Biosynthesis of trialkyl-substituted aromatic polyketide NFAT-133 involves unusual P450 monooxygenase-mediating aromatization and a putative metallo-beta-lactamase fold hydrolase

The bacterial trialkyl-substituted aromatic polyketides are structurally featured with the unusual aromatic core in the middle of polyketide chain such as TM-123(1),veramycin A(2),NFAT-133(3)and benwamycin I(4),which were discovered from Streptomyces species and demonstrated with antidiabetic and immunosuppressant activities.Though the biosynthetic pathway of 1-3 was reported as a type I polyketide synthase(PKS),the PKS assembly line was interpreted inconsistently,and it remains a mystery how the compound 3 was generated.Herein,the PKS assembly logic of 1-4 was revised by site-mutagenetic analysis of the PKS dehydratase domains.Based on gene deletion and complementation,the putative P450 monooxygenase nftE1 and metallo-beta-lactamase(MBL)fold hydrolase nftF1 were verified as essential genes for the biosynthesis of 1-4.The absence of nftE1 led to abolishment of 1-4 and accumulation of new products(5-8).Structural elucidation reveals 5-8 as the non-aromatic analogs of 1,suggesting the NftE1-catalyzed aromatic core formation.Deletion of nftF1 resulted in disappearance of 3 and 4 with the compounds 1 and 2 unaffected.As a rare MBL-fold hydrolase from type I PKSs,NftF1 potentially generates the compound 3 through two strategies:catalyze premature chain-offloading as a trans-acting thioesterase or hydrolyze the lactone-bond of compound 1 as an esterase.

Stellettin B renders glioblastoma vulnerable to poly (ADPribose) polymerase inhibitors via suppressing homologydirected repair

Dear Editor,Glioblastoma(GBM)is one of the most fatal brain tumors.Current first-line post-surgery regimens for GBM including radiotherapy and temozolomide(TMZ)chemotherapy show very limited efficacy.1,2 Novel therapeutic approaches for GBM patients are urgently needed.Natural products are important sources for drug discovery,especially in the field of cancer treatment.3 We previously isolated stellettin B(STELB)(Fig.1a)from marine sponge(Jaspis stellifera)and reported the remarkable and specific anticancer activities.Recently,a series of stellettins has been totally synthesized and the core chemical structure has been indicated.4 However,the specific mechanism and its role in regulating tumor biology remain largely unknown.

Antimicrobial Chlorinated Carbazole Alkaloids from the Sponge-Associated Actinomycete Streptomyces diacarni LHW51701

Four new chlorinated carbazole alkaloids,chlocarbazomycins(CCBs)A-D,were isolated from sponge associated bacterium Streptomyces diacarni LHW51701.Their structures were elucidated via spectroscopic techniques(including HRESIMS,ID&2D NMR),and X-ray crystallographic analysis.Structurally,the 4-chloro coupled with 3-methoxyl substituents in the tricycle nucleus of CCBs A-D and the A/-methoxyl group of CCB-D are rare in naturally occurred tricyclic carbazole alkaloids.Moreover,CCBs A-D do not bear the typical Cl poro-alkyl and C2 meto-methyl side chains of bacterial tricycle carbazoles,suggesting a novel mechanism of aromatic ring formation in biosynthesis.The biological evaluation showed that CCB-C possessed inhibitory activities against pathogenic microorganisms including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA),Mycobacterium smegmatis,Bacillus mycoides,and Candida albicans.

Investigation of carbonyl amidation and O-methylation during biosynthesis of the pharmacophore pyridyl of antitumor piericidins

Piericidins are a large family of bacterialα-pyridone antibiotics with antitumor activities such as their anti-renal carcinoma activity exhibited recently in nude mice.The backbones of piericidins are derived fromβ,δ-diketo carboxylic acids,which are offloaded from a modular polyketide synthase(PKS)and putatively undergo a carbonyl amidation beforeα-pyridone ring formation.The tailoring modifications to theα-pyridone structure mainly include the verified hydroxylation and O-methylation of the C-4′position and an unidentified C-5′O-methylation.Here,we describe a piericidin producer,terrestrial Streptomyces conglobatus,which contains a piericidin biosynthetic gene cluster in two different loci.Deletion of the amidotransferase gene pieD resulted in the accumulation of two fatty acids that should be degraded from the nascent carboxylic acid released by the PKS,supporting the carbonyl amidation function of PieD duringα-pyridone ring formation.Deletion of the O-methyltransferase gene pieB1 led to the production of three piericidin analogues lacking C-5′O-methylation,therefore confirming that PieB1 specifically catalyses the tailoring modification.Moreover,bioactivity analysis of the mutant-derived products provided clues regarding the structure-function relationship for antitumor activity.The work addresses two previously unidentified steps involved in pyridyl pharmacophore formation during piericidin biosynthesis,facilitating the rational bioengineering of the biosynthetic pathway towards valuable antitumor agents.

Divergent Syntheses of Pyridoacridine Alkaloids via Palladium-Catalyzed Reductive Cyclization with Nitro-Biarenes

Main observation and conclusion A divergent and novel protocol for the preparation of both pyrido[2,3,4-kl]acridine and pyrido[4,3,2-kl]acridine alkaloids was developed.This method featured the remote palladium-catalyzed reductive cyclization with Mo(CO)_(6) as reductant.A wide range of substrates including three types of nitro arenes were tolerated and afforded corresponding products in good to excellent yields.