Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Combinatorial biosynthesis of reduced polyketides.

Kira J Weissman1, Peter F Leadlay

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK. kjw21@cus.cam.ac.uk

Nature Reviews. Microbiology
|December 3, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Bacterial polyketide synthases (PKSs) can be engineered to create new medicines. This combinatorial biosynthesis approach has yielded over 200 novel compounds, but challenges persist in realizing its full potential.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Targeted Protein Degradation.

JACS Au·2026
Same author

Decision making by modular polyketide synthases and implications for genetic engineering.

Natural product reports·2026
Same author

Docking domains from modular polyketide synthases and their use in engineering.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Protocol for the purification, analysis, and handling of acyl carrier proteins from type I fatty acid and polyketide synthases.

STAR protocols·2025
Same author

Correction: Exploiting the inherent promiscuity of the acyl transferase of the stambomycin polyketide synthase for the mutasynthesis of analogues.

Chemical science·2025
Same author

Exploiting the inherent promiscuity of the acyl transferase of the stambomycin polyketide synthase for the mutasynthesis of analogues.

Chemical science·2025

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

  • Bacterial multienzyme polyketide synthases (PKSs) are crucial for producing a wide range of natural products.
  • Many PKS-derived compounds are valuable pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and anticancer agents.
  • The modular structure of PKSs offers a framework for targeted enzyme engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential of combinatorial biosynthesis for generating novel drug candidates.
  • To investigate the feasibility of engineering modular PKSs for drug discovery.

Main Methods:

  • Directed engineering of modular polyketide synthase (PKS) enzymes.
  • Utilizing combinatorial biosynthesis strategies.

Main Results:

  • Production of over 200 novel polyketide compounds through directed PKS engineering.
  • Demonstration of the capacity for generating diverse chemical structures.

Conclusions:

  • Combinatorial biosynthesis is a powerful strategy for discovering new polyketide natural products.
  • Engineering modular PKSs has significantly expanded the chemical space of accessible polyketides.
  • Further research is needed to overcome existing challenges and fully harness the potential of this approach for drug development.

Related Experiment Videos