Genome-Based Discovery of an Unprecedented Cyclization Mode in Fungal Sesterterpenoid Biosynthesis

J Am Chem Soc. 2016 Aug 10;138(31):10011-8. doi: 10.1021/jacs.6b05799. Epub 2016 Aug 2.

Abstract

Sesterterpenoids are a group of terpenoid natural products that are primarily biosynthesized via cyclization of the C25 linear substrate geranylfarnesyl pyrophosphate (GFPP). Although the long carbon chain of GFPP in theory allows for many different cyclization patterns, sesterterpenoids are relatively rare species among terpenoids, suggesting that many intriguing sesterterpenoid scaffolds have been overlooked. Meanwhile, the recent identification of the first sesterterpene synthase has allowed the discovery of new sesterterpenoids by the genome mining approach. In this study, we characterized the unusual fungal sesterterpene synthase EvQS and successfully obtained the sesterterpene quiannulatene (1) with a novel and unique highly congested carbon skeleton, which is further oxidized to quiannulatic acid (2) by the cytochrome P450 Qnn-P450. A mechanistic study of its cyclization from GFPP indicated that the biosynthesis employs an unprecedented cyclization mode, which involves three rounds of hydride shifts and two successive C-C bond migrations to construct the 5-6-5-5-5 fused ring system of 1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / chemistry
  • Aspergillus oryzae
  • Biological Products / chemistry*
  • Carbon / chemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Cyclization
  • Diphosphates / chemistry
  • Emericella
  • Genome, Fungal*
  • Hydrogen / chemistry
  • Phylogeny
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Sesterterpenes / biosynthesis*
  • Terpenes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Diphosphates
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Sesterterpenes
  • Terpenes
  • diphosphoric acid
  • Carbon
  • Hydrogen
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases