title: Engineering of modular polyketide synthases to produce novel polyketides.
abstract: Polyketides are important natural products produced by Actinomycetes and other organisms via the polymerization of coenzyme A-activated carboxylic acids. Modular polyketide synthases are large multifunctional enzymes that direct the biosynthetic process using a dedicated 'module' for each polymerization reaction, which specifies the unit to be polymerized, its oxidation state and stereochemistry. Over the past two years proof-of-principle has been demonstrated for technologies that modify or exchange modules to create hybrid enzymes that catalyze the biosynthesis of novel polyketides.
authors.affiliation: Kosan Biosciences, Inc 1450 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 04010, USA
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Santi