Efophylins A and B, Two C2-Asymmetric Macrodiolide Immunosuppressants from Streptomyces malaysiensis.

Genomics-inspired isolation led to the identification of two new natural congeneric C2-asymmetric macrodiolide immunosuppressants, named efophylins A (1) and B (2), from Streptomyces malaysiensis DSM 4137. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and computational methods and were in agreement with biosynthetic predictions from the efophylin gene cluster. Compound 2 exhibited potent immunosuppressive activity and demonstrated to inhibit the activation of the NFAT and block NFAT dephosphorylation in vitro. The immunosuppressive activity of compound 2 is possibly at least in part via the CaN/NFAT signaling pathway.

Methyltransferases of gentamicin biosynthesis.

Gentamicin C complex from Micromonospora echinospora remains a globally important antibiotic, and there is revived interest in the semisynthesis of analogs that might show improved therapeutic properties. The complex consists of five components differing in their methylation pattern at one or more sites in the molecule. We show here, using specific gene deletion and chemical complementation, that the gentamicin pathway up to the branch point is defined by the selectivity of the methyltransferases GenN, GenD1, and GenK. Unexpectedly, they comprise a methylation network in which early intermediates are ectopically modified. Using whole-genome sequence, we have also discovered the terminal 6'-N-methyltransfer required to produce gentamicin C2b from C1a or gentamicin C1 from C2, an example of an essential biosynthetic enzyme being located not in the biosynthetic gene cluster but far removed on the chromosome. These findings fully account for the methylation pattern in gentamicins and open the way to production of individual gentamicins by fermentation, as starting materials for semisynthesis.

Insights into 6-Methylsalicylic Acid Bio-assembly by Using Chemical Probes.

Chemical probes capable of reacting with KS (ketosynthase)-bound biosynthetic intermediates were utilized for the investigation of the model type I iterative polyketide synthase 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase (6-MSAS) in vivo and in vitro. From the fermentation of fungal and bacterial 6-MSAS hosts in the presence of chain termination probes, a full range of biosynthetic intermediates was isolated and characterized for the first time. Meanwhile, in vitro studies of recombinant 6-MSA synthases with both nonhydrolyzable and hydrolyzable substrate mimics have provided additional insights into substrate recognition, providing the basis for further exploration of the enzyme catalytic activities.

Molecular recognition of an aversive odorant by the murine trace amine-associated receptor TAAR7f.

There are two main families of G protein-coupled receptors that detect odours in humans, the odorant receptors (ORs) and the trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). Their amino acid sequences are distinct, with the TAARs being most similar to the aminergic receptors such as those activated by adrenaline, serotonin and histamine. To elucidate the structural determinants of ligand recognition by TAARs, we have determined the cryo-EM structure of a murine receptor, mTAAR7f, coupled to the heterotrimeric G protein Gs and bound to the odorant N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCH) to an overall resolution of 2.9 Å. DMCH is bound in a hydrophobic orthosteric binding site primarily through van der Waals interactions and a strong charge-charge interaction between the tertiary amine of the ligand and an aspartic acid residue. This site is distinct and non-overlapping with the binding site for the odorant propionate in the odorant receptor OR51E2. The structure, in combination with mutagenesis data and molecular dynamics simulations suggests that the activation of the receptor follows a similar pathway to that of the ß-adrenoceptors, with the significant difference that DMCH interacts directly with one of the main activation microswitch residues.

Structural basis for the activity and substrate specificity of fluoroacetyl-CoA thioesterase FlK.

