Decoding cyclase-dependent assembly of hapalindole and fischerindole alkaloids
March 13th, 2017 by Shasha Li
Nature Chemical Biology 13, 467 (2017). doi:10.1038/nchembio.2327
Authors: Shasha Li, Andrew N Lowell, Sean A Newmister, Fengan Yu, Robert M Williams & David H Sherman
The formation of C–C bonds in an enantioselective fashion to create complex polycyclic scaffolds in the hapalindole- and fischerindole- type alkaloids from Stigonematales cyanobacteria represents a compelling and urgent challenge in adapting microbial biosynthesis as a catalytic platform in drug development. Here we determine the biochemical basis for tri- and tetracyclic core formation in these secondary metabolites, involving a new class of cyclases that catalyze a complex cyclization cascade.