Distributive and directional behavior of lantibiotic synthetases revealed by high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry

The conformationally dynamic structural biology of lanthipeptide biosynthesis

Lanthipeptide synthetases are fascinating biosynthetic enzymes that install intramolecular thioether bridges into genetically encoded peptides, typically endowing the peptide with therapeutic properties. The factors that control the macrocyclic topology of lanthipeptides are numerous and remain difficult to predict and manipulate. The key challenge in this endeavor derives from the vast conformational space accessible to the disordered precursor lanthipeptide, which can be manipulated in subtle ways by interaction with the cognate synthetase. This review explores the unique strategies employed by each of the five phylogenetically divergent classes of lanthipeptide synthetase to manipulate and exploit the dynamic lanthipeptide conformational ensemble, collectively enabling these biosynthetic enzymes to guide peptide maturation along specific trajectories to products with distinct macrocyclic topology and biological activity.

Exploring the Heterogeneous Structural Dynamics of Class II Lanthipeptide Synthetases with Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS)

Class II lanthipeptide synthetases (LanM enzymes) catalyze the installation of multiple thioether bridges into genetically encoded peptides to produce macrocyclic lanthipeptides, a class of biologically active natural products. Collectively, LanM enzymes install thioether rings of different sizes, topologies, and stereochemistry into a vast array of different LanA precursor peptide sequences. The factors that govern the outcome of the LanM-catalyzed reaction cascade are not fully characterized but are thought to involve both intermolecular interactions and intramolecular conformational changes in the [LanM:LanA] Michaelis complex. To test this hypothesis, we have combined AlphaFold modeling with hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) analysis of a small collection of divergent LanM/LanA systems to investigate the similarities and differences in their conformational dynamic properties. Our data indicate that LanA precursor peptide binding triggers relatively conserved changes in the structural dynamics of the LanM dehydratase domain, supporting the existence of a similar leader peptide binding mode across the LanM family. In contrast, changes induced in the dynamics of the LanM cyclase domain were more highly variable between enzymes, perhaps reflecting different peptide-cyclase interactions and/or different modes of allosteric activation in class II lanthipeptide biosynthesis. Our analysis highlights the ability of the emerging AlphaFold platform to predict protein-peptide interactions that are supported by other lines of experimental evidence. The combination of AlphaFold modeling with HDX-MS analysis should emerge as a useful approach for investigating other conformationally dynamic enzymes involved in peptide natural product biosynthesis.

Partially Modified Peptide Intermediates in Lanthipeptide Biosynthesis Alter the Structure and Dynamics of a Lanthipeptide Synthetase

Lanthipeptide synthetases construct macrocyclic peptide natural products by catalyzing an iterative cascade of post-translational modifications. Class II lanthipeptide synthetases (LanM enzymes) catalyze multiple rounds of peptide dehydration and thioether macrocycle formation in a manner that guides precursor peptide maturation to the biologically active final product with high fidelity. The mechanistic details underlying the contradictory phenomena of substrate flexibility coupled with high biosynthetic fidelity have proven challenging to illuminate. In this work, we employ mass spectrometry to investigate how the structure of a maturing precursor lanthipeptide (HalA2) influences the local and global structure of its cognate lanthipeptide synthetase (HalM2). Using enzymatically synthesized HalA2 peptides that contain sets of native thioether macrocycles, we employ ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) to show that HalA2 macrocyclization alters the conformational landscape of the HalM2 enzyme in a systematic manner. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) studies show that local HalM2 structural dynamics also change in response to HalA2 post-translational modification. Notably, deuterium uptake in a critical HalM2 α-helical region depends on the number of thioether macrocycles present in the HalA2 core peptide. Binding of the isolated leader and core peptide portions of the modular HalA2 precursor led to a synergistic structuring of this α-helical region, providing evidence for distinct leader and core peptide binding sites that independently alter the dynamics of this functionally critical α-helix. The data support a mechanistic model where the sequential post-translational modification of HalA2 alters the conformational dynamics of HalM2 in regions of the enzyme that are known to be functionally critical.

Biochemical and biophysical investigation of the HalM2 lanthipeptide synthetase using mass spectrometry

The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance in clinical settings has called for renewed efforts to discover and develop new antimicrobial compounds. Lanthipeptides present a promising, genetically encoded molecular scaffold for the engineering of structurally complex, biologically active peptides. These peptide natural products are constructed by enzymes (lanthipeptide synthetases) with relaxed substrate specificity that iteratively modify the precursor lanthipeptide to generate structures with defined sets of thioether macrocycles. The mechanistic features that guide the maturation of lanthipeptides into their proper, fully modified forms are obscured by the complexity of the multistep maturation and the large size and dynamic structures of the synthetases and precursor peptides. Over the past several years, our lab has been developing a suite of mass spectrometry-based techniques that are ideally suited to untangling the complex reaction sequences and molecular interactions that define lanthipeptide biosynthesis. This review focuses on our development and application of these mass spectrometry-based techniques to investigate the biochemical, kinetic, and biophysical properties of the haloduracin β class II lanthipeptide synthetase, HalM2.

Functional Expression and Characterization of the Highly Promiscuous Lanthipeptide Synthetase SyncM, Enabling the Production of Lanthipeptides with a Broad Range of Ring Topologies

Lanthipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides characterized by the presence of lanthionine rings that provide stability and functionality. Genome mining techniques have shown their huge diversity and potential for the discovery of novel active molecules. However, in many cases, they are not easily produced under laboratory conditions. The heterologous expression of these molecules using well-characterized lanthipeptide biosynthetic enzymes is rising as an alternative system for the design and production of new lanthipeptides with biotechnological or clinical properties. Nevertheless, the substrate-enzyme specificity limits the complete modification of the desired peptides and hence, their full stability and/or biological activity. New low substrate-selective biosynthetic enzymes are therefore necessary for the heterologous production of new-to-nature peptides. Here, we have identified, cloned, and heterologously expressed in Lactococcus lactis the most promiscuous lanthipeptide synthetase described to date, i.e., SyncM from the marine cyanobacteria Synechococcus MITS9509. We have characterized the functionality of SyncM by the successful expression of 15 out of 18 different SyncA substrates, subsequently determining the dehydration and cyclization processes in six representatives of them. This characterization highlights the very relaxed substrate specificity of SyncM toward its precursors and the ability to catalyze the formation of exceptionally large rings in a variety of topologies. Our results suggest that SyncM could be an attractive enzyme to design and produce a wide variety of new-to-nature lanthipeptides with a broad range of ring topologies.

Mutations in Dynamic Structural Elements Alter the Kinetics and Fidelity of the Multifunctional Class II Lanthipeptide Synthetase, HalM2

Class II lanthipeptide synthetases (LanM enzymes) catalyze the multistep post-translational modification of genetically encoded precursor peptides into macrocyclic (often antimicrobial) lanthipeptides. The reaction sequence involves dehydration of serine/threonine residues, followed by intramolecular addition of cysteine thiols onto the nascent dehydration sites to construct thioether bridges. LanMs utilize two separate active sites in an iterative yet highly coordinated manner to maintain a remarkable level of regio- and stereochemical control over the multistep maturation. The mechanisms underlying this biosynthetic fidelity remain enigmatic. We recently demonstrated that proper function of the haloduracin β synthetase (HalM2) requires dynamic structural elements scattered across the surface of the enzyme. Here, we perform kinetic simulations, structural analysis of reaction intermediates, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry studies, and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the contributions of these dynamic HalM2 structural elements to biosynthetic efficiency and fidelity. Our studies demonstrate that a large, conserved loop (HalM2 residues P349-P405) plays essential roles in defining the precursor peptide binding site, facilitating efficient peptide dehydration, and guiding the order of thioether ring formation. Moreover, mutations near the interface of the HalM2 dehydratase and cyclase domains perturb cyclization fidelity and result in aberrant thioether topologies that cannot be corrected by the wild type enzyme, suggesting an element of kinetic control in the normal cyclization sequence. Overall, this work provides the most comprehensive correlation of the structural and functional properties of a LanM enzyme reported to date and should inform mechanistic studies of the biosynthesis of other ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products.

Discovery and Characterization of a Class IV Lanthipeptide with a Nonoverlapping Ring Pattern

Lanthipeptides constitute a major family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). They are classified into four subfamilies, based on the characteristics of their lanthipeptide synthetases. While over a hundred lanthipeptides have been discovered to date, very few of them are class IV lanthipeptides and the latter are all structurally similar. Here, we identified an uncharacterized group of class IV lanthipeptides using bioinformatics analysis. One representative pathway from Streptomyces sp. NRRL S-1022 was expressed in Escherichia coli, which generated a lanthipeptide with two nonoverlapping rings that have not been reported for known class IV lanthipeptides. Further investigation into the biosynthetic mechanism revealed that multiple modification pathways are in operation in which dehydration and cyclization occur in parallel. While peptidases for maturation of class IV lanthipeptides have been elusive, two aminopeptidases encoded in the genome of Streptomyces sp. NRRL S-1022 were shown to process the modified peptide by the dual endopeptidase/aminopeptidase activity. This work opens doors to discover more class IV lanthipeptides with interesting structural features and biological activities.

A Structural View on the Maturation of Lanthipeptides

Lanthipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides, which display diverse bioactivities (e.g., antifungal, antimicrobial, and antiviral). One characteristic of these lanthipeptides is the presence of thioether bonds, which are termed (methyl-) lanthionine rings. These modifications are installed by corresponding modification enzymes in a two-step modality. First, serine and threonine residues are dehydrated followed by a subsequent catalyzed cyclization reaction, in which the dehydrated serine and threonine residues are undergoing a Michael-type addition with cysteine residues. The dedicated enzymes are encoded by one or two genes and the classification of lanthipeptides is pending on this. The modification steps form the basis of distinguishing the different classes of lanthipeptides and furthermore reflect also important mechanistic differences. Here, we will summarize recent insights into the mechanisms and the structures of the participating enzymes, focusing on the two core modification steps - dehydration and cyclization.

Genome Mining Reveals High Topological Diversity of ω-Ester-Containing Peptides and Divergent Evolution of ATP-Grasp Macrocyclases

ω-Ester-containing peptides (OEPs) are a family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) containing intramolecular ω-ester or ω-amide bonds. Although their distinct side-to-side connections may create considerable topological diversity of multicyclic peptides, it is largely unknown how diverse ring patterns have been developed in nature. Here, using genome mining of biosynthetic enzymes of OEPs, we identified genes encoding nine new groups of putative OEPs with novel core consensus sequences, disclosing a total of ∼1500 candidate OEPs in 12 groups. Connectivity analysis revealed that OEPs from three different groups contain novel tricyclic structures, one of which has a distinct biosynthetic pathway where a single ATP-grasp enzyme produces both ω-ester and ω-amide linkages. Analysis of the enzyme cross-reactivity showed that, while enzymes are promiscuous to nonconserved regions of the core peptide, they have high specificity to the cognate core consensus sequence, suggesting that the enzyme-core pair has coevolved to create a unique ring topology within the same group and has sufficiently diversified across different groups. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the diverse ring topologies, in addition to diverse sequences, have been developed in nature with multiple ω-ester or ω-amide linkages in the OEP family of RiPPs.

Bioprocess Development for Lantibiotic Ruminococcin-A Production in Escherichia coli and Kinetic Insights Into LanM Enzymes Catalysis

Ruminococcin-A (RumA) is a peptide antibiotic with post-translational modifications including thioether cross-links formed from non-canonical amino acids, called lanthionines, synthesized by a dedicated lanthionine-generating enzyme RumM. RumA is naturally produced by Ruminococcus gnavus, which is part of the normal bacterial flora in the human gut. High activity of RumA against pathogenic Clostridia has been reported, thus allowing potential exploitation of RumA for clinical applications. However, purifying RumA from R. gnavus is challenging due to low production yields (<1 μg L^-1) and difficulties to cultivate the obligately anaerobic organism. We recently reported the reconstruction of the RumA biosynthesis machinery in Escherichia coli where the fully modified and active peptide was expressed as a fusion protein together with GFP. In the current study we developed a scale-up strategy for the biotechnologically relevant heterologous production of RumA, aimed at overproducing the peptide under conditions comparable with those in industrial production settings. To this end, glucose-limited fed-batch cultivation was used. Firstly, parallel cultivations were performed in 24-microwell plates using the enzyme-based automated glucose-delivery cultivation system EnPresso^® B to determine optimal conditions for IPTG induction. We combined the bioprocess development with ESI-MS and tandem ESI-MS to monitor modification of the precursor peptide (preRumA) during bioreactor cultivation. Dehydration of threonine and serine residues in the core peptide, catalyzed by RumM, occurs within 1 h after IPTG induction while formation of thioether cross-bridges occur around 2.5 h after induction. Our data also supplies important information on modification kinetics especially with respect to the fluctuations observed in the various dehydrated precursor peptide versions or intermediates produced at different time points during bioreactor cultivation. Overall, protein yields obtained from the bioreactor cultivations were >120 mg L^-1 for the chimeric construct and >150 mg L^-1 for RumM. The correlation observed between microscale and lab-scale bioreactor cultivations suggests that the process is robust and realistically applicable to industrial-scale conditions.

Insights into the Dynamic Structural Properties of a Lanthipeptide Synthetase using Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry

The biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) proceeds via the multistep maturation of genetically encoded precursor peptides, often catalyzed by enzymes with multiple functions and iterative activities. Recent studies have suggested that, among other factors, conformational sampling of enzyme:peptide complexes likely plays a critical role in defining the kinetics and, ultimately, the set of post-translational modifications in these systems. However, detailed characterizations of these putative conformational sampling mechanisms have not yet been possible on many RiPP biosynthetic systems. In this study, we report the first comprehensive application of hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) to study the biophysical properties of a RiPP biosynthetic enzyme. Using the well-characterized class II lanthipeptide synthetase HalM2 as a model system, we have employed HDX-MS to demonstrate that HalM2 is indeed a highly structurally dynamic enzyme. Using this HDX-MS approach, we have identified novel precursor peptide binding elements, have uncovered long-range structural communication across the enzyme that is triggered by ligand binding and ATP hydrolysis, and have detected specific interactions between the HalM2 synthetase and the leader- and core-peptide subdomains of the modular HalA2 precursor peptide substrate. The functional relevance of the dynamic HalM2 elements discovered in this study are validated with biochemical assays and kinetic analysis of a panel of HDX-MS guided variant enzymes. Overall, the data have provided a wealth of fundamentally new information on LanM systems that will inform the rational manipulation and engineering of these impressive multifunctional catalysts. Moreover, this work highlights the broad utility of the HDX-MS platform for revealing important biophysical properties and enzyme structural dynamics that likely play a widespread role in RiPP biosynthesis.

Discovery of novel fungal RiPP biosynthetic pathways and their application for the development of peptide therapeutics

Bioactive peptide natural products are an important source of therapeutics. Prominent examples are the antibiotic penicillin and the immunosuppressant cyclosporine which are both produced by fungi and have revolutionized modern medicine. Peptide biosynthesis can occur either non-ribosomally via large enzymes referred to as non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) or ribosomally. Ribosomal peptides are synthesized as part of a larger precursor peptide where they are posttranslationally modified and subsequently proteolytically released. Such peptide natural products are referred to as ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Their biosynthetic pathways have recently received a lot of attention, both from a basic and applied research point of view, due to the discoveries of several novel posttranslational modifications of the peptide backbone. Some of these modifications were so far only known from NRPSs and significantly increase the chemical space covered by this class of peptide natural products. Latter feature, in combination with the promiscuity of the modifying enzymes and the genetic encoding of the peptide sequence, makes RiPP biosynthetic pathways attractive for synthetic biology approaches to identify novel peptide therapeutics via screening of de novo generated peptide libraries and, thus, exploit bioactive peptide natural products beyond their direct use as therapeutics. This review focuses on the recent discovery and characterization of novel RiPP biosynthetic pathways in fungi and their possible application for the development of novel peptide therapeutics.

Modifying the Lantibiotic Mutacin 1140 for Increased Yield, Activity, and Stability

Mutacin 1140 belongs to the epidermin family of type AI lantibiotics. This family has a broad spectrum of activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The binding of mutacin 1140 to lipid II leads to the inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Pharmacokinetic experiments with type AI lantibiotics are generally discouraging for clinical applications due to the short half-life of these compounds. The unprotected dehydrated and protease-susceptible residues outside the lanthionine rings may play a role in the short half-life in physiological settings. Previous mutagenesis work on mutacin 1140 has been limited to the lanthionine-forming residues, the C-terminally decarboxylated residue, and single amino acid substitutions at residues Phe1, Trp4, Dha5, and Arg13. To study the importance of the dehydrated (Dha5 and Dhb14) and protease-susceptible (Lys2 and Arg13) residues within mutacin 1140 for stability and bioactivity, each of these residues was evaluated for its impact on production and inhibitory activity. More than 15 analogs were purified, enabling direct comparison of the activities against a select panel of Gram-positive bacteria. The efficiency of the posttranslational modification (PTM) machinery of mutacin 1140 is highly restricted on its substrate. Analogs in the various intermediate stages of PTMs were observed as minor products following single point mutations at the 2nd, 5th, 13th, and 14th positions. The combination of alanine substitutions at the Dha5 and Dhb14 positions abolished mutacin 1140 production, while the production was restored by substitution of a Gly residue at one of these positions. Analogs with improved activity, productivity, and proteolytic stability were identified.IMPORTANCE Our findings show that the efficiency of mutacin 1140 PTMs is highly dependent on the core peptide sequence. Analogs in various intermediate stages of PTMs can be transported by the bacterium, which indicates that PTMs and transport are finely tuned for the native mutacin 1140 core peptide. Only certain combinations of amino acid substitutions at the Dha5 and Dhb14 dehydrated residue positions were tolerated. Observation of glutamylated core peptide analogs shows that dehydrations occur in a glutamate-dependent manner. Interestingly, mutations at positions outside rings A and B, the lipid II binding domain, would interfere with lipid II binding. Purified mutacin 1140 analogs have various activities and selectivities against different genera of bacteria, supporting the effort to generate analogs with higher specificity against pathogenic bacteria. The discovery of analogs with improved inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria, increased stability in the presence of protease, and higher product yields may promote the clinical development of this unique antimicrobial compound.

A distributive peptide cyclase processes multiple microviridin core peptides within a single polypeptide substrate

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are an important family of natural products. Their biosynthesis follows a common scheme in which the leader peptide of a precursor peptide guides the modifications of a single core peptide. Here we describe biochemical studies of the processing of multiple core peptides within a precursor peptide, rare in RiPP biosynthesis. In a cyanobacterial microviridin pathway, an ATP-grasp ligase, AMdnC, installs up to two macrolactones on each of the three core peptides within AMdnA. The enzyme catalysis occurs in a distributive fashion and follows an unstrict N-to-C overall directionality, but a strict order in macrolactonizing each core peptide. Furthermore, AMdnC is catalytically versatile to process unnatural substrates carrying one to four core peptides, and kinetic studies provide insights into its catalytic properties. Collectively, our results reveal a distinct biosynthetic logic of RiPPs, opening up the possibility of modular production via synthetic biology approaches.

Microviridins belong to the family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Here, the authors discover a microviridin-synthesizing enzyme in a cyanobacterium that modifies multiple core peptides from a single substrate in a distributive and unstrictly directional manner, an unusual biosynthetic logic for RiPPs.

Enzymatic Halogenation and Dehalogenation Reactions: Pervasive and Mechanistically Diverse

Naturally produced halogenated compounds are ubiquitous across all domains of life where they perform a multitude of biological functions and adopt a diversity of chemical structures. Accordingly, a diverse collection of enzyme catalysts to install and remove halogens from organic scaffolds has evolved in nature. Accounting for the different chemical properties of the four halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine) and the diversity and chemical reactivity of their organic substrates, enzymes performing biosynthetic and degradative halogenation chemistry utilize numerous mechanistic strategies involving oxidation, reduction, and substitution. Biosynthetic halogenation reactions range from simple aromatic substitutions to stereoselective C-H functionalizations on remote carbon centers and can initiate the formation of simple to complex ring structures. Dehalogenating enzymes, on the other hand, are best known for removing halogen atoms from man-made organohalogens, yet also function naturally, albeit rarely, in metabolic pathways. This review details the scope and mechanism of nature's halogenation and dehalogenation enzymatic strategies, highlights gaps in our understanding, and posits where new advances in the field might arise in the near future.

Mechanistic Understanding of Lanthipeptide Biosynthetic Enzymes

Lanthipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) that display a wide variety of biological activities, from antimicrobial to antiallodynic. Lanthipeptides that display antimicrobial activity are called lantibiotics. The post-translational modification reactions of lanthipeptides include dehydration of Ser and Thr residues to dehydroalanine and dehydrobutyrine, a transformation that is carried out in three unique ways in different classes of lanthipeptides. In a cyclization process, Cys residues then attack the dehydrated residues to generate the lanthionine and methyllanthionine thioether cross-linked amino acids from which lanthipeptides derive their name. The resulting polycyclic peptides have constrained conformations that confer their biological activities. After installation of the characteristic thioether cross-links, tailoring enzymes introduce additional post-translational modifications that are unique to each lanthipeptide and that fine-tune their activities and/or stability. This review focuses on studies published over the past decade that have provided much insight into the mechanisms of the enzymes that carry out the post-translational modifications.

Leader Peptide Establishes Dehydration Order, Promotes Efficiency, and Ensures Fidelity During Lacticin 481 Biosynthesis

The mechanisms by which lanthipeptide synthetases control the order in which they catalyze multiple chemical processes are poorly understood. The lacticin 481 synthetase (LctM) cleaves eight chemical bonds and forms six new chemical bonds in a controlled and ordered process. Two general mechanisms have been suggested for the temporal and spatial control of these transformations. In the spatial positioning model, leader peptide binding promotes certain reactions by establishing the spatial orientation of the substrate peptide relative to the synthetase active sites. In the intermediate structure model, the LctM-catalyzed dehydration and cyclization reactions that occur in two distinct active sites orchestrate the overall process by imparting a specific structure into the maturing peptide that facilitates the ensuing reaction. Using isotopically labeled LctA analogues with engineered lacticin 481 biosynthetic machinery and mass spectrometry analysis, we show here that the LctA leader peptide plays critical roles in establishing the modification order and enhancing the catalytic efficiency and fidelity of the synthetase. The data are most consistent with a mechanistic model for LctM where both spatial positioning and intermediate structure contribute to efficient biosynthesis.

Michael-type cyclizations in lantibiotic biosynthesis are reversible

Lanthipeptides are members of the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). They are generated in two biosynthetic steps: dehydration of Ser and Thr residues to the corresponding dehydroamino acids and subsequent conjugate addition by the thiol of Cys residues to generate the characteristic lanthionine and methyllanthionine thioether-bridged structures. Typically, a lanthipeptide contains multiple thioether cross-links. Recent studies have proposed that the final ring topology may be under thermodynamic control. If so, then the Michael-type cyclization reaction would need to be reversible, but such reversibility has never been demonstrated. We show here for the class I lanthipeptide cyclase NisC and class II lanthipeptide synthetase HalM2 that, indeed, the conjugate addition reactions are reversible and that the enzymes can open up all thioether rings in their products. We also propose that a His residue that is conserved among the lanthipeptide cyclases acts as the acid or base that protonates or generates the enolate intermediate during thioether ring formation and opening, respectively.

Product Formation by the Promiscuous Lanthipeptide Synthetase ProcM is under Kinetic Control

Lanthipeptides are natural products that belong to the family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). They contain characteristic lanthionine (Lan) or methyllanthionine (MeLan) structures that contribute to their diverse biological activities. Despite its structurally diverse set of 30 substrates, the highly substrate-tolerant lanthipeptide synthetase ProcM is shown to display high selectivity for formation of a single product from selected substrates. Mutation of the active site zinc ligands to alanine or the unique zinc ligand Cys971 to histidine resulted in a decrease of the cyclization rate, especially for the second cyclization of the substrates ProcA1.1, ProcA2.8, and ProcA3.3. Surprisingly, for ProcA3.3 these mutations also altered the regioselectivity of cyclization resulting in a new major product. ProcM was not able to correct the ring topology of incorrectly cyclized intermediates and products, suggesting that thermodynamic control is not operational. Collectively, the data in this study suggest that the high regioselectivity of product formation is governed by the selectivity of the initially formed ring.

Identification of essential amino acid residues in the nisin dehydratase NisB

Nisin is a posttranslationally-modified antimicrobial peptide that has the ability to induce its own biosynthesis. Serines and threonines in the modifiable core peptide part of precursor nisin are dehydrated to dehydroalanines and dehydrobutyrines by the dehydratase NisB, and subsequently cysteines are coupled to the dehydroamino acids by the cyclase NisC. In this study, we applied extensive site-directed mutagenesis, together with direct binding studies, to investigate the molecular mechanism of the dehydratase NisB. We use a natural nisin-producing strain as a host to probe mutant-NisB functionality. Importantly, we are able to differentiate between intracellular and secreted fully dehydrated precursor nisin, enabling investigation of the NisB properties needed for the release of dehydrated precursor nisin to its devoted secretion system NisT. We report that single amino acid substitutions of conserved residues, i.e., R83A, R83M, and R87A result in incomplete dehydration of precursor nisin and prevention of secretion. Single point NisB mutants Y80F and H961A, result in a complete lack of dehydration of precursor nisin, but do not abrogate precursor nisin binding. The data indicate that residues Y80 and H961 are directly involved in catalysis, fitting well with their position in the recently published 3D-structure of NisB. We confirm, by in vivo studies, results that were previously obtained from in vitro experiments and NisB structure elucidation and show that previous findings translate well to effects seen in the original production host.

A price to pay for relaxed substrate specificity: a comparative kinetic analysis of the class II lanthipeptide synthetases ProcM and HalM2

Lanthipeptides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide natural products (RiPPs) that typically harbor multiple intramolecular thioether linkages. For class II lanthipeptides, these cross-links are installed in a multistep reaction pathway by a single enzyme (LanM). The multifunctional nature of LanMs and the manipulability of their genetically encoded peptide substrates (LanAs) make LanM/LanA systems promising targets for the engineering of new antibacterial compounds. Here, we report the development of a semiquantitative mass spectrometry-based assay for kinetic characterization of LanM-catalyzed reactions. The assay was used to conduct a comparative kinetic analysis of two LanM enzymes (HalM2 and ProcM) that exhibit drastically different substrate selectivity. Numerical simulation of the kinetic data was used to develop models for the multistep HalM2- and ProcM-catalyzed reactions. These models illustrate that HalM2 and ProcM have markedly different catalytic efficiencies for the various reactions they catalyze. HalM2, which is responsible for the biosynthesis of a single compound (the Halβ subunit of the lantibiotic haloduracin), catalyzes reactions with higher catalytic efficiency than ProcM, which modifies 29 different ProcA precursor peptides during prochlorosin biosynthesis. In particular, the rates of thioether ring formation are drastically reduced in ProcM, likely because this enzyme is charged with installing a variety of lanthipeptide ring architectures in its prochlorosin products. Thus, ProcM appears to pay a kinetic price for its relaxed substrate specificity. In addition, our kinetic models suggest that conformational sampling of the LanM/LanA Michaelis complex could play an important role in the kinetics of LanA maturation.

Structural investigation of ribosomally synthesized natural products by hypothetical structure enumeration and evaluation using tandem MS

Ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a growing class of natural products that are found in all domains of life. These compounds possess vast structural diversity and have a wide range of biological activities, promising a fertile ground for exploring novel natural products. One challenging aspect of RiPP research is the difficulty of structure determination due to their architectural complexity. We here describe a method for automated structural characterization of RiPPs by tandem mass spectrometry. This method is based on the combined analysis of multiple mass spectra and evaluation of a collection of hypothetical structures predicted based on the biosynthetic gene cluster and molecular weight. We show that this method is effective in structural characterization of complex RiPPs, including lanthipeptides, glycopeptides, and azole-containing peptides. Using this method, we have determined the structure of a previously structurally uncharacterized lanthipeptide, prochlorosin 1.2, and investigated the order of the posttranslational modifications in three biosynthetic systems.

Mechanistic studies on the substrate-tolerant lanthipeptide synthetase ProcM

Lanthipeptides are a class of post-translationally modified peptide natural products. They contain lanthionine (Lan) and methyllanthionine (MeLan) residues, which generate cross-links and endow the peptides with various biological activities. The mechanism of a highly substrate-tolerant lanthipeptide synthetase, ProcM, was investigated herein. We report a hybrid ligation strategy to prepare a series of substrate analogues designed to address a number of mechanistic questions regarding catalysis by ProcM. The method utilizes expressed protein ligation to generate a C-terminal thioester of the leader peptide of ProcA, the substrate of ProcM. This thioester was ligated with a cysteine derivative that resulted in an alkyne at the C-terminus of the leader peptide. This alkyne in turn was used to conjugate the leader peptides to a variety of synthetic peptides by copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition. Using deuterium-labeled Ser and Thr in the substrate analogues thus prepared, dehydration by ProcM was established to occur from C-to-N-terminus for two different substrates. Cyclization also occurred with a specific order, which depended on the sequence of the substrate peptides. Furthermore, using orthogonal cysteine side-chain protection in the two semisynthetic peptide substrates, we were able to rule out spontaneous non-enzymatic cyclization events to explain the very high substrate tolerance of ProcM. Finally, the enzyme was capable of exchanging protons at the α-carbon of MeLan, suggesting that ring formation could be reversible. These findings are discussed in the context of the mechanism of the substrate-tolerant ProcM, which may aid future efforts in lanthipeptide engineering.

Orchestration of enzymatic processing by thiazole/oxazole-modified microcin dehydrogenases

Thiazole/oxazole-modified microcins (TOMMs) comprise a structurally diverse family of natural products with varied bioactivities linked by the presence of posttranslationally installed thiazol(in)e and oxazol(in)e heterocycles. The detailed investigation of the TOMM biosynthetic enzymes from Bacillus sp. Al Hakam (Balh) has provided significant insight into heterocycle biosynthesis. Thiazoles and oxazoles are installed by the successive action of an ATP-dependent cyclodehydratase (C- and D-protein) and a FMN-dependent dehydrogenase (B-protein), which are responsible for azoline formation and azoline oxidation, respectively. Although several studies have focused on the mechanism of azoline formation, many details regarding the role of the dehydrogenase (B-protein) in overall substrate processing remain unknown. In this work, we evaluated the involvement of the dehydrogenase in determining the order of ring formation as well as the promiscuity of the Balh and microcin B17 cyclodehydratases to accept a panel of noncognate dehydrogenases. In support of the observed promiscuity, a fluorescence polarization assay was utilized to measure binding of the dehydrogenase to the cyclodehydratase using the intrinsic fluorescence of the FMN cofactor. Ultimately, the noncognate dehydrogenases were shown to possess cyclodehydratase-independent activity. A previous study identified a conserved Lys-Tyr motif to be important for dehydrogenase activity. Using the tools developed in this study, the Lys-Tyr motif was shown neither to alter complex formation with the cyclodehydratase nor the reduction potential. Taken together with the known crystal structure of a homologue, our data suggest that the Lys-Tyr motif is of catalytic importance. Overall, this study provides a greater level of insight into the complex orchestration of enzymatic activity during TOMM biosynthesis.

Engineering unnatural variants of plantazolicin through codon reprogramming

Plantazolicin (PZN) is a polyheterocyclic natural product derived from a ribosomal peptide that harbors remarkable antibiotic selectivity for the causative agent of anthrax, Bacillus anthracis. To simultaneously establish the structure-activity relationship of PZN and the substrate tolerance of the biosynthetic pathway, an Escherichia coli expression strain was engineered to heterologously produce PZN analogues. Variant PZN precursor genes were produced by site-directed mutagenesis and later screened by mass spectrometry to assess post-translational modification and export by E. coli. From a screen of 72 precursor peptides, 29 PZN variants were detected. This analogue collection provided insight into the selectivity of the post-translational modifying enzymes and established the boundaries of the natural biosynthetic pathway. Unlike other studied thiazole/oxazole-modified microcins, the biosynthetic machinery appeared to be finely tuned toward the production of PZN, such that the cognate enzymes did not process even other naturally occurring sequences from similar biosynthetic clusters. The modifying enzymes were exquisitely selective, installing heterocycles only at predefined positions within the precursor peptides while leaving neighboring residues unmodified. Nearly all substitutions at positions normally harboring heterocycles prevented maturation of a PZN variant, though some exceptions were successfully produced lacking a heterocycle at the penultimate residue. No variants containing additional heterocycles were detected, although several peptide sequences yielded multiple PZN variants as a result of varying oxidation states of select residues. Eleven PZN variants were produced in sufficient quantity to facilitate purification and assessment of their antibacterial activity, providing insight into the structure-activity relationship of PZN.

Insights into the evolution of lanthipeptide biosynthesis

Lanthipeptides are a group of posttranslationally modified peptide natural products that contain multiple thioether crosslinks. These crosslinks are formed by dehydration of Ser/Thr residues followed by addition of the thiols of Cys residues to the resulting dehydroamino acids. At least four different pathways to these polycyclic natural products have evolved, reflecting the high efficiency and evolvability of a posttranslational modification route to generate conformationally constrained peptides. The wealth of genomic information that has been made available in recent years has started to provide insights into how these remarkable pathways and their posttranslational modification machineries may have evolved. In this review, we discuss a model for the evolution of the lanthipeptide biosynthetic enzymes that has recently been developed based on the currently available data.

The presence of modifiable residues in the core peptide part of precursor nisin is not crucial for precursor nisin interactions with NisB- and NisC

Precursor nisin is a model posttranslationally modified precursor lantibiotic that can be structurally divided into a leader peptide sequence and a modifiable core peptide part. The nisin core peptide clearly plays an important role in the precursor nisin – nisin modification enzymes interactions, since it has previously been shown that the construct containing only the nisin leader sequence is not sufficient to pull-down the nisin modification enzymes NisB and NisC. Serines and threonines in the core peptide part are the residues that NisB specifically dehydrates, and cysteines are the residues that NisC stereospecifically couples to the dehydrated amino acids. Here, we demonstrate that increasing the number of negatively charged residues in the core peptide part of precursor nisin, which are absent in wild-type nisin, does not abolish binding of precursor nisin to the modification enzymes NisB and NisC, but dramatically decreases the antimicrobial potency of these nisin mutants. An unnatural precursor nisin variant lacking all serines and threonines in the core peptide part and an unnatural precursor nisin variant lacking all cysteines in the core peptide part still bind the nisin modification enzymes NisB and NisC, suggesting that these residues are not essential for direct interactions with the nisin modification enzymes NisB and NisC. These results are important for lantibiotic engineering studies.

Identification of distinct nisin leader peptide regions that determine interactions with the modification enzymes NisB and NisC

Nisin is the most prominent and applied bacteriocin that serves as a model for class I lantibiotics. The nisin leader peptide importantly determines interactions between precursor nisin and its modification enzymes NisB and NisC that mature nisin posttranslationally. NisB dehydrates serines and threonines, while NisC catalyzes the subsequent coupling of the formed dehydroamino acids to form lanthionines. Currently, little is known about how the nisin leader interacts with NisB and even less is known about its interactions with NisC. To investigate the nisin leader peptide requirements for functional interaction with the modification enzymes NisB and NisC, we systematically replaced six regions, of 2–4 amino acids each, with all-alanine regions. By performing NisB and NisC co-purification studies with these mutant leader peptides, we demonstrate that the nisin leader regions STKD(-22-19), FNLD(-18-15) and PR(-2-1) importantly contribute to the interactions of precursor nisin with both NisB and NisC, whereas the nisin leader region LVSV(-14-11) additionally contributes to the interaction of precursor nisin with NisC.

