Structural investigation of heteroyohimbine alkaloid synthesis reveals active site elements that control stereoselectivity.

ABSTRACT: Plants produce an enormous array of biologically active metabolites, often with stereochemical variations on the same molecular scaffold. These changes in stereochemistry dramatically impact biological activity. Notably, the stereoisomers of the heteroyohimbine alkaloids show diverse pharmacological activities. We reported a medium chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR) from Catharanthus roseus that catalyses formation of a heteroyohimbine isomer. Here we report the discovery of additional heteroyohimbine synthases (HYSs), one of which produces a mixture of diastereomers. The crystal structures for three HYSs have been solved, providing insight into the mechanism of reactivity and stereoselectivity, with mutation of one loop transforming product specificity. Localization and gene silencing ex

SUBMITTER: Stavrinides A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4947188 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature