Sesqui- and Diterpenoids from Tahitian and Japanese Liverworts Jungermannia species

A new cembrane diterpenoid was isolated from the Tahitian liverwort Jungermannia species, together with several known sesquiterpenoids, and labdane and verticillane diterpenoids. Two new labdane diterpenoids, and known labdane and clerodane diterpenoids were isolated from the Japanese Jungermannia infusca collected in the three different locations. Their structures were determined by use of NMR techniques.

Extreme promiscuity of a bacterial and a plant diterpene synthase enables combinatorial biosynthesis

Diterpenes are widely distributed across many biological kingdoms, where they serve a diverse range of physiological functions, and some have significant industrial utility. Their biosynthesis involves class I diterpene synthases (DTSs), whose activity can be preceded by that of class II diterpene cyclases (DTCs). Here, a modular metabolic engineering system was used to examine the promiscuity of DTSs. Strikingly, both a bacterial and plant DTS were found to exhibit extreme promiscuity, reacting with all available precursors with orthogonal activity, producing an olefin or hydroxyl group, respectively. Such DTS promiscuity enables combinatorial biosynthesis, with remarkably high yields for these unoptimized non-native enzymatic combinations (up to 15mg/L). Indeed, it was possible to readily characterize the 13 unknown products. Notably, 16 of the observed diterpenes were previously inaccessible, and these results provide biosynthetic routes that are further expected to enable assembly of more extended pathways to produce additionally elaborated 'non-natural' diterpenoids.

ent-kaurane diterpenoids from the liverwort Jungermannia atrobrunnea

Three new rearranged ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids (1-3) and seven new ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids (4-10) have been isolated from the liverwort Jungermannia atrobrunnea. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The absolute configurations of these compounds were clarified by CD spectroscopic studies. Compound 1 is the first example of a rearranged ent-kaurane diterpenoid possessing a peroxide bridge.