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Cohen DR, Townsend CA. Characterization of an Anthracene Intermediate in Dynemicin Biosynthesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201802036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Cohen DR, Townsend CA. Back Cover: Characterization of an Anthracene Intermediate in Dynemicin Biosynthesis (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 20/2018). Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201803006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Long DH, Townsend CA. Mechanism of Integrated β-Lactam Formation by a Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase during Antibiotic Synthesis. Biochemistry 2018; 57:3353-3358. [PMID: 29701951 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Modular nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are large, multidomain engines of bioactive natural product biosynthesis that function as molecular "assembly lines" in which monomer units are selectively bound, modified, and linked in a specific order and number dictated by their mega-enzyme templates. Recently, a condensation domain in an NRPS was discovered to carry out the synthesis of an integrated β-lactam ring from a substrate seryl residue during antibiotic biosynthesis. We report here a series of experiments supporting a mechanism that involves C-N bond formation by stepwise elimination/addition reactions followed by canonical NRPS-catalyzed amide bond synthesis to achieve β-lactam formation. Partitioning of reactive intermediates formed during the multistep catalytic cycle provided insight into the ability of the NRPS to overcome the reversibility of corresponding reactions in solution and enforce directionality during synthesis.
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Saraiva RG, Huitt-Roehl CR, Tripathi A, Cheng YQ, Bosch J, Townsend CA, Dimopoulos G. Chromobacterium spp. mediate their anti-Plasmodium activity through secretion of the histone deacetylase inhibitor romidepsin. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6176. [PMID: 29670144 PMCID: PMC5906607 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24296-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chromobacterium sp. Panama bacterium has in vivo and in vitro anti-Plasmodium properties. To assess the nature of the Chromobacterium-produced anti-Plasmodium factors, chemical partition was conducted by bioassay-guided fractionation where different fractions were assayed for activity against asexual stages of P. falciparum. The isolated compounds were further partitioned by reversed-phase FPLC followed by size-exclusion chromatography; high resolution UPLC and ESI/MS data were then collected and revealed that the most active fraction contained a cyclic depsipeptide, which was identified as romidepsin. A pure sample of this FDA-approved HDAC inhibitor allowed us to independently verify this finding, and establish that romidepsin also has potent effect against mosquito stages of the parasite's life cycle. Genomic comparisons between C. sp. Panama and multiple species within the Chromobacterium genus further demonstrated a correlation between presence of the gene cluster responsible for romidepsin production and effective antiplasmodial activity. A romidepsin-null Chromobacterium spp. mutant loses its anti-Plasmodium properties by losing the ability to inhibit P. falciparum HDAC activity, and romidepsin is active against resistant parasites to commonly deployed antimalarials. This independent mode of action substantiates exploring a chromobacteria-based approach for malaria transmission-blocking.
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Herbst DA, Huitt-Roehl CR, Jakob RP, Kravetz JM, Storm PA, Alley JR, Townsend CA, Maier T. The structural organization of substrate loading in iterative polyketide synthases. Nat Chem Biol 2018; 14:474-479. [PMID: 29610486 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-018-0026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are microbial multienzymes for the biosynthesis of biologically potent secondary metabolites. Polyketide production is initiated by the loading of a starter unit onto an integral acyl carrier protein (ACP) and its subsequent transfer to the ketosynthase (KS). Initial substrate loading is achieved either by multidomain loading modules or by the integration of designated loading domains, such as starter unit acyltransferases (SAT), whose structural integration into PKS remains unresolved. A crystal structure of the loading/condensing region of the nonreducing PKS CTB1 demonstrates the ordered insertion of a pseudodimeric SAT into the condensing region, which is aided by the SAT-KS linker. Cryo-electron microscopy of the post-loading state trapped by mechanism-based crosslinking of ACP to KS reveals asymmetry across the CTB1 loading/-condensing region, in accord with preferential 1:2 binding stoichiometry. These results are critical for re-engineering the loading step in polyketide biosynthesis and support functional relevance of asymmetric conformations of PKSs.
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Oliver RA, Li R, Townsend CA. Monobactam formation in sulfazecin by a nonribosomal peptide synthetase thioesterase. Nat Chem Biol 2018; 14:5-7. [PMID: 29155429 PMCID: PMC5726899 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The N-sulfonated monocyclic β-lactam ring characteristic of the monobactams confers resistance to zinc metallo-β-lactamases and affords the most effective class to combat carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria (CRE). Here we report unprecedented nonribosomal peptide synthetase activities, wherein an assembled tripeptide is N-sulfonated in trans before direct synthesis of the β-lactam ring in a noncanonical, cysteine-containing thioesterase domain. This means of azetidinone synthesis is distinct from the three others known in nature.
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Storm PA, Townsend CA. In trans hydrolysis of carrier protein-bound acyl intermediates by CitA during citrinin biosynthesis. Chem Commun (Camb) 2017; 54:50-53. [PMID: 29189834 PMCID: PMC5822715 DOI: 10.1039/c7cc07079a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Polyketide synthases (PKSs) have several known editing mechanisms to ensure that non-productive intermediates are removed from the acyl carrier protein (ACP). We demonstrate that CitA, a putative hydrolase in the citrinin biosynthetic gene cluster, removes ACP-bound acyl intermediates. We propose that it serves an editing role in trans.
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Horsman ME, Marous DR, Li R, Oliver RA, Byun B, Emrich SJ, Boggess B, Townsend CA, Mobashery S. Whole-Genome Shotgun Sequencing of Two β-Proteobacterial Species in Search of the Bulgecin Biosynthetic Cluster. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:2552-2557. [PMID: 28937735 PMCID: PMC5653948 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
We
have produced draft whole-genome sequences for two bacterial
strains reported to produce the bulgecins as well as NRPS-derived
monobactam β-lactam antibiotics. We propose classification of
ATCC 31363 as Paraburkholderia acidophila. We further
reaffirm that ATCC 31433 (Burkholderia ubonensis subsp. mesacidophila) is a taxonomically distinct producer of bulgecins with notable
gene regions shared with Paraburkholderia acidophila. We use RAST multiple-gene comparison and MASH distancing with published
genomes to order the draft contigs and identify unique gene regions
for characterization. Forty-eight natural-product gene clusters are
presented from PATRIC (RASTtk) and antiSMASH annotations. We present
evidence that the 10 genes that follow the sulfazecin and isosulfazecin
pathways in both species are likely involved in bulgecin A biosynthesis.
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Mattoo R, Lloyd EP, Kaushik A, Kumar P, Brunelle JL, Townsend CA, Lamichhane G. Ldt Mav2, a nonclassical transpeptidase and susceptibility of Mycobacterium avium to carbapenems. Future Microbiol 2017; 12:595-607. [PMID: 28555497 PMCID: PMC5619143 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2016-0208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Mycobacterium avium infections, especially in immune-compromised individuals, present a significant challenge as therapeutic options are limited. In this study, we investigated if M. avium genome encodes nonclassical transpeptidases and if newer carbapenems are effective against this mycobacteria. Materials & methods: Biochemical and microbiological approaches were used to identify and characterize a nonclassical transpeptidase, namely L,D-transpeptidase, in M. avium. Results & conclusion: We describe the biochemical and physiological attributes of a L,D-transpeptidase in M. avium, LdtMav2. Suggestive of a constitutive requirement, levels of LdtMav2, a L,D-transpeptidase in M. avium, remain constant during exponential and stationary phases of growth. Among β-lactam antibacterials, only a subset of carbapenems inhibit LdtMav2 and tebipenem, a new oral carbapenem, inhibits growth of M. avium.
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Bianchet MA, Pan YH, Basta LAB, Saavedra H, Lloyd EP, Kumar P, Mattoo R, Townsend CA, Lamichhane G. Structural insight into the inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis non-classical transpeptidase Ldt Mt2 by biapenem and tebipenem. BMC BIOCHEMISTRY 2017; 18:8. [PMID: 28545389 PMCID: PMC5445500 DOI: 10.1186/s12858-017-0082-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Background The carbapenem subclass of β-lactams is among the most potent antibiotics available today. Emerging evidence shows that, unlike other subclasses of β-lactams, carbapenems bind to and inhibit non-classical transpeptidases (L,D-transpeptidases) that generate 3 → 3 linkages in bacterial peptidoglycan. The carbapenems biapenem and tebipenem exhibit therapeutically valuable potencies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Results Here, we report the X-ray crystal structures of MtbL,D-transpeptidase-2 (LdtMt2) complexed with biapenem or tebipenem. Despite significant variations in carbapenem sulfur side chains, biapenem and tebipenem ultimately form an identical adduct that docks to the outer cavity of LdtMt2. We propose that this common adduct is an enzyme catalyzed decomposition of the carbapenem adduct by a mechanism similar to S-conjugate elimination by β-lyases. Conclusion The results presented here demonstrate biapenem and tebipenem bind to the outer cavity of LdtMt2, covalently inactivate the enzyme, and subsequently degrade via an S-conjugate elimination mechanism. We discuss structure based drug design based on the findings and propose that the S-conjugate elimination can be leveraged to design novel agents to deliver and locally release antimicrobial factors to act synergistically with the carbapenem carrier. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12858-017-0082-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Storm PA, Herbst DA, Maier T, Townsend CA. Functional and Structural Analysis of Programmed C-Methylation in the Biosynthesis of the Fungal Polyketide Citrinin. Cell Chem Biol 2017; 24:316-325. [PMID: 28238725 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Fungal polyketide synthases (PKSs) are large, multidomain enzymes that biosynthesize a wide range of natural products. A hallmark of these megasynthases is the iterative use of catalytic domains to extend and modify a series of enzyme-bound intermediates. A subset of these iterative PKSs (iPKSs) contains a C-methyltransferase (CMeT) domain that adds one or more S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-derived methyl groups to the carbon framework. Neither the basis by which only specific positions on the growing intermediate are methylated ("programming") nor the mechanism of methylation are well understood. Domain dissection and reconstitution of PksCT, the fungal non-reducing PKS (NR-PKS) responsible for the first isolable intermediate in citrinin biosynthesis, demonstrates the role of CMeT-catalyzed methylation in precursor elongation and pentaketide formation. The crystal structure of the S-adenosyl-homocysteine (SAH) coproduct-bound PksCT CMeT domain reveals a two-subdomain organization with a novel N-terminal subdomain characteristic of PKS CMeT domains and provides insights into co-factor and ligand recognition.
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Li R, Oliver RA, Townsend CA. Identification and Characterization of the Sulfazecin Monobactam Biosynthetic Gene Cluster. Cell Chem Biol 2017; 24:24-34. [PMID: 28017601 PMCID: PMC5286544 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The monobactams, exemplified by the natural product sulfazecin, are the only class of β-lactam antibiotics not inactivated by metallo-β-lactamases, which confer bacteria with extended-spectrum β-lactam resistance. We screened a transposon mutagenesis library from Pseudomonas acidophila ATCC 31363 and isolated a sulfazecin-deficient mutant that revealed a gene cluster encoding two non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), a methyltransferase, a sulfotransferase, and a dioxygenase. Three modules and an aberrant C-terminal thioesterase (TE) domain are distributed across the two NRPSs. Biochemical examination of the adenylation (A) domains provided evidence that L-2,3-diaminopropionate, not L-serine as previously thought, is the direct source of the β-lactam ring of sulfazecin. ATP/PPi exchange assay also revealed an unusual substrate selectivity shift of one A domain when expressed with or without the immediately upstream condensation domain. Gene inactivation analysis defined a cluster of 13 open reading frames sufficient for sulfazecin production, precursor synthesis, self-resistance, and regulation. The identification of a key intermediate supported a proposed NRPS-mediated mechanism of sulfazecin biosynthesis and β-lactam ring formation distinct from the nocardicins, another NRPS-derived subclass of monocyclic β-lactam. These findings will serve as the basis for further biosynthetic research and potential engineering of these important antibiotics.
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Barajas JF, Finzel K, Valentic TR, Shakya G, Gamarra N, Martinez D, Meier JL, Vagstad AL, Newman AG, Townsend CA, Burkart MD, Tsai SC. Structural and Biochemical Analysis of Protein-Protein Interactions Between the Acyl-Carrier Protein and Product Template Domain. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201605401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Townsend CA. Convergent biosynthetic pathways to β-lactam antibiotics. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2016; 35:97-108. [PMID: 27693891 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Five naturally-occurring families of β-lactams have inspired a class of drugs that constitute >60% of the antimicrobials used in human medicine. Their biosynthetic pathways reveal highly individualized synthetic strategies that yet converge on a common azetidinone ring assembled in structural contexts that confer selective binding and inhibition of d,d-transpeptidases that play essential roles in bacterial cell wall (peptidoglycan) biosynthesis. These enzymes belong to a single 'clan' of evolutionarily distinct serine hydrolases whose active site geometry and mechanism of action is specifically matched by these antibiotics for inactivation that is kinetically competitive with their native function. Unusual enzyme-mediated reactions and catalytic multitasking in these pathways are discussed with particular attention to the diverse ways the β-lactam itself is generated, and more broadly how the intrinsic reactivity of this core structural element is modulated in natural systems through the introduction of ring strain and electronic effects.
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40
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Zhou J, Outlaw VK, Townsend CA, Bragg AE. Quenching of pH-Responsive Luminescence of a Benzoindolizine Sensor by an Ultrafast Hydrogen Shift. Chemistry 2016; 22:15212-15215. [PMID: 27549912 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201603284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescent-sensor design requires consideration of how photochemical dynamics control properties of a sensing state. Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy reveals an ultrafast net [1,3]-hydrogen shift following excitation of a protonated methoxy benzoindolizine (bzi) sensor in solution. These photochemical dynamics explain a quenched pH-responsive fluorescence shift and dramatically reduced fluorescence quantum yield relative to other (e. g. methyl) bzi compounds that do not tautomerize. Calculations predict the energetic and structural feasibility for rearrangement in protonated bzi compounds, such that interaction between the pi-network and strongly electron-donating methoxyl must lower the barrier for suprafacial H or H+ shift across an allylic moiety. As bzi compounds broadly exhibit pH-responsive emission shifts, chemical interactions that modulate this electronic interaction and suppress tautomerization could be used to facilitate binding- or surface-specific acid-responsive sensing.
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41
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Outlaw VK, Zhou J, Bragg AE, Townsend CA. Unusual Blue-Shifted Acid-Responsive Photoluminescence Behavior in 6-Amino-8-cyanobenzo[1,2- b]indolizines. RSC Adv 2016; 6:61249-61253. [PMID: 28580137 DOI: 10.1039/c6ra10605f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
6-Amino-8-cyanobenzo[1, 2-b]indolizines, a new class of photoluminescent materials, exhibit reversible pH-dependent optical properties characterized by an uncommon and dramatic blue shift in fluorescence emission when protonated. Acid titration and NMR spectroscopy experiments reveal that, rather than the anticipated N-protonation, C-protonation and loss of aromaticity is responsible for the observed photophysical changes. Efficient synthesis from indole-2-carboxaldehydes makes variously substituted versions of this nucleus readily available to tune optical and pH effects.
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Newman AG, Townsend CA. Molecular Characterization of the Cercosporin Biosynthetic Pathway in the Fungal Plant Pathogen Cercospora nicotianae. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:4219-28. [PMID: 26938470 PMCID: PMC5129747 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Perylenequinones are a class of photoactivated polyketide mycotoxins produced by fungal plant pathogens that notably produce reactive oxygen species with visible light. The best-studied perylenequinone is cercosporin-a product of the Cercospora species. While the cercosporin biosynthetic gene cluster has been described in the tobacco pathogen Cercospora nicotianae, little is known of the metabolite's biosynthesis. Furthermore, in vitro investigations of the polyketide synthase central to cercosporin biosynthesis identified the naphthopyrone nor-toralactone as its direct product-an observation in conflict with published biosynthetic proposals. Here, we present an alternative biosynthetic pathway to cercosporin based on metabolites characterized from a series of biosynthetic gene knockouts. We show that nor-toralactone is the key polyketide intermediate and the substrate for the unusual didomain protein CTB3. We demonstrate the unique oxidative cleavage activity of the CTB3 monooxygenase domain in vitro. These data advance our understanding of perylenequinone biosynthesis and expand the biochemical repertoire of flavin-dependent monooxygenases.
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43
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Brammer Basta LA, Ghosh A, Pan Y, Jakoncic J, Lloyd EP, Townsend CA, Lamichhane G, Bianchet MA. Loss of a Functionally and Structurally Distinct ld-Transpeptidase, LdtMt5, Compromises Cell Wall Integrity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:25670-85. [PMID: 26304120 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.660753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The final step of peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis in bacteria involves cross-linking of peptide side chains. This step in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is catalyzed by ld- and dd-transpeptidases that generate 3→3 and 4→3 transpeptide linkages, respectively. M. tuberculosis PG is predominantly 3→3 cross-linked, and LdtMt2 is the dominant ld-transpeptidase. There are four additional sequence paralogs of LdtMt2 encoded by the genome of this pathogen, and the reason for this apparent redundancy is unknown. Here, we studied one of the paralogs, LdtMt5, and found it to be structurally and functionally distinct. The structures of apo-LdtMt5 and its meropenem adduct presented here demonstrate that, despite overall architectural similarity to LdtMt2, the LdtMt5 active site has marked differences. The presence of a structurally divergent catalytic site and a proline-rich C-terminal subdomain suggest that this protein may have a distinct role in PG metabolism, perhaps involving other cell wall-anchored proteins. Furthermore, M. tuberculosis lacking a functional copy of LdtMt5 displayed aberrant growth and was more susceptible to killing by crystal violet, osmotic shock, and select carbapenem antibiotics. Therefore, we conclude that LdtMt5 is not a functionally redundant ld-transpeptidase, but rather it serves a unique and important role in maintaining the integrity of the M. tuberculosis cell wall.
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Conradt D, Schätzle MA, Haas J, Townsend CA, Müller M. New Insights into the Conversion of Versicolorin A in the Biosynthesis of Aflatoxin B1. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:10867-9. [PMID: 26266881 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b06770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A crucial and enigmatic step in the complex biosynthesis of aflatoxin B1 is the oxidative rearrangement of versicolorin A to demethylsterigmatocystin. This step is thought to proceed by an oxidation-reduction-oxidation sequence, in which the NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase AflM catalyzes the enclosed reduction step. AflM from Aspergillus parasiticus, after heterologous production in E. coli and purification, however, catalyzed the reduction of the hydroquinoid form of the starting compound versicolorin A (25% conversion) to a so far unknown product of aflatoxin biosynthesis. The asymmetric reduction of emodin hydroquinone to (R)-3,8,9,10-tetrahydroxy-6-methyl-3,4-dihydroanthracen-1(2H)-one (up to 82% for AflM) has also been observed in previous studies using MdpC from Aspergillus nidulans (monodictyphenone biosynthetic gene cluster). The first (nonenzymatic) reduction of emodin to emodin hydroquinone, for example with sodium dithionite, is obligatory for the enzymatic reduction by AflM or MdpC. These results imply an unprecedented role of AflM in the complex enzymatic network of aflatoxin biosynthesis.
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45
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Huitt-Roehl CR, Hill EA, Adams MM, Vagstad AL, Li JW, Townsend CA. Starter unit flexibility for engineered product synthesis by the nonreducing polyketide synthase PksA. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:1443-9. [PMID: 25714897 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nonreducing polyketide synthases (NR-PKSs) are unique among PKSs in their domain structure, notably including a starter unit:acyl-carrier protein (ACP) transacylase (SAT) domain that selects an acyl group as the primer for biosynthesis, most commonly acetyl-CoA from central metabolism. This clan of mega-enzymes resembles fatty acid synthases (FASs) by sharing both their central chain elongation steps and their capacity for iterative catalysis. In this mode of synthesis, catalytic domains involved in chain extension exhibit substrate plasticity to accommodate growing chains as small as two carbons to 20 or more. PksA is the NR-PKS central to the biosynthesis of the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 whose SAT domain accepts an unusual hexanoyl starter from a dedicated yeast-like FAS. Explored in this paper is the ability of PksA to utilize a selection of potential starter units as substrates to initiate and sustain extension and cyclization to on-target, programmed polyketide synthesis. Most of these starter units were successfully accepted and properly processed by PksA to achieve biosynthesis of the predicted naphthopyrone product. Analysis of the on-target and derailment products revealed trends of tolerance by individual PksA domains to alternative starter units. In addition, natural and un-natural variants of the active site cysteine were examined and found to be capable of biosynthesis, suggesting possible direct loading of starter units onto the β-ketoacyl synthase (KS) domain. In light of the data assembled here, the predictable synthesis of unnatural products by NR-PKSs is more fully defined.
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46
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Outlaw VK, d’Andrea FB, Townsend CA. One-pot synthesis of highly substituted N-fused heteroaromatic bicycles from azole aldehydes. Org Lett 2015; 17:1822-5. [PMID: 25815402 PMCID: PMC4500639 DOI: 10.1021/ol5036936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An efficient route to substituted N-fused aromatic heterocycles, including indolizines, imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, and imidazo[1,5-a]pyridines from azole aldehydes, is reported. Wittig olefination of the aldehydes with fumaronitrile and triethylphosphine affords predominantly E-alkenes that undergo rapid cyclization upon treatment with a mild base. Substituent control of the 1-, 2-, and 3-positions of the resulting heteroaromatic bicycles is shown. Alternatively, the isolable E-alkene undergoes selective alkylation with electrophiles, followed by in situ annulation to indolizines additionally substituted at the 6-position.
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47
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Gaudelli NM, Long DH, Townsend CA. β-Lactam formation by a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase during antibiotic biosynthesis. Nature 2015; 520:383-7. [PMID: 25624104 PMCID: PMC4401618 DOI: 10.1038/nature14100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are giant enzymes comprised of modules that house repeated sets of functional domains, which select, activate and couple amino acids drawn from a pool of nearly 500 potential building blocks.1 The structurally and stereochemically diverse peptides generated in this manner underlie the biosynthesis of a large sector of natural products. Many of their derived metabolites are bioactive such as the antibiotics vancomycin, bacitracin, daptomycin and the β-lactam-containing penicillins, cephalosporins and nocardicins. Although penicillins and cephalosporins are synthesised from a classically derived NRPS tripeptide (from ACVS, δ-(L-α-aminoadipyl)–L-cysteinyl–D-valine synthetase)2, we now report an unprecedented NRPS activity to both assemble a serine-containing peptide and mediate its cyclisation to the critical β-lactam ring of the nocardicin family of antibiotics. A histidine-rich condensation (C) domain, which typically carries out peptide bond formation during product assembly, was found to also synthesise the embedded 4-membered ring. Here, a mechanism is proposed and supporting experiments are described, which is distinct from the pathways that have evolved to the three other β-lactam antibiotic families: penicillin/cephalosporins, clavams and carbapenems. These findings raise the possibility that β-lactam rings can be regio- and stereospecifically integrated into engineered peptides for application as, for example, targeted protease inactivators.3,4
