title: Heterologous production of epothilone C and D in Escherichia coli.
abstract: The epothilones are a family of polyketide natural products that show a high potential as anticancer drugs. They are synthesized by the action of a hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthase in the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum. In this work, the genes encoding the entire cluster,epoA, epoB, epoC, epoD, epoE, and epoF, were redesigned and synthesized to allow for expression in Escherichia coli. The expression of the largest of the proteins, EpoD, also required the protein be separated into two polypeptides with compatible module linkers. Using a combination of lowered temperature, chaperone coexpression, and alternative promoters, we succeeded in producing a soluble protein from all genes in the epothilone cluster. The entire synthetic epothilone cluster was then expressed in a strain of E. coli modified to enable polyketide biosynthesis, resulting in the production of epothilones C and D. Furthermore, feeding a thioester of the normal substrate for EpoD to cells expressing the epoD, epoE, and epoF genes also led to the production of epothilones C and D. The design of the synthetic epothilone genes together with E. coli expression provides the ideal platform for both the biochemical investigation of the epothilone PKS and the generation of novel biosynthetic epothilone analogues.
authors.affiliation: Kosan Biosciences, Inc., 3832 Bay Center Place, Hayward, California 94545, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mutka
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: Yaoquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D003543:Cysteamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D034261:Epothilones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000378:metabolism; D010441:Peptide Chain Elongation, Translational / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048630:Polyketide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C509419:2-methyl-3-(2-methylthiazol-4-yl)acrylic acid; C509420:2-methyl-3-(2-methylthiazol-4-yl)acrylic acid N-acetylcysteamine thioester; D034261:Epothilones; D008689:Methacrylates; D013844:Thiazoles; C121425:epothilone E; C426625:epothilone F; C426624:epothilone C; D003543:Cysteamine; D048630:Polyketide Synthases; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C104385:non-ribosomal peptide synthase; C114026:desoxyepothilone B