The Myxobacterial Antibiotic Myxovalargin: Biosynthesis, Structural Revision, Total Synthesis, and Molecular Characterization of Ribosomal Inhibition.

Resistance of bacterial pathogens against antibiotics is declared by WHO as a major global health threat. As novel antibacterial agents are urgently needed, we re-assessed the broad-spectrum myxobacterial antibiotic myxovalargin and found it to be extremely potent against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To ensure compound supply for further development, we studied myxovalargin biosynthesis in detail enabling production via fermentation of a native producer. Feeding experiments as well as functional genomics analysis suggested a structural revision, which was eventually corroborated by the development of a concise total synthesis. The ribosome was identified as the molecular target based on resistant mutant sequencing, and a cryo-EM structure revealed that myxovalargin binds within and completely occludes the exit tunnel, consistent with a mode of action to arrest translation during a late stage of translation initiation. These studies open avenues for structure-based scaffold improvement toward development as an antibacterial agent.

Pyxipyrrolones: Structure Elucidation and Biosynthesis of Cytotoxic Myxobacterial Metabolites.

In the search for new secondary metabolites from myxobacteria, a strain from the genus Pyxidicoccus was investigated. This led to the identification of a new class of natural products showing structural novelty and interesting biological activity. Isolation and structure elucidation of two analogues led to the identification of pyxipyrrolone A and B, harboring the novel 3-methylene-2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9-octahydro-1H-benzo[e]isoindol-1-one scaffold. Mosher's ester analysis combined with NMR studies allowed the determination of all stereocenters but one. Genome sequencing of the producer strain led to the identification of a putative biosynthetic gene cluster for the pyxipyrrolones. The compounds showed activity against several cancer cell lines (µm range) with pyxipyrrolone B having 2- to 11-fold higher activity than A, although they differ only by one methylene group.

Solving the Puzzle of One-Carbon Loss in Ripostatin Biosynthesis.

Ripostatin is a promising antibiotic that inhibits RNA polymerase by binding to a novel binding site. In this study, the characterization of the biosynthetic gene cluster of ripostatin, which is a peculiar polyketide synthase (PKS) hybrid cluster encoding cis- and trans-acyltransferase PKS genes, is reported. Moreover, an unprecedented mechanism for phenyl acetic acid formation and loading as a starter unit was discovered. This phenyl-C2 unit is derived from phenylpyruvate (phenyl-C3) and the mechanism described herein explains the mysterious loss of one carbon atom in ripostatin biosynthesis from the phenyl-C3 precursor. Through in vitro reconstitution of the whole loading process, a pyruvate dehydrogenase like protein complex was revealed that performs thiamine pyrophosphate dependent decarboxylation of phenylpyruvate to form a phenylacetyl-S-acyl carrier protein species, which is supplied to the subsequent biosynthetic assembly line for chain extension to finally yield ripostatin.