Initiating polyketide biosynthesis by on-line methyl esterification

Pengwei Li, Meng Chen, Wei Tang, Zhengyan Guo, Yuwei Zhang, Min Wang, Geoff P. Horsman, Jin Zhong, Zhaoxin Lu and Yihua Chen ()
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Pengwei Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Meng Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wei Tang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhengyan Guo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yuwei Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Min Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Geoff P. Horsman: Wilfrid Laurier University
Jin Zhong: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhaoxin Lu: Nanjing Agriculture University
Yihua Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Aurantinins (ARTs) are antibacterial polyketides featuring a unique 6/7/8/5-fused tetracyclic ring system and a triene side chain with a carboxyl terminus. Here we identify the art gene cluster and dissect ART’s C-methyl incorporation patterns to study its biosynthesis. During this process, an apparently redundant methyltransferase Art28 was characterized as a malonyl-acyl carrier protein O-methyltransferase, which represents an unusual on-line methyl esterification initiation strategy for polyketide biosynthesis. The methyl ester bond introduced by Art28 is kept until the last step of ART biosynthesis, in which it is hydrolyzed by Art9 to convert inactive ART 9B to active ART B. The cryptic reactions catalyzed by Art28 and Art9 represent a protecting group biosynthetic logic to render the ART carboxyl terminus inert to unwanted side reactions and to protect producing organisms from toxic ART intermediates. Further analyses revealed a wide distribution of this initiation strategy for polyketide biosynthesis in various bacteria.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24846-7

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