Many biologically active natural products derive their activity from the sugar components of their structures. Changing the structures of these sugars can have a profound impact on the biological activity, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic properties of the parent compounds. This observation has fueled the development of methods to derivatize natural products with diverse sugar moieties by exploiting the sugar biosynthetic machinery. Fully realizing the potential of such an approach relies on the discovery of new sugar biosynthetic pathways, and also requires a thorough understanding of the biosynthetic pathway of each target sugar including detailed mechanistic knowledge of the key enzymes. With these goals in mind, we have produced notable results in work funded by previous grant. As a result of these studies, we have identified four key areas that warrant further investigation in the next funding period. Accordingly, this application outlines experiments designed to learn how desosamine, apiose, kijanose, and 2-deoxy-2- mercaptoglucose are biosynthesized. The specific objectives include (1) mechanistic studies of a radical-SAM enzyme (DesII) involved in the biosynthesis of desosamine, an essential component of many macrolide antibiotics, (2) a determination of the mechanism of the pyranose-to-furanose ring-contraction catalyzed by UDP-apiose synthase, (3) an investigation into the biosynthesis of the unusual nitrosugar moiety (kijanose) of kijanimicin, and (4) the elucidation of the mechanism of sulfur incorporation into the 2-deoxy-2-mercaptoglucose moiety of the antibiotic BE-7585A. The proposed experiments will not only delineate the biosynthesis of deoxy-, branched-chain, nitro-, and sulfur-containing sugars, but will also advance the field of mechanistic enzymology by enhancing our understanding of several important classes of enzymes. Our results should also be valuable to applied biomedical research, as new glycosylation tools (i.e., sugar biosynthetic pathways and enzymes) will be discovered for future secondary metabolite glycodiversification efforts.

Public Health Relevance

Outlined in this application are experiments designed to study the mechanism of the radical SAM enzyme, DesII, involved in the C4-deoxygenation step in desosamine biosynthesis, the mechanism of the ring contraction reaction catalyzed by UDP-apiose synthase (Axs1), the biosynthesis of an unusual nitrosugar, kijanose, and the mechanism of sulfur incorporation into the thiosugar moiety of BE-7585A. The results are expected to significantly advance the field of mechanistic enzymology and should also be valuable to applied biomedical research, as new sugar biosynthetic pathways and enzymes will be discovered for future secondary metabolite glycodiversification efforts.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01GM035906-25
Application #
7584621
Study Section
Macromolecular Structure and Function E Study Section (MSFE)
Program Officer
Ikeda, Richard A
Project Start
1986-01-01
Project End
2012-12-31
Budget Start
2009-02-10
Budget End
2009-12-31
Support Year
25
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$461,258
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Austin
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Pharmacy
DUNS #
170230239
City
Austin
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
78712
Ko, Yeonjin; Lin, Geng-Min; Ruszczycky, Mark W et al. (2018) Mechanistic Implications of the Deamination of TDP-4-amino-4-deoxy-d-fucose Catalyzed by the Radical SAM Enzyme DesII. Biochemistry 57:3130-3133
Besandre, Ronald; Liu, Hung-Wen (2018) Biochemical Basis of Vosevi, a New Treatment for Hepatitis CPublished as part of the Biochemistry series ""Biochemistry to Bedside"". Biochemistry 57:479-480
Ruszczycky, Mark W; Zhong, Aoshu; Liu, Hung-Wen (2018) Following the electrons: peculiarities in the catalytic cycles of radical SAM enzymes. Nat Prod Rep 35:615-621
Ko, Yeonjin; Wang, Shao-An; Ogasawara, Yasushi et al. (2017) Identification and Characterization of Enzymes Catalyzing Pyrazolopyrimidine Formation in the Biosynthesis of Formycin A. Org Lett 19:1426-1429
Bridwell-Rabb, Jennifer; Zhong, Aoshu; Sun, He G et al. (2017) A B12-dependent radical SAM enzyme involved in oxetanocin A biosynthesis. Nature 544:322-326
Lin, Chia-I; McCarty, Reid M; Liu, Hung-Wen (2017) The Enzymology of Organic Transformations: A Survey of Name Reactions in Biological Systems. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 56:3446-3489
Ruszczycky, Mark W; Liu, Hung-Wen (2017) Theory and Application of the Relationship Between Steady-State Isotope Effects on Enzyme Intermediate Concentrations and Net Rate Constants. Methods Enzymol 596:459-499
Lin, Geng-Min; Romo, Anthony J; Liem, Priscilla H et al. (2017) Identification and Interrogation of the Herbicidin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster: First Insight into the Biosynthesis of a Rare Undecose Nucleoside Antibiotic. J Am Chem Soc 139:16450-16453
Kim, Hak Joong; Liu, Yung-Nan; McCarty, Reid M et al. (2017) Reaction Catalyzed by GenK, a Cobalamin-Dependent Radical S-Adenosyl-l-methionine Methyltransferase in the Biosynthetic Pathway of Gentamicin, Proceeds with Retention of Configuration. J Am Chem Soc 139:16084-16087
Ruszczycky, Mark W; Liu, Hung-Wen (2017) Biochemistry: The surprising history of an antioxidant. Nature 551:37-38

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