Specificity of the N-benzoyl transferase responsible for the last step of Taxol biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT: The last few steps in the biosynthesis of the anticancer drug Taxol in yew (Taxus) species are thought to involve the attachment of beta-phenylalanine to the C13-O-position of the advanced taxane diterpenoid intermediate baccatin III to yield N-debenzoyl-2'-deoxytaxol, followed by hydroxylation on the side chain at the C2'-position to afford N-debenzoyltaxol, and finally N-benzoylation to complete the pathway. A cDNA encoding the N-benzoyl transferase that catalyzes the terminal step of the reaction sequence was previously isolated from a family of transferase clones (derived from an induced Taxus cell cDNA library) by functional characterization of the corresponding recombinant enzyme using the available surrogate substrate N-debenzoyl-2'-deoxytaxol [K. Walker, R. Long, R. Croteau, Proc.

SUBMITTER: Long RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2574419 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature