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Gao Y, Li F, Luo Z, Deng Z, Zhang Y, Yuan Z, Liu C, Rao Y. Modular assembly of an artificially concise biocatalytic cascade for the manufacture of phenethylisoquinoline alkaloids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:30. [PMID: 38167860 PMCID: PMC10761944 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44420-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant-derived alkaloids are an important class of pharmaceuticals. However, they still rely on phytoextraction to meet their diverse market demands. Since multistep biocatalytic cascades have begun to revolutionize the manufacture of natural or unnatural products, to address the synthetic challenges of alkaloids, herein we establish an artificially concise four-enzyme biocatalytic cascade with avoiding plant-derived P450 modification for synthesizing phenethylisoquinoline alkaloids (PEIAs) after enzyme discovery and enzyme engineering. Efficient biosynthesis of diverse natural and unnatural PEIAs is realized from readily available substrates. Most importantly, the scale-up preparation of the colchicine precursor (S)-autumnaline with a high titer is achieved after replacing the rate-limiting O-methylation by the plug-and-play strategy. This study not only streamlines future engineering endeavors for colchicine biosynthesis, but also provides a paradigm for constructing more artificial biocatalytic cascades for the manufacture of diverse alkaloids through synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Gao
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Fei Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Zhengshan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Zhiwei Deng
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Yan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Zhenbo Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Changmei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Yijian Rao
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China.
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2
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Filipović A, Džambaski Z, Bondžić AM, Bondžić BP. Visible-light promoted photoredox catalysis in flow: addition of biologically important α‑amino radicals to michael acceptors. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2023; 22:2259-2270. [PMID: 37340217 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-023-00448-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Visible light promoted photoredox catalyzed formation of α-amino radicals from cyclic tertiary amine compounds and their subsequent addition to Michael acceptors performed in flow conditions allowed access to a wide range of functionalized N-aryl-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) and N-aryl-substituted tetrahydro-β-carbolines (THBCs). Visible light in conjunction with Ru(bpy)3Cl2 photocatalyst allowed the formation and high reactivities of α-amino radicals in flow conditions at room temperature. These reactions gave valuable products with high efficiencies; some previously unavailable reaction pathways photo or thermal reaction conditions; i.e. direct synthesis of 1-substituted (THBCs) via α-amino radical path were successfully realized in flow. The use of custom-made FEP tube microreactor proved to be the key to succesfull α-amino-radical formation and overall reaction performance in flow. Three types of light transparent custom-made microfluidic devices were tested, among them glass/silicon and FEP type reactor showed very good results in the conversion of tested compounds. Plausible reaction mechanism is proposed in accordance with known principles of photo activation of tertiary amines. Visible light promoted C(sp3)-H functionalization of N-aryl-protected tetrahydroisoquinolines and N-aryl-protected tetrahydro-β-carbolines in microflow conditions via a-amino radical pathway with various coupling partners in excellent yields and efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Filipović
- Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Njegoševa 12, 11000, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
| | - Zdravko Džambaski
- Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Njegoševa 12, 11000, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
| | - Aleksandra M Bondžić
- Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Bojan P Bondžić
- Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Njegoševa 12, 11000, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.
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3
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Elucidation of the (R)-enantiospecific benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic pathways in sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). Sci Rep 2023; 13:2955. [PMID: 36805479 PMCID: PMC9940101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29415-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a structurally diverse group of plant specialized metabolites found mainly in members of the order Ranunculales, including opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), for which BIA biosynthetic pathways leading to the critical drugs morphine, noscapine, and sanguinarine have been elucidated. Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), in the order Proteales, accumulates medicinal BIAs in the proaporphine, aporphine, and bisbenzylisoquinoline structural subgroups with a prevalence of R enantiomers, opposed to the dominant S configuration occurring in the Ranunculales. Nevertheless, distinctive BIA biosynthetic routes in sacred lotus have not been explored. In planta labeling experiments and in vitro assays with recombinant enzymes and plant protein extracts showed that dopamine and 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde derived from L-tyrosine serve as precursors for the formation of (R,S)-norcoclaurine in sacred lotus, whereas only (R)-norcoclaurine byproducts are favored in the plant by action of R-enantiospecific methyltransferases and cytochrome P450 oxidoreductases (CYPs). Enzymes responsible for the R-enantiospecific formation of proaporphine (NnCYP80Q1) and bisbenzylisoquinoline (NnCYP80Q2) scaffolds, and a methylenedioxy bridge introduction on aporphine substrates (NnCYP719A22) were identified, whereas additional aspects of the biosynthetic pathways leading to the distinctive alkaloid profile are discussed. This work expands the availability of molecular tools that can be deployed in synthetic biology platforms for the production of high-value alkaloids.
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4
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Lashley A, Miller R, Provenzano S, Jarecki SA, Erba P, Salim V. Functional Diversification and Structural Origins of Plant Natural Product Methyltransferases. Molecules 2022; 28:43. [PMID: 36615239 PMCID: PMC9822479 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In plants, methylation is a common step in specialized metabolic pathways, leading to a vast diversity of natural products. The methylation of these small molecules is catalyzed by S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases, which are categorized based on the methyl-accepting atom (O, N, C, S, or Se). These methyltransferases are responsible for the transformation of metabolites involved in plant defense response, pigments, and cell signaling. Plant natural product methyltransferases are part of the Class I methyltransferase-superfamily containing the canonical Rossmann fold. Recent advances in genomics have accelerated the functional characterization of plant natural product methyltransferases, allowing for the determination of substrate specificities and regioselectivity and further realizing the potential for enzyme engineering. This review compiles known biochemically characterized plant natural product methyltransferases that have contributed to our knowledge in the diversification of small molecules mediated by methylation steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Lashley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
| | - Ryan Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Stephanie Provenzano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA
| | - Sara-Alexis Jarecki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
| | - Paul Erba
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Vonny Salim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
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5
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Cheng W, Yao Y, Wang Q, Chang X, Shi Z, Fang X, Chen F, Chen S, Zhang Y, Zhang F, Zhu D, Deng Z, Lu L. Characterization of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid methyltransferases in Liriodendron chinense provides insights into the phylogenic basis of angiosperm alkaloid diversity. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 112:535-548. [PMID: 36062348 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a class of plant secondary metabolites with great pharmacological value. Their biosynthetic pathways have been extensively elucidated in the species from the Ranunculales order, such as poppy and Coptis japonica, in which methylation events play central roles and are directly responsible for BIA chemodiversity. Here, we combined BIA quantitative profiling and transcriptomic analyses to identify novel BIA methyltransferases (MTs) from Liriodendron chinense, a basal angiosperm plant. We identified an N-methyltransferase (LcNMT1) and two O-methyltransferases (LcOMT1 and LcOMT3), and characterized their biochemical functions in vitro. LcNMT1 methylates (S)-coclaurine to produce mono- and dimethylated products. Mutagenesis experiments revealed that a single-residue alteration is sufficient to change its substrate selectivity. LcOMT1 methylates (S)-norcoclaurine at the C6 site and LcOMT3 methylates (S)-coclaurine at the C7 site, respectively. Two key residues of LcOMT3, A115 and T301, are identified as important contributors to its catalytic activity. Compared with Ranunculales-derived NMTs, Magnoliales-derived NMTs were less abundant and had narrower substrate specificity, indicating that NMT expansion has contributed substantially to BIA chemodiversity in angiosperms, particularly in Ranunculales species. In summary, we not only characterized three novel enzymes that could be useful in the biosynthetic production of valuable BIAs but also shed light on the molecular origin of BIAs during angiosperm evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qiuxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiaosa Chang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zhuolin Shi
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xueting Fang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fangfang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shixin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yonghong Zhang
- Laboratory of Medicinal Plant, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Academy of Bio-Medicine Research, School of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Dongqing Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Li Lu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430071, China
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6
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Zhu J, Yang L, Wu J, Deng Z, Qu X. Engineering Imine Reductase for Efficient Biosynthesis of 1-Aryl-Tetrahydro-β-Carbolines and Their N-Methylation Products. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c06012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinmei Zhu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China
| | - Jiequn Wu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China
| | - Xudong Qu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China
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7
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Cigan E, Eggbauer B, Schrittwieser JH, Kroutil W. The role of biocatalysis in the asymmetric synthesis of alkaloids - an update. RSC Adv 2021; 11:28223-28270. [PMID: 35480754 PMCID: PMC9038100 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra04181a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alkaloids are a group of natural products with interesting pharmacological properties and a long history of medicinal application. Their complex molecular structures have fascinated chemists for decades, and their total synthesis still poses a considerable challenge. In a previous review, we have illustrated how biocatalysis can make valuable contributions to the asymmetric synthesis of alkaloids. The chemo-enzymatic strategies discussed therein have been further explored and improved in recent years, and advances in amine biocatalysis have vastly expanded the opportunities for incorporating enzymes into synthetic routes towards these important natural products. The present review summarises modern developments in chemo-enzymatic alkaloid synthesis since 2013, in which the biocatalytic transformations continue to take an increasingly 'central' role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cigan
