Isolation and characterization of the gene cluster for biosynthesis of the thiopeptide antibiotic TP-1161

An Overview of Bioactive 1,3-Oxazole-Containing Alkaloids from Marine Organisms

1,3-Oxazole chemicals are a unique class of five-membered monocyclic heteroarenes, containing a nitrogen atom and an oxygen. These alkaloids have attracted extensive attention from medicinal chemists and pharmacologists owing to their diverse arrays of chemical structures and biological activities, and a series of 1,3-oxazole derivatives has been developed into therapeutic agents (e.g., almoxatone, befloxatone, cabotegravir, delpazolid, fenpipalone, haloxazolam, inavolisib). A growing amount of evidence indicates that marine organisms are one of important sources of 1,3-oxazole-containing alkaloids. To improve our knowledge regarding these marine-derived substances, as many as 285 compounds are summarized in this review, which, for the first time, highlights their sources, structural features and biological properties, as well as their biosynthesis and chemical synthesis. Perspective for the future discovery of new 1,3-oxazole compounds from marine organisms is also provided.

The intriguing chemistry and biology of sulfur-containing natural products from marine microorganisms (1987-2020)

Natural products derived from marine microorganisms have received great attention as a potential resource of new compound entities for drug discovery. The unique marine environment brings us a large group of sulfur-containing natural products with abundant biological functionality including antitumor, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. We reviewed all the 484 sulfur-containing natural products (non-sulfated) isolated from marine microorganisms, of which 59.9% are thioethers, 29.8% are thiazole/thiazoline-containing compounds and 10.3% are sulfoxides, sulfones, thioesters and many others. A selection of 133 compounds was further discussed on their structure-activity relationships, mechanisms of action, biosynthesis, and druggability. This is the first systematic review on sulfur-containing natural products from marine microorganisms conducted from January 1987, when the first one was reported, to December 2020.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-021-00101-2.

Host-dependent heterologous expression of berninamycin gene cluster leads to linear thiopeptide antibiotics

Berninamycins are a class of thiopeptide antibiotics with potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Heterologous expression of the berninamycin (ber) biosynthetic gene cluster from marine-derived Streptomyces sp. SCSIO 11878 in different terrestrial model Streptomyces hosts led to the production of berninamycins A (1) and B (2) in Streptomyces lividans SBT18 and Streptomyces coelicolor M1154, while two new linearized berninamycins J (3) and K (4) were obtained in Streptomyces albus J1074. Their structures were elucidated by detailed interpretation of NMR data and Marfey's method. Bioactivity assays showed that the linear thiopeptides 3 and 4 were less potent than 1 and 2 in antibacterial activity. This work indicates that undefined host-dependent enzymes might be responsible for generating the linear thiopeptides 3 and 4 in S. albus J1074.

Thiopeptides: antibiotics with unique chemical structures and diverse biological activities

Thiopeptides are a class of natural product antibiotics with diverse structures and functions. Their complex structures and biosynthesis have intrigued researchers since their discovery in 1948, but not a single thiopeptide has been approved for human use. This is mainly due to their poor solubility, challenging synthesis, and low bioavailability. This review summarizes the current research on the biosynthesis and biological activity of thiopeptide antibiotics since 2015. The focus of research since 2015 has been on uncovering biosynthetic routes, developing methods for total synthesis, and understanding the biological activity of thiopeptides. Overall, there is still much to learn about this family of molecules.

Introduction to Thiopeptides: Biological Activity, Biosynthesis, and Strategies for Functional Reprogramming

Thiopeptides (also known as thiazolyl peptides) are structurally complex natural products with rich biological activities. Known for over 70 years for potent killing of Gram-positive bacteria, thiopeptides are experiencing a resurgence of interest in the last decade, primarily brought about by the genomic revolution of the 21st century. Every area of thiopeptide research-from elucidating their biological function and biosynthesis to expanding their structural diversity through genome mining-has made great strides in recent years. These advances lay the foundation for and inspire novel strategies for thiopeptide engineering. Accordingly, a number of diverse approaches are being actively pursued in the hope of developing the next generation of natural-product-inspired therapeutics. Here, we review the contemporary understanding of thiopeptide biological activities, biosynthetic pathways, and approaches to structural and functional reprogramming, with a special focus on the latter.

Multi-chassis engineering for heterologous production of microbial natural products

Microbial genomes encode numerous biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may produce natural products with diverse applications in medicine, agriculture, the environment, and materials science. With the advent of genome sequencing and bioinformatics, heterologous expression of BGCs is of increasing interest in bioactive natural product (NP) discovery. However, this approach has had limited success because expression of BGCs relies heavily on the physiology of just a few commonly available host chassis. Expanding and diversifying the chassis portfolio for heterologous BGC expression may greatly increase the chances for successful NP production. In this review, we first discuss genetic and genome engineering technologies used to clone, modify, and transform BGCs into multiple strains and to engineer chassis strains. We then highlight studies that employed the multi-chassis approach successfully to optimize NP production, discover previously uncharacterized NPs, and better understand BGC function.

