Blankenfeldt W, Parsons JF. The structural biology of phenazine biosynthesis.
Curr Opin Struct Biol 2014;
29:26-33. [PMID:
25215885 DOI:
10.1016/j.sbi.2014.08.013]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The phenazines are a class of over 150 nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds of bacterial and archeal origin. Their redox properties not only explain their activity as broad-specificity antibiotics and virulence factors but also enable them to function as respiratory pigments, thus extending their importance to the primary metabolism of phenazine-producing species. Despite their discovery in the mid-19th century, the molecular mechanisms behind their biosynthesis have only been unraveled in the last decade. Here, we review the contribution of structural biology that has led to our current understanding of phenazine biosynthesis.
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