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz, BioHealth Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Bettina Eggbauer
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz, BioHealth Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Joerg H Schrittwieser
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz, BioHealth Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Wolfgang Kroutil
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz, BioHealth Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
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8
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Subrizi F, Wang Y, Thair B, Méndez‐Sánchez D, Roddan R, Cárdenas‐Fernández M, Siegrist J, Richter M, Andexer JN, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Multienzyme One-Pot Cascades Incorporating Methyltransferases for the Strategic Diversification of Tetrahydroisoquinoline Alkaloids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:18673-18679. [PMID: 34101966 PMCID: PMC8457072 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202104476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) ring system is present in a large variety of structurally diverse natural products exhibiting a wide range of biological activities. Routes to mimic the biosynthetic pathways to such alkaloids, by building cascade reactions in vitro, represents a successful strategy and can offer better stereoselectivities than traditional synthetic methods. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases are crucial in the biosynthesis and diversification of THIQs; however, their application is often limited in vitro by the high cost of SAM and low substrate scope. In this study, we describe the use of methyltransferases in vitro in multi-enzyme cascades, including for the generation of SAM in situ. Up to seven enzymes were used for the regioselective diversification of natural and non-natural THIQs on an enzymatic preparative scale. Regioselectivites of the methyltransferases were dependent on the group at C-1 and presence of fluorine in the THIQs. An interesting dual activity was also discovered for the catechol methyltransferases used, which were found to be able to regioselectively methylate two different catechols in a single molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Subrizi
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Benjamin Thair
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | | | - Rebecca Roddan
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Max Cárdenas‐Fernández
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonBernard Katz BuildingLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Jutta Siegrist
- Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstr. 2579104FreiburgGermany
| | - Michael Richter
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB)Branch BiocatSchulgasse 11a94315StraubingGermany
| | - Jennifer N. Andexer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstr. 2579104FreiburgGermany
| | - John M. Ward
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonBernard Katz BuildingLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
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9
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Subrizi F, Wang Y, Thair B, Méndez‐Sánchez D, Roddan R, Cárdenas‐Fernández M, Siegrist J, Richter M, Andexer JN, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Multienzyme One-Pot Cascades Incorporating Methyltransferases for the Strategic Diversification of Tetrahydroisoquinoline Alkaloids. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 133:18821-18827. [PMID: 38505091 PMCID: PMC10947541 DOI: 10.1002/ange.202104476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) ring system is present in a large variety of structurally diverse natural products exhibiting a wide range of biological activities. Routes to mimic the biosynthetic pathways to such alkaloids, by building cascade reactions in vitro, represents a successful strategy and can offer better stereoselectivities than traditional synthetic methods. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases are crucial in the biosynthesis and diversification of THIQs; however, their application is often limited in vitro by the high cost of SAM and low substrate scope. In this study, we describe the use of methyltransferases in vitro in multi-enzyme cascades, including for the generation of SAM in situ. Up to seven enzymes were used for the regioselective diversification of natural and non-natural THIQs on an enzymatic preparative scale. Regioselectivites of the methyltransferases were dependent on the group at C-1 and presence of fluorine in the THIQs. An interesting dual activity was also discovered for the catechol methyltransferases used, which were found to be able to regioselectively methylate two different catechols in a single molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Subrizi
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Benjamin Thair
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | | | - Rebecca Roddan
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Max Cárdenas‐Fernández
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonBernard Katz BuildingLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Jutta Siegrist
- Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstr. 2579104FreiburgGermany
| | - Michael Richter
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB)Branch BiocatSchulgasse 11a94315StraubingGermany
| | - Jennifer N. Andexer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstr. 2579104FreiburgGermany
| | - John M. Ward
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonBernard Katz BuildingLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
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10