Heterologous production of small molecules in the optimized Streptomyces hosts

Time span of literature covered: 2010-2018The genome mining of streptomycetes has revealed their great biosynthetic potential to produce novel natural products. One of the most promising exploitation routes of this biosynthetic potential is the refactoring and heterologous expression of corresponding biosynthetic gene clusters in a panel of specifically selected and optimized chassis strains. This article will review selected recent reports on heterologous production of natural products in streptomycetes. In the first part, the importance of heterologous production for drug discovery will be discussed. In the second part, the review will discuss recently developed genetic control elements (such as promoters, ribosome binding sites, terminators) and their application to achieve successful heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters. Finally, the most widely used Streptomyces hosts for heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters will be compared in detail. The article will be of interest to natural product chemists, molecular biologists, pharmacists and all individuals working in the natural products drug discovery field.

The Biotechnological Potential of Secondary Metabolites from Marine Bacteria

Marine habitats are a rich source of molecules of biological interest. In particular, marine bacteria attract attention with their ability to synthesize structurally diverse classes of bioactive secondary metabolites with high biotechnological potential. The last decades were marked by numerous discoveries of biomolecules of bacterial symbionts, which have long been considered metabolites of marine animals. Many compounds isolated from marine bacteria are unique in their structure and biological activity. Their study has made a significant contribution to the discovery and production of new natural antimicrobial agents. Identifying the mechanisms and potential of this type of metabolite production in marine bacteria has become one of the noteworthy trends in modern biotechnology. This path has become not only one of the most promising approaches to the development of new antibiotics, but also a potential target for controlling the viability of pathogenic bacteria.

Genome Mining of Streptomyces sp. YIM 130001 Isolated From Lichen Affords New Thiopeptide Antibiotic

Streptomyces bacteria are recognized as an important source for antibiotics with broad applications in human medicine and animal health. Here, we report the isolation of a new lichen-associating Streptomyces sp. YIM 130001 from the tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna (Yunnan, China), which displayed antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis. The draft genome sequence of this isolate strain revealed 18 putative biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for secondary metabolites, which is an unusually low number compared to a typical streptomycete. Inactivation of a lantibiotic dehydrogenase-encoding gene from the BGC presumed to govern biosynthesis of a thiopeptide resulted in the loss of bioactivity. Using comparative HPLC analysis, two peaks in the chromatogram were identified in the extract from the wild-type strain, which were missing in the extract from the mutant. The compounds corresponding to the identified peaks were purified, and structure of one compound was elucidated using NMR. The compound, designated geninthiocin B, showed high similarity to several 35-membered macrocyclic thiopeptides geninthiocin, Val-geninthiocin and berninamycin A. Bioinformatics analysis of the geninthiocin B BGC revealed its close homology to that of berninamycins.

Identification and heterologous expression of the kocurin biosynthetic gene cluster

The antibiotically bioactive thiopeptide compound kocurin was identified in extracts from a newly isolated Kocuria rosea strain. The axenic strain was retrieved from a soil sample of the intertidal area at the Paracas National Park, Peru. The genetic basis of this promising natural product with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains was revealed by comparative genome analysis of this new isolate and other reported thiopeptide producer strains. The functionality of the predicted gene locus was experimentally proven by heterologous expression in Streptomyces coelicolor M1146. Expression of the gene cluster under the control of a constitutive promoter enabled the transgenic strain to produce kocurin in selected media. The kocurin biosynthetic gene cluster comprises nine open reading frames and spans around 12 kbp of the genome.

Bio-inspired engineering of thiopeptide antibiotics advances the expansion of molecular diversity and utility

Thiopeptide antibiotics, which are a class of sulfur-rich and highly modified peptide natural products, exhibit a wide variety of important biological properties. These antibiotics are ribosomally synthesized and arise from post-translational modifications, exemplifying a process through which nature develops the structural complexity from Ser/Thr and Cys-rich precursor peptides. Following a brief review of the knowledge gained from nature in terms of the formation of a common thiopeptide scaffold and its specialization to individual members, we highlight the significance of bio-inspired engineering, which has greatly expanded the molecular diversity and utility of thiopeptide antibiotics regarding the search for clinically useful agents, investigation into new mechanisms of action and access to typically 'inaccessible' biosynthetic processes over the past two years.

Development of a Biosensor Concept to Detect the Production of Cluster-Specific Secondary Metabolites

Genome mining of actinomycete bacteria aims at the discovery of novel bioactive secondary metabolites that can be developed into drugs. A new repressor-based biosensor to detect activated secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters in Streptomyces was developed. Biosynthetic gene clusters for undecylprodigiosin and coelimycin in the genome of Streptomyces lividans TK24, which encoded TetR-like repressors and appeared to be almost "silent" based on the RNA-seq data, were chosen for the proof-of-principle studies. The bpsA reporter gene for indigoidine synthetase was placed under control of the promotor/operator regions presumed to be controlled by the cluster-associated TetR-like repressors. While the biosensor for undecylprodigiosin turned out to be nonfunctional, the coelimycin biosensor was shown to perform as expected, turning on biosynthesis of indigoidine in response to the concomitant production of coelimycin. The developed reporter system concept can be applied to those cryptic gene clusters that encode metabolite-sensing repressors to speed up discovery of novel bioactive compounds in Streptomyces.

Caboxamycin biosynthesis pathway and identification of novel benzoxazoles produced by cross-talk in Streptomyces sp. NTK 937

Streptomyces sp. NTK937, producer of benzoxazole antibiotic caboxamycin, produces in addition a methyl ester derivative, O‐methylcaboxamycin. Caboxamycin cluster, comprising one regulatory and nine structural genes, has been delimited, and each gene has been individually inactivated to demonstrate its role in the biosynthetic process. The O‐methyltransferase potentially responsible for O‐methylcaboxamycin synthesis would reside outside this cluster. Five of the genes, cbxR, cbxA, cbxB, cbxD and cbxE, encoding a SARP transcriptional regulator, salicylate synthase, 3‐oxoacyl‐ACP‐synthase, ACP and amidohydrolase, respectively, have been found to be essential for caboxamycin biosynthesis. The remaining five structural genes were found to have paralogues distributed throughout the genome, capable of partaking in the process when their cluster homologue is inactivated. Two of such paralogues, cbxC’ and cbxI’, coding an AMP‐dependent synthetase‐ligase and an anthranilate synthase, respectively, have been identified. However, the other three genes might simultaneously have more than one paralogue, given that cbxF (DAHP synthase), cbxG (2,3‐dihydro‐2,3‐dihydroxybenzoate dehydrogenase) and cbxH (isochorismatase) have three, three and five putative paralogue genes, respectively, of similar function within the genome. As a result of genetic manipulation, a novel benzoxazole (3′‐hydroxycaboxamycin) has been identified in the salicylate synthase‐deficient mutant strain ΔcbxA. 3′‐hydroxycaboxamycin derives from the cross‐talk between the caboxamycin and enterobactin pathways.

Cloning and Heterologous Expression of a Large-sized Natural Product Biosynthetic Gene Cluster in Streptomyces Species

Actinomycetes family including Streptomyces species have been a major source for the discovery of novel natural products (NPs) in the last several decades thanks to their structural novelty, diversity and complexity. Moreover, recent genome mining approach has provided an attractive tool to screen potentially valuable NP biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) present in the actinomycetes genomes. Since many of these NP BGCs are silent or cryptic in the original actinomycetes, various techniques have been employed to activate these NP BGCs. Heterologous expression of BGCs has become a useful strategy to produce, reactivate, improve, and modify the pathways of NPs present at minute quantities in the original actinomycetes isolates. However, cloning and efficient overexpression of an entire NP BGC, often as large as over 100 kb, remain challenging due to the ineffectiveness of current genetic systems in manipulating large NP BGCs. This mini review describes examples of actinomycetes NP production through BGC heterologous expression systems as well as recent strategies specialized for the large-sized NP BGCs in Streptomyces heterologous hosts.

YcaO-Dependent Posttranslational Amide Activation: Biosynthesis, Structure, and Function

With advances in sequencing technology, uncharacterized proteins and domains of unknown function (DUFs) are rapidly accumulating in sequence databases and offer an opportunity to discover new protein chemistry and reaction mechanisms. The focus of this review, the formerly enigmatic YcaO superfamily (DUF181), has been found to catalyze a unique phosphorylation of a ribosomal peptide backbone amide upon attack by different nucleophiles. Established nucleophiles are the side chains of Cys, Ser, and Thr which gives rise to azoline/azole biosynthesis in ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide (RiPP) natural products. However, much remains unknown about the potential for YcaO proteins to collaborate with other nucleophiles. Recent work suggests potential in forming thioamides, macroamidines, and possibly additional post-translational modifications. This review covers all knowledge through mid-2016 regarding the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), natural products, functions, mechanisms, and applications of YcaO proteins and outlines likely future research directions for this protein superfamily.

Capture of micrococcin biosynthetic intermediates reveals C-terminal processing as an obligatory step for in vivo maturation

Thiopeptides, including micrococcins, are a growing family of bioactive natural products that are ribosomally synthesized and heavily modified. Here we use a refactored, modular in vivo system containing the micrococcin P1 (MP1) biosynthetic genes (TclIJKLMNPS) from Macrococcus caseolyticus str 115 in a genetically tractable Bacillus subtilis strain to parse the processing steps of this pathway. By fusing the micrococcin precursor peptide to an affinity tag and coupling it with catalytically defective enzymes, biosynthetic intermediates were easily captured for analysis. We found that two major phases of molecular maturation are separated by a key C-terminal processing step. Phase-I conversion of six Cys residues to thiazoles (TclIJN) is followed by C-terminal oxidative decarboxylation (TclP). This TclP-mediated oxidative decarboxylation is a required step for the peptide to progress to phase II. In phase II, Ser/Thr dehydration (TclKL) and peptide macrocycle formation (TclM) occurs. A C-terminal reductase, TclS, can optionally act on the substrate peptide, yielding MP1, and is shown to act late in the pathway. This comprehensive characterization of the MP1 pathway prepares the way for future engineering efforts.

Biosynthesis and molecular engineering of templated natural products

Bioactive small molecules that are produced by living organisms, often referred to as natural products (NPs), historically play a critical role in the context of both medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. How nature creates these chemical entities with stunning structural complexity and diversity using a limited range of simple substrates has not been fully understood. Focusing on two types of NPs that share a highly evolvable ‘template’-biosynthetic logic, we here provide specific examples to highlight the conceptual and technological leaps in NP biosynthesis and witness the area of progress since the beginning of the twenty-first century. The biosynthesis of polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides and their hybrids that share an assembly-line enzymology of modular multifunctional proteins exemplifies an extended ‘central dogma’ that correlates the genotype of catalysts with the chemotype of products; in parallel, post-translational modifications of ribosomally synthesized peptides involve a number of unusual biochemical mechanisms for molecular maturation. Understanding the biosynthetic processes of these templated NPs would largely facilitate the design, development and utilization of compatible biosynthetic machineries to address the challenge that often arises from structural complexity to the accessibility and efficiency of current chemical synthesis.

Cyclisation mechanisms in the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides

Ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large class of natural products that are remarkably chemically diverse given an intrinsic requirement to be assembled from proteinogenic amino acids. The vast chemical space occupied by RiPPs means that they possess a wide variety of biological activities, and the class includes antibiotics, co-factors, signalling molecules, anticancer and anti-HIV compounds, and toxins. A considerable amount of RiPP chemical diversity is generated from cyclisation reactions, and the current mechanistic understanding of these reactions will be discussed here. These cyclisations involve a diverse array of chemical reactions, including 1,4-nucleophilic additions, [4 + 2] cycloadditions, ATP-dependent heterocyclisation to form thiazolines or oxazolines, and radical-mediated reactions between unactivated carbons. Future prospects for RiPP pathway discovery and characterisation will also be highlighted.

Identification and Functional Analysis of the Nocardithiocin Gene Cluster in Nocardia pseudobrasiliensis

Nocardithiocin is a thiopeptide compound isolated from the opportunistic pathogen Nocardia pseudobrasiliensis. It shows a strong activity against acid-fast bacteria and is also active against rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Here, we report the identification of the nocardithiocin gene cluster in N. pseudobrasiliensis IFM 0761 based on conserved thiopeptide biosynthesis gene sequence and the whole genome sequence. The predicted gene cluster was confirmed by gene disruption and complementation. As expected, strains containing the disrupted gene did not produce nocardithiocin while gene complementation restored nocardithiocin production in these strains. The predicted cluster was further analyzed using RNA-seq which showed that the nocardithiocin gene cluster contains 12 genes within a 15.2-kb region. This finding will promote the improvement of nocardithiocin productivity and its derivatives production.

The genomic landscape of ribosomal peptides containing thiazole and oxazole heterocycles

BACKGROUND

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a burgeoning class of natural products with diverse activity that share a similar origin and common features in their biosynthetic pathways. The precursor peptides of these natural products are ribosomally produced, upon which a combination of modification enzymes installs diverse functional groups. This genetically encoded peptide-based strategy allows for rapid diversification of these natural products by mutation in the precursor genes merged with unique combinations of modification enzymes. Thiazole/oxazole-modified microcins (TOMMs) are a class of RiPPs defined by the presence of heterocycles derived from cysteine, serine, and threonine residues in the precursor peptide. TOMMs encompass a number of different families, including but not limited to the linear azol(in)e-containing peptides (streptolysin S, microcin B17, and plantazolicin), cyanobactins, thiopeptides, and bottromycins. Although many TOMMs have been explored, the increased availability of genome sequences has illuminated several unexplored TOMM producers.

METHODS

All YcaO domain-containing proteins (D protein) and the surrounding genomic regions were were obtained from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). MultiGeneBlast was used to group gene clusters contain a D protein. A number of techniques were used to identify TOMM biosynthetic gene clusters from the D protein containing gene clusters. Precursor peptides from these gene clusters were also identified. Both sequence similarity and phylogenetic analysis were used to classify the 20 diverse TOMM clusters identified.

RESULTS

Given the remarkable structural and functional diversity displayed by known TOMMs, a comprehensive bioinformatic study to catalog and classify the entire RiPP class was undertaken. Here we report the bioinformatic characterization of nearly 1,500 TOMM gene clusters from genomes in the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) sequence repository. Genome mining suggests a complex diversification of modification enzymes and precursor peptides to create more than 20 distinct families of TOMMs, nine of which have not heretofore been described. Many of the identified TOMM families have an abundance of diverse precursor peptide sequences as well as unfamiliar combinations of modification enzymes, signifying a potential wealth of novel natural products on known and unknown biosynthetic scaffolds. Phylogenetic analysis suggests a widespread distribution of TOMMs across multiple phyla; however, producers of similar TOMMs are generally found in the same phylum with few exceptions.

CONCLUSIONS

The comprehensive genome mining study described herein has uncovered a myriad of unique TOMM biosynthetic clusters and provides an atlas to guide future discovery efforts. These biosynthetic gene clusters are predicted to produce diverse final products, and the identification of additional combinations of modification enzymes could expand the potential of combinatorial natural product biosynthesis.

Functional roles in S-adenosyl-L-methionine binding and catalysis for active site residues of the thiostrepton resistance methyltransferase

Resistance to the antibiotic thiostrepton, in producing Streptomycetes, is conferred by the S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent SPOUT methyltransferase Tsr. For this and related enzymes, the roles of active site amino acids have been inadequately described. Herein, we have probed SAM interactions in the Tsr active site by investigating the catalytic activity and the thermodynamics of SAM binding by site-directed Tsr mutants. Two arginine residues were demonstrated to be critical for binding, one of which appears to participate in the catalytic reaction. Additionally, evidence consistent with the involvement of an asparagine in the structural organization of the SAM binding site is presented.

Nocardiopsis species: Incidence, ecological roles and adaptations

Members of the genus Nocardiopsis are ecologically versatile and biotechnologically important. They produce a variety of bioactive compounds such as antimicrobial agents, anticancer substances, tumor inducers, toxins and immunomodulators. They also secrete novel extracellular enzymes such as amylases, chitinases, cellulases, β-glucanases, inulinases, xylanases and proteases. Nocardiopsis species are aerobic, Gram-positive, non-acid-fast, catalase-positive actinomycetes with nocardioform substrate mycelia and their aerial mycelia bear long chains of spores. Their DNA possesses high contents of guanine and cytosine. There is a marked variation in properties of the isolates obtained from different ecological niches and their products. An important feature of several species is their halophilic or halotolerant nature. They are associated with a variety of marine and terrestrial biological forms wherein they produce antibiotics and toxins that help their hosts in evading pathogens and predators. Two Nocardiopsis species, namely, N. dassonvillei and N. synnemataformans (among the thirty nine reported ones) are opportunistic human pathogens and cause mycetoma, suppurative infections and abscesses. Nocardiopsis species are present in some plants (as endophytes or surface microflora) and their rhizospheres. Here, they are reported to produce enzymes such as α-amylases and antifungal agents that are effective in warding-off plant pathogens. They are prevalent as free-living entities in terrestrial locales, indoor locations, marine ecosystems and hypersaline habitats on account of their salt-, alkali- and desiccation-resistant behavior. In such natural locations, Nocardiopsis species mainly help in recycling organic compounds. Survival under these diverse conditions is mediated by the production of extracellular enzymes, antibiotics, surfactants, and the accumulation of compatible solutes. The accommodative genomic features of Nocardiopsis species support their existence under the diverse conditions where they prevail.

Characterization of the nocardiopsin biosynthetic gene cluster reveals similarities to and differences from the rapamycin and FK-506 pathways

Macrolide-pipecolate natural products, such as rapamycin (1) and FK-506 (2), are renowned modulators of FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs). The nocardiopsins, from Nocardiopsis sp. CMB-M0232, are the newest members of this structural class. Here, the biosynthetic pathway for nocardiopsins A-D (4-7) is revealed by cloning, sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses of the nsn gene cluster. In vitro evaluation of recombinant NsnL revealed that this lysine cyclodeaminase catalyzes the conversion of L-lysine into the L-pipecolic acid incorporated into 4 and 5. Bioinformatic analyses supported the conjecture that a linear nocardiopsin precursor is equipped with the hydroxy group required for macrolide closure in a previously unobserved manner by employing a P450 epoxidase (NsnF) and limonene epoxide hydrolase homologue (NsnG). The nsn cluster also encodes candidates for tetrahydrofuran group biosynthesis. The nocardiopsin pathway provides opportunities for engineering of FKBP-binding metabolites and for probing new enzymology in nature's polyketide tailoring arsenal.

Bacterial skin commensals and their role as host guardians

Recent years' investigations of the co-evolution and functional integration of the human body and its commensal microbiota have disclosed that the microbiome has a major impact on physiological functions including protection against infections, reaction patterns in the immune system, and disposition for inflammation-mediated diseases. Two ubiquitous members of the skin microbiota, the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes, are predominant on human epithelia and in sebaceous follicles, respectively. Their successful colonisation is a result of a commensal or even mutualistic lifestyle, favouring traits conferring persistency over aggressive host-damaging properties. Some bacterial properties suggest an alliance with the host to keep transient, potential pathogens at bay, such as the ability of S. epidermidis to produce antimicrobials, or the production of short-chain fatty acids by P. acnes. These features can function together with host-derived components of the innate host defence to establish and maintain the composition of a health-associated skin microbiota. However, depending largely on the host status, the relationship between the human host and S. epidermidis/P. acnes can also have parasitic features. Both microorganisms are frequently isolated from opportunistic infections. S. epidermidis is a causative agent of hospital-acquired infections, mostly associated with the use of medical devices. P. acnes is suspected to be of major importance in the pathogenesis of acne and also in a number of other opportunistic infections. In this review we will present bacterial factors and traits of these two key members of our skin microbiota and discuss how they contribute to mutualistic and parasitic properties. The elucidation of their roles in health-promoting or disease-causing processes could lead to new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against skin disorders and other S. epidermidis/P. acnes-associated diseases, and increase our understanding of the delicate interplay of the skin microbiota with the human host.

A systematic analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters in the human microbiome reveals a common family of antibiotics

In complex biological systems, small molecules often mediate microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions. Using a systematic approach, we identified 3,118 small-molecule biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in genomes of human-associated bacteria and studied their representation in 752 metagenomic samples from the NIH Human Microbiome Project. Remarkably, we discovered that BGCs for a class of antibiotics in clinical trials, thiopeptides, are widely distributed in genomes and metagenomes of the human microbiota. We purified and solved the structure of a thiopeptide antibiotic, lactocillin, from a prominent member of the vaginal microbiota. We demonstrate that lactocillin has potent antibacterial activity against a range of Gram-positive vaginal pathogens, and we show that lactocillin and other thiopeptide BGCs are expressed in vivo by analyzing human metatranscriptomic sequencing data. Our findings illustrate the widespread distribution of small-molecule-encoding BGCs in the human microbiome, and they demonstrate the bacterial production of drug-like molecules in humans. PAPERCLIP:

Analysis of the biosynthesis of antibacterial cyclic dipeptides in Nocardiopsis alba

Nocardiopsis alba is frequently isolated from environment and has recently been suggested as a casual symbiotic actinobacterium of diverse invertebrates. Using activity-guided fractionation, we purified two antibacterial cyclic dipeptides, cyclo(ΔPhe-ΔLeu) (albonoursin) and cyclo(ΔmTyr-ΔLeu), from a culture of Nocardiopsis alba ATCC BAA-2165. Analysis of N. alba genome revealed genetic information similar to albonoursin biosynthetic gene cluster, albABC. An albABC gene deletion mutant of N. alba was generated. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that the mutant could not produce the cyclic dipeptides. Cyclic dipeptide production in the mutant was restored by genetic complementation with the albABC cloned in a native plasmid of Nocardiopsis. β-Glucuronidase reporter assays with a second mutant construct, in which albABC promoter is transcriptionally fused to the reporting gene gusA, indicated that albABC gene expression was subject to osmoregulation. The system presented will be used to study the metabolic and genetic control of cyclic dipeptide biosynthesis in Nocardiopsis.

Thiopeptide antibiotics: retrospective and recent advances

Thiopeptides, or thiazolyl peptides, are a relatively new family of antibiotics that already counts with more than one hundred different entities. Although they are mainly isolated from soil bacteria, during the last decade, new members have been isolated from marine samples. Far from being limited to their innate antibacterial activity, thiopeptides have been found to possess a wide range of biological properties, including anticancer, antiplasmodial, immunosuppressive, etc. In spite of their ribosomal origin, these highly posttranslationally processed peptides have posed a fascinating synthetic challenge, prompting the development of various methodologies and strategies. Regardless of their limited solubility, intensive investigations are bringing thiopeptide derivatives closer to the clinic, where they are likely to show their veritable therapeutic potential.

Opportunities and challenges from current investigations into the biosynthetic logic of nosiheptide-represented thiopeptide antibiotics

Nosiheptide is an archetypal thiopeptide antibiotic, possessing a characteristic macrocyclic core that contains a 6-membered heterocycle central to multiple azol(in)es and dehydroamino acids. The discovery of the ribosomal origin of thiopeptides revealed a unifying theme, showing that the structural complexity arises from post-translational modifications (PTMs) of precursor peptides. Thiopeptide framework formation proceeds via cyclodehydration/dehydrogenation (for azol(in)es), dehydration (for dehydroamino acids), and cycloaddition (for the central heterocycle domain). This common process has not been reproduced in vitro, partly due to the poorly understood logic of thiopeptide biosynthetic pathways. Utilizing nosiheptide biosynthesis as a model system, we herein consider how nature coordinates a number of highly interwined, common and specific PTMs to accomplish the complexity of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides.

The posttranslational modification cascade to the thiopeptide berninamycin generates linear forms and altered macrocyclic scaffolds

Berninamycin is a member of the pyridine-containing thiopeptide class of antibiotics that undergoes massive posttranslational modifications from ribosomally generated preproteins. Berninamycin has a 2-oxazolyl-3-thiazolyl-pyridine core embedded in a 35-atom macrocycle rather than typical trithiazolylpyridine cores embedded in 26-atom and 29-atom peptide macrocycles. We describe the cloning of an 11-gene berninamycin cluster from Streptomyces bernensis UC 5144, its heterologous expression in Streptomyces lividans TK24 and Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 10712, and detection of variant and incompletely processed scaffolds. Posttranslational maturation in S. lividans of both the wild-type berninamycin prepeptide (BerA) and also a T3A mutant generates macrocyclic compounds as well as linear variants, which have failed to form the pyridine and the macrocycle. Expression of the gene cluster in S. venezuelae generates a variant of the 35-atom skeleton of berninamycin, containing a methyloxazoline in the place of a methyloxazole within the macrocyclic framework.

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products: overview and recommendations for a universal nomenclature

This review presents recommended nomenclature for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), a rapidly growing class of natural products. The current knowledge regarding the biosynthesis of the >20 distinct compound classes is also reviewed, and commonalities are discussed.

Pharmacologically prospective antibiotic agents and their sources: a marine microbial perspective

Marine microbes have been a storehouse of bioactive metabolites with tremendous potential as drug candidates. Marine microorganism derived secondary metabolites (chemical compounds/peptides) are considered to be a burning area of research since recent past. Many of such compounds have been proven to be anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-algal, anti-HIV, anti-helminthic, anti-protozoan, anti-tumor and anti-allergic agents. Marine bacteria and fungi have been reported to be the producers of such compounds owing to their defense mechanisms and metabolic by products. Although the number of natural products isolated from these classes of marine microbial flora is large, a limited number of such compounds reach the clinical trial and even less number of them get approved as a drug. Here we discuss the recent studies on the isolation, characterization and the pharmacological significances of anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-infective agents of marine microbial origin. Further, the clinical status of such compounds has also been discussed in comparison with those derived from their terrestrial counterparts.

ThioFinder: a web-based tool for the identification of thiopeptide gene clusters in DNA sequences

Thiopeptides are a growing class of sulfur-rich, highly modified heterocyclic peptides that are mainly active against Gram-positive bacteria including various drug-resistant pathogens. Recent studies also reveal that many thiopeptides inhibit the proliferation of human cancer cells, further expanding their application potentials for clinical use. Thiopeptide biosynthesis shares a common paradigm, featuring a ribosomally synthesized precursor peptide and conserved posttranslational modifications, to afford a characteristic core system, but differs in tailoring to furnish individual members. Identification of new thiopeptide gene clusters, by taking advantage of increasing information of DNA sequences from bacteria, may facilitate new thiopeptide discovery and enrichment of the unique biosynthetic elements to produce novel drug leads by applying the principle of combinatorial biosynthesis. In this study, we have developed a web-based tool ThioFinder to rapidly identify thiopeptide biosynthetic gene cluster from DNA sequence using a profile Hidden Markov Model approach. Fifty-four new putative thiopeptide biosynthetic gene clusters were found in the sequenced bacterial genomes of previously unknown producing microorganisms. ThioFinder is fully supported by an open-access database ThioBase, which contains the sufficient information of the 99 known thiopeptides regarding the chemical structure, biological activity, producing organism, and biosynthetic gene (cluster) along with the associated genome if available. The ThioFinder website offers researchers a unique resource and great flexibility for sequence analysis of thiopeptide biosynthetic gene clusters. ThioFinder is freely available at http://db-mml.sjtu.edu.cn/ThioFinder/.

Marine natural products

Covering: 2010. Previous review: Nat. Prod. Rep., 2011, 28, 196. This review covers the literature published in 2010 for marine natural products, with 895 citations (590 for the period January to December 2010) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1003 for 2010), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that lead to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included.

Genome-based studies of marine microorganisms to maximize the diversity of natural products discovery for medical treatments

Marine microorganisms are rich source for natural products which play important roles in pharmaceutical industry. Over the past decade, genome-based studies of marine microorganisms have unveiled the tremendous diversity of the producers of natural products and also contributed to the efficiency of harness the strain diversity and chemical diversity, as well as the genetic diversity of marine microorganisms for the rapid discovery and generation of new natural products. In the meantime, genomic information retrieved from marine symbiotic microorganisms can also be employed for the discovery of new medical molecules from yet-unculturable microorganisms. In this paper, the recent progress in the genomic research of marine microorganisms is reviewed; new tools of genome mining as well as the advance in the activation of orphan pathways and metagenomic studies are summarized. Genome-based research of marine microorganisms will maximize the biodiscovery process and solve the problems of supply and sustainability of drug molecules for medical treatments.

Identification of the thiazolyl peptide GE37468 gene cluster from Streptomyces ATCC 55365 and heterologous expression in Streptomyces lividans

Thiazolyl peptides are bacterial secondary metabolites that potently inhibit protein synthesis in Gram-positive bacteria and malarial parasites. Recently, our laboratory and others reported that this class of trithiazolyl pyridine-containing natural products is derived from ribosomally synthesized preproteins that undergo a cascade of posttranslational modifications to produce architecturally complex macrocyclic scaffolds. Here, we report the gene cluster responsible for production of the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu)-targeting 29-member thiazolyl peptide GE37468 from Streptomyces ATCC 55365 and its heterologous expression in the model host Streptomyces lividans. GE37468 harbors an unusual β-methyl-δ-hydroxy-proline residue that may increase conformational rigidity of the macrocycle and impart reduced entropic costs of target binding. Isotope feeding and gene knockout were employed in the engineered S. lividans strain to identify the P450 monooxygenase GetJ as the enzyme involved in posttranslational transformation of isoleucine 8 to β-methyl-δ-hydroxy-proline through a predicted tandem double hydroxylation/cyclization mechanism. Loss of Ile8 oxygenative cyclization or mutation of Ile8 to alanine via preprotein gene replacement resulted in a 4-fold and 2-fold drop in antibiotic activity, respectively. This report of genetic manipulation of a 29-member thiazolyl peptide sets the stage for further genetic examination of structure activity relationships in the EF-Tu targeting class of thiazolyl peptides.

Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of Propionibacterium acnes

The anaerobic gram-positive bacterium Propionibacterium acnes is a human skin commensal that is occasionally associated with inflammatory diseases. Recent work has indicated that evolutionary distinct lineages of P. acnes play etiologic roles in disease while others are associated with maintenance of skin homeostasis. To shed light on the molecular basis for differential strain properties, we carried out genomic and transcriptomic analysis of distinct P. acnes strains. We sequenced the genome of the P. acnes strain 266, a type I-1a strain. Comparative genome analysis of strain 266 and four other P. acnes strains revealed that overall genome plasticity is relatively low; however, a number of island-like genomic regions, encoding a variety of putative virulence-associated and fitness traits differ between phylotypes, as judged from PCR analysis of a collection of P. acnes strains. Comparative transcriptome analysis of strains KPA171202 (type I-2) and 266 during exponential growth revealed inter-strain differences in gene expression of transport systems and metabolic pathways. In addition, transcript levels of genes encoding possible virulence factors such as dermatan-sulphate adhesin, polyunsaturated fatty acid isomerase, iron acquisition protein HtaA and lipase GehA were upregulated in strain 266. We investigated differential gene expression during exponential and stationary growth phases. Genes encoding components of the energy-conserving respiratory chain as well as secreted and virulence-associated factors were transcribed during the exponential phase, while the stationary growth phase was characterized by upregulation of genes involved in stress responses and amino acid metabolism. Our data highlight the genomic basis for strain diversity and identify, for the first time, the actively transcribed part of the genome, underlining the important role growth status plays in the inflammation-inducing activity of P. acnes. We argue that the disease-causing potential of different P. acnes strains is not only determined by the phylotype-specific genome content but also by variable gene expression.

A sea of biosynthesis: marine natural products meet the molecular age

The years 2000 through mid-2010 marked a transformational period in understanding of the biosynthesis of marine natural products. During this decade the field emerged from one largely dominated by chemical approaches to understanding biosynthetic pathways to one incorporating the full force of modern molecular biology and bioinformatics. Fusion of chemical and biological approaches yielded great advances in understanding the genetic and enzymatic basis for marine natural product biosynthesis. Progress was particularly pronounced for marine microbes, especially actinomycetes and cyanobacteria. During this single decade, both the first complete marine microbial natural product biosynthetic gene cluster sequence was released as well as the first entire genome sequence for a secondary metabolite-rich marine microbe. The decade also saw tremendous progress in recognizing the key role of marine microbial symbionts of invertebrates in natural product biosynthesis. Application of genetic and enzymatic knowledge led to genetic engineering of novel “unnatural” natural products during this time, as well as opportunities for discovery of novel natural products through genome mining. The current review highlights selected seminal studies from 2000 through to June 2010 that illustrate breakthroughs in understanding of marine natural product biosynthesis at the genetic, enzymatic, and small-molecule natural product levels. A total of 154 references are cited.