1
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Guo Q, Morinaka BI. Accessing and exploring the unusual chemistry by radical SAM-RiPP enzymes. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 81:102483. [PMID: 38917731 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Radical SAM enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides catalyze unusual transformations that lead to unique peptide scaffolds and building blocks. Several natural products from these pathways show encouraging antimicrobial activities and represent next-generation therapeutics for infectious diseases. These systems are uniquely configured to benefit from genome-mining approaches because minimal substrate and cognate modifying enzyme expression can reveal unique, chemically complex transformations that outperform late-stage chemical reactions. This report highlights the main strategies used to reveal these enzymatic transformations, which have relied mainly on genome mining using enzyme-first approaches. We describe the general biosynthetic components for rSAM enzymes and highlight emerging approaches that may broaden the discovery and study of rSAM-RiPP enzymes. The large number of uncharacterized rSAM proteins, coupled with their unpredictable transformations, will continue to be an essential and exciting resource for enzyme discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Guo
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brandon I Morinaka
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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2
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Cheek LE, Zhu W. Structural features and substrate engagement in peptide-modifying radical SAM enzymes. Arch Biochem Biophys 2024; 756:110012. [PMID: 38663796 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2024.110012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, the biological significance of ribosomally synthesized, post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) and the intriguing chemistry catalyzed by their tailoring enzymes has garnered significant attention. A subgroup of bacterial radical S-adenosylmethionine (rSAM) enzymes can activate C-H bonds in peptides, which leads to the production of a diverse range of RiPPs. The remarkable ability of these enzymes to facilitate various chemical processes, to generate and harbor high-energy radical species, and to accommodate large substrates with a high degree of flexibility is truly intriguing. The wide substrate scope and diversity of the chemistry performed by rSAM enzymes raise one question: how does the protein environment facilitate these distinct chemical conversions while sharing a similar structural fold? In this review, we discuss recent advances in the field of RiPP-rSAM enzymes, with a particular emphasis on domain architectures and substrate engagements identified by biophysical and structural characterizations. We provide readers with a comparative analysis of six examples of RiPP-rSAM enzymes with experimentally characterized structures. Linking the structural elements and the nature of rSAM-catalyzed RiPP production will provide insight into the functional engineering of enzyme activity to harness their catalytic power in broader applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly E Cheek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Wen Zhu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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3
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Richter D, Piel J. Novel types of RiPP-modifying enzymes. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 80:102463. [PMID: 38729090 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Novel discoveries in natural product biosynthesis reveal hidden bioactive compounds and expand our knowledge in enzymology. Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a rapidly growing class of natural products featuring diverse non-canonical amino acids introduced by maturation enzymes as a class-defining characteristic. Underexplored RiPP sources, such as the human microbiome, the oceans, uncultured microorganisms, and plants are rich hunting grounds for novel enzymology. Unusual α- and β-amino acids, peptide cleavages, lipidations, diverse macrocyclizations, and other features expand the range of chemical groups that are installed in RiPPs by often promiscuous enzymes. This review highlights the search for novelty in RiPP enzymology in the past two years, with respect to the discovery of new biochemical modifications but also towards novel applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Richter
- Institute of Microbiology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jörn Piel
- Institute of Microbiology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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4
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Woodard AM, Peccati F, Navo CD, Jiménez-Osés G, Mitchell DA. Darobactin Substrate Engineering and Computation Show Radical Stability Governs Ether versus C-C Bond Formation. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:14328-14340. [PMID: 38728535 PMCID: PMC11225102 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c03994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The Gram-negative selective antibiotic darobactin A has attracted interest owing to its intriguing fused bicyclic structure and unique targeting of the outer membrane protein BamA. Darobactin, a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP), is produced by a radical S-adenosyl methionine (rSAM)-dependent enzyme (DarE) and contains one ether and one C-C cross-link. Herein, we analyze the substrate tolerance of DarE and describe an underlying catalytic principle of the enzyme. These efforts produced 51 enzymatically modified darobactin variants, revealing that DarE can install the ether and C-C cross-links independently and in different locations on the substrate. Notable variants with fused bicyclic structures were characterized, including darobactin W3Y, with a non-Trp residue at the twice-modified central position, and darobactin K5F, which displays a fused diether ring pattern. While lacking antibiotic activity, quantum mechanical modeling of darobactins W3Y and K5F aided in the elucidation of the requisite features for high-affinity BamA engagement. We also provide experimental evidence for β-oxo modification, which adds support for a proposed DarE mechanism. Based on these results, ether and C-C cross-link formation was investigated computationally, and it was determined that more stable and longer-lived aromatic Cβ radicals correlated with ether formation. Further, molecular docking and transition state structures based on high-level quantum mechanical calculations support the different indole connectivity observed for ether (Trp-C7) and C-C (Trp-C6) cross-links. Finally, mutational analysis and protein structural predictions identified substrate residues that govern engagement to DarE. Our work informs on darobactin scaffold engineering and further unveils the underlying principles of rSAM catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin M Woodard
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana─Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana─Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Francesca Peccati
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Claudio D Navo
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Jiménez-Osés
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Douglas A Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana─Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana─Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana─Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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5
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Nguyen DT, Mitchell DA, van der Donk WA. Genome Mining for New Enzyme Chemistry. ACS Catal 2024; 14:4536-4553. [PMID: 38601780 PMCID: PMC11002830 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c06322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
A revolution in the field of biocatalysis has enabled scalable access to compounds of high societal values using enzymes. The construction of biocatalytic routes relies on the reservoir of available enzymatic transformations. A review of uncharacterized proteins predicted from genomic sequencing projects shows that a treasure trove of enzyme chemistry awaits to be uncovered. This Review highlights enzymatic transformations discovered through various genome mining methods and showcases their potential future applications in biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinh T. Nguyen
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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6
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Eslami SM, van der Donk WA. Proteases Involved in Leader Peptide Removal during RiPP Biosynthesis. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2024; 4:20-36. [PMID: 38404746 PMCID: PMC10885120 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.3c00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) have received much attention in recent years because of their promising bioactivities and the portability of their biosynthetic pathways. Heterologous expression studies of RiPP biosynthetic enzymes identified by genome mining often leave a leader peptide on the final product to prevent toxicity to the host and to allow the attachment of a genetically encoded affinity purification tag. Removal of the leader peptide to produce the mature natural product is then carried out in vitro with either a commercial protease or a protease that fulfills this task in the producing organism. This review covers the advances in characterizing these latter cognate proteases from bacterial RiPPs and their utility as sequence-dependent proteases. The strategies employed for leader peptide removal have been shown to be remarkably diverse. They include one-step removal by a single protease, two-step removal by two dedicated proteases, and endoproteinase activity followed by aminopeptidase activity by the same protease. Similarly, the localization of the proteolytic step varies from cytoplasmic cleavage to leader peptide removal during secretion to extracellular leader peptide removal. Finally, substrate recognition ranges from highly sequence specific with respect to the leader and/or modified core peptide to nonsequence specific mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Eslami
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, University of
Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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7
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Lien Y, Lachowicz JC, Mendauletova A, Zizola C, Ngendahimana T, Kostenko A, Eaton SS, Latham JA, Grove TL. Structural, Biochemical, and Bioinformatic Basis for Identifying Radical SAM Cyclopropyl Synthases. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:370-379. [PMID: 38295270 PMCID: PMC10878394 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The importance of radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (RS) enzymes in the maturation of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) continues to expand, specifically for the RS-SPASM subfamily. We recently discovered an RS-SPASM enzyme that installs a carbon-carbon bond between the geminal methyls of valine residues, resulting in the formation of cyclopropylglycine (CPG). Here, we sought to define the family of cyclopropyl (CP) synthases because of the importance of cyclopropane scaffolds in pharmaceutical development. Using RadicalSAM.org, we bioinformatically expanded the family of CP synthases and assigned unique peptide sequences to each subclade. We identified a unique RiPP biosynthetic pathway that encodes a precursor peptide, TigB, with a repeating TIGSVS motif. Using LCMS and NMR techniques, we show that the RS enzyme associated with the pathway, TigE, catalyzes the formation of a methyl-CPG from the conserved isoleucine residing in the repeating motif of TigB. Furthermore, we obtained a crystal structure of TigE, which reveals an unusual tyrosyl ligation to the auxiliary I [4Fe-4S] cluster, provided by a glycine-tyrosine-tryptophan motif unique to all CP synthases. Further, we show that this unique tyrosyl ligation is absolutely required for TigE activity. Together, our results provide insight into how CP synthases perform this unique reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lien
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Jake C. Lachowicz
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Aigera Mendauletova
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Cynthia Zizola
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Thacien Ngendahimana
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Anastasiia Kostenko
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Sandra S. Eaton
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - John A. Latham
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Tyler L. Grove
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
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8