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Not all nisin leader regions are crucial for the interactions with modifying enzymes.

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The leader region STKD(-22-19) is important for the interactions with NisB and NisC.

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The nisin leader region FNLD(-18-15) is important for the interactions with NisB and NisC.

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The nisin leader region PR(-2-1) is important for the interactions with NisB and NisC.

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The leader region LVSV(-14-11) is additionally important for the interactions with NisC.

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products: new insights into the role of leader and core peptides during biosynthesis

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a major class of natural products with a high degree of structural diversity and a wide variety of bioactivities. Understanding the biosynthetic machinery of these RiPPs will benefit the discovery and development of new molecules with potential pharmaceutical applications. In this Concept article, we discuss the features of the biosynthetic pathways to different RiPP classes, and propose mechanisms regarding recognition of the precursor peptide by the post-translational modification enzymes. We propose that the leader peptides function as allosteric regulators that bind the active form of the biosynthetic enzymes in a conformational selection process. We also speculate how enzymes that generate polycyclic products of defined topologies may have been selected for during evolution.

In vitro activity of the nisin dehydratase NisB

The biosynthesis of several classes of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides involves dehydration of serine and threonine residues. For class I lantibiotics, thiopeptides, and goadsporin, this dehydration is catalyzed by lanthionine biosynthetic enzyme B (LanB) or LanB-like proteins. Although LanB proteins have been studied since 1992, in vitro reconstitution of their dehydration activity has been elusive. We show here the in vitro activity of the dehydratase involved in the biosynthesis of the food preservative nisin (NisB). In vitro, NisB dehydrated its substrate peptide NisA eight times in the presence of glutamate, ATP, Mg(2+), and the ribosomal/membrane fraction of bacterial cell extract. Mutation of 23 highly conserved residues of NisB identified a number of amino acids that are essential for dehydration activity. In addition, these mutagenesis studies identified three mutants, R786A, R826A, and H961A, that result in multiple glutamylations of the NisA substrate. Glutamylation was observed during both Escherichia coli coexpression of NisA with these mutants and in vitro assays. Treatment of the glutamylated substrate with WT NisB results in dehydrated NisA, suggesting that the glutamylated peptide is an intermediate in dehydration. Collectively, these studies suggest that dehydration involves glutamylation of the side chains of Ser and Thr followed by elimination. The latter step has precedent in the virginiamycin resistance protein virginiamycin B lyase. These studies will facilitate investigation of other LanB proteins involved in the biosynthesis of lantibiotics, thiopeptides, and goadsporin.

Biosynthesis of the class III lantipeptide catenulipeptin

Lantipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides containing lanthionine and/or labionin structures. In this study, a novel class III lantipeptide termed catenulipeptin was discovered from Catenulispora acidiphila DSM 44928, and its biosynthesis was reconstituted in vitro. The multifunctional enzyme AciKC catalyzes both dehydration and cyclization of its peptide substrate AciA and installs two labionin structures in catenulipeptin. AciKC shows promiscuity with respect to cosubstrate and accepts all four NTPs. The C-terminal domain of AciKC is responsible for the labionin formation in catenulipeptin. The cyclase activity of AciKC requires the leader peptide of AciA substrate but does not require ATP or Zn(2+). Mutagenesis studies suggest that the labionin cyclization may proceed in a C-to-N-terminal direction. Catenulipeptin partially restores aerial hyphae growth when applied to surfactin-treated Streptomyces coelicolor.

An engineered lantibiotic synthetase that does not require a leader peptide on its substrate

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides are a rapidly expanding class of natural products. They are typically biosynthesized by modification of a C-terminal segment of the precursor peptide (the core peptide). The precursor peptide also contains an N-terminal leader peptide that is required to guide the biosynthetic enzymes. For bioengineering purposes, the leader peptide is beneficial because it allows promiscuous activity of the biosynthetic enzymes with respect to modification of the core peptide sequence. However, the leader peptide also presents drawbacks as it needs to be present on the core peptide and then removed in a later step. We show that fusing the leader peptide for the lantibiotic lacticin 481 to its biosynthetic enzyme LctM allows the protein to act on core peptides without a leader peptide. We illustrate the use of this methodology for preparation of improved lacticin 481 analogues containing non-proteinogenic amino acids.

Discovery, biosynthesis, and engineering of lantipeptides

Aided by genome-mining strategies, knowledge of the prevalence and diversity of ribosomally synthesized natural products (RNPs) is rapidly increasing. Among these are the lantipeptides, posttranslationally modified peptides containing characteristic thioether cross-links imperative for bioactivity and stability. Though this family was once thought to be a limited class of antimicrobial compounds produced by gram-positive bacteria, new insights have revealed a much larger diversity of activity, structure, biosynthetic machinery, and producing organisms than previously appreciated. Detailed investigation of the enzymes responsible for installing the posttranslational modifications has resulted in improved in vivo and in vitro engineering systems focusing on enhancement of the therapeutic potential of these compounds. Although dozens of new lantipeptides have been isolated in recent years, bioinformatic analyses indicate that many hundreds more await discovery owing to the widespread frequency of lantipeptide biosynthetic machinery in bacterial genomes.