The thioesterase FlK from the fluoroacetate-producing Streptomyces cattleya catalyzes the hydrolysis of fluoroacetyl-coenzyme A. This provides an effective self-defense mechanism, preventing any fluoroacetyl-coenzyme A formed from being further metabolized to 4-hydroxy-trans-aconitate, a lethal inhibitor of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Remarkably, FlK does not accept acetyl-coenzyme A as a substrate. Crystal structure analysis shows that FlK forms a dimer, in which each subunit adopts a hot dog fold as observed for type II thioesterases. Unlike other type II thioesterases, which invariably utilize either an aspartate or a glutamate as catalytic base, we show by site-directed mutagenesis and crystallography that FlK employs a catalytic triad composed of Thr(42), His(76), and a water molecule, analogous to the Ser/Cys-His-acid triad of type I thioesterases. Structural comparison of FlK complexed with various substrate analogues suggests that the interaction between the fluorine of the substrate and the side chain of Arg(120) located opposite to the catalytic triad is essential for correct coordination of the substrate at the active site and therefore accounts for the substrate specificity.

Crystal structure and mechanism of a bacterial fluorinating enzyme.

Fluorine is the thirteenth most abundant element in the earth's crust, but fluoride concentrations in surface water are low and fluorinated metabolites are extremely rare. The fluoride ion is a potent nucleophile in its desolvated state, but is tightly hydrated in water and effectively inert. Low availability and a lack of chemical reactivity have largely excluded fluoride from biochemistry: in particular, fluorine's high redox potential precludes the haloperoxidase-type mechanism used in the metabolic incorporation of chloride and bromide ions. But fluorinated chemicals are growing in industrial importance, with applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials products. Reactive fluorination reagents requiring specialist process technologies are needed in industry and, although biological catalysts for these processes are highly sought after, only one enzyme that can convert fluoride to organic fluorine has been described. Streptomyces cattleya can form carbon-fluorine bonds and must therefore have evolved an enzyme able to overcome the chemical challenges of using aqueous fluoride. Here we report the sequence and three-dimensional structure of the first native fluorination enzyme, 5'-fluoro-5'-deoxyadenosine synthase, from this organism. Both substrate and products have been observed bound to the enzyme, enabling us to propose a nucleophilic substitution mechanism for this biological fluorination reaction.

Crystal Structure of GenD2, an NAD-Dependent Oxidoreductase Involved in the Biosynthesis of Gentamicin.

Gentamicins are clinically relevant aminoglycoside antibiotics produced by several Micromonospora species. Gentamicins are highly methylated and functionalized molecules, and their biosynthesis include glycosyltransferases, dehydratase/oxidoreductases, aminotransferases, and methyltransferases. The biosynthesis of gentamicin A from gentamicin A2 involves three enzymatic steps that modify the hydroxyl group at position 3″ of the unusual garosamine sugar to provide its substitution for an amino group, followed by an N-methylation. The first of these reactions is catalyzed by GenD2, an oxidoreductase from the Gfo/Idh/MocA protein family, which reduces the hydroxyl at the C3″ of gentamicin A to produce 3''-dehydro-3''-oxo-gentamicin A2 (DOA2). In this work, we solved the structure of GenD2 in complex with NAD+. Although the structure of GenD2 has a similar fold to other members of the Gfo/Idh/MocA family, this enzyme has several new features, including a 3D-domain swapping of two ß-strands that are involved in a novel oligomerization interface for this protein family. In addition, the active site of this enzyme also has several specialties which are possibly involved in the substrate specificity, including a number of aromatic residues and a negatively charged region, which is complementary to the polycationic aminoglycoside-substrate. Therefore, docking simulations provided insights into the recognition of gentamicin A2 and into the catalytic mechanism of GenD2. This is the first report describing the structure of an oxidoreductase involved in aminoglycoside biosynthesis and could open perspectives into producing new aminoglycoside derivatives by protein engineering.

The neomycin biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces fradiae NCIMB 8233: genetic and biochemical evidence for the roles of two glycosyltransferases and a deacetylase.

