Mechanistic investigations on six bacterial terpene cyclases

Mechanistic Investigations of Two Bacterial Diterpene Cyclases: Spiroviolene Synthase and Tsukubadiene Synthase

The mechanisms of two diterpene cyclases from streptomycetes-one with an unknown product that was identified as the spirocyclic hydrocarbon spiroviolene and one with the known product tsukubadiene-were investigated in detail by isotope labeling experiments. Although the structures of the products were very different, the cyclization mechanisms of both enzymes proceed through the same initial cyclization reactions, before they diverge towards the individual products, which is reflected in the close phylogenetic relationship of the enzymes.

Isoafricanol synthase from Streptomyces malaysiensis

A terpene cyclases from Streptomyces malaysiensis was characterised as (+)-isoafricanol synthase and its mechanism was investigated using isotopically labelled substrates.

Terpene Cyclases from Social Amoebae

Genome sequences of social amoebae reveal the presence of terpene cyclases (TCs) in these organisms. Two TCs from Dictyostelium discoideum converted farnesyl diphosphate into (2S,3R,6S,9S)-(-)-protoillud-7-ene and (3S)-(+)-asterisca-2(9),6-diene. The enzyme mechanisms and EI-MS fragmentations of the products were studied by labeling experiments.

A detailed view on 1,8-cineol biosynthesis by Streptomyces clavuligerus

The stereochemical course of the cyclisation reaction catalysed by the bacterial 1,8-cineol synthase from Streptomyces clavuligerus was investigated using stereospecifically deuterated substrates. In contrast to the well investigated plant enzyme from Salvia officinalis, the reaction proceeds via (S)-linalyl diphosphate and the (S)-terpinyl cation, while the final cyclisation reaction is in both cases a syn addition, as could be shown by incubation of (2-¹³C)geranyl diphosphate in deuterium oxide.

Lessons from 1,3-Hydride Shifts in Sesquiterpene Cyclizations

Stereospecifically labelled precursors were subjected to conversion by seven bacterial sesquiterpene cyclases to investigate the stereochemistry of their initial 1,10-cyclisation-1,3-hydride shift cascades. Enzymes with products of known absolute configuration showed a coherent stereochemical course, except for (-)-α-amorphene synthase, for which the obtained results are better explained by an initial 1,6-cyclisation. The link between the absolute configuration of the product and the stereochemical course of the 1,3-hydride shifts enabled assignment of the absolute configurations of three enzyme products, which were confirmed independently through the absolute configuration of the common byproduct germacrene D-4-ol.

The EIMS fragmentation mechanisms of the sesquiterpenes corvol ethers A and B, epi-cubebol and isodauc-8-en-11-ol

Farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) and all fifteen positional isomers of ((13)C1)FPP were enzymatically converted by the bacterial terpene cyclases corvol ether synthase from Kitasatospora setae, the epi-cubebol synthase from Streptosporangium roseum, and the isodauc-8-en-11-ol synthase from Streptomyces venezuelae. The enzyme products were analysed by GC-MS and GC-QTOF MS(2) and the obtained data were used to delineate the EIMS fragmentation mechanisms of the two sesquiterpene ethers corvol ethers A and B, and the sesquiterpene alcohols epi-cubebol and isodauc-8-en-11-ol.