A nitrous acid biosynthetic pathway for diazo group formation in bacteria
December 21st, 2015 by Yoshinori Sugai
Nature Chemical Biology 12, 73 (2016). doi:10.1038/nchembio.1991
Authors: Yoshinori Sugai, Yohei Katsuyama & Yasuo Ohnishi
Although some diazo compounds have bioactivities of medicinal interest, little is known about diazo group formation in nature. Here we describe an unprecedented nitrous acid biosynthetic pathway responsible for the formation of a diazo group in the biosynthesis of the ortho-diazoquinone secondary metabolite cremeomycin in Streptomyces cremeus. This finding provides important insights into the biosynthetic pathways not only for diazo compounds but also for other naturally occurring compounds containing nitrogen-nitrogen bonds.