title: Extender unit and acyl carrier protein specificity of ketosynthase domains of the 6-deoxyerythronolide B synthase.
abstract: Polyketide synthases (PKSs) catalyze the production of numerous biologically important natural products via repeated decarboxylative condensation reactions. Modular PKSs, such as the 6-deoxyerythronolide B synthase (DEBS), consist of multiple catalytic modules, each containing a unique set of covalently linked catalytic domains. To better understand the engineering opportunities of these assembly lines, the extender unit and acyl carrier protein (ACP) specificity of keto synthase (KS) domains from modules 3 and 6 of DEBS were analyzed. These studies were undertaken with a newly developed didomain [KS][AT] construct, which lacks its own ACP domain and can therefore be interrogated with homologous or heterologous ACP or acyl-ACP substrates. By substituting the natural methylmalonyl extender unit with a malonyl group, a modest role was demonstrated for the KS in recognition of the nucleophilic substrate. The KS domain from module 3 of DEBS was found to exhibit a distinct ACP-recognition profile from the KS domain of module 6. On the basis of the above kinetic insights, a hybrid module was constructed ([KS3][AT3][KR5][ACP5][TE]) which displayed substrate recognition and elongation capabilities consistent with the natural module 3 protein. Unlike module 3, however, which lacks a ketoreductase (KR) domain, the hybrid module was able to catalyze reduction of the beta-ketothioester product of chain elongation. The high expression level and functionality of this hybrid protein demonstrates the usefulness of kinetic analysis for hybrid module design.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Alice Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nathan A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Schnarr
authors.forename: Chu-Young
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cane
authors.forename: Chaitan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khosla
mesh_terms: D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000215:Acylation; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D048630:Polyketide Synthases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016930:Saccharopolyspora / Q000201:enzymology; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D048630:Polyketide Synthases