Studies on the formation and incorporation of streptolidine in the biosynthesis of the peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic streptothricin F

Streptothricin F (STF, 1) is a peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic produced by Streptomyces lavendulae. Studies were conducted to address the formation and timing of incorporation of the arginine-derived base streptolidine (4) during the biosynthesis of 1. [guanidino-(13)C]Streptolidine (10) was prepared by modification of an established method and used in whole-cell incorporation experiments. Analysis of the purified STF by (13)C NMR revealed a 1.9% enrichment of the guanidino carbon, confirming 4 as an advanced precursor to 1 and supporting proposals that 1 is assembled via a convergent biosynthetic pathway. To identify advanced intermediates in the conversion of L-arginine to 4, (2S,3R)-[guanidino-(13)C]capreomycidine (32) was prepared from oxazolidine aldehyde (18) via 1,1-dimethylethyl (4R,1'S)-4-(1',3'-diaminopropyl)-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxazolidinecarboxylate (30). Treatment of 30 with Br(13)CN yielded the corresponding diprotected amino alcohol, which was readily converted to 32. The STF isolated from whole-cell incorporation experiments with 32 showed no significant (13)C enrichment at the guanidino carbon. These results suggest that 32 may be an enzyme-bound intermediate, unable to enter the cell, or is not a precursor to STF.     

Molecular and biochemical studies of chondramide formation-highly cytotoxic natural products from Chondromyces crocatus Cm c5

The jaspamide/chondramide family of depsipeptides are mixed PKS/NRPS natural products isolated from marine sponges and a terrestrial myxobacterium that potently affect the function of the actin cytoskeleton. As a first step to improve production in heterologous host cells and permit genetic approaches to novel analogs, we have cloned and characterized the chondramide biosynthetic genes from the myxobacterium Chondromyces crocatus Cm c5. In addition to the expected PKS and NRPS genes, the cluster encodes a rare tyrosine aminomutase for beta-tyrosine formation and a previously unknown tryptophan-2-halogenase. Conditions for gene transfer into C. crocatus Cm c5 were developed, and inactivation of several genes corroborated their proposed function and served to define the boundaries of the cluster. Biochemical characterization of the final NRPS adenylation domain confirmed the direct activation of beta-tyrosine, and fluorinated chondramides were produced through precursor-directed biosynthesis.     

Novel sulfur-containing rapamycin analogs prepared by precursor-directed biosynthesis

[reaction: see text] Two novel sulfur-containing analogs of the immunosuppressive natural product rapamycin (1) were obtained by feeding cultures of Streptomyces hygroscopicus with l-nipecotic acid (4) and either (S)-1,3-thiazane-4-carboxylic acid (5) or (S)-1,4-thiazane-3-carboxylic acid (6). The structures of the two new compounds, 20-thiarapamycin (2) and 15-deoxo-19-sulfoxylrapamycin (3), were determined by spectroscopic methods.     

Investigating beta-hydroxyenduracididine formation in the biosynthesis of the mannopeptimycins

The mannopeptimycins (MPPs) are potent glycopeptide antibiotics that contain both D and L forms of the unique, arginine-derived amino acid beta-hydroxyenduracididine (betahEnd). The product of the mppO gene in the MPP biosynthetic cluster resembles several non-heme iron, alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenases, such as VioC and clavaminate synthase. The role of MppO in betahEnd biosynthesis was confirmed through inactivation of mppO, which yielded a strain that produced dideoxy-MPPs, indicating that mppO is essential for generating the beta-hydroxy functionality for both betahEnd residues. Characterization in vitro of recombinant His6-MppO expressed in E. coli revealed that MppO selectively hydroxylates the beta carbon of free L-enduracididine.     

Electron spin density distribution in the polymer phase of CsC60: assignment of the NMR spectrum

We present high resolution 133Cs-13C double resonance NMR data and 13C-13C NMR correlation spectra of 13C enriched samples of the polymeric phase of CsC60. These data lead to a partial assignment of the lines in the 13C NMR spectrum of CsC60 to the carbon positions on the C60 molecule. A plausible completion of the assignment can be made on the basis of an ab initio calculation. The data support the view that the conduction electron density is concentrated at the C60 "equator," away from the interfullerene bonds.