How do peptide synthetases generate structural diversity?

Modular catalytic activity of nonribosomal peptide synthetases depends on the dynamic interaction between adenylation and condensation domains

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are large multidomain enzymes for the synthesis of a variety of bioactive peptides in a modular and pipelined fashion. Here, we investigated how the condensation (C) domain and the adenylation (A) domain cooperate with each other for the efficient catalytic activity in microcystin NRPS modules. We solved two crystal structures of the microcystin NRPS modules, representing two different conformations in the NRPS catalytic cycle. Our data reveal that the dynamic interaction between the C and the A domains in these modules is mediated by the conserved "RXGR" motif, and this interaction is important for the adenylation activity. Furthermore, the "RXGR" motif-mediated dynamic interaction and its functional regulation are prevalent in different NRPSs modules possessing both the A and the C domains. This study provides new insights into the catalytic mechanism of NRPSs and their engineering strategy for synthetic peptides with different structures and properties.

Macrocyclization strategies for the total synthesis of cyclic depsipeptides

Cyclic depsipeptides are an important class of peptide natural products that are defined by the presence of ester and amide bonds within the macrocycle. The structural diversity of depsipeptides has required the development of a broad range of synthetic strategies to access these biologically active compounds. Solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) strategies have been an invaluable tool in their synthesis. The key aspect of their synthesis is the macrocyclization strategy. Three main strategies are used, solution phase macrolactamization of acyclic ester containing peptide, on-resin macrolactamization of a sidechain-anchored peptide, and the solution phase macrolactonization of a linear peptide. Additionally, biocatalysts have been used to produce these compounds in a regio- and chemo-selective manner. Each compound offers unique challenges, requiring careful synthetic design to avoid undesirable side reactivity or unwanted epimerization during the esterification and macrocyclizing steps. This focused review analyzes these three strategies for cyclic depsipeptide natural product total synthesis with selected examples from the literature between 2001-2023.

Lichenysin-like Polypeptide Production by Bacillus licheniformis B3-15 and Its Antiadhesive and Antibiofilm Properties

We report the ability of the crude biosurfactant (BS B3-15), produced by the marine, thermotolerant Bacillus licheniformis B3-15, to hinder the adhesion and biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 to polystyrene and human cells. First, we attempted to increase the BS yield, optimizing the culture conditions, and evaluated the surface-active properties of cell-free supernatants. Under phosphate deprivation (0.06 mM) and 5% saccharose, the yield of BS (1.5 g/L) increased by 37%, which could be explained by the earlier (12 h) increase in lchAA expression compared to the non-optimized condition (48 h). Without exerting any anti-bacterial activity, BS (300 µg/mL) prevented the adhesion of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus to polystyrene (47% and 36%, respectively) and disrupted the preformed biofilms, being more efficient against S. aureus (47%) than P. aeruginosa (26%). When added to human cells, the BS reduced the adhesion of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus (10× and 100,000× CFU/mL, respectively) without altering the epithelial cells' viability. As it is not cytotoxic, BS B3-15 could be useful to prevent or remove bacterial biofilms in several medical and non-medical applications.

Pathogenesis and defense mechanism while Beauveria bassiana JEF-410 infects poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Mesostigmata: Dermanyssidae), is a major pest that causes great damage to chicken egg production. In one of our previous studies, the management of red mites using entomopathogenic fungi was evaluated, and the acaricidal fungus Beauveria bassiana JEF-410 was selected for further research. In this study, we tried to elucidate the pathogenesis of B. bassiana JEF-410 and the defense mechanisms of red mites at a transcriptome level. Red mites collected from a chicken farm were treated with B. bassiana JEF-410. When the mortality of infected red mites reached 50%, transcriptome analyses were performed to determine the interaction between B. bassiana JEF-410 and red mites. Uninfected red mites and non-infecting fungus served as controls. In B. bassiana JEF-410, up-regulated gene expression was observed in tryptophan metabolism and secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways. Genes related to acetyl-CoA synthesis were up-regulated in tryptophan metabolism, suggesting that energy metabolism and stress management were strongly activated. Secondary metabolites associated with fungal up-regulated DEGs were related to the production of substances toxic to insects such as beauvericin and beauveriolide, efflux pump of metabolites, energy production, and resistance to stress. In red mites, physical and immune responses that strengthen the cuticle against fungal infection were highly up-regulated. From these gene expression analyses, we identified essential factors for fungal infection and subsequent defenses of red mites. These results will serve as a strong platform for explaining the interaction between B. bassiana JEF-410 and red mites in the stage of active infection.

Identification of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase in Ganoderma boninense Pat. that was expressed during the interaction with oil palm

Basal stem rot (BSR) of oil palm is a disastrous disease caused by a white-rot fungus Ganoderma boninense Pat. Non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are a group of secondary metabolites that act as fungal virulent factors during pathogenesis in the host. In this study, we aimed to isolate NRPS gene of G. boninense strain UPMGB001 and investigate the role of this gene during G. boninense-oil palm interaction. The isolated NRPS DNA fragment of 8322 bp was used to predict the putative peptide sequence of different domains and showed similarity with G. sinense (85%) at conserved motifs of three main NRPS domains. Phylogenetic analysis of NRPS peptide sequences demonstrated that NRPS of G. boninense belongs to the type VI siderophore family. The roots of 6-month-old oil palm seedlings were artificially inoculated for studying NRPS gene expression and disease severity in the greenhouse. The correlation between high disease severity (50%) and high expression (67-fold) of G. boninense NRPS gene at 4 months after inoculation and above indicated that this gene played a significant role in the advancement of BSR disease. Overall, these findings increase our knowledge on the gene structure of NRPS in G. boninense and its involvement in BSR pathogenesis as an effector gene.

Biosynthesis of depsipeptides, or Depsi: The peptides with varied generations

Depsipeptides are compounds that contain both ester bonds and amide bonds. Important natural product depsipeptides include the piscicide antimycin, the K⁺ ionophores cereulide and valinomycin, the anticancer agent cryptophycin, and the antimicrobial kutzneride. Furthermore, database searches return hundreds of uncharacterized systems likely to produce novel depsipeptides. These compounds are made by specialized nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). NRPSs are biosynthetic megaenzymes that use a module architecture and multi-step catalytic cycle to assemble monomer substrates into peptides, or in the case of specialized depsipeptide synthetases, depsipeptides. Two NRPS domains, the condensation domain and the thioesterase domain, catalyze ester bond formation, and ester bonds are introduced into depsipeptides in several different ways. The two most common occur during cyclization, in a reaction between a hydroxy-containing side chain and the C-terminal amino acid residue in a peptide intermediate, and during incorporation into the growing peptide chain of an α-hydroxy acyl moiety, recruited either by direct selection of an α-hydroxy acid substrate or by selection of an α-keto acid substrate that is reduced in situ. In this article, we discuss how and when these esters are introduced during depsipeptide synthesis, survey notable depsipeptide synthetases, and review insight into bacterial depsipeptide synthetases recently gained from structural studies.

Discovery of an Isothiazolinone-Containing Antitubercular Natural Product Levesquamide

Antitubercular agent levesquamide is a new polyketide-nonribosomal peptide (PK-NRP) hybrid marine natural product isolated from Streptomyces sp. RKND-216. The structure contains a rare isothiazolinone moiety which has only been reported in collismycin SN. Structure elucidation by NMR spectroscopy was a significant challenge due to a deficiency of protons in this aromatic moiety. Therefore, the genome of Streptomyces sp. RKND-216 was sequenced to identify the levesquamide biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Analysis of the BGC provided structural insights and guided stable-isotope labeling experiments, which led to the assignment of the fused pyridine-isothiazolinone moiety. The BGC and the labeling experiments provide further insights into the biosynthetic origin of isothiazolinones. Levesquamide exhibited antimicrobial activity in the microplate alamarBlue assay (MABA) and low oxygen recovery assay (LORA) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 9.65 and 22.28 μM, respectively. Similar activity was exhibited against rifampicin- and isoniazid-resistant M. tuberculosis strains with MIC values of 9.46 and 9.90 μM, respectively. This result suggests levesquamide has a different mode of action against M. tuberculosis compared to the two first-line antitubercular drugs rifampicin and isoniazid. Furthermore, levesquamide shows no cytotoxicity against the Vero cell line, suggesting it may have a useful therapeutic window.

Genomics-driven discovery of a biosynthetic gene cluster required for the synthesis of BII-Rafflesfungin from the fungus Phoma sp. F3723

Background

Phomafungin is a recently reported broad spectrum antifungal compound but its biosynthetic pathway is unknown. We combed publicly available Phoma genomes but failed to find any putative biosynthetic gene cluster that could account for its biosynthesis.

Results

Therefore, we sequenced the genome of one of our Phoma strains (F3723) previously identified as having antifungal activity in a high-throughput screen. We found a biosynthetic gene cluster that was predicted to synthesize a cyclic lipodepsipeptide that differs in the amino acid composition compared to Phomafungin. Antifungal activity guided isolation yielded a new compound, BII-Rafflesfungin, the structure of which was determined.

Conclusions

We describe the NRPS-t1PKS cluster ‘BIIRfg’ compatible with the synthesis of the cyclic lipodepsipeptide BII-Rafflesfungin [HMHDA-L-Ala-L-Glu-L-Asn-L-Ser-L-Ser-D-Ser-D-allo-Thr-Gly]. We report new Stachelhaus codes for Ala, Glu, Asn, Ser, Thr, and Gly. We propose a mechanism for BII-Rafflesfungin biosynthesis, which involves the formation of the lipid part by BIIRfg_PKS followed by activation and transfer of the lipid chain by a predicted AMP-ligase on to the first PCP domain of the BIIRfg_NRPS gene.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5762-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Discovery and Biosynthesis of Atrovimycin, an Antitubercular and Antifungal Cyclodepsipeptide Featuring Vicinal-dihydroxylated Cinnamic Acyl Chain

Atrovimycin (1), a cyclodepsipeptide containing a unique vicinal-hydroxylated cinnamic acyl chain, was isolated and elucidated from Streptomyces atrovirens LQ13. The biosynthetic pathway of 1 was achieved, revealing cytochrome P450 (Avm43) and epoxide hydrolase (Avm29) enzymes constructing the vicinal-dihydroxy substitution, as well as a tailoring P450 (Avm28) enzyme catalyzing β-hydroxylation of the l-Phe moiety. Atrovimycin shows in vitro antifungal activity and antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv both in vitro (with MIC of 2.5 μg/mL) and in vivo.

Assessing the Efficiency of Cultivation Techniques To Recover Natural Product Biosynthetic Gene Populations from Sediment

Despite decades of cultivating microorganisms for use in drug discovery, few attempts have been made to measure the extent to which common cultivation techniques have accessed existing chemical space. Metagenomic studies have shown that cultivable bacteria represent a fraction of those that exist in the environment, and that uncultivated populations in sediment have genes that encode for a high diversity of novel natural product (NP) biosynthetic enzymes. Quantifying these genes in both sediment and cultivatable bacterial populations allows us to assess how much diversity is present on nutrient agar and is critical to guiding the trajectory of future NP discovery platforms. Herein, we employed next-generation amplicon sequencing to assess the NP biosynthetic gene populations present in two Lake Huron sediment samples, and compared these with populations from their corresponding cultivatable bacteria. We highlight three findings from our study: (1) after cultivation, we recovered between 7.7% and 23% of three common types of NP biosynthetic genes from the original sediment population; (2) between 76.3% and 91.5% of measured NP biosynthetic genes from nutrient agar have yet to be characterized in known biosynthetic gene cluster databases, indicating that readily cultivatable bacteria harbor the potential to produce new NPs; and (3) even though the predominant taxa present on nutrient media represented some of the major producers of bacterial NPs, the sediment harbored a significantly greater pool of NP biosynthetic genes that could be mined for structural novelty, and these likely belong to taxa that typically have not been represented in microbial drug discovery libraries.

Biosynthetic Insights of Calyculin- and Misakinolide-Type Compounds in "Candidatus Entotheonella sp."

Microbial symbionts are recognized as the important sources of numerous sponge-derived metabolites with potent biological activities. The limitation to cultivate the majority of potential symbionts has hampered attempts to explore and exploit their natural products for further development toward medical applications. Metagenomics-guided approaches have enabled cloning of natural product biosynthesis genes from uncultured microbial symbionts. Subsequent activation of biosynthesis genes in easily culturable bacteria could lead to the sustainable production of rare sponge-derived compounds. In this chapter, we highlight metagenomic strategies to reveal natural product biosynthetic pathways in sponge metagenomes based on the calyculin and misakinolide polyketides. Techniques to identify the compound producer are briefly discussed. We further describe examples of functional studies of the biosynthetic pathways of these two compound types with a special emphasis on the general experimental protocols for the activity assays of key proteins involved in their biosynthesis.

Engineering Bifunctional Enzymes Capable of Adenylating and Selectively Methylating the Side Chain or Core of Amino Acids

Nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) are known sources of therapeutics. Some nonribosomal peptide synthetase assembly lines contain unique functional interrupted adenylation (A) domains, where nature has combined two different functional domains into one bifunctional enzyme. Most often these interrupted A domains contain a part of a methylation (M) domain embedded in their sequence. Herein, we aimed to emulate nature and create fully functional interrupted A domains by inserting two different noncognate M domains, KtzH(M_H) and TioS(M_3S), into a naturally occurring uninterrupted A domain, Ecm6(A₁T₁). We evaluated the engineered enzymes, Ecm6(A_1aM_HA_1bT₁) and Ecm6(A_1aM_3SA_1bT₁), by a series of radiometric assays and found that not only do they maintain A domain activity, but also they gain the site-specific methylation patterns observed in the parent M domain donors. These findings provide an exciting proof-of-concept for generating interrupted A domains as future tools to modify NRPs and increase the diversity and activity of potential therapeutics.

Characterization of the Functional Variance in MbtH-like Protein Interactions with a Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase

Many nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) require MbtH-like proteins (MLPs) for solubility or for activation of amino acid substrate by the adenylation domain. MLPs are capable of functional crosstalk with noncognate NRPSs at varying levels. Using enterobactin biosynthesis in Escherichia coli as a model MLP-dependent NRPS system, we use in vivo and in vitro techniques to characterize how seven noncognate MLPs influence the function of the enterobactin NRPS EntF when the cognate MLP, YbdZ, is absent. Using a series of in vitro assays to analyze EntF solubility, adenylation, aminoacylation, and in vitro enterobactin production, we show that interactions between MLPs and NRPSs are multifaceted and more complex than previously appreciated. We separate MLP influence on solubility and function in a manner that shows altered solubility is not indicative of a functional MLP/NRPS pair. Although much of the functional variation among these noncognates can be explained by differences in EntF affinity for an MLP or the extent an MLP alters EntF l-Ser affinity, we demonstrate that MLPs can have a broader impact beyond solubility and adenylation. First, we show that a noncognate MLP can affect formation of l-Ser-S-EntF. Second, under in vitro conditions saturating for substrate and MLP, enterobactin production remains compromised in the absence of an appropriate MLP partner. These data suggest that we expand our investigations into how the MLPs influence NRPS enzymology. A more detailed understanding of these influences will be essential for downstream engineering of hybrid NRPS systems.

Characterization of the Polymyxin D Synthetase Biosynthetic Cluster and Product Profile of Paenibacillus polymyxa ATCC 10401

The increasing prevalence of polymyxin-resistant bacteria has stimulated the search for improved polymyxin lipopeptides. Here we describe the sequence and product profile for polymyxin D nonribosomal peptide synthetase from Paenibacillus polymyxa ATCC 10401. The polymyxin D synthase gene cluster comprised five genes that encoded ABC transporters (pmxC and pmxD) and enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of polymyxin D (pmxA, pmxB, and pmxE). Unlike polymyxins B and E, polymyxin D contains d-Ser at position 3 as opposed to l-α,γ-diaminobutyric acid and has an l-Thr at position 7 rather than l-Leu. Module 3 of pmxE harbored an auxiliary epimerization domain that catalyzes the conversion of l-Ser to the d-form. Structural modeling suggested that the adenylation domains of module 3 in PmxE and modules 6 and 7 in PmxA could bind amino acids with larger side chains than their preferred substrate. Feeding individual amino acids into the culture media not only affected production of polymyxins D₁ and D₂ but also led to the incorporation of different amino acids at positions 3, 6, and 7 of polymyxin D. Interestingly, the unnatural polymyxin analogues did not show antibiotic activity against a panel of Gram-negative clinical isolates, while the natural polymyxins D₁ and D₂ exhibited excellent in vitro antibacterial activity and were efficacious against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii in a mouse blood infection model. The results demonstrate the excellent antibacterial activity of these unusual d-Ser³ polymxyins and underscore the possibility of incorporating alternate amino acids at positions 3, 6, and 7 of polymyxin D via manipulation of the polymyxin nonribosomal biosynthetic machinery.

Structural and functional aspects of the nonribosomal peptide synthetase condensation domain superfamily: discovery, dissection and diversity

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are incredible macromolecular machines that produce a wide range of biologically- and therapeutically-relevant molecules. During synthesis, peptide elongation is performed by the condensation (C) domain, as it catalyzes amide bond formation between the nascent peptide and the amino acid it adds to the chain. Since their discovery more than two decades ago, C domains have been subject to extensive biochemical, bioinformatic, mutagenic, and structural analyses. They are composed of two lobes, each with homology to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, have two binding sites for their two peptidyl carrier protein-bound ligands, and have an active site with conserved motif HHxxxDG located between the two lobes. This review discusses some of the important insights into the structure, catalytic mechanism, specificity, and gatekeeping functions of C domains revealed since their discovery. In addition, C domains are the archetypal members of the C domain superfamily, which includes several other members that also function as NRPS domains. The other family members can replace the C domain in NRP synthesis, can work in concert with a C domain, or can fulfill diverse and novel functions. These domains include the epimerization (E) domain, the heterocyclization (Cy) domain, the ester-bond forming C domain, the fungal NRPS terminal C domain (C_T), the β-lactam ring forming C domain, and the X domain. We also discuss structural and function insight into C, E, Cy, C_T and X domains, to present a holistic overview of historical and current knowledge of the C domain superfamily. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biophysics in Canada, edited by Lewis Kay, John Baenziger, Albert Berghuis and Peter Tieleman.

X-Ray Crystallography and Electron Microscopy of Cross- and Multi-Module Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase Proteins Reveal a Flexible Architecture

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) are macromolecular machines that produce peptides with diverse activities. Structural information exists for domains, didomains, and even modules, but little is known about higher-order organization. We performed a multi-technique study on constructs from the dimodular NRPS DhbF. We determined a crystal structure of a cross-module construct including the adenylation (A) and peptidyl carrier protein (PCP) domains from module 1 and the condensation domain from module 2, complexed with an adenosine-vinylsulfonamide inhibitor and an MbtH-like protein (MLP). The action of the inhibitor and the role of the MLP were investigated using adenylation reactions and isothermal titration calorimetry. In the structure, the PCP and A domains adopt a novel conformation, and noncovalent, cross-module interactions are limited. We calculated envelopes of dimodular DhbF using negative-stain electron microscopy. The data show large conformational variability between modules. Together, our results suggest that NRPSs lack a uniform, rigid supermodular architecture.

Identification by Genome Mining of a Type I Polyketide Gene Cluster from Streptomyces argillaceus Involved in the Biosynthesis of Pyridine and Piperidine Alkaloids Argimycins P

Genome mining of the mithramycin producer Streptomyces argillaceus ATCC 12956 revealed 31 gene clusters for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and allowed to predict the encoded products for 11 of these clusters. Cluster 18 (renamed cluster arp) corresponded to a type I polyketide gene cluster related to the previously described coelimycin P1 and streptazone gene clusters. The arp cluster consists of fourteen genes, including genes coding for putative regulatory proteins (a SARP-like transcriptional activator and a TetR-like transcriptional repressor), genes coding for structural proteins (three PKSs, one aminotransferase, two dehydrogenases, two cyclases, one imine reductase, a type II thioesterase, and a flavin reductase), and one gene coding for a hypothetical protein. Identification of encoded compounds by this cluster was achieved by combining several strategies: (i) inactivation of the type I PKS gene arpPIII; (ii) inactivation of the putative TetR-transcriptional repressor arpRII; (iii) cultivation of strains in different production media; and (iv) using engineered strains with higher intracellular concentration of malonyl-CoA. This has allowed identifying six new alkaloid compounds named argimycins P, which were purified and structurally characterized by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Some argimycins P showed a piperidine ring with a polyene side chain (argimycin PIX); others contain also a fused five-membered ring (argimycins PIV-PVI). Argimycins PI-PII showed a pyridine ring instead, and an additional N-acetylcysteinyl moiety. These compounds seem to play a negative role in growth and colony differentiation in S. argillaceus, and some of them show weak antibiotic activity. A pathway for the biosynthesis of argimycins P is proposed, based on the analysis of proposed enzyme functions and on the structure of compounds encoded by the arp cluster.

Functional Characterization of the Unique Terminal Thioesterase Domain from Polymyxin Synthetase

Polymyxins remain one of the few antibiotics available for treating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Here we describe polymyxin B thioesterase which performs the final step in polymyxin B biosynthesis. Isolated thioesterase catalyzed cyclization of an N-acetylcystamine polymyxin B analogue to form polymyxin B. The thioesterase contained a catalytic cysteine unlike most thioesterases which possess a serine. Supporting this, incubation of polymyxin B thioesterase with reducing agents abolished enzymatic activity, while mutation of the catalytic cysteine to serine significantly decreased activity. NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that uncyclized polymyxin B was disordered in solution, unlike other thioesterase substrates which adopt a transient structure similar to their product. Modeling showed the thioesterase substrate-binding cleft was highly negatively charged, suggesting a mechanism for the cyclization of the substrate. These studies provide new insights into the role of polymyxin thioesterase in polymyxin biosynthesis and highlight its potential use for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of polymyxin lipopeptides.

Genetic and Functional Analysis of the Biosynthesis of a Non-Ribosomal Peptide Siderophore in Burkholderia xenovorans LB400

B. xenovorans LB400 is a model bacterium for the study of the metabolism of aromatic compounds. The aim of this study was the genomic and functional characterization of a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase containing gene cluster that encodes a siderophore in B. xenovorans LB400. The mba gene cluster from strain LB400 encodes proteins involved in the biosynthesis and transport of a hydroxamate-type siderophore. Strain LB400 has a unique mba gene organization, although mba gene clusters have been observed in diverse Burkholderiales. Bioinformatic analysis revealed the presence of promoters in the mba gene cluster that strongly suggest regulation by the ferric uptake regulator protein (Fur) and by the alternative RNA polymerase extracytoplasmic function sigma factor MbaF. Reverse transcriptase PCR analyses showed the expression of iron-regulated transcriptional units mbaFGHIJKL, mbaN, mbaABCE, mbaO, mbaP and mbaD genes under iron limitation. Chrome azurol S (CAS) assay strongly suggests that strain LB400 synthesized a siderophore under iron limitation. Mass spectrometry ESI-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses revealed that the siderophore is a non-ribosomal peptide, and forms an iron complex with a molecular mass of 676 Da. Based on bioinformatic prediction, CAS assay and MS analyses, we propose that the siderophore is L-N^δ-hydroxy-N^δ-formylOrn-D-β-hydroxyAsp-L-Ser-L-N^δ-hydroxy-N^δ-formylOrn-1,4-diaminobutane that is closely related to malleobactin-type siderophores reported in B. thailandensis.

A structural model for multimodular NRPS assembly lines

This viewpoint article focuses on the structures of the dissected catalytic domains of non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and how these structural details of the NRPS machinery, integrated in a didomain and an elongation module were used to generate a model for a multimodular NRPS assembly line.

Biosynthesis of the antifungal haterumalide, oocydin A, in Serratia, and its regulation by quorum sensing, RpoS and Hfq

Polyketides represent an important class of bioactive natural products with a broad range of biological activities. We identified recently a large trans-acyltransferase (AT) polyketide synthase gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of the antifungal, anti-oomycete and antitumor haterumalide, oocydin A (ooc). Using genome sequencing and comparative genomics, we show that the ooc gene cluster is widespread within biocontrol and phytopathogenic strains of the enterobacteria, Serratia and Dickeya. The analysis of in frame deletion mutants confirmed the role of a hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase cassette, three flavin-dependent tailoring enzymes, a free-standing acyl carrier protein and two hypothetical proteins in oocydin A biosynthesis. The requirement of the three trans-acting AT domains for the biosynthesis of the macrolide was also demonstrated. Expression of the ooc gene cluster was shown to be positively regulated by an N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone-based quorum sensing system, but operating in a strain-dependent manner. At a post-transcriptional level, the RNA chaperone, Hfq, plays a key role in oocydin A biosynthesis. The Hfq-dependent regulation is partially mediated by the stationary phase sigma factor, RpoS, which was also shown to positively regulate the synthesis of the macrolide. Our results reveal differential regulation of the divergently transcribed ooc transcriptional units, highlighting the complexity of oocydin A production.

Comprehensive Structural and Biochemical Analysis of the Terminal Myxalamid Reductase Domain for the Engineered Production of Primary Alcohols

The terminal reductase (R) domain from the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) module MxaA in Stigmatella aurantiaca Sga15 catalyzes a non-processive four-electron reduction to produce the myxalamide family of secondary metabolites. Despite widespread use in nature, a lack of structural and mechanistic information concerning reductive release from polyketide synthase (PKS) and NRPS assembly lines principally limits our ability to redesign R domains with altered or improved activity. Here we report crystal structures for MxaA R, both in the absence and, for the first time, in the presence of the NADPH cofactor. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to provide a deeper understanding of this domain and further identify residues critical for structural integrity, substrate binding, and catalysis. Aggregate computational and structural findings provided a basis for mechanistic investigations and, in the process, delivered a rationally altered variant with improved activity toward highly reduced substrates.

Concise synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted thiazoles from β-azido disulfides and carboxylic acids or anhydrides: asymmetric synthesis of cystothiazole C

A novel and efficient method for the one-pot synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted thiazoles from carboxylic acids or anhydrides is presented. Based on this new method, the total synthesis of the bis-2,4-disubstituted bis(thiazoles) natural product cystothiazole C is also presented.

Specific disulfide cross-linking to constrict the mobile carrier domain of nonribosomal peptide synthetases

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases are large, multi-domain enzymes that produce peptide molecules with important biological activity such as antibiotic, antiviral, anti-tumor, siderophore and immunosuppressant action. The adenylation (A) domain catalyzes two reactions in the biosynthetic pathway. In the first reaction, it activates the substrate amino acid by adenylation and in the second reaction it transfers the amino acid onto the phosphopantetheine arm of the adjacent peptide carrier protein (PCP) domain. The conformation of the A domain differs significantly depending on which of these two reactions it is catalyzing. Recently, several structures of A-PCP di-domains have been solved using mechanism-based inhibitors to trap the PCP domain in the A domain active site. Here, we present an alternative strategy to stall the A-PCP di-domain, by engineering a disulfide bond between the native amino acid substrate and the A domain. Size exclusion studies showed a significant shift in apparent size when the mutant A-PCP was provided with cross-linking reagents, and this shift was reversible in the presence of high concentrations of reducing agent. The cross-linked protein crystallized readily in several of the conditions screened and the best crystals diffracted to ≈8 Å.

Exploring cyanobacterial genomes for natural product biosynthesis pathways

Cyanobacteria produce a vast array of natural products, some of which are toxic to human health, while others possess potential pharmaceutical activities. Genome mining enables the identification and characterisation of natural product gene clusters; however, the current number of cyanobacterial genomes remains low compared to other phyla. There has been a recent effort to rectify this issue by increasing the number of sequenced cyanobacterial genomes. This has enabled the identification of biosynthetic gene clusters for structurally diverse metabolites, including non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides, ribosomal peptides, UV-absorbing compounds, alkaloids, terpenes and fatty acids. While some of the identified biosynthetic gene clusters correlate with known metabolites, genome mining also highlights the number and diversity of clusters for which the product is unknown (referred to as orphan gene clusters). A number of bioinformatic tools have recently been developed in order to predict the products of orphan gene clusters; however, in some cases the complexity of the cyanobacterial pathways makes the prediction problematic. This can be overcome by the use of mass spectrometry-guided natural product genome mining, or heterologous expression. Application of these techniques to cyanobacterial natural product gene clusters will be explored.

Xenortide Biosynthesis by Entomopathogenic Xenorhabdus nematophila

The biosynthesis gene cluster of the xenortides and a new derivative, xenortide D, which is produced in only trace amounts, was identified in Xenorhabdus nematophila. The structure of xenortide D was elucidated using a combination of labeling experiments followed by MS analysis and was confirmed by synthesis. Bioactivity tests revealed a weak activity of tryptamine-carrying xenortides against Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei.

Structure of the epimerization domain of tyrocidine synthetase A

Tyrocidine, a macrocyclic decapeptide fromBacillus brevis, is nonribosomally assembled by a set of multimodular peptide synthetases, which condense two D-amino acids and eight L-amino acids to produce this membrane-disturbing antibiotic. D-Phenylalanine, the first amino acid incorporated into tyrocidine, is catalytically derived from enzyme-bound L-Phe by the C-terminal epimerization (E) domain of tyrocidine synthetase A (TycA). The 1.5 Å resolution structure of the cofactor-independent TycA E domain reveals an intimate relationship to the condensation (C) domains of peptide synthetases. In contrast to the latter, the TycA E domain uses an enlarged bridge region to plug the active-site canyon from the acceptor side, whereas at the donor side a latch-like floor loop is suitably extended to accommodate the αIII helix of the preceding peptide-carrier domain. Additionally, E domains exclusively harbour a conserved glutamate residue, Glu882, that is opposite the active-site residue His743. This active-site topology implies Glu882 as a candidate acid–base catalyst, whereas His743 stabilizes in the protonated state a transient enolate intermediate of the L↔D isomerization.

Structural characterization of actinomycin D using multiple ion isolation and electron induced dissociation

Non-ribosomal peptides are bio synthesized using a range of enzymes that allow much more structural variability compared with "normal" peptides. Deviations from the standard amino acid structures are common features of this diverse class of natural products, making sequencing a challenging process. FTICR mass spectrometry, specifically the complementary tandem mass spectrometry techniques collision activated dissociation (CAD) and electron induced dissociation (EID), have been used to reveal structural information on the non-ribosomal peptide actinomycin D. EID was also combined with a multiple ion isolation method in order to provide an accurate (sub-ppm) internal calibration for the product ions. EID has been found to produce more detailed, complementary data than CAD for actinomycin D, with additional information being provided through fragmentation of the sodium and lithium adducts. Furthermore, the use of isolation in the FTICR cell was found to increase product ion intensities relative to the precursor ion, enabling significantly more peaks to be detected than when using EID alone. The combination of multiple ion isolation with EID, therefore, enables an accurate internal calibration of the fragment ions to be made (average mass uncertainty of <0.3 ppm), as well as increasing the degree of fragmentation of the compound, resulting in detailed structural information.

Structure and biosynthesis of xenoamicins from entomopathogenic Xenorhabdus

During the search for novel natural products from entomopathogenic Xenorhabdus doucetiae DSM17909 and X. mauleonii DSM17908 novel peptides named xenoamicins were identified in addition to the already known antibiotics xenocoumacin and xenorhabdin. Xenoamicins are acylated tridecadepsipeptides consisting of mainly hydrophobic amino acids. The main derivative xenoamicin A (1) was isolated from X. mauleonii DSM17908, and its structure elucidated by detailed 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Detailed MS experiments, also in combination with labeling experiments, confirmed the determined structure and allowed structure elucidation of additional derivatives. Moreover, the xenoamicin biosynthesis gene cluster was identified and analyzed in X. doucetiae DSM17909, and its participation in xenoamicin biosynthesis was confirmed by mutagenesis. Advanced Marfey's analysis of 1 showed that the absolute configuration of the amino acids is in agreement with the predicted stereochemistry deduced from the nonribosomal peptide synthetase XabABCD. Biological testing revealed activity of 1 against Plasmodium falciparum and other neglected tropical diseases but no antibacterial activity.

A combinatorial approach to the structure elucidation of a pyoverdine siderophore produced by a Pseudomonas putida isolate and the use of pyoverdine as a taxonomic marker for typing P. putida subspecies

The structure of a pyoverdine produced by Pseudomonas putida, W15Oct28, was elucidated by combining mass spectrometric methods and bioinformatics by the analysis of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes present in the newly sequenced genome. The only form of pyoverdine produced by P. putida W15Oct28 is characterized to contain α-ketoglutaric acid as acyl side chain, a dihydropyoverdine chromophore, and a 12 amino acid peptide chain. The peptide chain is unique among all pyoverdines produced by Pseudomonas subspecies strains. It was characterized as -L-Asp-L-Ala-D-AOHOrn-L-Thr-Gly-c[L-Thr(O-)-L-Hse-D-Hya-L-Ser-L-Orn-L-Hse-L-Ser-O-]. The chemical formula and the detected and calculated molecular weight of this pyoverdine are: C65H93N17O32, detected mass 1624.6404 Da, calculated mass 1624.6245. Additionally, pyoverdine structures from both literature reports and bioinformatics prediction of the genome sequenced P. putida strains are summarized allowing us to propose a scheme based on pyoverdines structures as tool for the phylogeny of P. putida. This study shows the strength of the combination of in silico analysis together with analytical data and literature mining in determining the structure of secondary metabolites such as peptidic siderophores.

Crystal structures of the first condensation domain of CDA synthetase suggest conformational changes during the synthetic cycle of nonribosomal peptide synthetases

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are large modular macromolecular machines that produce small peptide molecules with wide-ranging biological activities, such as antibiotics and green chemicals. The condensation (C) domain is responsible for amide bond formation, the central chemical step in nonribosomal peptide synthesis. Here we present two crystal structures of the first condensation domain of the calcium-dependent antibiotic (CDA) synthetase (CDA-C1) from Streptomyces coelicolor, determined at resolutions 1.8Å and 2.4Å. The conformations adopted by CDA-C1 are quite similar in these two structures yet distinct from those seen in other NRPS C domain structures. HPLC-based reaction assays show that this CDA-C1 construct is catalytically active, and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments suggest that the conformation observed in these crystal structures could faithfully represent the conformation in solution. We have performed targeted molecular dynamics simulations, normal mode analyses and energy-minimized linear interpolation to investigate the conformational changes required to transition between the observed structures. We discuss the implications of these conformational changes in the synthetic cycle and of the observation that the "latch" that covers the active site is consistently formed in all studied C domains.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the first condensation domain of viomycin synthetase

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are large multimodular enzymes that synthesize important secondary metabolites such as antibiotics. NRPSs follow a modular synthetic logic whereby each successive amino-acid monomer is added to the peptide chain by successive multi-domain modules. The condensation domain catalyzes the central chemical event in the synthetic cycle, peptide-bond formation, and is present in every elongation module of the NRPS. Viomycin is an antituberculosis nonribosomal peptide that is synthesized by a series of four NRPS proteins and then modified by tailoring proteins. In order to study the mechanisms of peptide-bond formation in viomycin and in NRPSs in general, a structural study of the first condensation domain of the viomycin synthetase protein VioA (VioA-C1) was initiated. The gene for VioA-C1 was cloned from genomic DNA of Streptomyces vinaceus, expressed as an octahistidine-tagged construct and purified by column chromatography. VioA-C1 was crystallized using the sitting-drop vapor-diffusion method. X-ray diffraction data were collected on a rotating-anode source to 2.9 Å resolution. The data could be indexed in the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 46.165, b = 68.335, c = 146.423 Å. There is likely to be one monomer in the asymmetric unit, giving a solvent content of 49.2% and a Matthews coefficient (VM) of 2.42 Å(3) Da(-1). Structural determination is in progress.

Bacterial biosynthetic gene clusters encoding the anti-cancer haterumalide class of molecules: biogenesis of the broad spectrum antifungal and anti-oomycete compound, oocydin A

Haterumalides are halogenated macrolides with strong antitumor properties, making them attractive targets for chemical synthesis. Unfortunately, current synthetic routes to these molecules are inefficient. The potent haterumalide, oocydin A, was previously identified from two plant-associated bacteria through its high bioactivity against plant pathogenic fungi and oomycetes. In this study, we describe oocydin A (ooc) biosynthetic gene clusters identified by genome sequencing, comparative genomics, and chemical analysis in four plant-associated enterobacteria of the Serratia and Dickeya genera. Disruption of the ooc gene cluster abolished oocydin A production and bioactivity against fungi and oomycetes. The ooc gene clusters span between 77 and 80 kb and encode five multimodular polyketide synthase (PKS) proteins, a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase cassette and three flavin-dependent tailoring enzymes. The presence of two free-standing acyltransferase proteins classifies the oocydin A gene cluster within the growing family of trans-AT PKSs. The amino acid sequences and organization of the PKS domains are consistent with the chemical predictions and functional peculiarities associated with trans-acyltransferase PKS. Based on extensive in silico analysis of the gene cluster, we propose a biosynthetic model for the production of oocydin A and, by extension, for other members of the haterumalide family of halogenated macrolides exhibiting anti-cancer, anti-fungal, and other interesting biological properties.

Culturable endophytes of medicinal plants and the genetic basis for their bioactivity

The bioactive compounds of medicinal plants are products of the plant itself or of endophytes living inside the plant. Endophytes isolated from eight different anticancer plants collected in Yunnan, China, were characterized by diverse 16S and 18S rRNA gene phylogenies. A functional gene-based molecular screening strategy was used to target nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and type I polyketide synthase (PKS) genes in endophytes. Bioinformatic analysis of these biosynthetic pathways facilitated inference of the potential bioactivity of endophyte natural products, suggesting that the isolated endophytes are capable of producing a plethora of secondary metabolites. All of the endophyte culture broth extracts demonstrated antiproliferative effects in at least one test assay, either cytotoxic, antibacterial or antifungal. From the perspective of natural product discovery, this study confirms the potential for endophytes from medicinal plants to produce anticancer, antibacterial and antifungal compounds. In addition, PKS and NRPS gene screening is a valuable method for screening isolates of biosynthetic potential.

