Alnumycin A is an exceptional aromatic polyketide that contains a carbohydrate-like 4′-hydroxy-5′-hydroxymethyl-2′,7′-dioxane moiety attached to the aglycone via a carbon−carbon bond. Recently, we have identified the D-ribose-5-phosphate origin of the dioxane unit and demonstrated that AlnA and AlnB are responsible for the overall C-ribosylation reaction. Here, we provide direct evidence that AlnA is a natural C-glycosynthase, which catalyzes the attachment of D-ribose-5-phosphate to prealnumycin by formation of the C 8 −C 1′ bond as demonstrated by the structure of the intermediate alnumycin P. This compound is subsequently dephosphorylated by AlnB, an enzyme of the haloacid dehalogenase superfamily. Structure determination of the native trimeric AlnA to 2.1-Å resolution revealed a highly globular fold encompassing an α/β/α sandwich. The crystal structure of the complex with D-ribose-5-phosphate indicated that the phosphosugar is bound in the open-chain configuration. Identification of residues E29, K86, and K159 near the C-1 carbonyl of the ligand led us to propose that the carbon−carbon bond formation proceeds through a Michael-type addition. Determination of the crystal structure of the monomeric AlnB in the open conformation to 1.25-Å resolution showed that the protein consists of core and cap domains. Modeling of alnumycin P inside the cap domain positioned the phosphate group next to a Mg 2+ ion present at the junction of the domains. Mutagenesis data were consistent with the canonical reaction mechanism for this enzyme family revealing the importance of residues D15 and D17 for catalysis. The characterization of the prealnumycin C-ribosylation illustrates an alternative means for attachment of carbohydrates to natural products.enzyme mechanism | natural product biosynthesis | protein structure
Alnumycin is closely related to the benzoisochromanequinone (BIQ) polyketides such as actinorhodin. Exceptional structural features include differences in aglycone tailoring that result in the unique alnumycin chromophore and the existence of an unusual 4-hydroxymethyl-5-hydroxy-1,3-dioxan moiety. Cloning and sequencing of the alnumycin gene cluster from Streptomyces sp. CM020 revealed expected biosynthesis genes for polyketide assembly, but several genes encoding subsequent tailoring enzymes were highly atypical. Heterologous expression studies confirmed that all of the genes required for alnumycin biosynthesis resided within the sequenced clone. Inactivation of genes aln4 and aln5 showed that the mechanism of pyran ring formation differs from actinorhodin and granaticin pathways. Further inactivation studies identified two genes, alnA and alnB, involved in the synthesis and attachment of the dioxan moiety, and resulted in the production of the polyketide prealnumycin.
Carbohydrate moieties are important components of natural products, which are often imperative for the solubility and biological activity of the compounds. The aromatic polyketide alnumycin A contains an extraordinary sugar-like 4′-hydroxy-5′-hydroxymethyl-2′,7′-dioxane moiety attached via a carbon-carbon bond to the aglycone. Here we have extensively investigated the biosynthesis of the dioxane unit through 13 C labeling studies, gene inactivation experiments and enzymatic synthesis. We show that AlnA and AlnB, members of the pseudouridine glycosidase and haloacid dehalogenase enzyme families, respectively, catalyze C-ribosylation conceivably through Michael-type addition of D-ribose-5-phosphate and dephosphorylation. The ribose moiety may be attached both in furanose (alnumycin C) and pyranose (alnumycin D) forms. The C 1 0 -C 2 0 bond of alnumycin C is subsequently cleaved and the ribose unit is rearranged into an unprecedented dioxolane (cisbicyclo[3.3.0]-2′,4′,6′-trioxaoctan-3′β-ol) structure present in alnumycin B. The reaction is catalyzed by Aln6, which belongs to a previously uncharacterized enzyme family. The conversion was accompanied with consumption of O 2 and formation of H 2 O 2 , which allowed us to propose that the reaction may proceed via hydroxylation of C1′ followed by retro-aldol cleavage and acetal formation. Interestingly, no cofactors could be detected and the reaction was also conducted in the presence of metal chelating agents. The last step is the conversion of alnumycin B into the final end-product alnumycin A catalyzed by Aln4, an NADPH-dependent aldo-keto reductase. This characterization of the dioxane biosynthetic pathway sets the basis for the utilization of C-C bound ribose, dioxolane and dioxane moieties in the generation of improved biologically active compounds.ribose-5-phosphate | natural product | biosynthesis | Streptomyces
Pseudouridine is a noncanonical C–nucleoside commonly present in RNA, which is not metabolized in mammals, but can be recycled by the unique enzyme family of bacterial pseudouridine glycosidases such as YeiN from Escherichia coli. Here, we present rigorous bioinformatic and biochemical analyses of the protein family in order to find sequences that might code for nonpseudouridine glycosidase activities. To date, the only other function reported for the enzyme family occurs during the biosynthesis of the antibiotic alnumycin A in Streptomyces species, where AlnA functions as an unusual C–glycosynthase. Bioinformatics analysis of 755 protein sequences identified one group of sequences that were unlikely to harbour pseudouridine glycosidase activities. This observation was confirmed in vitro with one representative protein, IdgA from Streptomyces albus, which was unable to synthesize pseudouridine monophosphate, but was able to attach d–ribose‐5‐phosphate to juglone. Furthermore, our analyses provide evidence for horizontal gene transfer of pseudouridine glycosidases that may have occurred in Streptomyces and Doria species. Inspection of the genomic loci in the vicinity of pseudouridine glycosidases revealed that in 77% of the strains a kinase gene putatively involved in the phosphorylation of pseudouridine was found nearby, whereas the sequences encoding nonpseudouridine glycosidases coexisted with a phosphatase of the haloacid dehalogenase enzyme family. The investigation suggested that these unknown sequences might be involved in the biosynthesis of soluble blue pigments because of the presence of genes homologous to nonribosomal peptide synthetases.
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