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Christian Hertweck

Publications and source records attributed to Christian Hertweck.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Efficient synthesis of 9- and 13-oxo leucomycin derivatives using hypervalent iodine reagents in solution and on solid support.

An efficient procedure for the highly selective oxidation of leucomycines to the corresponding 16-membered 9- and 13-oxo macrolides using hypervalent iodinates is presented. Both the Dess-Martin periodinane (DMP) and polymer-bound 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) show clear advantages over the previously employed manganese dioxide. Key intermediates for a variety of further chemical derivatization methods (2a, 2b) are obtained in very good yields without the requirement of protecting groups.

Catalysis↗

Formation of the aureothin tetrahydrofuran ring by a bifunctional cytochrome p450 monooxygenase.

The polyketide antibiotic aureothin, produced by Streptomyces thioluteus, is equipped with a rare exomethylene-tetrahydrofuran moiety. Cloning, heterologous expression, and inactivation experiments reveal that AurH, a bifunctional cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, is required and sufficient for the stereoselective synthesis of the furan ring, involving the subsequent formation of two new C-O bonds.

Chromones↗

Biosynthesis of cervimycin C, an aromatic polyketide antibiotic bearing an unusual dimethylmalonyl moiety.

Cervimycin C is the major component of an antibiotic complex produced by Streptomyces tendae HKI-179 consisting of a tetracycline-type aglycon, six tridesoxysugars and a rare dimethylmalonyl moiety. The biosynthetic origin of cervimycin was studied by molecular studies and feeding experiments, which reveal that the dimethylmalonate unit is not derived from malonate, but from valine.

Anthracyclines↗

Biosynthetic origin of the rare nitroaryl moiety of the polyketide antibiotic aureothin: involvement of an unprecedented N-oxygenase.

The antibiotic aureothin is a rare natural nitroaromatic compound produced by Streptomyces thioluteus. By labeling experiments, we demonstrate for the first time that p-nitrobenzoate (PNBA) serves as a polyketide synthase starter unit. Cloning, heterologous expression, and inactivation experiments reveal that this unusual primer is synthesized from p-aminobenzoate (PABA) by means of AurF, a novel N-oxygenase.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

A gene cluster encoding resistomycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces resistomycificus; exploring polyketide cyclization beyond linear and angucyclic patterns.

Resistomycin is a pentacyclic polyketide metabolite of Streptomyces resistomycificus that exhibits a variety of pharmacologically relevant properties. While virtually all bacterial aromatic polyketides can be grouped into linear and angular polyphenols, resistomycin has a unique "discoid" ring system. We have successfully identified the entire gene cluster encoding resistomycin biosynthesis by heterologously expressing a pooled cosmid library and screening for the fluorescence of the metabolite produced. The rem gene cluster exhibits several unusual features of the type II PKS involved, most remarkably a putative MCAT with highest homology to AT domains from modular PKSs. In addition, we provide the first insight into the molecular basis of a unique mode of cyclization giving rise to a discoid polyketide.

Benzopyrenes↗

Context-dependent behavior of the enterocin iterative polyketide synthase; a new model for ketoreduction.

Heterologous expression and mutagenesis of the enterocin type II polyketide synthase (PKS) system suggest for the first time that the association of an extended set of proteins and substrates is needed for the effective production of the enterocin-wailupemycin polyketides. In the absence of its endogenous ketoreductase (KR) EncD in either the enterocin producer "Streptomyces maritimus" or the engineered host S. lividans K4-114, the enterocin minimal PKS is unable to produce benzoate-primed polyketides, even when complemented with the homologous actinorhodin KR ActIII or with EncD active site mutants. These data suggest that the enterocin PKS requires EncD to serve a catalytic and not just a structural role in the functional PKS enzyme complex. This strongly implies that EncD reduces the polyketide chain during elongation rather than after its complete assembly, as suggested for most type II PKSs.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Mutasynthesis of enterocin and wailupemycin analogues.

Inactivation of the novel phenylalanine ammonia lyase gene encP, whose product is a key component in the biosynthetic pathway to benzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) in the bacterium Streptomyces maritimus, resulted in the loss of production of the benzoate-primed polyketides enterocin and wailupemycin G. A series of cinnamate and benzoate derivatives were administered to the DeltaencP mutant, resulting in the formation of novel analogues bearing p-fluorobenzoate, 2- and 3-thiophenecarboxylate, and cyclohex-1-enecarboxylate residues. Given that the benzoate:CoA ligase EncN was evaluated to have broad in vitro substrate specificity towards aryl acids, the strict starter unit specificity observed in vivo indicates that the enterocin type II polyketide synthase (PKS) exerts selective control over the choice of starter units. This study represents the first mutasynthesis experiments with iterative type II PKSs.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Iteration as programmed event during polyketide assembly; molecular analysis of the aureothin biosynthesis gene cluster.

Analysis of the type I modular polyketide synthase (PKS) involved in the biosynthesis of the rare nitroaryl polyketide metabolite aureothin (aur) from Streptomyces thioluteus HKI-227 has revealed only four modules to catalyze the five polyketide chain extensions required. By heterologous expression of the aur PKS cluster, direct evidence was obtained that these modules were sufficient to support aureothin biosynthesis. It appears that one module catalyzes two successive cycles of chain extension, one of the first examples of a PKS in which such iteration or "stuttering" is required to produce the normal polyketide product. In addition, lack of a specified loading domain implicates a novel PKS priming mechanism involving the unique p-nitrobenzoate starter unit. The 27 kb aur gene cluster also encodes a novel N-oxidase, which may represent the first member of a new family of such enzymes.

Binding Sites↗

Plant-like biosynthetic pathways in bacteria: from benzoic acid to chalcone.

Although phenylpropanoids and flavonoids are common plant natural products, these major classes of biologically active secondary metabolites are largely absent from bacteria. The ubiquitous plant enzymes phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS) are key biosynthetic catalysts in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid assembly, respectively. Until recently, few bacterial counterparts were known, thus reflecting the dearth of these plant natural products in bacteria. This review highlights our progress on the biochemical and genetic characterization of recently identified streptomycete biosynthetic pathways to benzoic acid and type III polyketide synthase (PKS)-derived products. The sediment-derived bacterium "Streptomyces maritimus" produces benzoyl-CoA in a plant-like manner from phenylalanine involving a PAL-mediated reaction through cinnamic acid during the biosynthesis of the polyketide antibiotic enterocin. All but one of the genes encoding benzoyl-CoA biosynthesis in "S. maritimus" have been cloned, sequenced, and inactivated, providing a model for benzoate biosynthesis not only in this bacterium, but in plants where benzoic acid is an important constituent of many products. The recent discovery that bacteria harbor homodimeric PKSs belonging to the plant CHS superfamily of condensing enzymes has further linked the biosynthetic capabilities of plants and bacteria. A bioinformatics approach led to the prediction that the model actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) contains up to three type III PKSs. Biochemical analysis of one of the recombinant type III PKSs from S. coelicolor demonstrated activity as a 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene synthase (THNS). A homology model of THNS based upon the known three-dimensional structure of CHS was constructed to explore the structural and mechanistic details of this new subclass of bacterial PKSs.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