An efficient protocol has been developed for the genetic manipulation of Streptomyces fradiae NCIMB 8233, which produces the 2-deoxystreptamine (2-DOS)-containing aminoglycoside antibiotic neomycin. This has allowed the in vivo analysis of the respective roles of the glycosyltransferases Neo8 and Neo15, and of the deacetylase Neo16 in neomycin biosynthesis. Specific deletion of each of the neo8, neo15 and neo16 genes confirmed that they are all essential for neomycin biosynthesis. The pattern of metabolites produced by feeding putative pathway intermediates to these mutants provided unambiguous support for a scheme in which Neo8 and Neo15, whose three-dimensional structures are predicted to be highly similar, have distinct roles: Neo8 catalyses transfer of N-acetylglucosamine to 2-DOS early in the pathway, while Neo15 catalyses transfer of the same aminosugar to ribostamycin later in the pathway. The in vitro substrate specificity of Neo15, purified from recombinant Escherichia coli, was fully consistent with these findings. The in vitro activity of Neo16, the only deacetylase so far recognised in the neo gene cluster, showed that it is capable of acting in tandem with both Neo8 and Neo15 as previously proposed. However, the deacetylation of N-acetylglucosaminylribostamycin was still observed in a strain deleted of the neo16 gene and fed with suitable pathway precursors, providing evidence for the existence of a second enzyme in S. fradiae with this activity.

The gene cluster for fluorometabolite biosynthesis in Streptomyces cattleya: a thioesterase confers resistance to fluoroacetyl-coenzyme A.

A genomic library of Streptomyces cattleya was screened to isolate a gene cluster encoding enzymes responsible for the production of fluorine-containing metabolites. In addition to the previously described fluorinase FlA which catalyzes the formation of 5'-fluoro-5'-deoxyadenosine from S-adenosylmethionine and fluoride, 11 other putative open reading frames have been identified. Three of the proteins encoded by these genes have been characterized. FlB was determined to be the second enzyme in the pathway, catalyzing the phosphorolytic cleavage of 5'-fluoro-5'-deoxyadenosine to produce 5-fluoro-5-deoxy-D-ribose-1-phosphate. The enzyme FlI was found to be an S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, which may act to relieve S-adenosylhomocysteine inhibition of the fluorinase. Finally, flK encodes a thioesterase which catalyzes the selective breakdown of fluoroacetyl-CoA but not acetyl-CoA, suggesting that it provides the producing strain with a mechanism for resistance to fluoroacetate.

Structural Basis of the Selectivity of GenN, an Aminoglycoside N-Methyltransferase Involved in Gentamicin Biosynthesis.

Gentamicins are heavily methylated, clinically valuable pseudotrisaccharide antibiotics produced by Micromonospora echinospora. GenN has been characterized as an S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferase with low sequence similarity to other enzymes. It is responsible for the 3″-N-methylation of 3″-dehydro-3″-amino-gentamicin A2, an essential modification of ring III in the biosynthetic pathway to the gentamicin C complex. Purified recombinant GenN also efficiently catalyzes 3″-N-methylation of related aminoglycosides kanamycin B and tobramycin, which both contain an additional hydroxymethyl group at the C5″ position in ring III. We have obtained eight cocrystal structures of GenN, at a resolution of 2.2 Šor better, including the binary complex of GenN and S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH) and the ternary complexes of GenN, SAH, and several aminoglycosides. The GenN structure reveals several features not observed in any other N-methyltransferase that fit it for its role in gentamicin biosynthesis. These include a novel N-terminal domain that might be involved in protein:protein interaction with upstream enzymes of the gentamicin X2 biosynthesis and two long loops that are involved in aminoglycoside substrate recognition. In addition, the analysis of structures of GenN in complex with different ligands, supported by the results of active site mutagenesis, has allowed us to propose a catalytic mechanism and has revealed the structural basis for the surprising ability of native GenN to act on these alternative substrates.

Crystal structures of the PLP- and PMP-bound forms of BtrR, a dual functional aminotransferase involved in butirosin biosynthesis.

The aminotransferase (BtrR), which is involved in the biosynthesis of butirosin, a 2-deoxystreptamine (2-DOS)-containing aminoglycoside antibiotic produced by Bacillus circulans, catalyses the pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent transamination reaction both of 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose to 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosamine and of amino-dideoxy-scyllo-inosose to 2-DOS. The high-resolution crystal structures of the PLP- and PMP-bound forms of BtrR aminotransferase from B. circulans were solved at resolutions of 2.1 A and 1.7 A with R(factor)/R(free) values of 17.4/20.6 and 19.9/21.9, respectively. BtrR has a fold characteristic of the aspartate aminotransferase family, and sequence and structure analysis categorises it as a member of SMAT (secondary metabolite aminotransferases) subfamily. It exists as a homodimer with two active sites per dimer. The active site of the BtrR protomer is located in a cleft between an alpha helical N-terminus, a central alphabetaalpha sandwich domain and an alphabeta C-terminal domain. The structures of the PLP- and PMP-bound enzymes are very similar; however BtrR-PMP lacks the covalent bond to Lys192. Furthermore, the two forms differ in the side-chain conformations of Trp92, Asp163, and Tyr342 that are likely to be important in substrate selectivity and substrate binding. This is the first three-dimensional structure of an enzyme from the butirosin biosynthesis gene cluster.

Conversion of hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenases into hydroxymandelate synthases by directed evolution.

Hydroxymandelate synthase (HmaS) and hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HppD) are non-heme iron-dependent dioxygenases, which share a common substrate and first catalytic step. The catalytic pathways then diverge to yield hydroxymandelate for secondary metabolism, or homogentisate in tyrosine catabolism. To probe the differences between these related active sites that channel a common intermediate down alternative pathways, we attempted to interconvert their activities by directed evolution. HmaS activity was readily introduced to HppD by just two amino acid changes. A parallel attempt to engineer HppD activity in HmaS was unsuccessful, suggesting that homogentisate synthesis places greater chemical and steric demands on the active site.

Biosynthesis of the unique amino acid side chain of butirosin: possible protective-group chemistry in an acyl carrier protein-mediated pathway.

Butirosins A and B are naturally occurring aminoglycoside antibiotics that have a (2S)-4-amino-2-hydroxybutyrate (AHBA) side chain. Semisynthetic addition of AHBA to clinically valuable aminoglycoside antibiotics has been shown both to improve their pharmacological properties and to prevent their deactivation by a number of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes involved in bacterial resistance. We report here that the biosynthesis of AHBA from L-glutamate, encoded within a previously identified butirosin biosynthetic gene cluster, proceeds via intermediates tethered to a specific acyl carrier protein (ACP). Five components of the pathway have been purified and characterized, including the ACP (BtrI), an ATP-dependent ligase (BtrJ), a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent decarboxylase (BtrK), and a two-component flavin-dependent monooxygenase system (BtrO and the previously unreported BtrV). The proposed biosynthetic pathway includes a gamma-glutamylation of an ACP-derived gamma-aminobutyrate intermediate, possibly a rare example of protective group chemistry in biosynthesis.

Insights into 6-Methylsalicylic Acid Bio-assembly by Using Chemical Probes.

Chemical probes capable of reacting with KS (ketosynthase)-bound biosynthetic intermediates were utilized for the investigation of the model type I iterative polyketide synthase 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase (6-MSAS) in vivo and in vitro. From the fermentation of fungal and bacterial 6-MSAS hosts in the presence of chain termination probes, a full range of biosynthetic intermediates was isolated and characterized for the first time. Meanwhile, in vitro studies of recombinant 6-MSA synthases with both nonhydrolyzable and hydrolyzable substrate mimics have provided additional insights into substrate recognition, providing the basis for further exploration of the enzyme catalytic activities.

Biosynthetic gene cluster of the glycopeptide antibiotic teicoplanin: characterization of two glycosyltransferases and the key acyltransferase.

