Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

From a Natural Product to Its Biosynthetic Gene Cluster: A Demonstration Using Polyketomycin from Streptomyces diastatochromogenes Tü6028
Published on: January 13, 2017
Biosynthetic machinery of ionophore polyether lasalocid: enzymatic construction of polyether skeleton
Atsushi Minami1, Hiroki Oguri, Kenji Watanabe
1Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
Abstract:
Diversity of natural polycyclic polyethers originated from very simple yet versatile strategy consisting of epoxidation of linear polyene followed by epoxide opening cascade. To understand two-step enzymatic transformations at molecular basis, a flavin containing monooxygenase (EPX) Lsd18 and an epoxide hydrolase (EH) Lsd19 were selected as model enzymes for extensive investigation on substrate specificity, catalytic mechanism, cofactor requirement and crystal structure. This pioneering study on prototypical lasalocid EPX and EH provides insight into detailed mechanism of ionophore polyether assembly machinery and clarified remaining issues for polyether biosynthesis.
Related Concept Videos
Biosynthesis of Lipids
Formation of Lipopolysaccharides
Peptidoglycan Synthesis
Production of Pharmaceuticals
Biosynthesis in Bacteria
ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis
Most macromolecules are composed of single subunits, or building blocks, called monomers. The monomers combine with each other using covalent bonds to form larger molecules known as polymers.
Conversion of...

