Vereinigung von chemischer Synthese und Biosynthese: ein neues Kapitel in der Totalsynthese von Naturstoffen und Naturstoffbibliotheken

Bioengineering of Anti-Inflammatory Natural Products

Inflammatory processes occur as a generic response of the immune system and can be triggered by various factors, such as infection with pathogenic microorganisms or damaged tissue. Due to the complexity of the inflammation process and its role in common diseases like asthma, cancer, skin disorders or Alzheimer's disease, anti-inflammatory drugs are of high pharmaceutical interest. Nature is a rich source for compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. Several studies have focused on the structural optimization of natural products to improve their pharmacological properties. As derivatization through total synthesis is often laborious with low yields and limited stereoselectivity, the use of biosynthetic, enzyme-driven reactions is an attractive alternative for synthesizing and modifying complex bioactive molecules. In this minireview, we present an outline of the biotechnological methods used to derivatize anti-inflammatory natural products, including precursor-directed biosynthesis, mutasynthesis, combinatorial biosynthesis, as well as whole-cell and in vitro biotransformation.

A Straightforward Synthesis of Polyketides via Ester Dienolate Matteson Homologation

Application of ester dienolates as nucleophiles in Matteson homologations allows for the stereoselective synthesis of highly substituted α,β-unsaturated δ-hydroxy carboxyl acids, structural motifs widespread found in polyketide natural products. The protocol is rather flexible and permits the introduction of substituents and functionalities also at those positions which are not accessible by the commonly used aldol reaction. Therefore, this ester dienolate Matteson approach is an interesting alternative to the "classical" polyketide syntheses.

Diversely Functionalised Cytochalasins through Mutasynthesis and Semi-Synthesis

Mutasynthesis of pyrichalasin H from Magnaporthe grisea NI980 yielded a series of unprecedented 4'-substituted cytochalasin analogues in titres as high as the wild-type system (≈60 mg L-1 ). Halogenated, O-alkyl, O-allyl and O-propargyl examples were formed, as well as a 4'-azido analogue. 4'-O-Propargyl and 4'-azido analogues reacted smoothly in Huisgen cycloaddition reactions, whereas p-Br and p-I compounds reacted in Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. A series of examples of biotin-linked, dye-linked and dimeric cytochalasins was rapidly created. In vitro and in vivo bioassays of these compounds showed that the 4'-halogenated and azido derivatives retained their cytotoxicity and antifungal activities; but a unique 4'-amino analogue was inactive. Attachment of larger substituents attenuated the bioactivities. In vivo actin-binding studies with adherent mammalian cells showed that actin remains the likely intracellular target. Dye-linked compounds revealed visualisation of intracellular actin structures even in the absence of phalloidin, thus constituting a potential new class of actin-visualisation tools with filament-barbed end-binding specificity.

First Ring-Expanded Maytansin Lactone Accessed by a New Mutasynthetic Variant

A multiblocked mutant strain (ΔAHBA and Δasm12, asm21) of Actinosynnema pretiosum, the producer of the highly toxic maytansinoid ansamitocin, has been used for the mutasynthetic production of new proansamitocin derivatives. The use of mutant strains that are blocked in the biosynthesis of an early building block as well as in the expression of two tailoring enzymes broadens the scope of chemo-biosynthetic access to new maytansinoids. Remarkably, a ring-expanded macrolactone derived from ansamitocin was created for the first time.

Biosynthetic Plasticity Enables Production of Fluorinated Aurachins

Enzyme promiscuity has important implications in the field of biocatalysis. In some cases, structural analogues of simple metabolic building blocks can be processed through entire pathways to give natural product derivatives that are not readily accessible by chemical means. In this study, we explored the plasticity of the aurachin biosynthesis pathway with regard to using fluoro‐ and chloroanthranilic acids, which are not abundant in the bacterial producers of these quinolone antibiotics. The incorporation rates of the tested precursor molecules disclosed a regiopreference for halogen substitution as well as steric limitations of enzymatic substrate tolerance. Three previously undescribed fluorinated aurachin derivatives were produced in preparative amounts by fermentation and structurally characterized. Furthermore, their antibacterial activities were evaluated in comparison to their natural congener aurachin D.

Nature-driven approaches to non-natural terpene analogues

The reactions catalysed by terpene synthases belong to the most complex and fascinating cascade-type transformations in Nature.

New geldanamycin derivatives with anti Hsp properties by mutasynthesis

Mutasynthetic supplementation of the AHBA blocked mutant strain of S. hygroscopicus, the geldanamycin producer, with 21 aromatic and heteroaromatic amino acids provided new nonquinoid geldanamycin derivatives. Large scale (5 L) fermentation provided four new derivatives in sufficient quantity for full structural characterisation. Among these, the first thiophene derivative of reblastatin showed strong antiproliferative activity towards several human cancer cell lines. Additionally, inhibitory effects on human heat shock protein Hsp90α and bacterial heat shock protein from H. pylori HpHtpG were observed, revealing strong displacement properties for labelled ATP and demonstrating that the ATP-binding site of Hsps is the target site for the new geldanamycin derivatives.

Synthesis of Indomorphan Pseudo-Natural Product Inhibitors of Glucose Transporters GLUT-1 and -3

Bioactive compound design based on natural product (NP) structure may be limited because of partial coverage of NP-like chemical space and biological target space. These limitations can be overcome by combining NP-centered strategies with fragment-based compound design through combination of NP-derived fragments to afford structurally unprecedented "pseudo-natural products" (pseudo-NPs). The design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a collection of indomorphan pseudo-NPs that combine biosynthetically unrelated indole- and morphan-alkaloid fragments are described. Indomorphane derivative Glupin was identified as a potent inhibitor of glucose uptake by selectively targeting and upregulating glucose transporters GLUT-1 and GLUT-3. Glupin suppresses glycolysis, reduces the levels of glucose-derived metabolites, and attenuates the growth of various cancer cell lines. Our findings underscore the importance of dual GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 inhibition to efficiently suppress tumor cell growth and the cellular rescue mechanism, which counteracts glucose scarcity.

Rationally Designed Semisynthetic Natural Product Analogues for Stabilization of 14-3-3 Protein-Protein Interactions

The natural product family of fusicoccanes are stabilizers of 14-3-3 mediated protein-protein interactions (PPIs), some of which possess antitumor activity. In this study, the first use of molecular dynamics (MD) to rationally design PPI stabilizers with increased potency is presented. Synthesis of a focused library, with subsequent characterization by fluorescence polarization, mutational studies, and X-ray crystallography confirmed the power of the MD-based design approach, revealing the potential for an additional hydrogen bond with the 14-3-3 protein to lead to significantly increased potency. Additionally, these compounds exert their action in a cellular environment with increased potency. The newly found polar interaction could provide an anchoring point for new small-molecule PPI stabilizers. These results facilitate the development of fusicoccanes towards drugs or tool compounds, as well as allowing the study of the fundamental principles behind PPI stabilization.

Heat Shock Proteins Revisited: Using a Mutasynthetically Generated Reblastatin Library to Compare the Inhibition of Human and Leishmania Hsp90s

Thirteen new reblastatin derivatives, with alkynyl, amino and fluoro substituents on the aromatic ring, were prepared by a chemo-biosynthetic approach using an AHBA(-) mutant strain of Streptomyces hygroscopicus, the geldanamycin producer. The inhibitory potencies of these mutaproducts and of an extended library of natural products and derivatives were probed with purified heat shock proteins (Hsps), obtained from Leishmania braziliensis (LbHsp90) as well as from human sources (HsHsp90). We determined the activities of potential inhibitors by means of a displacement assay in which fluorescence-labelled ATP competes for the ATP binding sites of Hsps in the presence of the inhibitor in question. The results were compared with those of cell-based assays and, in selected cases, of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements. In essence, reblastatin derivatives are also able to bind effectively to the ATP-binding site of LbHsp90, and for selected derivatives, moderate differences in binding to LbHsp90 and HsHsp90 were encountered. This work demonstrates that parasitic heat shock proteins can be developed as potential pharmaceutical targets.

Insights into the Dual Activity of a Bifunctional Dehydratase-Cyclase Domain

Oxygen-containing heterocycles are a common structural motif in polyketide natural products and contribute significantly to their biological activity. Here, we report structural and mechanistic investigations on AmbDH3, a polyketide synthase domain with dual activity as dehydratase (DH) and pyran-forming cyclase in ambruticin biosynthesis. AmbDH3 is similar to monofunctional DH domains, using H51 and D215 for dehydration. V173 was confirmed as a diagnostic residue for cyclization activity by a mutational study and enzymatic in vitro experiments. Similar motifs were observed in the seemingly monofunctional AmbDH2, which also shows an unexpected cyclase activity. Our results pave the way for mining of hidden cyclases in biosynthetic pathways. They also open interesting prospects for the generation of novel biocatalysts for chemoenzymatic synthesis and pyran-polyketides by combinatorial biosynthesis.

Nonribosomal Peptide Synthesis-Principles and Prospects

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are large multienzyme machineries that assemble numerous peptides with large structural and functional diversity. These peptides include more than 20 marketed drugs, such as antibacterials (penicillin, vancomycin), antitumor compounds (bleomycin), and immunosuppressants (cyclosporine). Over the past few decades biochemical and structural biology studies have gained mechanistic insights into the highly complex assembly line of nonribosomal peptides. This Review provides state-of-the-art knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of NRPSs and the variety of their products along with detailed analysis of the challenges for future reprogrammed biosynthesis. Such a reprogramming of NRPSs would immediately spur chances to generate analogues of existing drugs or new compound libraries of otherwise nearly inaccessible compound structures.

A Bio-Chemosynthetic Approach to Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide-Ansamitocin Conjugates for Use in Magnetic Drug Targeting

A combination of mutasynthesis using a mutant strain of A. pretiosum blocked in the biosynthesis of amino-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA) and semisynthesis relying on a Stille cross-coupling step provided access to new ansamitocin derivatives of which one was attached by a thermolabile linker to nanostructured iron oxide particles. When exposed to an oscillating electromagnetic field the resulting iron oxide/ansamitocin conjugate 19 heats up in an aqueous suspension and the ansamitocin derivative 16 is released by means of a retro-Diels-Alder reaction. It exerts strong antiproliferative activity (IC₅₀ =4.8 ng mg^-1 ) in mouse fibroblasts. These new types of conjugates have the potential for combating cancer through hyperthermia and chemotherapy using an electromagnetic external trigger.

Evaluation of the Synthetic Potential of an AHBA Knockout Mutant of the Rifamycin Producer Amycolatopsis mediterranei

Supplementing an AHBA(-) mutant strain of Amycolatopsis mediterranei, the rifamycin producer, with a series of benzoic acid derivatives yielded new tetraketides containing different phenyl groups. These mutasynthetic studies revealed unique reductive properties of A. mediterranei towards nitro- and azidoarenes, leading to the corresponding anilines. In selected cases, the yields of mutaproducts (fermentation products isolated after feeding bacteria with chemically prepared analogs of natural building blocks) obtained are in a range (up to 118 mg L(-1)) that renders them useful as chiral building blocks for further synthetic endeavors. The configuration of the stereogenic centers at C6 and C7 was determined to be 6R,7S for one representative tetraketide. Importantly, processing beyond the tetraketide stage is not always blocked when the formation of the bicyclic naphthalene precursor cannot occur. This was proven by formation of a bromo undecaketide, an observation that has implications regarding the evolutionary development of rifamycin biosynthesis.

Biosynthesis of the Peptide Antibiotic Feglymycin by a Linear Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase Mechanism

Feglymycin, a peptide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces sp. DSM 11171, consists mostly of nonproteinogenic phenylglycine-type amino acids. It possesses antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and antiviral activity against HIV. Inhibition of the early steps of bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis indicated a mode of action different from those of other peptide antibiotics. Here we describe the identification and assignment of the feglymycin (feg) biosynthesis gene cluster, which codes for a 13-module nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) system. Inactivation of an NRPS gene and supplementation of a hydroxymandelate oxidase mutant with the amino acid l-Hpg proved the identity of the feg cluster. Feeding of Hpg-related unnatural amino acids was not successful. This characterization of the feg cluster is an important step to understanding the biosynthesis of this potent antibacterial peptide.

New, non-quinone fluorogeldanamycin derivatives strongly inhibit Hsp90

Streptomyces hygroscopicus is a natural producer of geldanamycin. Mutasynthetic supplementation of an AHBA-blocked mutant with all possible monofluoro 3-aminobenzoic acids provided new fluorogeldanamycins. These showed strong antiproliferative activity and inhibitory effects on human heat shock protein Hsp90. Binding to Hsp90 in the low nanomolar range was determined from molecular modelling, AFM analysis and by calorimetric studies.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of spinosyn A

Following the biosynthesis of polyketide backbones by polyketide synthases (PKSs), post-PKS modifications result in a significantly elevated level of structural complexity that renders the chemical synthesis of these natural products challenging. We report herein a total synthesis of the widely used polyketide insecticide spinosyn A by exploiting the prowess of both chemical and enzymatic methods. As more polyketide biosynthetic pathways are characterized, this chemoenzymatic approach is expected to become readily adaptable to streamlining the synthesis of other complex polyketides with more elaborate post-PKS modifications.

Chemical probes for the functionalization of polyketide intermediates

A library of functionalized chemical probes capable of reacting with ketosynthase-bound biosynthetic intermediates was prepared and utilized to explore in vivo polyketide diversification. Fermentation of ACP mutants of S. lasaliensis in the presence of the probes generated a range of unnatural polyketide derivatives, including novel putative lasalocid A derivatives characterized by variable aryl ketone moieties and linear polyketide chains (bearing alkyne/azide handles and fluorine) flanking the polyether scaffold. By providing direct information on microorganism tolerance and enzyme processing of unnatural malonyl-ACP analogues, as well as on the amenability of unnatural polyketides to further structural modifications, the chemical probes constitute invaluable tools for the development of novel mutasynthesis and synthetic biology.

Predicted incorporation of non-native substrates by a polyketide synthase yields bioactive natural product derivatives

The polyether ionophore monensin is biosynthesized by a polyketide synthase that delivers a mixture of monensins A and B by the incorporation of ethyl- or methyl-malonyl-CoA at its fifth module. Here we present the first computational model of the fifth acyltransferase domain (AT5mon ) of this polyketide synthase, thus affording an investigation of the basis of the relaxed specificity in AT5mon , insights into the activation for the nucleophilic attack on the substrate, and prediction of the incorporation of synthetic malonic acid building blocks by this enzyme. Our predictions are supported by experimental studies, including the isolation of a predicted derivative of the monensin precursor premonensin. The incorporation of non-native building blocks was found to alter the ratio of premonensins A and B. The bioactivity of the natural product derivatives was investigated and revealed binding to prenyl-binding protein. We thus show the potential of engineered biosynthetic polyketides as a source of ligands for biological macromolecules.

Thiopeptide engineering: a multidisciplinary effort towards future drugs

The recent development of thiopeptide analogues of antibiotics has allowed some of the limitations inherent to these naturally occurring substances to be overcome. Chemical synthesis, semisynthetic derivatization, and engineering of the biosynthetic pathway have independently led to complementary modifications of various thiopeptides. Some of the new substances have displayed improved profiles, not only as antibiotics, but also as antiplasmodial and anticancer drugs. The design of novel molecules based on the thiopeptide scaffold appears to be the only strategy to exploit the high potential they have shown in vitro. Herein we present the most relevant achievements in the production of thiopeptide analogues and also discuss the way the different approaches might be combined in a multidisciplinary strategy to produce more sophisticated structures.

Preparation of new alkyne-modified ansamitocins by mutasynthesis

The preparation of alkyne-modified ansamitocins by mutasynthetic supplementation of Actinosynnema pretiosum mutants with alkyne-substituted aminobenzoic acids is described. This modification paved the way to introduce a thiol linker by Huisgen-type cycloaddition which can principally be utilized to create tumor targeting conjugates. In bioactivity tests, only those new ansamitocin derivatives showed strong antiproliferative activity that bear an ester side chain at C-3.

Bioreduction of aryl azides during mutasynthesis of new ansamitocins

Supplementing a culture of a mutant strain of Actinosynnema pretiosum that is unable to biosynthesize aminohydroxy benzoic acid (AHBA), with 3-azido-5-hydroxy-benzoic acid and 3-azido-5-amino-benzoic acid, unexpectedly yielded anilino ansamitocins instead of the expected azido derivatives. This is the first example of the bioreduction of organic azides. The unique nature of these results was demonstrated when 3-azido-5-amino-benzoic acid was fed to the corresponding AHBA blocked mutant of Streptomyces hygroscopicus, the geldanamycin producer. This mutasynthetic experiment yielded the fully processed azido derivative of geldanamycin.

Targeting heat-shock-protein 90 (Hsp90) by natural products: geldanamycin, a show case in cancer therapy

Covering 2005 to 2013. In this review recent progress in the development of heat shock proteins (Hsp90) in oncogenesis is illuminated. Particular emphasis is put on inhibitors such as geldanamycin and analogues that serve as a natural product show case. Hsp90 has emerged as an important target in cancer therapy and/or against pathogenic cells which elicit abnormal Hsp patterns. Competition for ATP by geldanamycin and related compounds abrogate the chaperone function of Hsp90. In this context, this account pursues three topics in detail: a) Hsp90 and its biochemistry, b) Hsp90 and its role in oncogenesis and c) strategies to create compound libraries of structurally complex inhibitors like geldanamycin on which SAR studies and the development of drugs that are currently in different stages of clinical testing rely.