Exploring Fungal Polyketide C-Methylation through Combinatorial Domain Swaps

ACS Chem Biol. 2018 Nov 16;13(11):3043-3048. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00429. Epub 2018 Oct 30.

Abstract

Polyketide C-methylation occurs during a programmed sequence of dozens of reactions carried out by multidomain polyketide synthases (PKSs). Fungal PKSs perform these reactions iteratively, where a domain may be exposed to and act upon multiple enzyme-tethered intermediates during biosynthesis. We surveyed a collection of C-methyltransferase (CMeT) domains from nonreducing fungal PKSs to gain insight into how different methylation patterns are installed. Our in vitro results show that control of methylation resides primarily with the CMeT, and CMeTs can intercept and methylate intermediates from noncognate nonreducing PKS domains. Furthermore, the methylation pattern is likely imposed by a competition between methylation or ketosynthase-catalyzed extension for each intermediate. Understanding site-specific polyketide C-methylation may facilitate targeted C-C bond formation in engineered biosynthetic pathways.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Acyl Carrier Protein / genetics
  • Aspergillus niger / enzymology
  • Base Sequence
  • Fungal Proteins / chemistry*
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Methylation
  • Monascus / enzymology
  • Penicillium / enzymology
  • Polyketide Synthases / chemistry*
  • Polyketide Synthases / genetics
  • Polyketides / chemical synthesis*
  • Polyketides / chemistry
  • Protein Domains / genetics
  • Protein Engineering / methods
  • Pyrones / chemical synthesis
  • Pyrones / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Acyl Carrier Protein
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Polyketides
  • Pyrones
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Polyketide Synthases