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Promiscuous indolyl vinyl isonitrile synthases in the biogenesis and diversification of hapalindole-type alkaloids.

ABSTRACT: The hapalindole-type alkaloids naturally show striking late stage diversification of what was believed to be a conserved intermediate, cis-indolyl vinyl isonitrile (1a). Here we demonstrate enzymatically, as well as through applying a synthetic biology approach, that the pathway generating 1a (itself, a potent natural broad-spectrum antibiotic) is also dramatically flexible. We harness this to enable early stage diversification of the natural product and generation of a wide range of halo-analogues of 1a. This approach allows the preparatively useful generation of a series of antibiotics with increased lipophilicity over that of the parent antibiotic.

SUBMITTER: Ittiamornkul K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5947517 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Promiscuous indolyl vinyl isonitrile synthases in the biogenesis and diversification of hapalindole-type alkaloids.

Ittiamornkul Kuljira K Zhu Qin Q Gkotsi Danai S DS Smith Duncan R M DRM Hillwig Matthew L ML Nightingale Nicole N Goss Rebecca J M RJM Liu Xinyu X

Chemical science 20151006 12

The hapalindole-type alkaloids naturally show striking late stage diversification of what was believed to be a conserved intermediate, cis-indolyl vinyl isonitrile (1a). Here we demonstrate enzymatically, as well as through applying a synthetic biology approach, that the pathway generating 1a (itself, a potent natural broad-spectrum antibiotic) is also dramatically flexible. We harness this to enable early stage diversification of the natural product and generation of a wide ...[more]

PMID: 29861925

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Project description:BackgroundThe hapalindole-type family of natural products is a group of hybrid isoprenoid-indole alkaloids, produced solely by members of the Subsection V cyanobacterial strains. This family broadly includes the hapalindoles, welwitindolinones, fisherindoles and ambiguines amongst others, all of which have an isonitrile- or isothiocyanate-containing indole alkaloid skeleton, with a cyclized isoprene unit. The hapalindoles are diversified into the welwitindolinones, fischerindoles and ambiguines through the employment of tailoring oxygenase, methyltransferase and prenyltransferase enzymes. We compare the genetic basis for the biosynthesis of this diverse group of natural products and identify key early biosynthetic intermediates.ResultsWhole genome sequencing of freshwater and terrestrial cyanobacteria Westiella intricata UH strain HT-29-1, Hapalosiphon welwitschii UH strain IC-52-3, Fischerella ambigua UTEX 1903 and Fischerella sp. ATCC 43239 led to the identification of a candidate hapalindole-type gene cluster in each strain. These were compared with the recently published ambiguine and welwitindolinone gene clusters and four unpublished clusters identified within publicly available genomes. We present detailed comparative bioinformatic analysis of the gene clusters and the biosynthesis of a pivotal indole-isonitrile intermediate resulting in both cis and trans geometrical isomers. Enzyme analyses and metabolite extractions from two hapalindole-producing Fischerella strains indicate the presence of cis and trans indole-isonitriles as biosynthetic intermediates in the early steps of the pathway.ConclusionsInterestingly, the organization of the welwitindolinone gene cluster is conserved in all producing strains but distinct from the hapalindole and ambiguine clusters. Enzymatic assays using WelI1 and WelI3 from Westiella intricata UH strain HT-29-1 demonstrated the ability to catalyze the formation of both cis and trans geometrical isomers when using a cell lysate. The enzymatic and metabolic characterization of both cis and trans indole-isonitrile intermediates implies conservation of their stereochemical integrity towards members of the ambiguine and welwitindolinone products. In summary, we present data that supports a unified biosynthetic pathway towards hapalindoles in nine individual species of cyanobacteria. Diversification of the pathway occurs later through the employment of specialized enzymatic steps towards fischerindoles, ambiguines and welwitindolinones.

Dataset Information

Promiscuous indolyl vinyl isonitrile synthases in the biogenesis and diversification of hapalindole-type alkaloids.

Publications

Promiscuous indolyl vinyl isonitrile synthases in the biogenesis and diversification of hapalindole-type alkaloids.

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