Product Selectivity in Baeyer-Villiger Monooxygenase-Catalyzed Bacterial Alkaloid Core Structure Maturation.

Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) play crucial roles in the core-structure modification of natural products. They catalyze lactone formation by selective oxygen insertion into a carbon-carbon bond adjacent to a carbonyl group (Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, BVO). The homologous bacterial BVMOs, BraC and PxaB, thereby process bicyclic dihydroindolizinone substrates originating from a bimodular nonribosomal peptide synthetase (BraB or PxaA). While both enzymes initially catalyze the formation of oxazepine-dione intermediates following the identical mechanism, the final natural product spectrum diverges. For the pathway involving BraC, the exclusive formation of lipocyclocarbamates, the brabantamides, was reported. The pathway utilizing PxaB solely produces pyrrolizidine alkaloids, the pyrrolizixenamides. Surprisingly, replacing pxaB within the pyrrolizixenamide biosynthetic pathway by braC does not change the product spectrum to brabantamides. Factors controlling this product selectivity have remained elusive. In this study, we set out to solve this puzzle by combining the total synthesis of crucial pathway intermediates and anticipated products with in-depth functional in vitro studies on both recombinant BVMOs. This work shows that the joint oxazepine-dione intermediate initially formed by both BVMOs leads to pyrrolizixenamides upon nonenzymatic hydrolysis, decarboxylative ring contraction, and dehydration. Brabantamide biosynthesis is enzyme-controlled, with BraC efficiently transforming all the accepted substrates into its cognate final product scaffold. PxaB, in contrast, shows only considerable activity toward brabantamide formation for the substrate analog with a natural brabantamide-type side chain structure, revealing substrate-controlled product selectivity.

Biosynthesis of cyanobacterin, a paradigm for furanolide core structure assembly.

The γ-butyrolactone motif is found in many natural signaling molecules and other specialized metabolites. A prominent example is the potent aquatic phytotoxin cyanobacterin, which has a highly functionalized γ-butyrolactone core structure. The enzymatic machinery that assembles cyanobacterin and structurally related natural products (herein termed furanolides) has remained elusive for decades. Here, we elucidate the biosynthetic process of furanolide assembly. The cyanobacterin biosynthetic gene cluster was identified by targeted bioinformatic screening and validated by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Full functional evaluation of the recombinant key enzymes in vivo and in vitro, individually and in concert, provided in-depth mechanistic insights into a streamlined C-C bond-forming cascade that involves installation of compatible reactivity at seemingly unreactive Cα positions of amino acid precursors. Our work extends the biosynthetic and biocatalytic toolbox for γ-butyrolactone formation, provides a general paradigm for furanolide biosynthesis and sets the stage for their targeted discovery, biosynthetic engineering and enzymatic synthesis.

Enzymatic assembly of the salinosporamide γ-lactam-ß-lactone anticancer warhead.

The marine microbial natural product salinosporamide A (marizomib) is a potent proteasome inhibitor currently in clinical trials for the treatment of brain cancer. Salinosporamide A is characterized by a complex and densely functionalized γ-lactam-ß-lactone bicyclic warhead, the assembly of which has long remained a biosynthetic mystery. Here, we report an enzymatic route to the salinosporamide core catalyzed by a standalone ketosynthase (KS), SalC. Chemoenzymatic synthesis of carrier protein-tethered substrates, as well as intact proteomics, allowed us to probe the reactivity of SalC and understand its role as an intramolecular aldolase/ß-lactone synthase with roles in both transacylation and bond-forming reactions. Additionally, we present the 2.85-Å SalC crystal structure that, combined with site-directed mutagenesis, allowed us to propose a bicyclization reaction mechanism. This work challenges our current understanding of the role of KS enzymes and establishes a basis for future efforts toward streamlined production of a clinically relevant chemotherapeutic.

Introduction to engineering the biosynthesis of fungal natural products.

Filamentous fungi are highly diverse eukaryotes that inhabit all known ecosystems on earth. Estimates suggest that more than 2 × 106 species are likely to exist, and analyses of typical fungal genomes suggest they harbour around 50 biosynthetic gene clusters on average. The biosynthetic potential of these organisms is thus vast. Fungi produce all the main classes of secondary metabolites, and numerous hybrid compounds. Many are highly useful in medicine such as the 'classic' special metabolites penicillins, cephalosporins, statins and mycophenolic acid, and new antimicrobial agents such as the pleuromutilins and enfumafungins that overcome specific patterns of resistance. Fungi differentiated from bacteria more than a billion years ago, so there has been plenty of time for uniquely fungal biosynthetic systems to evolve.

Synthesis, Stereochemical Determination, and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Myxocoumarin A.

The myxobacterial natural product myxocoumarin A from Stigmatella aurantiaca MYX-030 has remarkable antifungal activity against agriculturally relevant pathogens. To broaden the initial evaluation of its biological potential, we herein completed the first total synthesis of myxocoumarin A. This synthetic access facilitated stereochemical investigations on the natural product structure, revealing its (R)-configuration. Biological activity profiling showed a lack of activity against Candida spp. and Gram-negative bacteria but revealed strong antibiotic activities against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA.

Direct pathway cloning and expression of the radiosumin biosynthetic gene cluster.

Radiosumins are a structurally diverse family of low molecular weight natural products that are produced by cyanobacteria and exhibit potent serine protease inhibition. Members of this family are dipeptides characterized by the presence of two similar non-proteinogenic amino acids. Here we used a comparative bioinformatic analysis to identify radiosumin biosynthetic gene clusters from the genomes of 13 filamentous cyanobacteria. We used direct pathway cloning to capture and express the entire 16.8 kb radiosumin biosynthetic gene cluster from Dolichospermum planctonicum UHCC 0167 in Escherichia coli. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrates that radiosumins represent a new group of chorismate-derived non-aromatic secondary metabolites. High-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical degradation analysis revealed that cyanobacteria produce a cocktail of novel radiosumins. We report the chemical structure of radiosumin D, an N-methyl dipeptide, containing a special Aayp (2-amino-3-(4-amino-2-cyclohexen-1-ylidene) propionic acid) with R configuration that differs from radiosumin A-C, an N-Me derivative of Aayp (Amyp) and two acetyl groups. Radiosumin C inhibits all three human trypsin isoforms at micromolar concentrations with preference for trypsin-1 and -3 (IC50 values from 1.7 µM to >7.2 µM). These results provide a biosynthetic logic to explore the genetic and chemical diversity of the radiosumin family and suggest that these natural products may be a source of drug leads for selective human serine proteases inhibitors.

Strong Antibiotic Activity of the Myxocoumarin Scaffold in vitro and in vivo.

The increasing emergence of resistances against established antibiotics is a substantial threat to human health. The discovery of new compounds with potent antibiotic activity is thus of utmost importance. Within this work, we identify strong antibiotic activity of the natural product myxocoumarin B from Stigmatella aurantiaca MYX-030 against a range of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens, including clinical isolates of MRSA. A focused library of structural analogs was synthesized to explore initial structure-activity relationships and to identify equipotent myxocoumarin derivatives devoid of the natural nitro substituent to significantly streamline synthetic access. The cytotoxicity of the myxocoumarins as well as their potential to cure bacterial infections in vivo was established using a zebrafish model system. Our results reveal the exceptional antibiotic activity of the myxocoumarin scaffold and hence its potential for the development of novel antibiotics.

Carrier Protein-Free Enzymatic Biaryl Coupling in Arylomycin A2 Assembly and Structure of the Cytochrome P450 AryC.

Invited for the cover of this issue are Sabine Schneider, Tobias A. M. Gulder and co-workers at Technical University of Dresden, Technical University of Munich and Ludwig-Maximillians-University Munich. The image depicts the crystal structure of the cytochrome P450 AryC from arylomycin biosynthesis. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202103389.

Carrier Protein-Free Enzymatic Biaryl Coupling in Arylomycin A2 Assembly and Structure of the Cytochrome P450 AryC.

The arylomycin antibiotics are potent inhibitors of bacterial type I signal peptidase. These lipohexapeptides contain a biaryl structural motif reminiscent of glycopeptide antibiotics. We herein describe the functional and structural evaluation of AryC, the cytochrome P450 performing biaryl coupling in biosynthetic arylomycin assembly. Unlike its enzymatic counterparts in glycopeptide biosynthesis, AryC converts free substrates without the requirement of any protein interaction partner, likely enabled by a strongly hydrophobic cavity at the surface of AryC pointing to the substrate tunnel. This activity enables chemo-enzymatic assembly of arylomycin A2 that combines the advantages of liquid- and solid-phase peptide synthesis with late-stage enzymatic cross-coupling. The reactivity of AryC is unprecedented in cytochrome P450-mediated biaryl construction in non-ribosomal peptides, in which peptidyl carrier protein (PCP)-tethering so far was shown crucial both in vivo and in vitro.

Streptomyces sp. BV410: Interspecies cross-talk for staurosporine production.

AIMS: Sequencing and genome analysis of two co-isolated streptomycetes, named BV410-1 and BV410-10, and the effect of their co-cultivation on the staurosporine production. METHODS AND RESULTS: Identification of two strains through genome sequencing and their separation using different growth media was conducted. Sequence analysis revealed that the genome of BV410-1 was 9.5 Mb, whilst that of BV410-10 was 7.1 Mb. AntiSMASH analysis identified 28 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) from BV410-1, including that responsible for staurosporine biosynthesis, whilst 20 BGCs were identified from BV410-10. The addition of cell-free supernatant from BV410-10 monoculture to BV410-1 fermentations improved the staurosporine yield from 8.35 mg L-1 up to 15.85 mg L-1 , whilst BV410-10 monoculture ethyl acetate extract did not have the same effect. Also, there was no improvement in staurosporine production when artificial mixed cultures were created using three different BV410-1 and BV410-10 spore ratios. CONCLUSIONS: The growth of BV410-10 was inhibited when the two strains were grown together on agar plates. Culture supernatants of BV410-10 showed potential to stimulate staurosporine production in BV410-1, but overall co-cultivation attempts did not restore the previously reported yield of staurosporine produced by the original mixed isolate. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: This work confirmed complex relations between streptomycetes in soil that are difficult to recreate under the laboratory conditions. Also, mining of streptomycetes genomes that mainly produce known bioactive compounds could still be the fruitful approach in search for novel bioactive molecules.

Biosynthetic strategies for tetramic acid formation.

Covering: up to the end of 2020Natural products bearing tetramic acid units as part of complex molecular architectures exhibit a broad range of potent biological activities. These compounds thus attract significant interest from both the biosynthetic and synthetic communities. Biosynthetically, most of the tetramic acids are derived from hybrid polyketide synthase (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) machineries. To date, over 30 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) involved in tetramate formation have been identified, from which different biosynthetic strategies evolved in Nature to assemble this intriguing structural unit were characterized. In this Highlight we focus on the biosynthetic concepts of tetramic acid formation and discuss the molecular mechanism towards selected representatives in detail, providing a systematic overview for the development of strategies for targeted tetramate genome mining and future applications of tetramate-forming biocatalysts for chemo-enzymatic synthesis.

In vitro characterization of 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoic acid building block formation in ambigol biosynthesis.

The cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua is a natural producer of polychlorinated aromatic compounds, the ambigols A-E. The biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) of these highly halogenated triphenyls has been recently identified by heterologous expression. It consists of 10 genes named ab1-10. Two of the encoded enzymes, i.e. Ab2 and Ab3, were identified by in vitro and in vivo assays as cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for biaryl and biaryl ether formation. The key substrate for these P450 enzymes is 2,4-dichlorophenol, which in turn is derived from the precursor 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Here, the biosynthetic steps leading towards 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoic acid were investigated by in vitro assays. Ab7, an isoenzyme of a 3-deoxy-7-phosphoheptulonate (DAHP) synthase, is involved in chorismate biosynthesis by the shikimate pathway. Chorismate in turn is further converted by a dedicated chorismate lyase (Ab5) yielding 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA). The stand alone adenylation domain Ab6 is necessary to activate 4-HBA, which is subsequently tethered to the acyl carrier protein (ACP) Ab8. The Ab8 bound substrate is chlorinated by Ab10 in meta position yielding 3-Cl-4-HBA, which is then transfered by the condensation (C) domain to the peptidyl carrier protein and released by the thioesterase (TE) domain of Ab9. The released product is then expected to be the dedicated substrate of the halogenase Ab1 producing the monomeric ambigol building block 2,4-dichlorophenol.

