Keshav K. Nepal, R. Lee, Yohannes H Rezenom
Jul 14, 2015
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Journal
Biochemistry
Abstract
The azinomycins are potent antitumor agents produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces sahachiroi and contain a novel aziridino[1,2-a]pyrrolidine core; its synthesis involves at least 14 steps. This study reports the first reconstitution of N-acetylglutamine semialdehyde formation by two enzymes encoded in the azinomycin biosynthetic gene cluster. The reaction proceeds through the formation of an acylphosphate and establishes N-acetyl-glutamyl 5-phosphate and N-acetylglutamine semialdehyde as intermediates in the complex biosynthesis of the aziridino[1,2-a]pyrrolidine moiety.