Characterization of a novel oxidase from Thelonectria discophora SANK 18292 involved in nectrisine biosynthesis

A fungus, Thelonectria discophora SANK 18292 (JCM 30947), produces nectrisine that has a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic 5-membered ring acting as a glycosidase inhibitor. Our previous study showed the possibility that 4-amino-4-deoxyarabinitol was enzymatically converted to nectrisine but the enzyme was not known. In order to characterize the enzyme, which is designated as NecC, it was purified from the fungus using ammonium sulfate precipitation and anion exchange chromatography. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of NecC tryptic digests revealed partial NecC protein sequences. Subsequently, the partial DNA fragments were amplified by polymerase chain reaction with degenerate oligonucleotide primers and cloned. Then, necC complete genomic DNA was cloned by screening a genomic library of the fungus. Recombinant NecC also had NecC enzymatic activity, thus providing verification for the necC gene. NecC presumably belonged to the family of glucose methanol choline oxidoreductases, forming oligomers ranging approximately from 8 mer to 16 mer based on the results of native PAGE, and was also found to have a melting temperature of 57 °C, an optimal reaction condition of pH 7 at 30 °C, an activity inhibited by Cu(2+) or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and 4-amino-4-deoxyarabinitol as its preferred substrate. It was also indicated that not nectrisine but 4-amino-4-deoxyarabinitol was mainly extracted from the mycelium, and then was converted to nectrisine by the enzyme NecC in vitro. We believe that these findings are helpful to establish a nectrisine manufacturing process at large scale with the fungus.