Phenylalanine meta-Hydroxylase: A Single Residue Mediates Mechanistic Control of Aromatic Amino Acid Hydroxylation

Biosynthesis of Viridicatol in Penicillium palitans Implies a Cytochrome P450-Mediated meta Hydroxylation at a Monoalkylated Benzene Ring

Cyclopenol (1) and viridicatol (6) with m-hydroxyl groups were isolated from a culture of Penicillium palitans. Genome mining and heterologous expression in Aspergillus nidulans led to the identification of their biosynthetic gene cluster and the cytochrome P450 enzyme VdoD responsible for the meta hydroxylation. Precursor feeding experiments into vdoD transformant proved the conversion of cyclopenin (2) to 1, which then undergoes a spontaneous or VdoA-catalyzed rearrangement to 6. A direct conversion of viridicatin (5) to 6 by VdoD was not detected.

Structural Basis for Isomerization Reactions in Fungal Tetrahydroxanthone Biosynthesis and Diversification

The novel isomerase NsrQ, from Aspergillus novofumigatus, is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of fungal tetrahydroxanthones and is responsible for dearomatizing cyclization to provide a tetrahydroxanthone scaffold. NsrQ catalyzes a two-step isomerization reaction, involving the isomerization of allylic alcohol and subsequent inversion of configuration at the methyl group. We report on the biochemical and structural characterizations of NsrQ, and its homologue Dcr3, from Diaporthe longicolla. The crystal structures of NsrQ and Dcr3 revealed their similar overall structures, with a cone-shaped α+β barrel fold, to those of the nuclear transport factor 2-like superfamily enzymes. Furthermore, the structures of Dcr3 and NsrQ variants complexed with substrate analogues and the site-directed mutagenesis studies identified the catalytic residues and the important hydrophobic residues in shaping the active site pocket for substrate binding. These enzymes thus utilize Glu and His residues as acid-base catalysts. Based on these observations, we proposed a detailed reaction mechanism for NsrQ-catalyzed isomerization reactions.

SynBio-SynChem Approaches to Diversifying the Pacidamycins through the Exploitation of an Observed Pictet-Spengler Reaction

A nonenzymatic Pictet-Spengler reaction has been postulated to give rise to a subset of naturally occurring uridyl peptide antibiotics (UPAs). Here, using a combination of strain engineering and synthetic chemistry, we demonstrate that Pictet-Spengler chemistry may be employed to generate even greater diversity in the UPAs. We use an engineered strain to afford access to meta-tyrosine containing pacidamycin 4. Pictet-Spengler diversification of this compound using a small series of aryl-aldehydes was achieved with some derivatives affording remarkable diastereomeric control.

Biosynthetic Pathways to Nonproteinogenic α-Amino Acids

Natural nonproteinogenic amino acids vastly outnumber the well-known 22 proteinogenic amino acids. Such amino acids are generated in specialized metabolic pathways. In these pathways, diverse biosynthetic transformations, ranging from isomerizations to the stereospecific functionalization of C-H bonds, are employed to generate structural diversity. The resulting nonproteinogenic amino acids can be integrated into more complex natural products. Here we review recently discovered biosynthetic routes to freestanding nonproteinogenic α-amino acids, with an emphasis on work reported between 2013 and mid-2019.

Phenylalanine meta-Hydroxylase: A Single Residue Mediates Mechanistic Control of Aromatic Amino Acid Hydroxylation

The rare nonproteinogenic amino acid, meta‐l‐tyrosine is biosynthetically intriguing. Whilst the biogenesis of tyrosine from phenylalanine is well characterised, the mechanistic basis for meta‐hydroxylation is unknown. Herein, we report the analysis of 3‐hydroxylase (Phe3H) from Streptomyces coeruleorubidus. Insights from kinetic analyses of the wild‐type enzyme and key mutants as well as of the biocatalytic conversion of synthetic isotopically labelled substrates and fluorinated substrate analogues advance understanding of the process by which meta‐hydroxylation is mediated, revealing T202 to play an important role. In the case of the WT enzyme, a deuterium label at the 3‐position is lost, whereas in in the T202A mutant 75 % retention is observed, with loss of stereospecificity. These data suggest that one of two possible mechanisms is at play; direct, enzyme‐catalysed deprotonation following electrophilic aromatic substitution or stereospecific loss of one proton after a 1,2‐hydride shift. Furthermore, our kinetic parameters for Phe3H show efficient regiospecific generation of meta‐l‐tyrosine from phenylalanine and demonstrate the enzyme's ability to regiospecifically hydroxylate unnatural fluorinated substrates.