The gene cluster encoding biosynthesis of the clinically important glycopeptide antibiotic teicoplanin has been cloned from Actinoplanes teichomyceticus. Forty-nine putative open reading frames (ORFs) were identified within an 89 kbp genetic locus and assigned roles in teicoplanin biosynthesis, export, resistance, and regulation. Two ORFs, designated orfs 1 and 10*, showed significant homology to known glycosyltransferases. When heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, these glycosyltransferases were shown to catalyze the transfer of UDP-(N-acetyl)-glucosamine onto, respectively, 3-chloro-beta-hydroxytyrosine-6 (3-Cl-6betaHty) and 4-hydroxyphenylglycine-4 (4Hpg) of the teicoplanin heptapeptide aglycone. The product of another ORF, orf11*, was demonstrated in vitro to transfer n-acetyl-, n-butyryl-, and n-octanoyl-groups from acyl-CoA donors either to a free UDP-aminosugar or to an aminosugar moiety in the teicoplanin pseudoaglycone, thus identifying Orf11* as the key acyltransferase in teicoplanin maturation. These findings should accelerate the combinatorial engineering of new and improved glycopeptide drugs.

Delineating the biosynthesis of gentamicin x2, the common precursor of the gentamicin C antibiotic complex.

Gentamicin C complex is a mixture of aminoglycoside antibiotics used worldwide to treat severe Gram-negative bacterial infections. Despite its clinical importance, the enzymology of its biosynthetic pathway has remained obscure. We report here insights into the four enzyme-catalyzed steps that lead from the first-formed pseudotrisaccharide gentamicin A2 to gentamicin X2, the last common intermediate for all components of the C complex. We have used both targeted mutations of individual genes and reconstitution of portions of the pathway in vitro to show that the secondary alcohol function at C-3″ of A2 is first converted to an amine, catalyzed by the tandem operation of oxidoreductase GenD2 and transaminase GenS2. The amine is then specifically methylated by the S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent N-methyltransferase GenN to form gentamicin A. Finally, C-methylation at C-4″ to form gentamicin X2 is catalyzed by the radical SAM-dependent and cobalamin-dependent enzyme GenD1.

Biosynthesis of aminoglycoside antibiotics: cloning, expression and characterisation of an aminotransferase involved in the pathway to 2-deoxystreptamine.

The gene btrR from Bacillus circulans has been cloned and expressed and shown to produce a protein which catalyses the transamination of 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose to give 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosamine, an intermediate in the biosynthesis of 2-deoxystreptamine.

Specificity and promiscuity at the branch point in gentamicin biosynthesis.

Gentamicin C complex is a mixture of aminoglycoside antibiotics used to treat severe Gram-negative bacterial infections. We report here key features of the late-stage biosynthesis of gentamicins. We show that the intermediate gentamicin X2, a known substrate for C-methylation at C-6' to form G418 catalyzed by the radical SAM-dependent enzyme GenK, may instead undergo oxidation at C-6' to form an aldehyde, catalyzed by the flavin-linked dehydrogenase GenQ. Surprisingly, GenQ acts in both branches of the pathway, likewise oxidizing G418 to an analogous ketone. Amination of these intermediates, catalyzed mainly by aminotransferase GenB1, produces the known intermediates JI-20A and JI-20B, respectively. Other pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes (GenB3 and GenB4) act in enigmatic dehydroxylation steps that convert JI-20A and JI-20B into the gentamicin C complex or (GenB2) catalyze the epimerization of gentamicin C2a into gentamicin C2.

Chimeric glycosyltransferases for the generation of hybrid glycopeptides.

Glycodiversification, an invaluable tool for generating biochemical diversity, can be catalyzed by glycosyltransferases, which attach activated sugar "donors" onto "acceptor" molecules. However, many glycosyltransferases can tolerate only minor modifications to their native substrates, thus making them unsuitable tools for current glycodiversification strategies. Here we report the production of functional chimeric glycosyltransferases by mixing and matching the N- and C-terminal domains of glycopeptide glycosyltransferases. Using this method we have generated hybrid glycopeptides and have demonstrated that domain swapping can result in a predictable switch of substrate specificity, illustrating that N- and C-terminal domains predominantly dictate acceptor and donor specificity, respectively. The determination of the structure of a chimera in complex with a sugar donor analog shows that almost all sugar-glycosyltransferase binding interactions occur in the C-terminal domain.