1
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Xu H, Lauterbach L, Goldfuss B, Schnakenburg G, Dickschat JS. Fragmentation and [4 + 3] cycloaddition in sodorifen biosynthesis. Nat Chem 2023:10.1038/s41557-023-01223-z. [PMID: 37248344 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01223-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Terpenes constitute the largest class of natural products. Their skeletons are formed by terpene cyclases (TCs) from acyclic oligoprenyl diphosphates through sophisticated enzymatic conversions. These enzyme reactions start with substrate ionization through diphosphate abstraction, followed by a cascade reaction via cationic intermediates. Based on isotopic-labelling experiments in combination with a computational study, the cyclization mechanism for sodorifen, a highly methylated sesquiterpene from the soil bacterium Serratia plymuthica, was resolved. A peculiar problem in its biosynthesis lies in the formation of several methyl groups from chain methylene carbons. The underlying mechanism involves a methyltransferase-mediated cyclization and unprecedented ring contraction with carbon extrusion from the chain to form a methyl group. A terpene cyclase subsequently catalyses a fragmentation into two reactive intermediates, followed by hydrogen transfers between them and recombination of the fragments by [4 + 3] cycloaddition. This study solves the intricate mechanistic problem of extra methyl group formation in sodorifen biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houchao Xu
- Kekulé-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lukas Lauterbach
- Kekulé-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Goldfuss
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität zu Köln, Köln, Germany
| | - Gregor Schnakenburg
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jeroen S Dickschat
- Kekulé-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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2
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Rybakova D, Müller H, Olimi E, Schaefer A, Cernava T, Berg G. To defend or to attack? Antagonistic interactions between Serratia plymuthica and fungal plant pathogens, a species-specific volatile dialogue. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.1020634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are involved in microbial interspecies communication and in the mode of action of various antagonistic interactions. They are important for balancing host-microbe interactions and provide the basis for developing biological control strategies to control plant pathogens. We studied the interactions between the bacterial antagonist Serratia plymuthica HRO-C48 and three fungal plant pathogens Rhizoctonia solani, Leptosphaeria maculans and Verticillium longisporum. Significant differences in fungal growth inhibition by the Serratia-emitted VOCs in pairwise dual culture assays and changes in the transcriptome of the bacterium and in the volatilomes of both interacting partners were observed. Even though the rate of fungal growth inhibition by Serratia was variable, the confrontation of the bacterium with the VOCs of all three fungi changed the levels of expression of the genes involved in stress response, biofilm formation, and the production of antimicrobial VOCs. Pairwise interacting microorganisms switched between defense (downregulation of gene expression) and attack (upregulation of gene expression and metabolism followed by growth inhibition of the interacting partner) modes, subject to the combinations of microorganisms that were interacting. In the attack mode HRO-C48 significantly inhibited the growth of R. solani while simultaneously boosting its own metabolism; by contrast, its metabolism was downregulated when HRO-C48 went into a defense mode that was induced by the L. maculans and V. longisporum VOCs. L. maculans growth was slightly reduced by the one bacterial VOC methyl acetate that induced a strong downregulation of expression of genes involved in almost all metabolic functions in S. plymuthica. Similarly, the interaction between S. plymuthica and V. longisporum resulted in an insignificant growth reduction of the fungus and repressed the rate of bacterial metabolism on the transcriptional level, accompanied by an intense volatile dialogue. Overall, our results indicate that VOCs substantially contribute to the highly break species-specific interactions between pathogens and their natural antagonists and thus deserving of increased consideration for pathogen control.
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3
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Maciag T, Krzyzanowska DM, Rabalski L, Jafra S, Czajkowski R. Complete Genome Sequences of Five Gram-Negative Bacterial Strains Comprising Synthetic Bacterial Consortium "The Great Five" with Antagonistic Activity Against Plant-Pathogenic Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2022; 35:711-714. [PMID: 35613336 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-01-22-0020-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Maciag
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, University of Gdansk, Antoniego Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dorota M Krzyzanowska
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, University of Gdansk, Antoniego Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Lukasz Rabalski
- Laboratory of Recombinant Vaccines, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, University of Gdansk, Antoniego Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Sylwia Jafra
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, University of Gdansk, Antoniego Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Robert Czajkowski
- Laboratory of Biologically Active Compounds, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, University of Gdansk, Antoniego Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdansk, Poland
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4
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Abstract
Covering: up to mid-2020 Terpenoids, also called isoprenoids, are the largest and most structurally diverse family of natural products. Found in all domains of life, there are over 80 000 known compounds. The majority of characterized terpenoids, which include some of the most well known, pharmaceutically relevant, and commercially valuable natural products, are produced by plants and fungi. Comparatively, terpenoids of bacterial origin are rare. This is counter-intuitive to the fact that recent microbial genomics revealed that almost all bacteria have the biosynthetic potential to create the C5 building blocks necessary for terpenoid biosynthesis. In this review, we catalogue terpenoids produced by bacteria. We collected 1062 natural products, consisting of both primary and secondary metabolites, and classified them into two major families and 55 distinct subfamilies. To highlight the structural and chemical space of bacterial terpenoids, we discuss their structures, biosynthesis, and biological activities. Although the bacterial terpenome is relatively small, it presents a fascinating dichotomy for future research. Similarities between bacterial and non-bacterial terpenoids and their biosynthetic pathways provides alternative model systems for detailed characterization while the abundance of novel skeletons, biosynthetic pathways, and bioactivies presents new opportunities for drug discovery, genome mining, and enzymology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Rudolf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
| | - Tyler A Alsup
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
| | - Baofu Xu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
| | - Zining Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
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5
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Piechulla B, Zhang C, Eisenschmidt-Bönn D, Chen F, Magnus N. Non-canonical substrates for terpene synthases in bacteria are synthesized by a new family of methyltransferases. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:6232159. [PMID: 33864462 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The 'biogenetic isoprene rule', formulated in the mid 20th century, predicted that terpenoids are biosynthesized via polymerization of C5 isoprene units. The polymerizing enzymes have been identified to be isoprenyl diphosphate synthases, products of which are catalyzed by terpene synthases (TPSs) to achieve vast structural diversity of terpene skeletons. Irregular terpenes (e.g, C11, C12, C16, C17) are also frequently observed, and they have presumed to be synthesized by the modification of terpene skeletons. This review highlights the exciting discovery of an additional route to the biosynthesis of irregular terpenes which involves the action of a newly discovered enzyme family of isoprenyl diphosphate methyltransferases (IDMTs). These enzymes methylate, and sometimes cyclize, the classical isoprenyl diphosphate substrates to produce modified, non-canonical substrates for specifically evolved TPSs. So far, this new pathway has been found only in bacteria. Structure and sequence comparisons of the IDMTs strongly indicate a conservation of their active pockets and overall topologies. Some bacterial IDMTs and TPSs appear in small gene clusters, which may facilitate future mining of bacterial genomes for identification of irregular terpene-producing enzymes. The IDMT-TPS route for terpenoid biosynthesis presents another example of nature's ingenuity in creating chemical diversity, particularly terpenoids, for organismal fitness. IDMT isoprenyl diphosphate methyltransferases IDPMT isopentenyl diphosphate methyltransferase GDPMT geranyl diphosphate methyltransferase FDPMT farnesyl diphosphate methyltransferases BGC biosynthetic gene cluster TPS terpene synthase MIBS 2-methylisoborneol synthase MBS 2-methylenebornane synthase DMADP Dimethylallyl diphosphate SAM S-adenosyl-L-methionine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Piechulla
- University of Rostock, Institute for Biological Sciences, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Daniela Eisenschmidt-Bönn
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz-Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Nancy Magnus
- University of Rostock, Institute for Biological Sciences, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany
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6
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Lemfack MC, Brandt W, Krüger K, Gurowietz A, Djifack J, Jung JP, Hopf M, Noack H, Junker B, von Reuß S, Piechulla B. Reaction mechanism of the farnesyl pyrophosphate C-methyltransferase towards the biosynthesis of pre-sodorifen pyrophosphate by Serratia plymuthica 4Rx13. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3182. [PMID: 33542330 PMCID: PMC7862628 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82521-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Classical terpenoid biosynthesis involves the cyclization of the linear prenyl pyrophosphate precursors geranyl-, farnesyl-, or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GPP, FPP, GGPP) and their isomers, to produce a huge number of natural compounds. Recently, it was shown for the first time that the biosynthesis of the unique homo-sesquiterpene sodorifen by Serratia plymuthica 4Rx13 involves a methylated and cyclized intermediate as the substrate of the sodorifen synthase. To further support the proposed biosynthetic pathway, we now identified the cyclic prenyl pyrophosphate intermediate pre-sodorifen pyrophosphate (PSPP). Its absolute configuration (6R,7S,9S) was determined by comparison of calculated and experimental CD-spectra of its hydrolysis product and matches with those predicted by semi-empirical quantum calculations of the reaction mechanism. In silico modeling of the reaction mechanism of the FPP C-methyltransferase (FPPMT) revealed a SN2 mechanism for the methyl transfer followed by a cyclization cascade. The cyclization of FPP to PSPP is guided by a catalytic dyad of H191 and Y39 and involves an unprecedented cyclopropyl intermediate. W46, W306, F56, and L239 form the hydrophobic binding pocket and E42 and H45 complex a magnesium cation that interacts with the diphosphate moiety of FPP. Six additional amino acids turned out to be essential for product formation and the importance of these amino acids was subsequently confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. Our results reveal the reaction mechanism involved in methyltransferase-catalyzed cyclization and demonstrate that this coupling of C-methylation and cyclization of FPP by the FPPMT represents an alternative route of terpene biosynthesis that could increase the terpenoid diversity and structural space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Chantal Lemfack
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Brandt
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz-Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120, Halle, Germany.
| | - Katja Krüger
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexandra Gurowietz
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz-Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120, Halle, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinberg 10, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jacky Djifack
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany.,PIMAN Consultants, 12 Rue Barthelemy Danjou, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Jan-Philip Jung
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Marius Hopf
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany.,Duale Hochschule Gera-Eisenach, Weg der Freundschaft 4, 07546, Gera, Germany
| | - Heiko Noack
- Institute of Pharmacy/Biosynthesis of Active Substances, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Björn Junker
- Institute of Pharmacy/Biosynthesis of Active Substances, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stephan von Reuß
- Laboratory of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Neuchatel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Piechulla
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany
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7
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Chen DM, Yang HJ, Huang JG, Yuan L. Lysobacter enzymogenes LE16 autolysates have potential as biocontrol agents-Lysobacter sp. autolysates as biofungicide. J Appl Microbiol 2020; 129:1684-1692. [PMID: 32588501 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Biological techniques can manage plant diseases safely and in environmentally friendly ways, but their efficacy needs improvement. It is of the utmost importance to search for powerful microbes for the effective control of plant diseases. METHODS AND RESULTS Unheated self-digestive solutions (SDS) that were heated at 100°C for 30 min(H-SDS) or stored for 12 months at room temperature (S-SDS) were prepared from Lysobacter enzymogenes LE16 broth culture to study their potential as biocontrol agents. This bacterium produced protease, phosphatase, lysozyme and siderophores in pure culture as well as 12 secondary metabolites including novel antibiotics lysobactin, WAP-8294A2 and mupirocin determined based on the antiSMASH 5.0.0 blast database. A poison plate assay revealed the antagonistic activities of SDS, H-SDS and S-SDS against an animal pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, a phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci, and numerous plant pathogenic fungi and oomycetes, including Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Penicillium italicum, Alternaria alternate, Rhizoctonia solani, Didymella bryoniae, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Phytophthora nicotianae and Phytophthora capsici. The greenhouse experiment showed that SDS was highly effective in controlling pepper blight disease, which is caused by P. capsici. Compared with only pathogen inoculation, the application of SDS to the soil in preventive or curative treatments significantly reduced the disease incidence and index with relatively high control efficacy of 86·2-93·1%. CONCLUSIONS SDS enriched lytic enzymes, siderophores and antibiotics, has a wide antimicrobial spectrum, and shows potential as a new, safe and effective biocontrol agent against plant diseases. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Autolysates of the new biocontrol bacterium L. enzymogenes LE16 demonstrated the potential for industrial production and commercial use as a promising biocontrol agent in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Chen
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - H J Yang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - J G Huang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - L Yuan
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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8
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Hennessy RC, Dichmann SI, Martens HJ, Zervas A, Stougaard P. Serratia inhibens sp. nov., a new antifungal species isolated from potato (Solanum tuberosum). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:4204-4211. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel bacterial strain, S40T, with strong antifungal activity was isolated from the rhizosphere of green potato collected from Zealand, Denmark. Polyphasic analysis with a combined phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic approach was used to characterize S40T. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and MLSA (concatenated gyrB, rpoD, infB and atpD sequences) showed that strain S40T was affiliated with the genus
Serratia
and with
Serratia plymuthica
PRI-2C as the closest related strain [average nucleotide identity (ANI), 99.26 %; DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH), 99.20%]. However, whole genome sequence analyses revealed that S40T and
S. plymuthica
PRI-2C genomes displayed lower similarities when compared to all other
S. plymuthica
strains (ANI ≤94.34 %; dDDH ≤57.6 % relatedness). The DNA G+C content of strain S40T was determined to be 55.9 mol%. Cells of the strain were Gram-negative, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic and displayed growth at 10–37 °C (optimum, 25–30 °C) and at pH 6–9 (optimum, pH 6–7). Major fatty acids were C16 : 0 (27.9 %), summed feature (C16 : 1
ω6c/C16 : 1 ω7c; 18.0 %) and C17 : 0 cyclo (15.1 %). The respiratory quinone was determined to be Q8 (94 %) and MK8 (95 %) and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The results of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic analyses support the hypothesis that strain S40T represents a novel species of the genus
Serratia
, for which the name Serratia inhibens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S40T (=LMG 31467T=NCIMB 15235T). In addition, we propose that
S. plymuthica
PRI-2C is reclassified and transferred to the species S. inhibens as S. inhibens PRI-2C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna C. Hennessy
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Søs I. Dichmann
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Helle Juel Martens
- Present address: HJM: University of Copenhagen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Nørregade 10, 1165 København, Denmark
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Athanasios Zervas
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Peter Stougaard
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Rudolf JD, Chang CY. Terpene synthases in disguise: enzymology, structure, and opportunities of non-canonical terpene synthases. Nat Prod Rep 2020; 37:425-463. [PMID: 31650156 PMCID: PMC7101268 DOI: 10.1039/c9np00051h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to July 2019 Terpene synthases (TSs) are responsible for generating much of the structural diversity found in the superfamily of terpenoid natural products. These elegant enzymes mediate complex carbocation-based cyclization and rearrangement cascades with a variety of electron-rich linear and cyclic substrates. For decades, two main classes of TSs, divided by how they generate the reaction-triggering initial carbocation, have dominated the field of terpene enzymology. Recently, several novel and unconventional TSs that perform TS-like reactions but do not resemble canonical TSs in sequence or structure have been discovered. In this review, we identify 12 families of non-canonical TSs and examine their sequences, structures, functions, and proposed mechanisms. Nature provides a wide diversity of enzymes, including prenyltransferases, methyltransferases, P450s, and NAD+-dependent dehydrogenases, as well as completely new enzymes, that utilize distinctive reaction mechanisms for TS chemistry. These unique non-canonical TSs provide immense opportunities to understand how nature evolved different tools for terpene biosynthesis by structural and mechanistic characterization while affording new probes for the discovery of novel terpenoid natural products and gene clusters via genome mining. With every new discovery, the dualistic paradigm of TSs is contradicted and the field of terpene chemistry and enzymology continues to expand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Rudolf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
| | - Chin-Yuan Chang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, Republic of China
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10
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Direct pathway cloning of the sodorifen biosynthetic gene cluster and recombinant generation of its product in E. coli. Microb Cell Fact 2019; 18:32. [PMID: 30732610 PMCID: PMC6366047 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-019-1080-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Serratia plymuthica WS3236 was selected for whole genome sequencing based on preliminary genetic and chemical screening indicating the presence of multiple natural product pathways. This led to the identification of a putative sodorifen biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). The natural product sodorifen is a volatile organic compound (VOC) with an unusual polymethylated hydrocarbon bicyclic structure (C16H26) produced by selected strains of S. plymuthica. The BGC encoding sodorifen consists of four genes, two of which (sodA, sodB) are homologs of genes encoding enzymes of the non-mevalonate pathway and are thought to enhance the amounts of available farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), the precursor of sodorifen. Proceeding from FPP, only two enzymes are necessary to produce sodorifen: an S-adenosyl methionine dependent methyltransferase (SodC) with additional cyclisation activity and a terpene-cyclase (SodD). Previous analysis of S. plymuthica found sodorifen production titers are generally low and vary significantly among different producer strains. This precludes studies on the still elusive biological function of this structurally and biosynthetically fascinating bacterial terpene. Results Sequencing and mining of the S. plymuthica WS3236 genome revealed the presence of 38 BGCs according to antiSMASH analysis, including a putative sodorifen BGC. Further genome mining for sodorifen and sodorifen-like BGCs throughout bacteria was performed using SodC and SodD as queries and identified a total of 28 sod-like gene clusters. Using direct pathway cloning (DiPaC) we intercepted the 4.6 kb candidate sodorifen BGC from S. plymuthica WS3236 (sodA–D) and transformed it into Escherichia coli BL21. Heterologous expression under the control of the tetracycline inducible PtetO promoter firmly linked this BGC to sodorifen production. By utilizing this newly established expression system, we increased the production yields by approximately 26-fold when compared to the native producer. In addition, sodorifen was easily isolated in high purity by simple head-space sampling. Conclusions Genome mining of all available genomes within the NCBI and JGI IMG databases led to the identification of a wealth of sod-like pathways which may be responsible for producing a range of structurally unknown sodorifen analogs. Introduction of the S. plymuthica WS3236 sodorifen BGC into the fast-growing heterologous expression host E. coli with a very low VOC background led to a significant increase in both sodorifen product yield and purity compared to the native producer. By providing a reliable, high-level production system, this study sets the stage for future investigations of the biological role and function of sodorifen and for functionally unlocking the bioinformatically identified putative sod-like pathways. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-019-1080-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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11
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von Reuss S, Domik D, Lemfack MC, Magnus N, Kai M, Weise T, Piechulla B. Sodorifen Biosynthesis in the Rhizobacterium Serratia plymuthica Involves Methylation and Cyclization of MEP-Derived Farnesyl Pyrophosphate by a SAM-Dependent C-Methyltransferase. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:11855-11862. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephan von Reuss
- Laboratory for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Neuchatel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Dajana Domik
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Marie Chantal Lemfack
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Nancy Magnus
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Marco Kai
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Teresa Weise
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Birgit Piechulla
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18059 Rostock, Germany
