has never been established. The low titer of 1 from the wild-type strain, combined with its acid-instability, has so far hampered its isolation. By random mutagenesis of Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC21892, a wild-type producer of 1, with UV irradiation, two high-producing strains of 1, S. flavoviridis SB9000 and SB9001, were isolated. Under the optimized fermentation conditions, these two strains produced about 10 mg/L of 1, which was about 10-fold higher than the wild-type ATCC21892 strain, as estimated by HPLC analysis. Finally, 1 was isolated as both a 1-Cu complex and Cu-free molecule, and the intact structure of 1 was established on the basis of a combination of mass spectrometry and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic analyses.

The tallysomycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC 31158 unveiling new insights into the biosynthesis of the bleomycin family of antitumor antibiotics.

The tallysomycins (TLMs) belong to the bleomycin (BLM) family of antitumor antibiotics. The BLM biosynthetic gene cluster has been cloned and characterized previously from Streptomyces verticillus ATCC 15003, but engineering BLM biosynthesis for novel analogs has been hampered by the lack of a genetic system for S. verticillus. We now report the cloning and sequencing of the TLM biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC 31158 and the development of a genetic system for S. hindustanus, demonstrating the feasibility to manipulate TLM biosynthesis in S. hindustanus by gene inactivation and mutant complementation. Sequence analysis of the cloned 80.2 kb region revealed 40 open reading frames (ORFs), 30 of which were assigned to the TLM biosynthetic gene cluster. The TLM gene cluster consists of nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes encoding nine NRPS modules, a polyketide synthase (PKS) gene encoding one PKS module, genes encoding seven enzymes for deoxysugar biosynthesis and attachment, as well as genes encoding other biosynthesis, resistance, and regulatory proteins. The involvement of the cloned gene cluster in TLM biosynthesis was confirmed by inactivating the tlmE glycosyltransferase gene to generate a TLM non-producing mutant and by restoring TLM production to the DeltatlmE::ermE mutant strain upon expressing a functional copy of tlmE. The TLM gene cluster is highly homologous to the BLM cluster, with 25 of the 30 ORFs identified within the two clusters exhibiting striking similarities. The structural similarities and differences between TLM and BLM were reflected remarkably well by the genes and their organization in their respective biosynthetic gene clusters.

Cloning, sequencing, analysis, and heterologous expression of the fredericamycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces griseus.

Fredericamycin (FDM) A, a pentadecaketide featuring two sets of peri-hydroxy tricyclic aromatic moieties connected through a unique chiral spiro carbon center, exhibits potent cytotoxicity and has been studied as a new type of anticancer drug lead because of its novel molecular architecture. The fdm gene cluster was localized to 33-kb DNA segment of Streptomyces griseus ATCC 49344, and its involvement in FDM A biosynthesis was proven by gene inactivation, complementation, and heterologous expression experiments. The fdm cluster consists of 28 open reading frames (ORFs), encoding a type II polyketide synthase (PKS) and tailoring enzymes as well as several regulatory and resistance proteins. The FDM PKS features a KSalpha subunit with heretofore unseen tandem cysteines at its active site, a KSbeta subunit that is distinct phylogenetically from KSbeta of hexa-, octa-, or decaketide PKSs, and a dedicated phosphopantetheinyl transferase. Further study of the FDM PKS could provide new insight into how a type II PKS controls chain length in aromatic polyketide biosynthesis. The availability of the fdm genes, in vivo characterization of the fdm cluster in S. griseus, and heterologous expression of the fdm cluster in Streptomyces albus set the stage to investigate FDM A biosynthesis and engineer the FDM biosynthetic machinery for the production of novel FDM A analogues.

Sequencing and mutagenesis of genes from the erythromycin biosynthetic gene cluster of Saccharopolyspora erythraea that are involved in L-mycarose and D-desosamine production.

The nucleotide sequence on both sides of the eryA polyketide synthase genes of the erythromycin-producing bacterium Saccharopolyspora erythraea reveals the presence of ten genes that are involved in L-mycarose (eryB) and D-desosamine (eryC) biosynthesis or attachment. Mutant strains carrying targeted lesions in eight of these genes indicate that three (eryBIV, eryBV and eryBVI) act in L-mycarose biosynthesis or attachment, while the other five (eryCII, eryCIII, eryCIV, eryCV and eryCVI) are devoted to D-desosamine biosynthesis or attachment. The remaining two genes (eryBII and eryBVII) appear to function in L-mycarose biosynthesis based on computer analysis and earlier genetic data. Three of these genes, eryBII, eryCIII and eryCII, lie between the eryAIII and eryG genes on one side of the polyketide synthase genes, while the remaining seven, eryBIV, eryBV, eryCVI, eryBVI, eryCIV, eryCV and eryBVII lie upstream of the eryAI gene on the other side of the gene cluster. The deduced products of these genes show similarities to: aldohexose 4-ketoreductases (eryBIV), aldoketo reductases (eryBII), aldohexose 5-epimerases (eryBVII), the dnmT gene of the daunomycin biosynthetic pathway of Streptomyces peucetius (eryBVI), glycosyltransferases (eryBV and eryCIII), the AscC 3,4-dehydratase from the ascarylose biosynthetic pathway of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (eryCIV), and mammalian N-methyltransferases (eryCVI). The eryCII gene resembles a cytochrome P450, but lacks the conserved cysteine residue responsible for coordination of the haem iron, while the eryCV gene displays no meaningful similarity to other known sequences. From the predicted function of these and other known eryB and eryC genes, pathways for the biosynthesis of L-mycarose and D-desosamine have been deduced.