Animal biosynthesis of complex polyketides in a photosynthetic partnership

Joshua P. Torres, Zhenjian Lin, Jaclyn M. Winter, Patrick J. Krug and Eric W. Schmidt ()
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Joshua P. Torres: University of Utah
Zhenjian Lin: University of Utah
Jaclyn M. Winter: University of Utah
Patrick J. Krug: California State University
Eric W. Schmidt: University of Utah

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Complex polyketides are typically associated with microbial metabolism. Here, we report that animals also make complex, microbe-like polyketides. We show there is a widespread branch of fatty acid synthase- (FAS)-like polyketide synthase (PKS) proteins, which sacoglossan animals use to synthesize complex products. The purified sacogolassan protein EcPKS1 uses only methylmalonyl-CoA as a substrate, otherwise unknown in animal lipid metabolism. Sacoglossans are sea slugs, some of which eat algae, digesting the cells but maintaining functional chloroplasts. Here, we provide evidence that polyketides support this unusual photosynthetic partnership. The FAS-like PKS family represents an uncharacterized branch of polyketide and fatty acid metabolism, encoding a large diversity of biomedically relevant animal enzymes and chemicals awaiting discovery. The biochemical characterization of an intact animal polyketide biosynthetic enzyme opens the door to understanding the immense untapped metabolic potential of metazoans.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16376-5

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