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Jamieson CS, Misa J, Tang Y, Billingsley JM. Biosynthesis and synthetic biology of psychoactive natural products. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:6950-7008. [PMID: 33908526 PMCID: PMC8217322 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00065a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Psychoactive natural products play an integral role in the modern world. The tremendous structural complexity displayed by such molecules confers diverse biological activities of significant medicinal value and sociocultural impact. Accordingly, in the last two centuries, immense effort has been devoted towards establishing how plants, animals, and fungi synthesize complex natural products from simple metabolic precursors. The recent explosion of genomics data and molecular biology tools has enabled the identification of genes encoding proteins that catalyze individual biosynthetic steps. Once fully elucidated, the "biosynthetic pathways" are often comparable to organic syntheses in elegance and yield. Additionally, the discovery of biosynthetic enzymes provides powerful catalysts which may be repurposed for synthetic biology applications, or implemented with chemoenzymatic synthetic approaches. In this review, we discuss the progress that has been made toward biosynthetic pathway elucidation amongst four classes of psychoactive natural products: hallucinogens, stimulants, cannabinoids, and opioids. Compounds of diverse biosynthetic origin - terpene, amino acid, polyketide - are identified, and notable mechanisms of key scaffold transforming steps are highlighted. We also provide a description of subsequent applications of the biosynthetic machinery, with an emphasis placed on the synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies enabling heterologous production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cooper S Jamieson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Joshua Misa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - John M Billingsley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Invizyne Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA, USA
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11
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Wagner L, Roß T, Hollmann T, Hahn F. Cross-linking of a polyketide synthase domain leads to a recyclable biocatalyst for chiral oxygen heterocycle synthesis. RSC Adv 2021; 11:20248-20251. [PMID: 35479892 PMCID: PMC9033652 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra03692k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential of polyketide synthase (PKS) domains for chemoenzymatic synthesis can often not be tapped due to their low stability and activity in vitro. In this proof-of-principle study, the immobilisation of the heterocycle-forming PKS domain AmbDH3 as a cross-linked enzyme aggregate (CLEA) is described. The AmbDH3-CLEA showed good activity recovery, stability and recyclability. Repetitive reactions on the semi-preparative scale were performed with high conversion and isolated yield. Similar to that observed for the free enzyme, the aggregate retained substrate tolerance and the ability for kinetic resolution. This first example of a successful enzymatic PKS domain immobilisation demonstrates that cross-linking can in principle be applied to this type of enzyme to increase its applicability for chemoenzymatic synthesis. Cross-linking of the polyketide synthase domain AmbDH3 led to an active aggregate with improved properties for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of chiral oxygen heterocycles, such as recyclability and facile purification.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wagner
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30 95447 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Theresa Roß
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30 95447 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Tim Hollmann
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30 95447 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Frank Hahn
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30 95447 Bayreuth Germany
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12
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Jalali E, Thorson JS. Enzyme-mediated bioorthogonal technologies: catalysts, chemoselective reactions and recent methyltransferase applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 69:290-298. [PMID: 33901763 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Transferases have emerged as among the best catalysts for enzyme-mediated bioorthogonal functional group installation to advance innovative in vitro, cell-based and in vivo chemical biology applications. This review introduces the key considerations for selecting enzyme catalysts and chemoselective reactions most amenable to bioorthogonal platform development and highlights relevant key technology development and applications for one ubiquitous transferase subclass - methyltransferases (MTs). Within this context, recent advances in MT-enabled bioorthogonal labeling/conjugation relevant to DNA, RNA, protein, and natural products (i.e. complex small molecule metabolites) are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Jalali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY 40536, United States
| | - Jon S Thorson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY 40536, United States; Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY 40536, United States.
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13
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Filipović A, DŽambaski Z, Vasiljević-Radović D, BondŽić BP. Visible light promoted photoredox C(sp 3)-H bond functionalization of tetrahydroisoquinolines in flow. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 19:2668-2675. [PMID: 33666639 DOI: 10.1039/d0ob02582h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A merger of organocatalysis and visible light photoredox catalysis performed in flow allowed access to a wide range of functionalized N-aryl-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) in a formal C-H oxidation/Mannich reaction. Strecker type functionalization and copper-catalyzed alkynylation of several N-aryl-substituted THIQs were also successfully performed in flow, giving valuable products with high efficiencies. The use of custom-made porous polymeric type microreactors proved to be crucial regarding the C-H oxidation step and overall reaction performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Filipović
- University of Belgrade-Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.