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Outlaw VK, Townsend CA. A practical route to substituted 7-aminoindoles from pyrrole-3-carboxaldehydes. Org Lett 2014; 16:6334-7. [PMID: 25479249 PMCID: PMC4275132 DOI: 10.1021/ol503078h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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Among
privileged structures, indoles occupy a central place in
medicinal chemistry and alkaloid research. Here we report a flexible
and efficient conversion of pyrrole-3-carboxaldehydes to substituted
7-amino-5-cyanoindoles. Phosphine addition to fumaronitrile proceeds
with prototropic rearrangement of the initially formed zwitterion
to the thermodynamically favored phosphonium ylide, which is poised
for in situ Wittig olefination. The predominantly E-alkene product positions the allylic nitrile for facile intramolecular
Hoeben–Hoesch reaction in the presence of BF3·OEt2. Syntheses of 2,5- and 3,5-disubstituted 7-aminoindoles are
illustrated. Additionally, dianion alkylation of the allylic nitrile
is demonstrated to furnish, after cyclization, 5,6-disubstituted 7-aminoindoles
to further exemplify this scalable and high-yielding method.
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Abstract
In this viewpoint highlights are drawn from a deep analysis of the multifaceted problem of aflatoxin biosynthesis, one of the most highly rearranged polyketide natural products known. Fundamental chemical insights have emerged into how cytochrome P450-mediated skeletal rearrangements occur through probable cationic intermediates and oxidative dearomatizations, which are applicable more widely in natural product catabolism. So to where current experimental methods have failed in our hands, bioinformatic tools and fresh experimental strategies have been developed to identify linker regions in large, polydomain proteins and guide the dissection and reassembly of their component parts. It has been possible to deduce individual catalytic roles, how overall synthesis is coordinated and how these enzymes can be re-engineered in a rational manner to prepare non-natural products. These insights and innovations were often not planned or anticipated, but sprung from the inability to answer fundamental questions. Advances in science can take place by chance favoring the prepared mind, other times by refusing to give up and devising new solutions to address hard questions. Both ways forward played important roles in the investigation of aflatoxin biosynthesis. For these contributions I am pleased to share this special issue of NPR with John Vederas and Tom Simpson, who have been leaders in this field for the last third of a century.
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Buller AR, Freeman MF, Schildbach JF, Townsend CA. Exploring the role of conformational heterogeneity in cis-autoproteolytic activation of ThnT. Biochemistry 2014; 53:4273-81. [PMID: 24933323 PMCID: PMC4095933 DOI: 10.1021/bi500385d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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In
the past decade, there have been major achievements in understanding
the relationship between enzyme catalysis and protein structural plasticity.
In autoprocessing systems, however, there is a sparsity of direct
evidence of the role of conformational dynamics, which are complicated
by their intrinsic chemical reactivity. ThnT is an autoproteolytically
activated enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the β-lactam
antibiotic thienamycin. Conservative mutation of ThnT results in multiple
conformational states that can be observed via X-ray crystallography,
establishing ThnT as a representative and revealing system for studing
how conformational dynamics control autoactivation at a molecular
level. Removal of the nucleophile by mutation to Ala disrupts the
population of a reactive state and causes widespread structural changes
from a conformation that promotes autoproteolysis to one associated
with substrate catalysis. Finer probing of the active site polysterism
was achieved by EtHg derivatization of the nucleophile, which indicates
the active site and a neighboring loop have coupled dynamics. Disruption
of these interactions by mutagenesis precludes the ability to observe
a reactive state through X-ray crystallography, and application of
this insight to other autoproteolytically activated enzymes offers
an explanation for the widespread crystallization of inactive states.
We suggest that the N → O(S) acyl shift in cis-autoproteolysis might occur through a si-face attack,
thereby unifying the fundamental chemistry of these enzymes through
a common mechanism.
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