Investigating Nonribosomal Peptide and Polyketide Biosynthesis by Direct Detection of Intermediates on >70 kDa Polypeptides by Using Fourier-Transform Mass Spectrometry

Structural, biochemical and bioinformatic analyses of nonribosomal peptide synthetase adenylation domains

Covering: 1997 to July 2023The adenylation reaction has been a subject of scientific intrigue since it was first recognized as essential to many biological processes, including the homeostasis and pathogenicity of some bacteria and the activation of amino acids for protein synthesis in mammals. Several foundational studies on adenylation (A) domains have facilitated an improved understanding of their molecular structures and biochemical properties, in particular work on nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). In NRPS pathways, A domains activate their respective acyl substrates for incorporation into a growing peptidyl chain, and many nonribosomal peptides are bioactive. From a natural product drug discovery perspective, improving existing bioinformatics platforms to predict unique NRPS products more accurately from genomic data is desirable. Here, we summarize characterization efforts of A domains primarily from NRPS pathways from July 1997 up to July 2023, covering protein structure elucidation, in vitro assay development, and in silico tools for improved predictions.

Novel chemical probes for the investigation of nonribosomal peptide assembly

Chemical probes were devised and evaluated for the capture of biosynthetic intermediates involved in the bio-assembly of the nonribosomal peptide echinomycin. Putative intermediate peptide species were isolated and characterised, providing fresh insights into pathway substrate flexibility and paving the way for novel chemoenzymatic approaches towards unnatural peptides.

Total Biosynthesis of the Pyrrolo[4,2]benzodiazepine Scaffold Tomaymycin on an In Vitro Reconstituted NRPS System

In vitro reconstitution and biochemical analysis of natural product biosynthetic pathways remains a challenging endeavor, especially if megaenzymes of the nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) type are involved. In theory, all biosynthetic steps may be deciphered using mass spectrometry (MS)-based analyses of both the carrier protein-coupled intermediates and the free intermediates. We here report the "total biosynthesis" of the pyrrolo[4,2]benzodiazepine scaffold tomaymycin using an in vitro reconstituted NRPS system. Proteoforms were analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC)-MS to decipher every step of the biosynthesis on its respective megasynthetase with up to 170 kDa in size. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a comprehensive analysis of virtually all chemical steps involved in the biosynthesis of nonribosomally synthesized natural products. The study includes experiments to determine substrate specificities of the corresponding A-domains in competition assays by analyzing the adenylation step as well as the transfer to the respective carrier protein domain.

A mechanism-based fluorescence transfer assay for examining ketosynthase selectivity

Since their discovery, polyketide synthases have received massive attention from researchers hoping to harness their potential as a platform for generating new and improved therapeutics. Despite significant strides toward this end, inherent specificities within the enzymes responsible for polyketide production have severely limited these efforts. We have developed a mechanism-based, fluorescence transfer assay for a key enzyme component of all polyketide synthases, the ketosynthase domain. As demonstrated, this method can be used with both ketosynthase-containing didomains and full modules. As proof of principle, the ketosynthase domain from module 6 of the 6-deoxyerythronolide synthase is examined for its ability to accept a variety of simple thioester substrates. Consistent with its natural hexaketide substrate, we find that this ketosynthase prefers longer, α-branched thioesters and its ability to distinguish these structural features is quite remarkable. Substrate electronics are also tested via a variety of p-substituted aromatic groups. In all, we expect this technique to find considerable use in the field of polyketide biosynthesis and engineering due to its extraordinary simplicity and very distinct visible readout.

FT-ICR-MS characterization of intermediates in the biosynthesis of the α-methylbutyrate side chain of lovastatin by the 277 kDa polyketide synthase LovF

There are very few fungal polyketide synthases that have been characterized by mass spectrometry. In this paper we describe the in vitro reconstitution and FT-ICR-MS verification of the full activity of an intact 277 kDa fungal polyketide synthase LovF of the lovastatin biosynthetic pathway. We report here both the verification of the reconstitution of fully functional holo-LovF by using (13)C-labeled malonyl-CoA to form α-methylbutyrate functionality and also detection of five predicted intermediates covalently bound to the 4'-phosphopantetheine at the acyl carrier protein (ACP) active site utilizing the phosphopantetheine ejection assay and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Under in vitro conditions, the diketide acetoacetyl intermediate did not accumulate on the ACP active site of holo-LovF following incubation with malonyl-CoA substrate. We found that incubation of holo-LovF with acetoacetyl-CoA served as an effective means of loading the diketide intermediate onto the ACP active site of LovF. Our results demonstrate that subsequent α-methylation of the acetoacetyl intermediate stabilizes the intermediate onto the ACP active site and facilitates the formation and mass spectrometric detection of additional intermediates en route to the formation of α-methylbutyrate.

Malonyl carba(dethia)- and malonyl oxa(dethia)-coenzyme A as tools for trapping polyketide intermediates

In order to study intermediates in polyketide biosynthesis two nonhydrolyzable malonyl coenzyme A analogues were synthesised by a chemoenzymatic route. In these analogues the sulfur atom of CoA was replaced either by a methylene group (carbadethia analogue) or by an oxygen atom (oxadethia analogue). These malonyl-CoA analogues were found to compete with the natural extender unit malonyl-CoA and to trap intermediates from stilbene synthase, a type III polyketide synthase (PKS). From the reaction of stilbene synthase with its natural phenylpropanoid substrates, diketide, triketide and tetraketide species were successfully off-loaded and characterised by LC-MS. Moreover, the reactivity of the nonhydrolyzable analogues offers insights into the flexibility of substrate alignment in the PKS active site for efficient malonyl decarboxylation and condensation.

Accessing natural product biosynthetic processes by mass spectrometry

Two important classes of natural products are made by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and polyketide synthases (PKSs). With most biosynthetic intermediates covalently tethered during biogenesis, protein mass spectrometry (MS) has proven invaluable for their interrogation. New mass spectrometric assay formats (such as selective cofactor ejection and proteomics style LC-MS) are showcased here in the context of functional insights into new breeds of NRPS/PKS enzymes, including the first characterization of an 'iterative' PKS, the biosynthesis of the enediyne antitumor antibiotics, the study of a new strategy for PKS initiation via a GNAT-like mechanism, and the analysis of branching strategies in the so-called 'AT-less' NRPS/PKS hybrid systems. The future of MS analysis of NRPS and PKS biosynthetic pathways lies in adoption and development of methods that continue bridging enzymology with proteomics as both fields continue their post-genomic acceleration.

Time-resolved limited proteolysis of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-2 determined by LC/MS only

Mass spectrometry has gained prominence in limited proteolysis studies largely due to its unparalleled precision in determining protein molecular mass. However, proteolytic fragments usually cannot be identified through direct mass measurement, since multiple subsequences of a protein can frequently be matched to observed masses of proteolytic fragments. Therefore, additional information from N-terminal sequencing is often needed. Here we demonstrate that mass spectrometry analysis of the time course of limited proteolysis reactions provides new information that is self-sufficient to identify all proteolytic fragments. The method uses a non-specific protease like subtilisin and exploits information contained in the time-resolved dataset such as: increased likelihood of identifying larger fragments generated during initial proteolysis solely by their masses, additivity of the masses of two mutually exclusive sequence regions that generate the full-length molecule (or an already assigned subfragment), and analyses of the proteolytic subfragment patterns that are facilitated by having established the initial cleavage sites. We show that the identities of the observed proteolytic fragments can be determined by LC/MS alone because enough constraints exist in the time-resolved dataset. For a medium-sized protein, it takes about 8 h to complete the study, a significant improvement over the traditional SDS-PAGE and N-terminal sequencing method, which usually takes several days. We illustrate this method with application to the catalytic domain of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-2, and compare the results with N-terminal sequencing data and the known X-ray crystal structure.

Nonribosomal peptide synthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus and other fungi

In fungi, nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRP synthetases) are large multi-functional enzymes containing adenylation, thiolation (or peptidyl carrier protein, PCP) and condensation domains. These enzymes are often encoded within gene clusters. Multiple NRP synthetase ORFs have also been identified in fungi (14 in Aspergillus fumigatus). LeaA, a methyltransferase, is involved in secondary metabolite gene cluster regulation in Aspergillus spp. The NRP synthetases GliP and FtmA respectively direct the biosynthesis of the toxic metabolites gliotoxin and brevianamide F, a precursor of bioactive prenylated alkaloids. The NRP synthetase Pes1 has been shown to mediate resistance to oxidative stress, and in plant-pathogenic ascomycetes (e.g. Cochliobolus heterostrophus) an NRP synthetase, encoded by the NPS6 gene, significantly contributes to virulence and resistance to oxidative stress. Adenylation (A) domains within NRP synthetases govern the specificity of amino acid incorporation into nonribosomally synthesized peptides. To date there have only been limited demonstrations of A domain specificity (e.g. A. fumigatus GliP and in Beauveria bassiana) in fungi. Indeed, only in silico prediction data are available on A domain specificity of NRP synthetases from most fungi. NRP synthetases are activated by 4'-phosphopantetheinylation of serine residues within PCP domains by 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferases (4'-PPTases). Coenzyme A acts as the 4'-phosphopantetheine donor, and labelled coenzyme A can be used to affinity-label apo-NRP synthetases. Emerging fungal gene disruption and gene cluster expression strategies, allied to proteomic strategies, are poised to facilitate a greater understanding of the coding potential of NRP synthetases in fungi.

