Discovery and characterization of a terpene biosynthetic pathway featuring a norbornene-forming Diels-Alderase.

ABSTRACT: Pericyclases, enzymes that catalyze pericyclic reactions, form an expanding family of enzymes that have biocatalytic utility. Despite the increasing number of pericyclases discovered, the Diels-Alder cyclization between a cyclopentadiene and an olefinic dienophile to form norbornene, which is among the best-studied cycloadditions in synthetic chemistry, has surprisingly no enzymatic counterpart to date. Here we report the discovery of a pathway featuring a norbornene synthase SdnG for the biosynthesis of sordaricin-the terpene precursor of antifungal natural product sordarin. Full reconstitution of sordaricin biosynthesis reveals a concise oxidative strategy used by Nature to transform an entirely hydrocarbon precursor into the highly functionalized substrate of SdnG for intramolecular Die

SUBMITTER: Sun Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9095873 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature