RebG- and RebM-catalyzed indolocarbazole diversification

Chembiochem. 2006 May;7(5):795-804. doi: 10.1002/cbic.200500504.

Abstract

Rebeccamycin and staurosporine represent two broad classes of indolocarbazole glycoside natural products with antitumor properties. Based upon previous sequence annotation and in vivo studies, rebG encodes for the rebeccamycin N-glucosyltransferase, and rebM for the requisite 4'-O-methyltransferase. In the current study, an efficient in vivo biotransformation system for RebG was established in both Streptomyces lividans and Escherichia coli. Bioconversion experiments revealed RebG to glucosylate a set of indolocarbazole surrogates, the products of which could be further modified by in vitro RebM-catalyzed 4'-O-methylation. Both RebG and RebM displayed substrate promiscuity, and evidence for a remarkable lack of RebG regioselectivity in the presence of asymmetric substrates is also provided. In the context of the created indolocarbazole analogues, cytotoxicity assays also highlight the importance of 4'-O-methylation for their biological activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Carbazoles / chemical synthesis*
  • Carbazoles / chemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Glucosyltransferases / chemistry*
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Indoles / chemistry*
  • Methyltransferases / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Time Factors
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Carbazoles
  • Indoles
  • Methyltransferases
  • Glucosyltransferases