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14
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Herbert AJ, Shepherd SA, Cronin VA, Bennett MR, Sung R, Micklefield J. Engineering Orthogonal Methyltransferases to Create Alternative Bioalkylation Pathways. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:14950-14956. [PMID: 32402113 PMCID: PMC7496830 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202004963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTs) catalyse the methylation of a vast array of small metabolites and biomacromolecules. Recently, rare carboxymethylation pathways have been discovered, including carboxymethyltransferase enzymes that utilise a carboxy-SAM (cxSAM) cofactor generated from SAM by a cxSAM synthase (CmoA). We show how MT enzymes can utilise cxSAM to catalyse carboxymethylation of tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) and catechol substrates. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to create orthogonal MTs possessing improved catalytic activity and selectivity for cxSAM, with subsequent coupling to CmoA resulting in more efficient and selective carboxymethylation. An enzymatic approach was also developed to generate a previously undescribed co-factor, carboxy-S-adenosyl-l-ethionine (cxSAE), thereby enabling the stereoselective transfer of a chiral 1-carboxyethyl group to the substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail J. Herbert
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Sarah A. Shepherd
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Victoria A. Cronin
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Matthew R. Bennett
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Rehana Sung
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Jason Micklefield
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
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15
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Dooley CJ, Burtea A, Mitilian C, Dao WT, Qu B, Salzameda NT, Rychnovsky SD. Using the Competing Enantioselective Conversion Method to Assign the Absolute Configuration of Cyclic Amines with Bode's Acylation Reagents. J Org Chem 2020; 85:10750-10759. [PMID: 32806106 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c01275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The competing enantioselective conversion (CEC) method is a quick and reliable means to determine absolute configuration. Previously, Bode's chiral acylated hydroxamic acids were used to determine the stereochemistry of primary amines, as well as cyclic and acyclic secondary amines. The enantioselective acylation has been evaluated for 4-, 5-, and 6-membered cyclic secondary amines, including medicinally relevant compounds. The limitations of the method were studied through computational analysis and experimental results. Piperidines with substituents at the 2-position did not behave well unless the axial conformer was energetically accessible, which is consistent with the transition state geometries proposed by Bode and Kozlowski. Control experiments were performed to investigate the cause of degrading selectivity under the CEC reaction conditions. The present study expands the scope of the CEC method for secondary amines and provides a better understanding of the reaction profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles J Dooley
- Department of Chemistry, 1102 Natural Sciences II, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Alexander Burtea
- Department of Chemistry, 1102 Natural Sciences II, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Christina Mitilian
- Department of Chemistry, 1102 Natural Sciences II, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Wendy T Dao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, California 92834, United States
| | - Bo Qu
- Chemical Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 900 Ridgebury Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877, United States
| | - Nicholas T Salzameda
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, California 92834, United States
| | - Scott D Rychnovsky
- Department of Chemistry, 1102 Natural Sciences II, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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16
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Back to the plant: overcoming roadblocks to the microbial production of pharmaceutically important plant natural products. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 47:815-828. [PMID: 32772209 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02300-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fermentation platforms offer a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to plant cultivation and chemical synthesis for the production of many plant-derived pharmaceuticals. Plant alkaloids, particularly benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and monoterpene indole alkaloids, and recently cannabinoids have become attractive targets for microbial biosynthesis owing to their medicinal importance. Recent advances in the discovery of pathway components, together with the application of synthetic biology tools, have facilitated the assembly of plant alkaloid and cannabinoid pathways in the microbial hosts Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This review highlights key aspects of these pathways in the framework of overcoming bottlenecks in microbial production to further improve end-product titers. We discuss the opportunities that emerge from a better understanding of the pathway components by further study of the plant, and strategies for generation of new and advanced medicinal compounds.