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Ma S, Xi W, Wang S, Chen H, Guo S, Mo T, Chen W, Deng Z, Chen F, Ding W, Zhang Q. Substrate-Controlled Catalysis in the Ether Cross-Link-Forming Radical SAM Enzymes. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:22945-22953. [PMID: 37769281 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Darobactin is a heptapeptide antibiotic featuring an ether cross-link and a C-C cross-link, and both cross-links are installed by a radical S-adenosylmethionine (rSAM) enzyme DarE. How a single DarE enzyme affords the two chemically distinct cross-links remains largely obscure. Herein, by mapping the biosynthetic landscape for darobactin-like RiPP (daropeptide), we identified and characterized two novel daropeptides that lack the C-C cross-link present in darobactin and instead are solely composed of ether cross-links. Phylogenetic and mutagenesis analyses reveal that the daropeptide maturases possess intrinsic multifunctionality, catalyzing not only the formation of ether cross-link but also C-C cross-linking and Ser oxidation. Intriguingly, the different chemical outcomes are controlled by the exact substrate motifs. Our work not only provides a roadmap for the discovery of new daropeptide natural products but also offers insights into the regulatory mechanisms that govern these remarkably versatile ether cross-link-forming rSAM enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suze Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wenhui Xi
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Heng Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Sijia Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Tianlu Mo
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Wenxue Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Fener Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Synthesis, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
| | - Wei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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9
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Vagstad AL. Engineering ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides as new antibiotics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 80:102891. [PMID: 36702077 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistance is an urgent public health threat demanding the invention of new drugs to combat infections. Naturally sourced nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) have a long history as antimicrobial drugs. Through recent advances in genome mining and engineering technologies, their ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide (RiPP) counterparts are poised to further contribute to the arsenal of anti-infectives. As natural products from diverse organisms involved in interspecies competition, many RiPPs already possess antimicrobial activities that can be further optimized as drug candidates. Owing to the mutability of precursor protein genes that encode their core structures and the availability of diverse posttranslational modification (PTM) enzymes with broad substrate tolerances, RiPP systems are well suited to engineer complex peptides with desired functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Vagstad
- Institute of Microbiology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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10
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Knox HL, Allen KN. Expanding the viewpoint: Leveraging sequence information in enzymology. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 72:102246. [PMID: 36599282 PMCID: PMC10251232 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The use of protein sequence to inform enzymology in terms of structure, mechanism, and function has burgeoned over the past two decades. Referred to as genomic enzymology, the utilization of bioinformatic tools such as sequence similarity networks and phylogenetic analyses has allowed the identification of new substrates and metabolites, novel pathways, and unexpected reaction mechanisms. The holistic examination of superfamilies can yield insight into the origins and paths of evolution of enzymes and the range of their substrates and mechanisms. Herein, we highlight advances in the use of genomic enzymology to address problems which the in-depth analyses of a single enzyme alone could not enable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley L Knox
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215-2521, USA
| | - Karen N Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215-2521, USA.
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11
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Clark KA, Seyedsayamdost MR. Bioinformatic Atlas of Radical SAM Enzyme-Modified RiPP Natural Products Reveals an Isoleucine-Tryptophan Crosslink. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:17876-17888. [PMID: 36128669 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a growing family of natural products with diverse activities and structures. RiPP classes are defined by the tailoring enzyme, which can introduce a narrow range of modifications or a diverse set of alterations. In the latter category, RiPPs synthesized by radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzymes, known as RaS-RiPPs, have emerged as especially divergent. A map of all RaS-RiPP gene clusters does not yet exist. Moreover, precursor peptides remain difficult to predict using computational methods. Herein, we have addressed these challenges and reported a bioinformatic atlas of RaS-RiPP gene clusters in available microbial genome sequences. Using co-occurrence of RaS enzymes and transporters from varied families as a bioinformatic hook in conjunction with an in-house code to identify precursor peptides, we generated a map of ∼15,500 RaS-RiPP gene clusters, which reveal a remarkable diversity of syntenies pointing to a tremendous range of enzymatic and natural product chemistries that remain to be explored. To assess its utility, we examined one family of gene clusters encoding a YcaO enzyme and a RaS enzyme. We find the former is noncanonical, contains an iron-sulfur cluster, and installs a novel modification, a backbone amidine into the precursor peptide. The RaS enzyme was also found to install a new modification, a C-C crosslink between the unactivated terminal δ-methyl group of Ile and a Trp side chain. The co-occurrence search can be applied to other families of RiPPs, as we demonstrate with the emerging DUF692 di-iron enzyme superfamily.
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12
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Substrate specificity and reaction directionality of a three-residue cyclophane forming enzyme PauB. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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