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12
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Magnus N, Weise T, Piechulla B. Carbon Catabolite Repression Regulates the Production of the Unique Volatile Sodorifen of Serratia plymuthica 4Rx13. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2522. [PMID: 29312220 PMCID: PMC5742105 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are capable of synthesizing a plethora of secondary metabolites including the long-overlooked volatile organic compounds. Little knowledge has been accumulated regarding the regulation of the biosynthesis of such mVOCs. The emission of the unique compound sodorifen of Serratia plymuthica isolates was significantly reduced in minimal medium with glucose, while succinate elevated sodorifen release. The hypothesis of carbon catabolite repression (CCR) acting as a major control entity on the synthesis of mVOCs was proven by genetic evidence. Central components of the typical CCR of Gram-negative bacteria such as the adenylate cyclase (CYA), the cAMP binding receptor protein (CRP), and the catabolite responsive element (CRE) were removed by insertional mutagenesis. CYA, CRP, CRE1 mutants revealed a lower sodorifen release. Moreover, the emission potential of other S. plymuthica isolates was also evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Magnus
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Teresa Weise
- EuroImmun, Medizinische Labordiagnostik AG, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Birgit Piechulla
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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Fungal volatile compounds induce production of the secondary metabolite Sodorifen in Serratia plymuthica PRI-2C. Sci Rep 2017; 7:862. [PMID: 28408760 PMCID: PMC5429845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00893-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria and fungi to communicate with each other is a remarkable aspect of the microbial world. It is recognized that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) act as communication signals, however the molecular responses by bacteria to fungal VOCs remain unknown. Here we perform transcriptomics and proteomics analyses of Serratia plymuthica PRI-2C exposed to VOCs emitted by the fungal pathogen Fusarium culmorum. We find that the bacterium responds to fungal VOCs with changes in gene and protein expression related to motility, signal transduction, energy metabolism, cell envelope biogenesis, and secondary metabolite production. Metabolomic analysis of the bacterium exposed to the fungal VOCs, gene cluster comparison, and heterologous co-expression of a terpene synthase and a methyltransferase revealed the production of the unusual terpene sodorifen in response to fungal VOCs. These results strongly suggest that VOCs are not only a metabolic waste but important compounds in the long-distance communication between fungi and bacteria.
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Domik D, Thürmer A, Weise T, Brandt W, Daniel R, Piechulla B. A Terpene Synthase Is Involved in the Synthesis of the Volatile Organic Compound Sodorifen of Serratia plymuthica 4Rx13. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:737. [PMID: 27242752 PMCID: PMC4872519 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria release a plethora of volatile organic compounds, including compounds with extraordinary structures. Sodorifen (IUPAC name: 1,2,4,5,6,7,8-heptamethyl-3-methylenebicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-ene) is a recently identified and unusual volatile hydrocarbon that is emitted by the rhizobacterium Serratia plymuthica 4R×13. Sodorifen comprises a bicyclic ring structure solely consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms, where every carbon atom of the skeleton is substituted with either a methyl or a methylene group. This unusual feature of sodorifen made a prediction of its biosynthetic origin very difficult and so far its biosynthesis is unknown. To unravel the biosynthetic pathway we performed genome and transcriptome analyses to identify candidate genes. One knockout mutant (SOD_c20750) showed the desired negative sodorifen phenotype. Here it was shown for the first time that this gene is indispensable for the synthesis of sodorifen and strongly supports the hypothesis that sodorifen descends from the terpene metabolism. SOD_c20750 is the first bacterial terpene cyclase isolated from Serratia spp. and Enterobacteriales. Homology modeling revealed a 3D structure, which exhibits a functional role of amino acids for intermediate cation stabilization (W325) and putative proton acception (Y332). Moreover, the size and hydrophobicity of the active site strongly indicates that indeed the enzyme may catalyze the unusual compound sodorifen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajana Domik
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock Rostock, Germany
| | - Andrea Thürmer
- Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, University of Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Rolf Daniel
- Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, University of Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Piechulla
- Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock Rostock, Germany
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