Fungal Dioxygenase AsqJ Is Promiscuous and Bimodal: Substrate-Directed Formation of Quinolones versus Quinazolinones.

Previous studies showed that the FeII /α-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase AsqJ induces a skeletal rearrangement in viridicatin biosynthesis in Aspergillus nidulans, generating a quinolone scaffold from benzo[1,4]diazepine-2,5-dione substrates. We report that AsqJ catalyzes an additional, entirely different reaction, simply by a change in substituent in the benzodiazepinedione substrate. This new mechanism is established by substrate screening, application of functional probes, and computational analysis. AsqJ excises H2 CO from the heterocyclic ring structure of suitable benzo[1,4]diazepine-2,5-dione substrates to generate quinazolinones. This novel AsqJ catalysis pathway is governed by a single substituent within the complex substrate. This unique substrate-directed reactivity of AsqJ enables the targeted biocatalytic generation of either quinolones or quinazolinones, two alkaloid frameworks of exceptional biomedical relevance.

Chemoenzymatic Total Synthesis of Sorbicatechol Structural Analogues and Evaluation of Their Antiviral Potential.

Sorbicillinoids are fungal polyketides characterized by highly complex and diverse molecular structures, with considerable stereochemical intricacy combined with a high degree of oxygenation. Many sorbicillinoids possess promising biological activities. An interesting member of this natural product family is sorbicatechol A, which is reported to have antiviral activity, particularly against influenza A virus (H1N1). Through a straightforward, one-pot chemoenzymatic approach with recently developed oxidoreductase SorbC, the characteristic bicyclo[2.2.2]octane core of sorbicatechol is structurally diversified by variation of its natural 2-methoxyphenol substituent. This facilitates the preparation of a focused library of structural analogues bearing substituted aromatic systems, alkanes, heterocycles, and ethers. Fast access to this structural diversity provides an opportunity to explore the antiviral potential of the sorbicatechol family.

Discovery of the Streptoketides by Direct Cloning and Rapid Heterologous Expression of a Cryptic PKS II Gene Cluster from Streptomyces sp. Tü 6314.

Genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis have identified numerous cryptic gene clusters that have the potential to produce novel natural products. Within this work, we identified a cryptic type II PKS gene cluster (skt) from Streptomyces sp. Tü 6314. Facilitated by linear plus linear homologous recombination-mediated recombineering (LLHR), we directly cloned the skt gene cluster using the Streptomyces site-specific integration vector pSET152. Direct cloning allowed for rapid heterologous expression in Streptomyces coelicolor, leading to the identification and structural characterization of six polyketides (three known compounds and new streptoketides), four of which exhibit anti-HIV activities. Our study shows that the pSET152 vector can be directly used for LLHR, expanding the Rec/ET direct cloning toolbox and providing the possibility for rapid heterologous expression of gene clusters from Streptomyces.

Antifungal potential of bacterial rhizosphere isolates associated with three ethno-medicinal plants (poppy, chamomile, and nettle).

The objective of the present study was to isolate Actinobacteria, preferably Streptomyces spp. from the rhizosphere soils of three ethno-medicinal plants collected in Serbia (Papaver rhoeas, Matricaria chamomilla, and Urtica dioica) and to screen their antifungal activity against Candida spp. Overall, 103 sporulating isolates were collected from rhizosphere soil samples and determined as Streptomyces spp. Two different media and two extraction procedures were used to facilitate identification of antifungals. Overall, 412 crude cell extracts were tested against Candida albicans using disk diffusion assays, with 42% (43/103) of the strains showing the ability to produce antifungal agents. Also, extracts inhibited growth of important human pathogens: Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida glabrata. Based on the established degree and range of antifungal activity, nine isolates, confirmed as streptomycetes by 16S rRNA sequencing, were selected for further testing. Their ability to inhibit Candida growth in liquid culture, to inhibit biofilm formation, and to disperse pre-formed biofilms was assessed with active concentrations from 8 to 250 µg/mL. High-performance liquid chromatographic profiles of extracts derived from selected strains were recorded, revealing moderate metabolic diversity. Our results proved that rhizosphere soil of ethno-medicinal plants is a prolific source of streptomycetes, producers of potentially new antifungal compounds.

Direct pathway cloning of the sodorifen biosynthetic gene cluster and recombinant generation of its product in E. coli.

