Molecular basis for chloronium-mediated meroterpene cyclization: cloning, sequencing, and heterologous expression of the napyradiomycin biosynthetic gene cluster

Molecular Genetic Characterization of an Anthrabenzoxocinones Gene Cluster in Streptomyces Sp. FJS31-2 for the Biosynthesis of BE-24566B and Zunyimycin Ale

Genome mining is an effective tool used to discover novel natural products from actinomycetes. Genome sequence analysis of Streptomyces sp. FJS31-2 revealed the presence of one putative type II polyketide gene cluster (ABX), which may correspond to type II polyketide products including BE-24566B and its chloro-derivatives. The addition of natural humus acid successfully activated the biosynthsis of the abx gene cluster. BE-24566B and its chloro-derivatives, named zunyimycin A, were also detected. The targeted deletion of the polyketide skeleton synthesis genes such as abxp, abxk, and abxs was performed in the wild strain to identify the gene cluster for BE-24566B biosynthesis.

Bacterial terpene cyclases

This review summarises the characterised bacterial terpene cyclases and their products and discusses the enzyme mechanisms.

Diversity of ABBA Prenyltransferases in Marine Streptomyces sp. CNQ-509: Promiscuous Enzymes for the Biosynthesis of Mixed Terpenoid Compounds

Terpenoids are arguably the largest and most diverse family of natural products, featuring prominently in e.g. signalling, self-defence, UV-protection and electron transfer. Prenyltransferases are essential players in terpenoid and hybrid isoprenoid biosynthesis that install isoprene units on target molecules and thereby often modulate their bioactivity. In our search for new prenyltransferase biocatalysts we focused on the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. CNQ-509, a particularly rich source of meroterpenoid chemistry. Sequencing and analysis of the genome of Streptomyces sp. CNQ-509 revealed seven putative phenol/phenazine-specific ABBA prenyltransferases, and one putative indole-specific ABBA prenyltransferase. To elucidate the substrate specificity of the ABBA prenyltransferases and to learn about their role in secondary metabolism, CnqP1 -CnqP8 were produced in Escherichia coli and incubated with various aromatic and isoprenoid substrates. Five of the eight prenyltransferases displayed enzymatic activity. The efficient conversion of dihydroxynaphthalene derivatives by CnqP3 (encoded by AA958_24325) and the co-location of AA958_24325 with genes characteristic for the biosynthesis of THN (tetrahydroxynaphthalene)-derived natural products indicates that the enzyme is involved in the formation of debromomarinone or other naphthoquinone-derived meroterpenoids. Moreover, CnqP3 showed high flexibility towards a range of aromatic and isoprenoid substrates and thus represents an interesting new tool for biocatalytic applications.

Genomic insights into the evolution of hybrid isoprenoid biosynthetic gene clusters in the MAR4 marine streptomycete clade

Background

Considerable advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular genetics of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Coupled with increased access to genome sequence data, new insight can be gained into the diversity and distributions of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters and the evolutionary processes that generate them. Here we examine the distribution of gene clusters predicted to encode the biosynthesis of a structurally diverse class of molecules called hybrid isoprenoids (HIs) in the genus Streptomyces. These compounds are derived from a mixed biosynthetic origin that is characterized by the incorporation of a terpene moiety onto a variety of chemical scaffolds and include many potent antibiotic and cytotoxic agents.

Results

One hundred and twenty Streptomyces genomes were searched for HI biosynthetic gene clusters using ABBA prenyltransferases (PTases) as queries. These enzymes are responsible for a key step in HI biosynthesis. The strains included 12 that belong to the ‘MAR4’ clade, a largely marine-derived lineage linked to the production of diverse HI secondary metabolites. We found ABBA PTase homologs in all of the MAR4 genomes, which averaged five copies per strain, compared with 21 % of the non-MAR4 genomes, which averaged one copy per strain. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that MAR4 PTase diversity has arisen by a combination of horizontal gene transfer and gene duplication. Furthermore, there is evidence that HI gene cluster diversity is generated by the horizontal exchange of orthologous PTases among clusters. Many putative HI gene clusters have not been linked to their secondary metabolic products, suggesting that MAR4 strains will yield additional new compounds in this structure class. Finally, we confirm that the mevalonate pathway is not always present in genomes that contain HI gene clusters and thus is not a reliable query for identifying strains with the potential to produce HI secondary metabolites.

Conclusions

We found that marine-derived MAR4 streptomycetes possess a relatively high genetic potential for HI biosynthesis. The combination of horizontal gene transfer, duplication, and rearrangement indicate that complex evolutionary processes account for the high level of HI gene cluster diversity in these bacteria, the products of which may provide a yet to be defined adaptation to the marine environment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2110-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Draft Genome Sequence of Streptomyces sp. TP-A0890, a Producer of FR-900452 and A-74863a

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. TP-A0890, a producer of FR-900452 and A-74863a. The genome was found to contain at least eight polyketide synthase and nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene clusters. A prediction of gene functions based on the sequence similarity allowed us to assign the biosynthetic gene clusters for FR-900452 and A-74863a.

Chassis optimization as a cornerstone for the application of synthetic biology based strategies in microbial secondary metabolism

The increased number of bacterial genome sequencing projects has generated over the last years a large reservoir of genomic information. In silico analysis of this genomic data has renewed the interest in bacterial bioprospecting for bioactive compounds by unveiling novel biosynthetic gene clusters of unknown or uncharacterized metabolites. However, only a small fraction of those metabolites is produced under laboratory-controlled conditions; the remaining clusters represent a pool of novel metabolites that are waiting to be “awaken”. Activation of the biosynthetic gene clusters that present reduced or no expression (known as cryptic or silent clusters) by heterologous expression has emerged as a strategy for the identification and production of novel bioactive molecules. Synthetic biology, with engineering principles at its core, provides an excellent framework for the development of efficient heterologous systems for the expression of biosynthetic gene clusters. However, a common problem in its application is the host-interference problem, i.e., the unpredictable interactions between the device and the host that can hamper the desired output. Although an effort has been made to develop orthogonal devices, the most proficient way to overcome the host-interference problem is through genome simplification. In this review we present an overview on the strategies and tools used in the development of hosts/chassis for the heterologous expression of specialized metabolites biosynthetic gene clusters. Finally, we introduce the concept of specialized host as the next step of development of expression hosts.

Strain-level diversity of secondary metabolism in Streptomyces albus

Streptomyces spp. are robust producers of medicinally-, industrially- and agriculturally-important small molecules. Increased resistance to antibacterial agents and the lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline have led to a renaissance in natural product discovery. This endeavor has benefited from inexpensive high quality DNA sequencing technology, which has generated more than 140 genome sequences for taxonomic type strains and environmental Streptomyces spp. isolates. Many of the sequenced streptomycetes belong to the same species. For instance, Streptomyces albus has been isolated from diverse environmental niches and seven strains have been sequenced, consequently this species has been sequenced more than any other streptomycete, allowing valuable analyses of strain-level diversity in secondary metabolism. Bioinformatics analyses identified a total of 48 unique biosynthetic gene clusters harboured by Streptomyces albus strains. Eighteen of these gene clusters specify the core secondary metabolome of the species. Fourteen of the gene clusters are contained by one or more strain and are considered auxiliary, while 16 of the gene clusters encode the production of putative strain-specific secondary metabolites. Analysis of Streptomyces albus strains suggests that each strain of a Streptomyces species likely harbours at least one strain-specific biosynthetic gene cluster. Importantly, this implies that deep sequencing of a species will not exhaust gene cluster diversity and will continue to yield novelty.

Terpenoid biosynthesis off the beaten track: unconventional cyclases and their impact on biomimetic synthesis

Terpene and terpenoid cyclizations are counted among the most complex chemical reactions occurring in nature and contribute crucially to the tremendous structural diversity of this largest family of natural products. Many studies were conducted at the chemical, genetic, and biochemical levels to gain mechanistic insights into these intriguing reactions that are catalyzed by terpene and terpenoid cyclases. A myriad of these enzymes have been characterized. Classical textbook knowledge divides terpene/terpenoid cyclases into two major classes according to their structure and reaction mechanism. However, recent discoveries of novel types of terpenoid cyclases illustrate that nature's enzymatic repertoire is far more diverse than initially thought. This Review outlines novel terpenoid cyclases that are out of the ordinary.

The Vanadium Iodoperoxidase from the marine flavobacteriaceae species Zobellia galactanivorans reveals novel molecular and evolutionary features of halide specificity in the vanadium haloperoxidase enzyme family

Vanadium haloperoxidases (VHPO) are key enzymes that oxidize halides and are involved in the biosynthesis of organo-halogens. Until now, only chloroperoxidases (VCPO) and bromoperoxidases (VBPO) have been characterized structurally, mainly from eukaryotic species. Three putative VHPO genes were predicted in the genome of the flavobacterium Zobellia galactanivorans, a marine bacterium associated with macroalgae. In a phylogenetic analysis, these putative bacterial VHPO were closely related to other VHPO from diverse bacterial phyla but clustered independently from eukaryotic algal VBPO and fungal VCPO. Two of these bacterial VHPO, heterogeneously produced in Escherichia coli, were found to be strictly specific for iodide oxidation. The crystal structure of one of these vanadium-dependent iodoperoxidases, Zg-VIPO1, was solved by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction at 1.8 Å, revealing a monomeric structure mainly folded into α-helices. This three-dimensional structure is relatively similar to those of VCPO of the fungus Curvularia inaequalis and of Streptomyces sp. and is superimposable onto the dimeric structure of algal VBPO. Surprisingly, the vanadate binding site of Zg-VIPO1 is strictly conserved with the fungal VCPO active site. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we showed that specific amino acids and the associated hydrogen bonding network around the vanadate center are essential for the catalytic properties and also the iodide specificity of Zg-VIPO1. Altogether, phylogeny and structure-function data support the finding that iodoperoxidase activities evolved independently in bacterial and algal lineages, and this sheds light on the evolution of the VHPO enzyme family.

One-pot enzymatic synthesis of merochlorin A and B

The polycycles merochlorin A and B are complex halogenated meroterpenoid natural products with significant antibacterial activities and are produced by the marine bacterium Streptomyces sp. strain CNH-189. Heterologously produced enzymes and chemical synthesis are employed herein to fully reconstitute the merochlorin biosynthesis in vitro. The interplay of a dedicated type III polyketide synthase, a prenyl diphosphate synthase, and an aromatic prenyltransferase allow formation of a highly unusual aromatic polyketide-terpene hybrid intermediate which features an unprecedented branched sesquiterpene moiety from isosesquilavandulyl diphosphate. As supported by in vivo experiments, this precursor is furthermore chlorinated and cyclized to merochlorin A and isomeric merochlorin B by a single vanadium-dependent haloperoxidase, thus completing the remarkably efficient pathway.

Emerging strategies and integrated systems microbiology technologies for biodiscovery of marine bioactive compounds

Marine microorganisms continue to be a source of structurally and biologically novel compounds with potential use in the biotechnology industry. The unique physiochemical properties of the marine environment (such as pH, pressure, temperature, osmolarity) and uncommon functional groups (such as isonitrile, dichloroimine, isocyanate, and halogenated functional groups) are frequently found in marine metabolites. These facts have resulted in the production of bioactive substances with different properties than those found in terrestrial habitats. In fact, the marine environment contains a relatively untapped reservoir of bioactivity. Recent advances in genomics, metagenomics, proteomics, combinatorial biosynthesis, synthetic biology, screening methods, expression systems, bioinformatics, and the ever increasing availability of sequenced genomes provides us with more opportunities than ever in the discovery of novel bioactive compounds and biocatalysts. The combination of these advanced techniques with traditional techniques, together with the use of dereplication strategies to eliminate known compounds, provides a powerful tool in the discovery of novel marine bioactive compounds. This review outlines and discusses the emerging strategies for the biodiscovery of these bioactive compounds.

The TetR family of regulators

The most common prokaryotic signal transduction mechanisms are the one-component systems in which a single polypeptide contains both a sensory domain and a DNA-binding domain. Among the >20 classes of one-component systems, the TetR family of regulators (TFRs) are widely associated with antibiotic resistance and the regulation of genes encoding small-molecule exporters. However, TFRs play a much broader role, controlling genes involved in metabolism, antibiotic production, quorum sensing, and many other aspects of prokaryotic physiology. There are several well-established model systems for understanding these important proteins, and structural studies have begun to unveil the mechanisms by which they bind DNA and recognize small-molecule ligands. The sequences for more than 200,000 TFRs are available in the public databases, and genomics studies are identifying their target genes. Three-dimensional structures have been solved for close to 200 TFRs. Comparison of these structures reveals a common overall architecture of nine conserved α helices. The most important open question concerning TFR biology is the nature and diversity of their ligands and how these relate to the biochemical processes under their control.

Unusual site-specific DNA integration into the highly active pseudo-attB of the Streptomyces albus J1074 genome

The φC31-encoded recombination system has become a widely used tool for genetic analysis of streptomycetes, gene therapy and generation of transgenic animals. However, the application of this system, even in the context of its natural host genus, Streptomyces, may require a specific approach for each species. In this study, we have identified a novel pseudo-attB site, called pseB4, for integration of vectors using the φC31 system. More than 90 % of clones contained two copies of pSET152- or pOJ436-based cosmids, after their introduction into S. albus. The efficiency of the integration of φC31-based vectors into pseB4 is therefore comparable to that of the integration into attB. Moreover, in contrast with integration into the native attB, integration into pseB4 is not polar and does not require a complementary sequence in the TT-core region. Furthermore, an analysis of conjugation frequency revealed mutual inhibition of plasmid integration into either site when both the attB and pseB4 sites were present in the genome.

Insights into naturally minimised Streptomyces albus J1074 genome

Background

The Streptomyces albus J1074 strain is one of the most widely used chassis for the heterologous production of bioactive natural products. The fast growth and an efficient genetic system make this strain an attractive model for expressing cryptic biosynthetic pathways to aid drug discovery.

Results

To improve its capabilities for the heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters, the complete genomic sequence of S. albus J1074 was obtained. With a size of 6,841,649 bp, coding for 5,832 genes, its genome is the smallest within the genus streptomycetes. Genome analysis revealed a strong tendency to reduce the number of genetic duplicates. The whole transcriptomes were sequenced at different time points to identify the early metabolic switch from the exponential to the stationary phase in S. albus J1074.

Conclusions

S. albus J1074 carries the smallest genome among the completely sequenced species of the genus Streptomyces. The detailed genome and transcriptome analysis discloses its capability to serve as a premium host for the heterologous production of natural products. Moreover, the genome revealed 22 additional putative secondary metabolite gene clusters that reinforce the strain’s potential for natural product synthesis.

Napyradiomycin derivatives, produced by a marine-derived actinomycete, illustrate cytotoxicity by induction of apoptosis

The microbial production, isolation, and structure elucidation of four new napyradiomycin congeners (1-4) is reported. The structures of these compounds, which are new additions to the marine-derived meroterpenoids, were defined by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and by X-ray crystallography. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, napyradiomycins 1-4 were observed to induce apoptosis in the colon adenocarcinoma cell line HCT-116, indicating the possibility of a specific biochemical target for this class of cytotoxins.

Napyradiomycins CNQ525.510B and A80915C target the Hsp90 paralogue Grp94

The intracellular localization and target of the napyradiomycin congeners CNQ525.510B and A80815C were explored using an immunoaffinity fluorescence (IAF) approach. Semi-synthetic methods were used to prepare probes from napyradiomycin CNQ525.510B and derivative A80815C. The results of confocal microscopy indicated that probes from both natural products localized predominantly within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cells. Parallel immunoaffinity precipitation efforts using a monoclonal antibody designed against the IAF tag, resulted in the isolation of an Hsp90 family member. This protein was identified as human Grp94 (hGrp94), by its specific mass spectral signature. This observation was validated by Western blot analyses and by the result of an in vitro Grp94 binding assay. The fact that the napyradiomycins CNQ525.510B and A80815C bind to hGrp94, and their associated probes localize within the ER, suggest the use of these materials as molecular probes for monitoring ER-based chaperone function.

Genome rearrangements of Streptomyces albus J1074 lead to the carotenoid gene cluster activation

Streptomyces albus J1074 is a derivative of the S. albus G1 strain defective in SalG1 restriction-modification system. Genome sequencing of S. albus J1074 revealed that the size of its chromosome is 6.8 Mb with unusually short terminal arms of only 0.3 and 0.4 Mb. Here we present our attempts to evaluate the dispensability of subtelomeric regions of the S. albus J1074 chromosome. A number of large site-directed genomic deletions led to circularization of the S. albus J1074 chromosome and to the overall genome reduction by 307 kb. Two spontaneous mutants with an activated carotenoid cluster were obtained. Genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis indicated that phenotypes of these mutants resulted from the right terminal 0.42 Mb chromosomal region deletion, followed by the carotenoid cluster amplification. Our results indicate that the right terminal 0.42 Mb fragment is dispensable under laboratory conditions. In contrast, the left terminal arm of the S. albus J1074 chromosome contains essential genes and only 42 kb terminal region is proved to be dispensable. We identified overexpressed carotenoid compounds and determined fitness costs of the large genomic rearrangements.

The role of vanadium haloperoxidases in the formation of volatile brominated compounds and their impact on the environment

Vanadium haloperoxidases differ strongly from heme peroxidases in substrate specificity and stability and in contrast to a heme group they contain the bare metal oxide vanadate as a prosthetic group. These enzymes specifically oxidize halides in the presence of hydrogen peroxide into hypohalous acids. These reactive halogen intermediates will react rapidly and aspecifically with many organic molecules. Marine algae and diatoms containing these iodo- and bromoperoxidases produce short-lived brominated methanes (bromoform, CHBr3 and dibromomethane CH2Br2) or iodinated compounds. Some seas and oceans are supersaturated with these compounds and they form an important source of bromine to the troposphere and lower stratosphere and contribute significantly to the global budget of halogenated hydrocarbons. This perspective focuses, in particular, on the biosynthesis of these volatile compounds and the direct or indirect involvement of vanadium haloperoxidases in the production of huge amounts of bromoform and dibromomethane. Some of the global sources are discussed and from the literature a picture emerges in which oxidized brominated species generated by phytoplankton, seaweeds and cyanobacteria react with dissolved organic matter in seawater, resulting in the formation of intermediate brominated compounds. These compounds are unstable and decay via a haloform reaction to form an array of volatile brominated compounds of which bromoform is the major component followed by dibromomethane.

Antibacterial and cytotoxic new napyradiomycins from the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. SCSIO 10428

Three new napyradiomycins (1-3) were isolated from the culture broth of a marine-derived actinomycete strain SCSIO 10428, together with six known related analogues napyradiomycin A1 (4), 18-oxonapyradiomycin A1 (5), napyradiomycin B1 (6), napyradiomycin B3 (7), naphthomevalin (8), and napyradiomycin SR (9). The strain SCSIO 10428 was identified as a Streptomyces species by the sequence analysis of its 16S rRNA gene. The structures of new compounds 1-3, designated 4-dehydro-4a-dechlorona pyradiomycin A1 (1), 3-dechloro-3-bromonapyradiomycin A1 (2), and 3-chloro-6, 8-dihydroxy-8-α-lapachone (3), respectively, were elucidated by comparing their 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data with known congeners. None of the napyradiomycins 1-9 showed antioxidative activities. Napyradiomycins 1-8 displayed antibacterial activities against three Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus and Bacillus strains with MIC values ranging from 0.25 to 32 μg mL⁻¹, with the exception that compound 3 had a MIC value of above 128 μg mL⁻¹ against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213. Napyradiomycins 2, 4, 6, and 7 exhibited moderate cytotoxicities against four human cancer cell lines SF-268, MCF-7, NCI-H460, and HepG-2 with IC₅₀ values below 20 μM, while the IC₅₀ values for other five napyradiomycins 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9 were above 20 μM.

Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Napyradiomycins from Two Marine-Derived, MAR 4 Streptomyces Strains

Cancer cell cytotoxicity-guided fractionation of the acetone extracts of two cultured marine-derived Streptomyces strains belonging to the MAR4 group yielded six new napyradiomycins, compounds A-F (1-6), together with three known compounds, napyradiomycins B2-B4 (7-9). Napyradiomycins 1-4 are new members of the napyradiomycin "C type" meroterpenoids that possess a linear monoterpene moiety bridging between C-7 and C-10a. Compound 4 has an additional tetrahydropyran ring fused to the phenol moiety. Compounds 5-9 are related to the napyradiomycin "B type" meroterpenoids. The structures of all new compounds were assigned by interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR, MS and other spectroscopic data. The relative configurations were assigned based upon interpretation of ROESY 2D NMR experiments. The cytotoxicity of 1-9 against the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116, and their antibacterial activities against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are presented.

Prediction of function for the polyprenyl transferase subgroup in the isoprenoid synthase superfamily

The number of available protein sequences has increased exponentially with the advent of high-throughput genomic sequencing, creating a significant challenge for functional annotation. Here, we describe a large-scale study on assigning function to unknown members of the trans-polyprenyl transferase (E-PTS) subgroup in the isoprenoid synthase superfamily, which provides substrates for the biosynthesis of the more than 55,000 isoprenoid metabolites. Although the mechanism for determining the product chain length for these enzymes is known, there is no simple relationship between function and primary sequence, so that assigning function is challenging. We addressed this challenge through large-scale bioinformatics analysis of >5,000 putative polyprenyl transferases; experimental characterization of the chain-length specificity of 79 diverse members of this group; determination of 27 structures of 19 of these enzymes, including seven cocrystallized with substrate analogs or products; and the development and successful application of a computational approach to predict function that leverages available structural data through homology modeling and docking of possible products into the active site. The crystallographic structures and computational structural models of the enzyme-ligand complexes elucidate the structural basis of specificity. As a result of this study, the percentage of E-PTS sequences similar to functionally annotated ones (BLAST e-value ≤ 1e(-70)) increased from 40.6 to 68.8%, and the percentage of sequences similar to available crystal structures increased from 28.9 to 47.4%. The high accuracy of our blind prediction of newly characterized enzymes indicates the potential to predict function to the complete polyprenyl transferase subgroup of the isoprenoid synthase superfamily computationally.

Merochlorins A-D, cyclic meroterpenoid antibiotics biosynthesized in divergent pathways with vanadium-dependent chloroperoxidases

Meroterpenoids are mixed polyketide-terpenoid natural products with a broad range of biological activities. Herein, we present the structures of four new meroterpenoid antibiotics, merochlorins A-D, produced by the marine bacterium Streptomyces sp. strain CNH-189, which possess novel chemical skeletons unrelated to known bacterial agents. Draft genome sequencing, mutagenesis, and heterologous biosynthesis in the genome-minimized model actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor provided the 57.6 kb merochlorin gene cluster that contains two genes encoding rare bacterial vanadium-dependent haloperoxidase (VHPO) genes. Pathway expression of two different fosmid clones that differ largely by the presence or absence of the VHPO gene mcl40 resulted in the differential biosynthesis of merochlorin C, suggesting that Mcl40 catalyzes an unprecedented 15-membered chloronium-induced macrocyclization reaction converting merochlorin D to merochlorin C.

Mutational analysis of a phenazine biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces anulatus 9663

The biosynthetic gene cluster for endophenazines, i.e., prenylated phenazines from Streptomyces anulatus 9663, was heterologously expressed in several engineered host strains derived from Streptomyces coelicolor M145. The highest production levels were obtained in strain M512. Mutations in the rpoB and rpsL genes of the host, which result in increased production of other secondary metabolites, had no beneficial effect on the production of phenazines. The heterologous expression strains produced, besides the known phenazine compounds, a new prenylated phenazine, termed endophenazine E. The structure of endophenazine E was determined by high-resolution mass spectrometry and by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. It represented a conjugate of endophenazine A (9-dimethylallylphenazine-1-carboxylic acid) and L-glutamine (L-Gln), with the carboxyl group of endophenazine A forming an amide bond to the α-amino group of L-Gln. Gene inactivation experiments in the gene cluster proved that ppzM codes for a phenazine N-methyltransferase. The gene ppzV apparently represents a new type of TetR-family regulator, specifically controlling the prenylation in endophenazine biosynthesis. The gene ppzY codes for a LysR-type regulator and most likely controls the biosynthesis of the phenazine core. A further putative transcriptional regulator is located in the vicinity of the cluster, but was found not to be required for phenazine or endophenazine formation. This is the first investigation of the regulatory genes of phenazine biosynthesis in Streptomyces.

Biochemical characterization of a type III polyketide biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces toxytricini

A type III polyketide biosynthetic gene cluster has been discovered in the industrially important strain Streptomyces toxytricini NRRL 15443, including four genes stp450-1, stts, stp450-2, and stmo. The stts gene encodes a putative type III polyketide synthase that is homologous to RppA, a 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene (THN) synthase from Streptomyces griseus. The deduced protein product of stmo resembles the cupin-containing monooxygenase MomA from Streptomyces antibioticus that oxidizes THN into flaviolin. Two cytochrome P450s (CYPs), StP450-1 and StP450-2, are present in the gene cluster. StTS was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and identified as a THN synthase. The synthesized THN can be easily oxidized into flaviolin by air. Both CYPs were reconstituted in E. coli BL21(DE3) and can oxidize flaviolin to form oligomers. The k(cat)/K(m) values for StP450-1 and StP450-2 were 0.28 and 0.71 min⁻¹ mM⁻¹, respectively. UV irradiation test showed that expression of StTS in E. coli BL21(DE3) significantly protects the cells from UV radiation, and coexpression of StTS and StP450-1 provides even stronger protection.

[Advances on actinomycetic terpenoid biosynthesis]

Terpenoids are the most diverse class of natural products. Recently, a series of terpenoids with novel structures have been isolated from actinomyces. Their biosynthetic gene clusters have been identified and characterized either by direct cloning or genomic mining, which promoted investigations of their biosynthetic pathways, as well as the key enzymatic mechanisms. This paper provides a brief overview of the major research published in the last five years.

CHARACTERIZATION OF A FUNCTIONAL VANADIUM-DEPENDENT BROMOPEROXIDASE IN THE MARINE CYANOBACTERIUM SYNECHOCOCCUS SP. CC9311(1)

Vanadium-dependent bromoperoxidases (VBPOs) are characterized by the ability to oxidize halides using hydrogen peroxide. These enzymes are well-studied in eukaryotic macroalgae and are known to produce a variety of brominated secondary metabolites. Though genes have been annotated as VBPO in multiple prokaryotic genomes, they remain uncharacterized. The genome of the coastal marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. CC9311 encodes a predicted VBPO (YP_731869.1, sync_2681), and in this study, we show that protein extracts from axenic cultures of Synechococcus possess bromoperoxidase activity, oxidizing bromide and iodide, but not chloride. In-gel activity assays of Synechococcus proteins separated using PAGE reveal a single band having VBPO activity. When sequenced via liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), peptides from the band aligned to the VBPO sequence predicted by the open reading frame (ORF) sync_2681. We show that a VBPO gene is present in a closely related strain, Synechococcus sp. WH8020, but not other clade I Synechococcus strains, consistent with recent horizontal transfer of the gene into Synechococcus. Diverse cyanobacterial-like VBPO genes were detected in a pelagic environment off the California coast using PCR. Investigation of functional VBPOs in unicellular cyanobacteria may lead to discovery of novel halogenated molecules and a better understanding of these organisms' chemical ecology and physiology.

Marine actinomycetes as an emerging resource for the drug development pipelines

Many representatives of the order Actinomycetales are prolific producers of thousands of biologically active secondary metabolites. Actinomycetes from terrestrial sources have been studied and screened since the 1950s, yielding many important anti-infective and anti-cancer drugs. However, frequent re-discovery of the same compounds in terrestrial actinomycetes have made them less attractive for screening programs in the recent years. At the same time, actinomycetes isolated from the marine environment currently receive considerable attention due to the structural diversity and unique biological activities of their secondary metabolites. This review highlights achievements and challenges in the isolation of marine actinomycetes, some examples of bioactive metabolites identified by conventional screening, and presents new developments in the field of genome mining and heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters leading to the discovery of novel compounds.

Bactericidal kinetics of marine-derived napyradiomycins against contemporary methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

There is an urgent need for new antibiotics to treat hospital- and community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Previous work has indicated that both terrestrial and marine-derived members of the napyradiomycin class possess potential anti-staphylococcal activities. These compounds are unique meroterpenoids with unusual levels of halogenation. In this paper we report the evaluation of two previously described napyradiomycin derivatives, A80915A (1) and A80915B (2) produced by the marine-derived actinomycete, Streptomyces sp. strain CNQ-525, for their specific activities against contemporary and clinically relevant MRSA. Reported are studies of the in vitro kinetics of these chemical scaffolds in time-kill MRSA assays. Both napyradiomycin derivatives demonstrate potent and rapid bactericidal activity against contemporary MRSA strains. These data may help guide future development and design of analogs of the napyradiomycins that could potentially serve as useful anti-MRSA therapeutics.

A stereoselective vanadium-dependent chloroperoxidase in bacterial antibiotic biosynthesis

Halogenases catalyze reactions that introduce halogen atoms into electron-rich organic molecules. Vanadium-dependent haloperoxidases are generally considered to be promiscuous halogenating enzymes that have thus far been derived exclusively from eukaryotes, where their cellular function is often disputed. We now report the first biochemical characterization of a bacterial vanadium-dependent chloroperoxidase, NapH1 from Streptomyces sp. CNQ-525, which catalyzes a highly stereoselective chlorination-cyclization reaction in napyradiomycin antibiotic biosynthesis. This finding biochemically links a vanadium chloroperoxidase to microbial natural product biosynthesis.

A sea of biosynthesis: marine natural products meet the molecular age

The years 2000 through mid-2010 marked a transformational period in understanding of the biosynthesis of marine natural products. During this decade the field emerged from one largely dominated by chemical approaches to understanding biosynthetic pathways to one incorporating the full force of modern molecular biology and bioinformatics. Fusion of chemical and biological approaches yielded great advances in understanding the genetic and enzymatic basis for marine natural product biosynthesis. Progress was particularly pronounced for marine microbes, especially actinomycetes and cyanobacteria. During this single decade, both the first complete marine microbial natural product biosynthetic gene cluster sequence was released as well as the first entire genome sequence for a secondary metabolite-rich marine microbe. The decade also saw tremendous progress in recognizing the key role of marine microbial symbionts of invertebrates in natural product biosynthesis. Application of genetic and enzymatic knowledge led to genetic engineering of novel “unnatural” natural products during this time, as well as opportunities for discovery of novel natural products through genome mining. The current review highlights selected seminal studies from 2000 through to June 2010 that illustrate breakthroughs in understanding of marine natural product biosynthesis at the genetic, enzymatic, and small-molecule natural product levels. A total of 154 references are cited.

Simple reagents for direct halonium-induced polyene cyclizations

Although there are many reagent combinations that can initiate polyene cyclizations, simple electrophilic halogen sources have not yet proven broadly effective as promoters of such processes. Herein is described a readily prepared and stable class of reagents capable of effecting such transformations for a wide range of electron-rich and -deficient terpenes derived from geraniol, farnesol, and nerol, thereby enabling the effective synthesis of a diverse array of complex chlorine-, bromine-, and iodine-containing polycyclic frameworks. Efforts to date have led to the first racemic laboratory total synthesis and structural revision of the anti-HIV natural product peyssonol A as well as an efficient and concise inaugural total synthesis of peyssonoic acid A. They have also permitted formal racemic total syntheses of aplysin-20, loliolide, K-76, and stemodin to be achieved through routes that are typically shorter, higher-yielding, and more environmentally conscious than previous efforts. Preliminary attempts to use chiral forms of the reagent class for enantioselective alkene halogenation are also described.

Methods and options for the heterologous production of complex natural products

This review will detail the motivations, experimental approaches, and growing list of successful cases associated with the heterologous production of complex natural products.

Hybrid isoprenoid secondary metabolite production in terrestrial and marine actinomycetes

Terpenoids are among the most ubiquitous and diverse secondary metabolites observed in nature. Although actinomycete bacteria are one of the primary sources of microbially derived secondary metabolites, they rarely produce compounds in this biosynthetic class. The terpenoid secondary metabolites that have been discovered from actinomycetes are often in the form of biosynthetic hybrids called hybrid isoprenoids (HIs). HIs include significant structural diversity and biological activity and thus are important targets for natural product discovery. Recent screening of marine actinomycetes has led to the discovery of a new lineage that is enriched in the production of biologically active HI secondary metabolites. These strains represent a promising resource for natural product discovery and provide unique opportunities to study the evolutionary history and ecological functions of an unusual group of secondary metabolites.

Functional characterization of the promiscuous prenyltransferase responsible for furaquinocin biosynthesis: identification of a physiological polyketide substrate and its prenylated reaction products

Furaquinocin is a natural polyketide-isoprenoid hybrid (meroterpenoid) that exhibits antitumor activity and is produced by the Streptomyces sp. strain KO-3988. Bioinformatic analysis of furaquinocin biosynthesis has identified Fur7 as a possible prenyltransferase that attaches a geranyl group to an unidentified polyketide scaffold. Here, we report the identification of a physiological polyketide substrate for Fur7, as well as its reaction product and the biochemical characterization of Fur7. A Streptomyces albus transformant (S. albus/pWHM-Fur2_del7) harboring the furaquinocin biosynthetic gene cluster lacking the fur7 gene did not produce furaquinocin but synthesized the novel intermediate 2-methoxy-3-methyl-flaviolin. After expression and purification from Escherichia coli, the recombinant Fur7 enzyme catalyzed the transfer of a geranyl group to 2-methoxy-3-methyl-flaviolin to yield 6-prenyl-2-methoxy-3-methyl-flaviolin and 7-O-geranyl-2-methoxy-3-methyl-flaviolin in a 10:1 ratio. The reaction proceeded independently of divalent cations. When 6-prenyl-2-methoxy-3-methyl-flaviolin was added to the culture medium of S. albus/pWHM-Fur2_del7, furaquinocin production was restored. The promiscuous substrate specificity of Fur7 was demonstrated with respect to prenyl acceptor substrates and prenyl donor substrates. The steady-state kinetic constants of Fur7 with each prenyl acceptor substrate were also calculated.

A flavin-dependent halogenase catalyzes the chlorination step in the biosynthesis of Dictyostelium differentiation-inducing factor 1

Differentiation-inducing factor 1 (DIF-1) is a polyketide-derived morphogen which drives stalk cell formation in the developmental cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum. Previous experiments demonstrated that the biosynthetic pathway proceeds via dichlorination of the precursor molecule THPH, but the enzyme responsible for this transformation has eluded characterization. Our recent studies on prokaryotic flavin-dependent halogenases and insights from the sequenced Dd genome led us to a candidate gene for this transformation. In this work, we present in vivo and in vitro evidence that chlA from Dd encodes a flavin-dependent halogenase capable of catalyzing both chlorinations in the biosynthesis of DIF-1. The results provide in vitro characterization of a eukaryotic oxygen-dependent halogenase and demonstrate a broad reach in biology for this molecular tailoring strategy, notably its involvement in the differentiation program of a social amoeba.