Volume 136, Issue 31 e202319344
Zuschrift

Biosynthesis of Strained Amino Acids by a PLP-Dependent Enzyme through Cryptic Halogenation

Max B. Sosa

Max B. Sosa

Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–1460 USA

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Jacob T. Leeman

Jacob T. Leeman

Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–1460 USA

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Lorenzo J. Washington

Lorenzo J. Washington

Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–3102 USA

Joint BioEnergy Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA

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Henrik V. Scheller

Henrik V. Scheller

Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–3102 USA

Joint BioEnergy Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA

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Prof. Michelle C. Y. Chang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Michelle C. Y. Chang

Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–1460 USA

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–1462 USA

Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–3200 USA

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First published: 22 March 2024

Abstract

Amino acids (AAs) are modular building blocks which nature uses to synthesize both macromolecules, such as proteins, and small molecule natural products, such as alkaloids and non-ribosomal peptides. While the 20 main proteinogenic AAs display relatively limited side chain diversity, a wide range of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) exist that are not used by the ribosome for protein synthesis, but contain a broad array of structural features and functional groups. In this communication, we report the discovery of the biosynthetic pathway for a new ncAA, pazamine, which contains a cyclopropane ring formed in two steps. In the first step, a chlorine is added onto the C4 position of lysine by a radical halogenase, PazA. The cyclopropane ring is then formed in the next step by a pyridoxal-5′-phosphate-dependent enzyme, PazB, via an SN2-like attack at C4 to eliminate chloride. Genetic studies of this pathway in the native host, Pseudomonas azotoformans, show that pazamine potentially inhibits ethylene biosynthesis in growing plants based on alterations in the root phenotype of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. We further show that PazB can be utilized to make an alternative cyclobutane-containing AA. These discoveries may lead to advances in biocatalytic production of specialty chemicals and agricultural biotechnology.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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