Selectivity, directionality, and promiscuity in peptide processing from a Bacillus sp. Al Hakam cyclodehydratase

The thiazole/oxazole-modified microcins (TOMMs) represent a burgeoning class of ribosomal natural products decorated with thiazoles and (methyl)oxazoles originating from cysteines, serines, and threonines. The ribosomal nature of TOMMs allows for the generation of derivative products from mutations in the amino acid sequence of the precursor peptide, which ultimately manifest in differing structures and, sometimes, biological functions. Employing a TOMM system for the purpose of creating new structures and functions via combinatorial biosynthesis requires processing machinery that can tolerate highly variable substrates. In this study, TOMM enzymatic promiscuity was assessed using a currently uncharacterized cluster in Bacillus sp. Al Hakam. As determined by Fourier transform tandem mass spectrometry (FT-MS/MS), azole rings were formed in both a regio- and chemoselective fashion. Cognate and noncognate precursor peptides were modified in an overall C- to N-terminal directionality, which to date is unique among characterized ribosomal natural products. Studies focused on the inherent promiscuity of the biosynthetic machinery elucidated a modest bias for glycine at the preceding (-1) position and a remarkable flexibility in the following (+1) position, even allowing for the incorporation of charged amino acids and bisheterocyclization. Two unnatural substrates were utilized as the conclusive test of substrate flexibility, of which both were processed in a predictable fashion. A greater understanding of substrate processing and enzymatic tolerance toward unnatural substrates will prove beneficial when designing combinatorial libraries to screen for artificial TOMMs that exhibit desired activities.

The solid phase supported peptide synthesis of analogues of the lantibiotic lactocin S

Four analogues of lactocin S, an antimicrobial lantibiotic peptide produced by Lactobacillus sakei L45, have been generated using solid phase peptide synthesis. These compounds show enhanced oxidative stability to atmospheric oxygen and provide information on structure–activity relationships.

Discovery and development of lantibiotics; antimicrobial agents that have significant potential for medical application

INTRODUCTION

Antimicrobial drug resistance is driving the need for novel therapeutics. Amongst the most promising antibacterial agents that are being investigated as replacements for current therapeutic antibiotics are antibacterial peptides, such as the lanthionine-containing peptide antibiotics (lantibiotics).

AREAS COVERED

This review focuses on the current methods used for discovery of potentially exploitable lantibiotics for medical applications and discusses relevant recent innovations that will have a positive impact on the discovery of useful lantibiotics.

EXPERT OPINION

Recent technological advances in a number of fields mean that increased research into the identification and characterisation of new lantibiotics is feasible. We need to increase our understanding of the various mechanisms of antibacterial action exhibited by lantibiotics and apply this knowledge to peptide engineering or novel practical applications. The advent of next-generation sequencing approaches now negate the need for extensive reverse genetics and employment of bioinformatics approaches is greatly assisting the identification of potentially useful inhibitors in the genomes of a range of clinically significant bacteria. These advances in genetic analysis and engineering will facilitate increased exploitation of lantibiotics in medical therapy.

Mechanistic studies of Ser/Thr dehydration catalyzed by a member of the LanL lanthionine synthetase family

Members of the LanL family of lanthionine synthetases consist of three catalytic domains, an N-terminal pSer/pThr lyase domain, a central Ser/Thr kinase domain, and a C-terminal lanthionine cyclase domain. The N-terminal lyase domain has sequence homology with members of the OspF family of effector proteins. In this study, the residues in the lyase domain of VenL that are conserved in the active site of OspF proteins were mutated to evaluate their importance for catalysis. In addition, residues that are fully conserved in the LanL family but not in the OspF family were mutated. Activity assays with these mutant proteins are consistent with a model in which Lys80 in VenL deprotonates the α-proton of pSer/pThr residues to initiate the elimination reaction. Lys51 is proposed to activate this proton by coordination to the carbonyl of the pSer/pThr, and His53 is believed to protonate the phosphate leaving group. These functions are very similar to the corresponding homologous residues in OspF proteins. On the other hand, recognition of the phosphate group of pSer/pThr appears to be achieved differently in VenL than in the OspF proteins. Arg156 and Lys103 are thought to interact with the phosphate group on the basis of a structural homology model.

Synthesis of the lantibiotic lactocin S using peptide cyclizations on solid phase

Lactocin S is a lantibiotic peptide with potent antibacterial activity against a range of gram-positive bacteria. Because of challenges in obtaining sufficient quantities of this compound from natural sources, the stereochemistry of the lanthionine residues in lactocin S had not been confirmed. This report describes the chemical synthesis of lactocin S on chlorotrityl polystyrene resin in 10% overall yield using intramolecular cyclization to form the lanthionine rings and employing fragment coupling for the two N-terminal residues. This represents the first report of solid-supported synthesis of a naturally occurring lantibiotic. Comparison to lactocin S isolated from Lactobacillus sakei L45 using a combination of HPLC, MS/MS sequencing, bacterial testing, and chiral GC-MS analysis confirmed the initially proposed structure and the stereochemistry of the DL-lanthionine residues.

Microbial engineering of dehydro-amino acids and lanthionines in non-lantibiotic peptides

This minireview focuses on the use of bacteria to introduce dehydroresidues and (methyl)lanthionines in (poly)peptides. It mainly describes the broad exploitation of bacteria containing lantibiotic enzymes for the engineering of these residues in a wide variety of peptides in particular in peptides unrelated to lantibiotics. Lantibiotic dehydratases dehydrate serines and threonines present in peptides preceded by a lantibiotic leader peptide thus forming dehydroalanine and dehydrobutyrine, respectively. These dehydroresidues can be coupled to cysteines thus forming (methyl)lanthionines. This coupling is catalysed by lantibiotic cyclases. The design, synthesis, and export of microbially engineered dehydroresidue and or lanthionine-containing peptides in non-lantibiotic peptides are reviewed, illustrated by some examples which demonstrate the high relevance of these special residues. This minireview is the first with special focus on the microbial engineering of nonlantibiotic peptides by exploiting lantibiotic enzymes.

Follow the leader: the use of leader peptides to guide natural product biosynthesis

The avalanche of genomic information in the past decade has revealed that natural product biosynthesis using the ribosomal machinery is much more widespread than originally anticipated. Nearly all of these compounds are crafted through post-translational modifications of a larger precursor peptide that often contains the marching orders for the biosynthetic enzymes. We review here the available information for how the peptide sequences in the precursors govern the post-translational tailoring processes for several classes of natural products. In addition, we highlight the great potential these leader peptide-directed biosynthetic systems offer for engineering conformationally restrained and pharmacophore-rich products with structural diversity that greatly expands the proteinogenic repertoire.