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17
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Herbert AJ, Shepherd SA, Cronin VA, Bennett MR, Sung R, Micklefield J. Engineering Orthogonal Methyltransferases to Create Alternative Bioalkylation Pathways. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202004963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail J. Herbert
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Sarah A. Shepherd
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Victoria A. Cronin
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Matthew R. Bennett
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Rehana Sung
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Jason Micklefield
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
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18
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Valentic TR, Payne JT, Smolke CD. Structure-Guided Engineering of a Scoulerine 9-O-Methyltransferase Enables the Biosynthesis of Tetrahydropalmatrubine and Tetrahydropalmatine in Yeast. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.9b05417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R. Valentic
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - James T. Payne
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Christina D. Smolke
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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19
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Morris JS, Yu L, Facchini PJ. A single residue determines substrate preference in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid N-methyltransferases. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2020; 170:112193. [PMID: 31765874 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2019.112193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
N-methylation is a recurring feature in the biosynthesis of many plant specialized metabolites, including alkaloids. A crucial step in the conserved central pathway that provides intermediates for the biosynthesis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) involves conversion of the secondary amine (S)-coclaurine into the tertiary amine (S)-N-methylcoclaurine by coclaurine N-methyltransferase (CNMT). Subsequent enzymatic steps yield the core intermediate (S)-reticuline, from which various branch pathways for the biosynthesis of major BIAs such as morphine, noscapine and sanguinarine diverge. An additional N-methylation yielding quaternary BIAs is catalyzed by reticuline N-methyltransferase (RNMT), such as in the branch pathway leading to the taxonomically widespread and ecologically significant alkaloid magnoflorine. Despite their functional differences, analysis of primary sequence information has been unable to accurately distinguish between CNMT-like and RNMT-like enzymes, necessitating laborious in vitro screening. Furthermore, despite a recent emphasis on structural characterization of BIA NMTs, the features and mechanisms underlying the CNMT-RNMT functional dichotomy were unknown. We report the identification of structural variants tightly correlated with function in known BIA NMTs and show through reciprocal mutagenesis that a single residue acts as a switch between CNMT- and RNMT-like functions. We use yeast in vivo screening to show that this discovery allows for accurate prediction of activity strictly from primary sequence information and, on this basis, improve the annotation of previously reported putative BIA NMTs. Our results highlight the unusually short mutational distance separating ancestral CNMT-like enzymes from more evolutionarily advanced RNMT-like enzymes, and thus help explain the widespread yet sporadic occurrence of quaternary BIAs in plants. While this is the first report of structural variants controlling mono-versus di-methylation activity among plant NMT enzymes, comparison with bacterial MT enzymes also suggests possible convergent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Morris
- University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lisa Yu
- University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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20
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Yang L, Zhu J, Sun C, Deng Z, Qu X. Biosynthesis of plant tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids through an imine reductase route. Chem Sci 2020; 11:364-371. [PMID: 32190259 PMCID: PMC7067268 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc03773j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Herein, we report a biocatalytic approach to synthesize plant tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (THIQAs) from dihydroisoquinoline (DHIQ) precursors using imine reductases and N-methyltransferase (NMT). The imine reductase IR45 was engineered to significantly expand its substrate specificity, enabling efficient and stereoselective conversion of 1-phenyl and 1-benzyl 6,7-dimethoxy-DHIQs into the corresponding (S)-tetrahydroisoquinolines (S-THIQs). Coclaurine N-methyltransferase (CNMT) was able to further efficiently convert these (S)-THIQ intermediates into (S)-THIQAs. By assembling IRED, CNMT, and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) in one reaction, we effectively constituted two artificial biosynthetic pathways in Escherichia coli and successfully applied them to the production of five (S)-THIQAs. This highly efficient (100% yield from DHIQs) and easily tailorable (adding other genes) biosynthetic approach will be useful for producing a variety of plant THIQAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism , School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240 , China .
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Jinmei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Chenghai Sun
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism , School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240 , China .
| | - Xudong Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism , School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240 , China .
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
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21
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Identification and characterization of methyltransferases involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloids biosynthesis from Stephania intermedia. Biotechnol Lett 2019; 42:461-469. [DOI: 10.1007/s10529-019-02785-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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22
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Recent Advances in Flavin-Dependent Halogenase Biocatalysis: Sourcing, Engineering, and Application. Catalysts 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/catal9121030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of a halogen atom into a small molecule can effectively modulate its properties, yielding bioactive substances of agrochemical and pharmaceutical interest. Consequently, the development of selective halogenation strategies is of high technological value. Besides chemical methodologies, enzymatic halogenations have received increased interest as they allow the selective installation of halogen atoms in molecular scaffolds of varying complexity under mild reaction conditions. Today, a comprehensive library of aromatic halogenases exists, and enzyme as well as reaction engineering approaches are being explored to broaden this enzyme family’s biocatalytic application range. In this review, we highlight recent developments in the sourcing, engineering, and application of flavin-dependent halogenases with a special focus on chemoenzymatic and coupled biosynthetic approaches.
