Discovering and harnessing oxidative enzymes for chemoenzymatic synthesis and diversification of anticancer camptothecin analogues.
Commun Chem 2021;
4:177. [PMID:
36697859 PMCID:
PMC9814082 DOI:
10.1038/s42004-021-00602-2]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Semi-synthetic derivatives of camptothecin, a quinoline alkaloid found in the Camptotheca acuminata tree, are potent anticancer agents. Here we discovered two C. acuminata cytochrome P450 monooxygenases that catalyze regio-specific 10- and 11-oxidations of camptothecin, and demonstrated combinatorial chemoenzymatic C-H functionalizations of the camptothecin scaffold using the new enzymes to produce a suite of anticancer drugs, including topotecan (Hycamtin®) and irinotecan (Camptosar®). This work sheds new light into camptothecin metabolism, and represents greener approaches for accessing clinically relevant camptothecin derivatives.
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