Pericyclic prenylation: peptide modification through a Claisen rearrangement

Design, Synthesis and Late-Stage Modification of Indane-Based Peptides via [2+2+2] Cyclotrimerization

Here, we prepared several dipeptides containing 2-aminoindane-2-carboxylic acid (Aic) and carried out further synthetic transformations. Synthesis and purification of modified peptides by using [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization is a challenging task. We are able to modify the unusual amino acids and peptide derivatives by late-stage incorporation of benzylhalo functionality. To incorporate benzylhalo moiety we used [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization in the presence of Mo(CO)₆ . These halo derivatives are potential substrates for further modification by Sonogashira reaction, Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, sultine formation, and the Diels-Alder reaction sequence.

Sphaerocyclamide, a prenylated cyanobactin from the cyanobacterium Sphaerospermopsis sp. LEGE 00249

Cyanobactins are a family of linear and cyclic peptides produced through the post-translational modification of short precursor peptides. A mass spectrometry-based screening of potential cyanobactin producers led to the discovery of a new prenylated member of this family of compounds, sphaerocyclamide (1), from Sphaerospermopsis sp. LEGE 00249. The sphaerocyclamide biosynthetic gene cluster (sph) encoding the novel macrocyclic prenylated cyanobactin, was sequenced. Heterologous expression of the sph gene cluster in Escherichia coli confirmed the connection between genomic and mass spectrometric data. Unambiguous establishment of the orientation and site of prenylation required the full structural elucidation of 1 using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), which demonstrated that a forward prenylation occurred on the tyrosine residue. Compound 1 was tested in pharmacologically or ecologically relevant biological assays and revealed moderate antimicrobial activity towards the fouling bacterium Halomonas aquamarina CECT 5000.

Mechanisms of cyanobactin biosynthesis

Cyanobactins are a diverse collection of natural products that originate from short peptides made on a ribosome. The amino acids are modified in a series of transformations catalyzed by multiple enzymes. The patellamide pathway is the most well studied and characterized example. Here we review the structures and mechanisms of the enzymes that cleave peptide bonds, macrocyclise peptides, heterocyclise cysteine (as well as threonine and serine) residues, oxidize five-membered heterocycles and attach prenyl groups. Some enzymes operate by novel mechanisms which is of interest and in addition the enzymes uncouple recognition from catalysis. The normally tight relationship between these factors hinders biotechnology. The cyanobactin pathway may be particularly suitable for exploitation, with progress observed with in vivo and in vitro approaches.

Cyanobactins from Cyanobacteria: Current Genetic and Chemical State of Knowledge

Cyanobacteria are considered to be one of the most promising sources of new, natural products. Apart from non-ribosomal peptides and polyketides, ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are one of the leading groups of bioactive compounds produced by cyanobacteria. Among these, cyanobactins have sparked attention due to their interesting bioactivities and for their potential to be prospective candidates in the development of drugs. It is assumed that the primary source of cyanobactins is cyanobacteria, although these compounds have also been isolated from marine animals such as ascidians, sponges and mollusks. The aim of this review is to update the current knowledge of cyanobactins, recognized as being produced by cyanobacteria, and to emphasize their genetic clusters and chemical structures as well as their bioactivities, ecological roles and biotechnological potential.

Structural analysis of leader peptide binding enables leader-free cyanobactin processing

Regioselective modification of amino acids within the context of a peptide is common to a number of biosynthetic pathways and many such products have potential as therapeutics. The ATP dependent enzyme LynD heterocyclizes multiple cysteine residues to thiazolines within a peptide substrate. The enzyme requires the substrate to have conserved N-terminal leader for full activity. Catalysis is almost insensitive to immediately flanking residues in the substrate suggesting recognition occurs distant from the active site. Nucleotide and peptide substrate co-complex structures of LynD reveal the substrate leader peptide binds to and extends the β-sheet of a conserved domain of LynD, whilst catalysis is accomplished in another conserved domain. The spatial segregation of catalysis from recognition combines seemingly contradictory properties of regioselectivity and promiscuity; it appears to be a conserved strategy in other peptide modifying enzymes. A variant of LynD that efficiently processes substrates without a leader peptide has been engineered.

Site-directed mutagenesis switching a dimethylallyl tryptophan synthase to a specific tyrosine C3-prenylating enzyme

The tryptophan prenyltransferases FgaPT2 and 7-DMATS (7-dimethylallyl tryptophan synthase) from Aspergillus fumigatus catalyze C(4)- and C(7)-prenylation of the indole ring, respectively. 7-DMATS was found to accept l-tyrosine as substrate as well and converted it to an O-prenylated derivative. An acceptance of l-tyrosine by FgaPT2 was also observed in this study. Interestingly, isolation and structure elucidation revealed the identification of a C(3)-prenylated l-tyrosine as enzyme product. Molecular modeling and site-directed mutagenesis led to creation of a mutant FgaPT2_K174F, which showed much higher specificity toward l-tyrosine than l-tryptophan. Its catalytic efficiency toward l-tyrosine was found to be 4.9-fold in comparison with that of non-mutated FgaPT2, whereas the activity toward l-tryptophan was less than 0.4% of that of the wild-type. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on an enzymatic C-prenylation of l-tyrosine as free amino acid and altering the substrate preference of a prenyltransferase by mutagenesis.

The structural biology of patellamide biosynthesis

The biosynthetic pathways for patellamide and related natural products have recently been studied by structural biology. These pathways produce molecules that have a complex framework and exhibit a diverse array of activity due to the variability of the amino acids that are found in them. As these molecules are difficult to synthesize chemically, exploitation of their properties has been modest. The patellamide pathway involves amino acid heterocyclization, peptide cleavage, peptide macrocyclization, heterocycle oxidation and epimerization; closely related products are also prenylated. Enzyme activities have been identified for all these transformations except epimerization, which may be spontaneous. This review highlights the recent structural and mechanistic work on amino acid heterocyclization, peptide cleavage and peptide macrocyclization. This work should help in using the enzymes to produce novel analogs of the natural products enabling an exploitation of their properties.

Understanding and applying tyrosine biochemical diversity

This review highlights some of the recent advances made in our understanding of the diversity of tyrosine biochemistry and shows how this has inspired novel applications in numerous areas of molecular design and synthesis, including chemical biology and bioconjugation. The pathophysiological implications of tyrosine biochemistry will be presented from a molecular perspective and the opportunities for therapeutic intervention explored.

Chemically unprecedented biocatalytic (AuaG) retro-[2,3]-Wittig rearrangement: a new insight into aurachin B biosynthesis

AuaG is flavin-dependent monooxygenase responsible for the conversion of aurachin C to aurachin B, a reaction thought to resemble semipinacol migration of the farnesyl substituent. A study of the substrate tolerance of AuaG reveals that it has the peculiar ability to oxidise short-chain analogues of aurachin D. Unexpectedly, a novel retro-[2,3]-Wittig rearrangement was observed with an isoprenyl substrate analogue, thus leading to the 1,1-dimethylallyl ether. Additionally, we found that saturated-chain analogues of N-oxidised aurachin C were not transformed by the C3→C4 semipinacol reaction, as might have been expected for such substrates. Based on this and the unique retro-[2,3]-Wittig rearrangement, we discuss an alternative biosynthetic route for the conversion of aurachin C to aurachin B.