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Title: Fungal indole alkaloid biogenesis through evolution of a bifunctional reductase/Diels–Alderase

Journal Article · · Nature Chemistry

Prenylated indole alkaloids such as the calmodulin-inhibitory malbrancheamides and anthelmintic paraherquamides possess great structural diversity and pharmaceutical utility. Here, we report complete elucidation of the malbrancheamide biosynthetic pathway accomplished through complementary approaches. These include a biomimetic total synthesis to access the natural alkaloid and biosynthetic intermediates in racemic form and in vitro enzymatic reconstitution to provide access to the natural antipode (+)-malbrancheamide. Reductive cleavage of an l-Pro–l-Trp dipeptide from the MalG non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) followed by reverse prenylation and a cascade of post-NRPS reactions culminates in an intramolecular [4+2] hetero-Diels–Alder (IMDA) cyclization to furnish the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane scaffold. Enzymatic assembly of optically pure (+)-premalbrancheamide involves an unexpected zwitterionic intermediate where MalC catalyses enantioselective cycloaddition as a bifunctional NADPH-dependent reductase/Diels–Alderase. Furthermore, the crystal structures of substrate and product complexes together with site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate how MalC and PhqE (its homologue from the paraherquamide pathway) catalyse diastereo- and enantioselective cyclization in the construction of this important class of secondary metabolites.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
R01 CA070375; R35 GM118101; R01 DK042303; F32GM122218; R01GM124480; OCI-1053575; AGM-12006; ACB-12002
OSTI ID:
1573393
Journal Information:
Nature Chemistry, Vol. 11, Issue 11; ISSN 1755-4330
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 37 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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