Stereospecificity of ketoreductase domains of the 6-deoxyerythronolide B synthase

6-Deoxyerythronolide B synthase (DEBS) is a modular polyketide synthase (PKS) responsible for the biosynthesis of 6-dEB (1), the parent aglycone of the broad spectrum macrolide antibiotic erythromycin. Individual DEBS modules, which contain the catalytic domains necessary for each step of polyketide chain elongation and chemical modification, can be deconstructed into constituent domains. To better understand the intrinsic stereospecificity of the ketoreductase (KR) domains, an in vitro reconstituted system has been developed involving combinations of ketosynthase (KS)-acyl transferase (AT) didomains with acyl-carrier protein (ACP) and KR domains from different DEBS modules. Incubations with (2S,3R)-2-methyl-3-hydroxypentanoic acid N-acetylcysteamine thioester (2) and methylmalonyl-CoA plus NADPH result in formation of a reduced, ACP-bound triketide that is converted to the corresponding triketide lactone 4 by either base- or enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis/cyclization. A sensitive and robust GC-MS technique has been developed to assign the stereochemistry of the resulting triketide lactones, on the basis of direct comparison with synthetic standards of each of the four possible diasteromers 4a-4d. Using the [KS][AT] didomains from either DEBS module 3 or module 6 in combination with KR domains from modules 2 or 6 gave in all cases exclusively (2R,3S,4R,5R)-3,5-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethyl-n-heptanoic acid-delta-lactone (4a). The same product was also generated by a chimeric module in which [KS3][AT3] was fused to [KR5][ACP5] and the DEBS thioesterase [TE] domain. Reductive quenching of the ACP-bound 2-methyl-3-ketoacyl triketide intermediate with sodium borohydride confirmed that in each case the triketide intermediate carried only an unepimerized d-2-methyl group. The results confirm the predicted stereospecificity of the individual KR domains, while revealing an unexpected configurational stability of the ACP-bound 2-methyl-3-ketoacyl thioester intermediate. The methodology should be applicable to the study of any combination of heterologous [KS][AT] and [KR] domains.

Combinatorial biosynthesis for drug development

Combinatorial biosynthesis can refer to any strategy for the genetic engineering of natural product biosynthesis to obtain new molecules, including the use of genetics for medicinal chemistry. However, it also implies the possibility that large libraries of complex compounds might be produced to feed a modern high-throughput screening operation. This review focuses on the multi-modular enzymes that produce polyketides, nonribosomal peptides, and hybrid polyketide-peptide compounds, which are the enzymes that appear to be most amenable to truly combinatorial approaches. The recent establishment of a high-throughput strategy for testing the activity of many non-natural combinations of modules from these enzymes should help speed the advance of this technology.

Facile detection of acyl and peptidyl intermediates on thiotemplate carrier domains via phosphopantetheinyl elimination reactions during tandem mass spectrometry

With the emergence of drug resistance and the genomic revolution, there has been a renewed interest in the genes that are responsible for the generation of bioactive natural products. Secondary metabolites of one major class are biosynthesized at one or more sites by ultralarge enzymes that carry covalent intermediates on phosphopantetheine arms. Because such intermediates are difficult to characterize in vitro, we have developed a new approach for streamlined detection of substrates, intermediates, and products attached to a phosphopantetheinyl arm of the carrier site. During vibrational activation of gas-phase carrier domains, facile elimination occurs in benchtop and Fourier-transform mass spectrometers alike. Phosphopantetheinyl ejections quickly reduce >100 kDa megaenzymes to <1000 Da ions for structural assignment of intermediates at <0.007 Da mass accuracy without proteolytic digestion. This "top down" approach quickly illuminated diverse acyl intermediates on the carrier domains of the nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) or polyketide synthases (PKSs) found in the biosynthetic pathways of prodigiosin, pyoluteorin, mycosubtilin, nikkomycin, enterobactin, gramicidin, and several proteins from the orphan pksX gene cluster from Bacillus subtilis. By focusing on just those regions undergoing covalent chemistry, the method delivered clean proof for the reversible dehydration of hydroxymethylglutaryl-S-PksL via incorporation of 2H or 18O from the buffer. The facile nature of this revised assay will allow diverse laboratories to spearhead their NRPS-PKS projects with benchtop mass spectrometers.

Dissecting non-ribosomal and polyketide biosynthetic machineries using electrospray ionization Fourier-Transform mass spectrometry

Many virulence factors and bioactive compounds with antifungal, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties are produced via the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) or polyketide synthase(PKS) paradigm. During the biosynthesis of these natural products, substrates, intermediates and side products are covalently tethered to the NRPS or PKS catalyst, introducing mass changes, making these biosynthetic systems ideal candidates for interrogation by large molecule mass spectrometry. This review serves as an introduction into the application of electrospray ionization Fourier-Transform massspectrometry (ESI-FTMS) to investigate NRPS and PKS systems. ESI-FTMS can be used to understand substrate tolerance, timing of covalent linkages, timing of tailoring reactions and the transfer of substrates and biosynthetic intermediates from domain to domain. Therefore we not only highlight key mechanistic insights for thiotemplate systems as found on the enterobactin,yersiniabactin, epothilone, clorobiocin, coumermycin, pyoluteorin, gramicidin, mycosubtilin, C-1027,6-deoxyerythronolide B and FK520 biosynthetic pathways, but we also explain the approaches taken to identify active sites from complex digests and compare the FTMS based assay to traditional assays and other mass spectrometric techniques. Although mass spectrometry was introduced over two decades ago to investigate NRPS and PKS biosynthetic systems, this is the first review devoted to this methodology.