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Caputi L, Franke J, Farrow SC, Chung K, Payne RME, Nguyen TD, Dang TTT, Soares Teto Carqueijeiro I, Koudounas K, Dugé de Bernonville T, Ameyaw B, Jones DM, Vieira IJC, Courdavault V, O'Connor SE. Missing enzymes in the biosynthesis of the anticancer drug vinblastine in Madagascar periwinkle. Science 2018; 360:1235-1239. [PMID: 29724909 DOI: 10.1126/science.aat4100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Vinblastine, a potent anticancer drug, is produced by Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) in small quantities, and heterologous reconstitution of vinblastine biosynthesis could provide an additional source of this drug. However, the chemistry underlying vinblastine synthesis makes identification of the biosynthetic genes challenging. Here we identify the two missing enzymes necessary for vinblastine biosynthesis in this plant: an oxidase and a reductase that isomerize stemmadenine acetate into dihydroprecondylocarpine acetate, which is then deacetoxylated and cyclized to either catharanthine or tabersonine via two hydrolases characterized herein. The pathways show how plants create chemical diversity and also enable development of heterologous platforms for generation of stemmadenine-derived bioactive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Caputi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Jakob Franke
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Scott C Farrow
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Khoa Chung
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Richard M E Payne
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Trinh-Don Nguyen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Thu-Thuy T Dang
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Konstantinos Koudounas
- Université de Tours, EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours, France
| | - Thomas Dugé de Bernonville
- Université de Tours, EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours, France
| | - Belinda Ameyaw
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - D Marc Jones
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Vincent Courdavault
- Université de Tours, EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours, France.
| | - Sarah E O'Connor
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
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Identification of a broad-spectrum inhibitor of viral RNA synthesis: validation of a prototype virus-based approach. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 20:424-33. [PMID: 23521799 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2013.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There are no approved therapeutics for the most deadly nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA viruses, including Ebola (EBOV). To identify chemical scaffolds for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals, we undertook a prototype-based lead identification screen. Using the prototype NNS virus, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), multiple inhibitory compounds were identified. Three compounds were investigated for broad-spectrum activity and inhibited EBOV infection. The most potent, CMLDBU3402, was selected for further study. CMLDBU3402 did not show significant activity against segmented negative-strand RNA viruses, suggesting proscribed broad-spectrum activity. Mechanistic analysis indicated that CMLDBU3402 blocked VSV viral RNA synthesis and inhibited EBOV RNA transcription, demonstrating a consistent mechanism of action against genetically distinct viruses. The identification of this chemical backbone as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of viral RNA synthesis offers significant potential for the development of new therapies for highly pathogenic viruses.
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