The mbo operon is specific and essential for biosynthesis of mangotoxin in Pseudomonas syringae

Mangotoxin is an antimetabolite toxin produced by certain Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strains. This toxin is an oligopeptide that inhibits ornithine N-acetyl transferase, a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of ornithine and arginine. Previous studies have reported the involvement of the putative nonribosomal peptide synthetase MgoA in virulence and mangotoxin production. In this study, we analyse a new chromosomal region of P. syringae pv. syringae UMAF0158, which contains six coding sequences arranged as an operon (mbo operon). The mbo operon was detected in only mangotoxin-producing strains, and it was shown to be essential for the biosynthesis of this toxin. Mutants in each of the six ORFs of the mbo operon were partially or completely impaired in the production of the toxin. In addition, Pseudomonas spp. mangotoxin non-producer strains transformed with the mbo operon gained the ability to produce mangotoxin, indicating that this operon contains all the genetic information necessary for mangotoxin biosynthesis. The generation of a single transcript for the mbo operon was confirmed and supported by the allocation of a unique promoter and Rho-independent terminator. The phylogenetic analysis of the P. syringae strains harbouring the mbo operon revealed that these strains clustered together.

pFiD188, the linear virulence plasmid of Rhodococcus fascians D188

Rhodococcus fascians is currently the only phytopathogen of which the virulence genes occur on a linear plasmid. To get insight into the origin of this replicon and into the virulence strategy of this broad-spectrum phytopathogen, the sequence of the linear plasmid of strain D188, pFiD188, was determined. Analysis of the 198,917 bp revealed four syntenic regions with linear plasmids of R. erythropolis, R. jostii, and R. opacus, suggesting a common origin of these replicons. Mutational analysis of pFi_086 and pFi_102, similar to cutinases and type IV peptidases, respectively, showed that conserved region R2 was involved in plasmid dispersal and pointed toward a novel function for actinobacterial cutinases in conjugation. Additionally, pFiD188 had three regions that were unique for R. fascians. Functional analysis of the stk and nrp loci of regions U2 and U3, respectively, indicated that their role in symptom development was limited compared with that of the previously identified fas, att, and hyp virulence loci situated in region U1. Thus, pFiD188 is a typical rhodococcal linear plasmid with a composite structure that encodes core functions involved in plasmid maintenance and accessory functions, some possibly acquired through horizontal gene transfer, implicated in virulence and the interaction with the host.

Genes Involved in the Production of Antimetabolite Toxins by Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars

Pseudomonas syringae is pathogenic in a wide variety of plants, causing diseases with economic impacts. Pseudomonas syringae pathovars produce several toxins that can function as virulence factors and contribute to disease symptoms. These virulence factors include antimetabolite toxins, such as tabtoxin, phaseolotoxin and mangotoxin, which target enzymes in the pathways of amino acid metabolism. The antimetabolite toxins are generally located in gene clusters present in the flexible genomes of specific strains. These gene clusters are typically present in blocks of genes that appear to be integrated into specific sites in the P. syringae core genome. A general overview of the genetic organization and biosynthetic and regulatory functions of these genetic traits of the antimetabolite toxins will be given in the present work.

Mutational analysis of the thienamycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces cattleya

The generation of non-thienamycin-producing mutants with mutations in the thnL, thnN, thnO, and thnI genes within the thn gene cluster from Streptomyces cattleya and their involvement in thienamycin biosynthesis and regulation were previously reported. Four additional mutations were independently generated in the thnP, thnG, thnR, and thnT genes by insertional inactivation. Only the first two genes were found to play a role in thienamycin biosynthesis, since these mutations negatively or positively affect antibiotic production. A mutation of thnP results in the absence of thienamycin production, whereas a 2- to 3-fold increase in thienamycin production was observed for the thnG mutant. On the other hand, mutations in thnR and thnT showed that although these genes were previously reported to participate in this pathway, they seem to be nonessential for thienamycin biosynthesis, as thienamycin production was not affected in these mutants. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of all available mutants revealed some putative intermediates in the thienamycin biosynthetic pathway. A compound with a mass corresponding to carbapenam-3-carboxylic acid was detected in some of the mutants, suggesting that the assembly of the bicyclic nucleus of thienamycin might proceed in a way analogous to that of the simplest natural carbapenem, 1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid biosynthesis. The accumulation of a compound with a mass corresponding to 2,3-dihydrothienamycin in the thnG mutant suggests that it might be the last intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway. These data, together with the establishment of cross-feeding relationships by the cosynthesis analysis of the non-thienamycin-producing mutants, lead to a proposal for some enzymatic steps during thienamycin assembly.

An engineered yeast efficiently secreting penicillin

This study aimed at developing an alternative host for the production of penicillin (PEN). As yet, the industrial production of this beta-lactam antibiotic is confined to the filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum. As such, the yeast Hansenula polymorpha, a recognized producer of pharmaceuticals, represents an attractive alternative. Introduction of the P. chrysogenum gene encoding the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine synthetase (ACVS) in H. polymorpha, resulted in the production of active ACVS enzyme, when co-expressed with the Bacillus subtilis sfp gene encoding a phosphopantetheinyl transferase that activated ACVS. This represents the first example of the functional expression of a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase in yeast. Co-expression with the P. chrysogenum genes encoding the cytosolic enzyme isopenicillin N synthase as well as the two peroxisomal enzymes isopenicillin N acyl transferase (IAT) and phenylacetyl CoA ligase (PCL) resulted in production of biologically active PEN, which was efficiently secreted. The amount of secreted PEN was similar to that produced by the original P. chrysogenum NRRL1951 strain (approx. 1 mg/L). PEN production was decreased over two-fold in a yeast strain lacking peroxisomes, indicating that the peroxisomal localization of IAT and PCL is important for efficient PEN production. The breakthroughs of this work enable exploration of new yeast-based cell factories for the production of (novel) beta-lactam antibiotics as well as other natural and semi-synthetic peptides (e.g. immunosuppressive and cytostatic agents), whose production involves NRPS's.