title: Orthogonal protein interactions in spore pigment producing and antibiotic producing polyketide synthases.
abstract: The actinomycetes produce antibiotics as well as spore pigments during their life cycle by using Type II polyketide synthases (PKSs). Each PKS minimally consists of a ketosynthase heterodimer and an acyl carrier protein. The acyl carrier protein has been shown to be interchangeable among different antibiotic producing Type II PKSs. Surprisingly, we have discovered a fundamental incompatibility between the ketosynthases and acyl carrier proteins from antibiotic producing pathways and those from spore pigment pathways. Although antibiotic PKSs can interact with acyl carrier proteins from spore pigment pathways, spore pigment PKSs are unable to recognize acyl carrier proteins from polyketide antibiotic pathways. This observation provides an insight into a critical mechanism by which natural product biosynthetic specificity is exercised by members of this bacterial family.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Taek Soon
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chaitan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khosla
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology; D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D048630:Polyketide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004396:Coloring Agents; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D048630:Polyketide Synthases; D000217:Acyltransferases