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23
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Morris JS, Facchini PJ. Molecular Origins of Functional Diversity in Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Methyltransferases. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1058. [PMID: 31543888 PMCID: PMC6730481 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
O- and N-methylations are ubiquitous and recurring features in the biosynthesis of many specialized metabolites. Accordingly, the methyltransferase (MT) enzymes catalyzing these modifications are directly responsible for a substantial fraction of the vast chemodiversity observed in plants. Enabled by DNA sequencing and synthesizing technologies, recent studies have revealed and experimentally validated the trajectories of molecular evolution through which MTs, such as those biosynthesizing caffeine, emerge and shape plant chemistry. Despite these advances, the evolutionary origins of many other alkaloid MTs are still unclear. Focusing on benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA)-producing plants such as opium poppy, we review the functional breadth of BIA N- and O-MT enzymes and their relationship with the chemical diversity of their host species. Drawing on recent structural studies, we discuss newfound insight regarding the molecular determinants of BIA MT function and highlight key hypotheses to be tested. We explore what is known and suspected concerning the evolutionary histories of BIA MTs and show that substantial advances in this domain are within reach. This new knowledge is expected to greatly enhance our conceptual understanding of the evolutionary origins of specialized metabolism.
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24
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Lang DE, Morris JS, Rowley M, Torres MA, Maksimovich VA, Facchini PJ, Ng KKS. Structure-function studies of tetrahydroprotoberberine N-methyltransferase reveal the molecular basis of stereoselective substrate recognition. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:14482-14498. [PMID: 31395658 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a structurally diverse class of plant-specialized metabolites that have been particularly well-studied in the order Ranunculales. The N-methyltransferases (NMTs) in BIA biosynthesis can be divided into three groups according to substrate specificity and amino acid sequence. Here, we report the first crystal structures of enzyme complexes from the tetrahydroprotoberberine NMT (TNMT) subclass, specifically for GfTNMT from the yellow horned poppy (Glaucium flavum). GfTNMT was co-crystallized with the cofactor S-adenosyl-l-methionine (d min = 1.6 Å), the product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (d min = 1.8 Å), or in complex with S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine and (S)-cis-N-methylstylopine (d min = 1.8 Å). These structures reveal for the first time how a mostly hydrophobic L-shaped substrate recognition pocket selects for the (S)-cis configuration of the two central six-membered rings in protoberberine BIA compounds. Mutagenesis studies confirm and functionally define the roles of several highly-conserved residues within and near the GfTNMT-active site. The substrate specificity of TNMT enzymes appears to arise from the arrangement of subgroup-specific stereospecific recognition elements relative to catalytic elements that are more widely-conserved among all BIA NMTs. The binding mode of protoberberine compounds to GfTNMT appears to be similar to coclaurine NMT, with the isoquinoline rings buried deepest in the binding pocket. This binding mode differs from that of pavine NMT, in which the benzyl ring is bound more deeply than the isoquinoline rings. The insights into substrate recognition and catalysis provided here form a sound basis for the rational engineering of NMT enzymes for chemoenzymatic synthesis and metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean E Lang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jeremy S Morris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Michael Rowley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Miguel A Torres
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.,Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305
| | - Vook A Maksimovich
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Kenneth K S Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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25
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Weber C, Opatz T. Bisbenzylisoquinoline Alkaloids. THE ALKALOIDS: CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY 2019; 81:1-114. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.alkal.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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26
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Džambaski Z, Bondžić BP. Dehydrogenative C(sp3)–H bond functionalization of tetrahydroisoquinolines mediated by organic oxidants under mild conditions. Org Biomol Chem 2019; 17:6420-6425. [DOI: 10.1039/c9ob01090d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
DDQ and IBX are effective SET oxidants of N-aryl-protected and unprotected THIQs. Mannich and Strecker type functionalizations ensued in an overall CDC reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Džambaski
- Center for Chemistry
- ICTM institute
- University of Belgrade
- 11 000 Belgrade
- Serbia
| | - Bojan P. Bondžić
- Center for Chemistry
- ICTM institute
- University of Belgrade
- 11 000 Belgrade
- Serbia
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