Biosynthetic Origin of the Methoxyl Extender Unit in Bafilomycin and Concanamycin using Stereospecifically Labeled Precursors

Organization and characterization of a biosynthetic gene cluster for bafilomycin from Streptomyces griseus DSM 2608

Streptomyces griseus DSM 2608 produces bafilomycin, an antifungal plecomacrolide antibiotic. We cloned and sequenced an 87.4-kb region, including a polyketide synthase (PKS) region, methoxymalonate genes, flavensomycinate genes, and other putative regulatory genes. The 58.5kb of PKS region consisting 12 PKS modules arranged in five different PKS genes, was assumed to be responsible for the biosynthesis of plecomacrolide backbone including 16-membered macrocyclic lactone. All the modules showed high similarities with typical type I PKS genes. However, the starting module of PKS gene was confirmed to be specific for isobutyrate by sequence comparison of an acyltransferase domain. In downstream of PKS region, the genes for methoxymalonate biosynthesis were located, among which a gene for FkbH-like protein was assumed to play an important role in the production of methoxymalonyl-CoA from glyceryl-CoA. Further the genes encoding flavensomycinyl-ACP biosynthesis for the post-PKS tailoring were also found in the upstream of PKS region. By gene disruption experiments of a dehydratase domain of module 12 and an FkbH-like protein, this gene cluster was confirmed to be involved in the biosynthesis of bafilomycin.

Hygrobafilomycin, a cytotoxic and antifungal macrolide bearing a unique monoalkylmaleic anhydride moiety, from Streptomyces varsoviensis

A new bafilomycin-type macrolide, named hygrobafilomycin (6), was isolated by a bioassay-guided selection and fractionation from a terrestrial actinomycete, Streptomyces varsoviensis, along with three known derivatives, bafilomycin D (3), C1 (4) and C2 (5). The structure of hygrobafilomycin was fully established by MS and NMR analyses, revealing a hygrolidin-bafilomycin hybrid with an unusual monoalkylmaleic anhydride moiety. Hygrobafilomycin (6) shows strong antifungal, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities. In a panel of 40 tumor cell lines, compound 6 shows high cytotoxic potency (mean IC(50)=5.3 n).

Formation and characterization of acyl carrier protein-linked polyketide synthase extender units

Polyketide natural products are assembled by the condensation of an initiating precursor, or starter unit, with a series of additional precursors referred to as extender units. While there are a number of polyketide synthase starter units, there are currently only seven known polyketide synthase extender units. Polyketide synthase extender units thioesterified to coenzyme A have been known for some time; however, polyketide synthase extender units thioesterified to acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) have been identified only recently. Two of them, (2R)-hydroxymalonyl-ACP and (2S)-aminomalonyl-ACP, are found in the biosynthetic pathway of the antibiotic zwittermicin A in Bacillus cereus UW85. The focus of this chapter is the in vitro formation of (2R)-hydroxymalonyl-ACP and (2S)-aminomalonyl-ACP and the characterization of these extender units using high performance liquid chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Biosynthesis of polyketide synthase extender units

This review covers the biosynthesis of extender units that are utilized for the assembly of polyketides by polyketide synthases. The metabolic origins of each of the currently known polyketide synthase extender units are covered.

Spirodionic Acid, a Novel Metabolite fromStreptomyces sp., Part 1: Structure Elucidation and Diels–Alder-Type Biosynthesis

Spirodionic acid (1), a novel microbial metabolite with a spiro[4.5]decene skeleton, the 6-ethyl-2H-pyrone 5, dihydrosarkomycin (6), and other metabolites were isolated from the strain Streptomyces sp. Tü 6077. Structural elucidation was accomplished by NMR spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric studies, and the biosyntheses of compounds 1, 5, and 6 were investigated by feeding experiments with (13)C-labeled precursors. All results indicate a biogenetic sequence with metabolite 5 and sarkomycin (7) as precursors in the formation of spirocyclus 1 through an intermolecular Diels-Alder-type reaction.