BACKGROUND: Serratia plymuthica WS3236 was selected for whole genome sequencing based on preliminary genetic and chemical screening indicating the presence of multiple natural product pathways. This led to the identification of a putative sodorifen biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). The natural product sodorifen is a volatile organic compound (VOC) with an unusual polymethylated hydrocarbon bicyclic structure (C16H26) produced by selected strains of S. plymuthica. The BGC encoding sodorifen consists of four genes, two of which (sodA, sodB) are homologs of genes encoding enzymes of the non-mevalonate pathway and are thought to enhance the amounts of available farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), the precursor of sodorifen. Proceeding from FPP, only two enzymes are necessary to produce sodorifen: an S-adenosyl methionine dependent methyltransferase (SodC) with additional cyclisation activity and a terpene-cyclase (SodD). Previous analysis of S. plymuthica found sodorifen production titers are generally low and vary significantly among different producer strains. This precludes studies on the still elusive biological function of this structurally and biosynthetically fascinating bacterial terpene. RESULTS: Sequencing and mining of the S. plymuthica WS3236 genome revealed the presence of 38 BGCs according to antiSMASH analysis, including a putative sodorifen BGC. Further genome mining for sodorifen and sodorifen-like BGCs throughout bacteria was performed using SodC and SodD as queries and identified a total of 28 sod-like gene clusters. Using direct pathway cloning (DiPaC) we intercepted the 4.6 kb candidate sodorifen BGC from S. plymuthica WS3236 (sodA-D) and transformed it into Escherichia coli BL21. Heterologous expression under the control of the tetracycline inducible PtetO promoter firmly linked this BGC to sodorifen production. By utilizing this newly established expression system, we increased the production yields by approximately 26-fold when compared to the native producer. In addition, sodorifen was easily isolated in high purity by simple head-space sampling. CONCLUSIONS: Genome mining of all available genomes within the NCBI and JGI IMG databases led to the identification of a wealth of sod-like pathways which may be responsible for producing a range of structurally unknown sodorifen analogs. Introduction of the S. plymuthica WS3236 sodorifen BGC into the fast-growing heterologous expression host E. coli with a very low VOC background led to a significant increase in both sodorifen product yield and purity compared to the native producer. By providing a reliable, high-level production system, this study sets the stage for future investigations of the biological role and function of sodorifen and for functionally unlocking the bioinformatically identified putative sod-like pathways.

Synthesis and initial biological evaluation of myxocoumarin B.

The myxocoumarins A and B from Stigmatella aurantiaca MYX-030 are natural products featuring unusual nitro- and long-chain alkyl substitution. While myxocoumarin A was shown to exhibit strong antifungal properties, the antifungal potential of myxocoumarin B was not yet assessed due to low production titers during initial isolation. We therefore developed a total synthesis of myxocoumarin B that involves a late-stage Pd-catalyzed nitration of the coumarin core. The availability of synthetic material facilitated the initial evaluation of the bioactivity of myxocoumarin B, which revealed a lack of activity against medically relevant Candida sp. and low cytotoxicity in vitro against human fibroblasts (MRC-5) and in vivo (zebrafish).

Structures and biological activities of cycloheptamycins A and B.

The heptadepsipeptide cycloheptamycin A was isolated from the terrestrial Streptomyces sp. Tü 6314. Its constitution was elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic experiments and mass spectrometric analysis. Its stereostructure was investigated by peptide hydrolysis and derivatization and firmly established by X-ray structure analysis. In addition to the parent compound, a new cycloheptamycin analog, cycloheptamycin B, was discovered and structurally assigned using comparative MS/MS experiments and NMR. The biological profile of both compounds was investigated, revealing a selective inhibitory potential of cycloheptamycins against Propionibacterium acnes.

Natural Product Potential of the Genus Nocardiopsis.

Actinomycetes are a relevant source of novel bioactive compounds. One of the pharmaceutically and biotechnologically important genera that attract natural products research is the genus Nocardiopsis, mainly for its ability to produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites accounting for its wide range of biological activities. This review covers the literature from January 2015 until February 2018 making a complete survey of all the compounds that were isolated from the genus Nocardiopsis, their biological activities, and natural sources, whenever applicable.