Natural products articles within Nature Communications

Featured

• Article
  17 May 2018 | Open Access

  Three previously unrecognised classes of biosynthetic enzymes revealed during the production of xenovulene A

  Xenovulene A is a fungal compound that has the potential to be used as an antidepressant. Here, the authors unravel the pathway leading to its formation in fungi and discover a new class of enzymes, which accounts for some unusual chemistry in the synthesis of xenovulene.

  • Raissa Schor
  • , Carsten Schotte
  •  & Russell J. Cox

• Article
  30 March 2018 | Open Access

  Biosynthesis of fragin is controlled by a novel quorum sensing signal

  Fragin is a diazeniumdiolate metabolite with antifungal activity, produced by some bacteria. Here, Jenul et al. show that metal chelation is the molecular basis of fragin’s antifungal activity, and that a gene cluster directing fragin biosynthesis is also involved in the synthesis of a signal molecule.

  • Christian Jenul
  • , Simon Sieber
  •  & Leo Eberl

• Article
  29 March 2018 | Open Access

  Scalable synthesis enabling multilevel bio-evaluations of natural products for discovery of lead compounds

  Isodon diterpenoids, promising anti-cancer agents found in certain tropical plants, are difficult to obtain. Here, the authors developed a synthetic strategy to synthesise several different members of this group, including neolaxiflorin L which emerged from this study as a promising drug candidate.

  • Lizhi Zhu
  • , Wenjing Ma
  •  & Chi-Sing Lee

• Article
  23 February 2018 | Open Access

  Correlating chemical diversity with taxonomic distance for discovery of natural products in myxobacteria

  It is thought that the chances for discovery of novel natural products increase by screening rare organisms. Here the authors analyse metabolites produced by over 2300 myxobacterial strains and, indeed, find a correlation between taxonomic distance and production of distinct secondary metabolite families.

  • Thomas Hoffmann
  • , Daniel Krug
  •  & Rolf Müller

• Article
  02 January 2018 | Open Access

  Discovery of human cell selective effector molecules using single cell multiplexed activity metabolomics

  Bioactive metabolites from plant and microbial extracts hold therapeutic potential. Here, the authors combine untargeted metabolomic arrays with flow cytometry-based single cell response profiling and identify metabolites with cell subset-specific activities in the bone marrow from an AML patient.

  • David C. Earl
  • , P. Brent Ferrell Jr
  •  & Brian O. Bachmann

• Article
  07 December 2017 | Open Access

  Characterization of a membrane-bound C-glucosyltransferase responsible for carminic acid biosynthesis in Dactylopius coccus Costa

  Carminic acid is a widely applied red colorant that is still harvested from insects because its biosynthesis is not fully understood. Here, the authors identify and characterize a membrane-bound C-glucosyltransferase catalyzing the final step during carminic acid biosynthesis.

  • Rubini Kannangara
  • , Lina Siukstaite
  •  & Birger Lindberg Møller

• Article
  24 November 2017 | Open Access

  Antagonistic bacteria disrupt calcium homeostasis and immobilize algal cells

  Predatory or competitive interactions between microbes are poorly understood but likely influence global nutrient cycles. Here, the authors show that Pseudomonas bacteria could immobilize algal cells, potential prey, by releasing secondary metabolites that induce a Ca²⁺ signal and algal deflagellation.

  • Prasad Aiyar
  • , Daniel Schaeme
  •  & Maria Mittag

• Article
  16 November 2017 | Open Access

  The natural product carolacton inhibits folate-dependent C1 metabolism by targeting FolD/MTHFD

  The mechanisms behind the antibacterial activity of the natural product carolacton are unknown. Here, the authors show that carolacton is a potent inhibitor of FolD/MTHFD enzymes (involved in folate-dependent C1 metabolism in bacteria and humans) and inhibits the growth of cancer cell lines

  • Chengzhang Fu
  • , Asfandyar Sikandar
  •  & Rolf Müller

• Article
  15 November 2017 | Open Access

  The industrial anaerobe Clostridium acetobutylicum uses polyketides to regulate cellular differentiation

  Polyketides are secondary metabolites mainly found in aerobic organisms with wide applications in medicine and agriculture. Here, the authors uncover new polyketides native to the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum and show their role in triggering sporulation and granulose accumulation.

  • Nicolaus A. Herman
  • , Seong Jong Kim
  •  & Wenjun Zhang

• Article
  03 November 2017 | Open Access

  Identification of an analgesic lipopeptide produced by the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917

  Escherichia coli Nissle is a probiotic that decreases visceral pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome. Here, the authors show that the microbe produces an analgesic lipopeptide, structurally related to GABA, that can cross the gut epithelial barrier and inhibits visceral hypersensitivity in mice.

  • Teresa Pérez-Berezo
  • , Julien Pujo
  •  & Nicolas Cenac

• Article
  31 October 2017 | Open Access

  Diversity oriented biosynthesis via accelerated evolution of modular gene clusters

  Reengineering polyketide synthase encoding genes to produce analogues of natural products can be slow and low-yielding. Here the authors use accelerated evolution to recombine the gene cluster for rapid production of rapamycin-related products.

  • Aleksandra Wlodek
  • , Steve G. Kendrew
  •  & Matthew A. Gregory

• Article
  09 August 2017 | Open Access

  Living GenoChemetics by hyphenating synthetic biology and synthetic chemistry in vivo

  Coupling synthetic biology and chemical reactions in cells is a challenging task. The authors engineer bacteria capable of generating bromo-metabolites, develop a mild Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction compatible with cell growth and carry out the cross-coupling chemistry in live cell cultures.

  • Sunil V. Sharma
  • , Xiaoxue Tong
  •  & Rebecca J. M. Goss

• Article
  15 June 2017 | Open Access

  Cryptic indole hydroxylation by a non-canonical terpenoid cyclase parallels bacterial xenobiotic detoxification

  The biosynthesis of xiamycin, an antimicrobial bacterial indolosesquiterpenoid, involves an unusual cyclization cascade. Here, the authors characterise the XiaF enzyme, which resembles xenobiont-degrading enzymes and is responsible for a hidden indole hydroxylation step that triggers the cyclization reaction.

  • Susann Kugel
  • , Martin Baunach
  •  & Christian Hertweck

• Article
  23 May 2017 | Open Access

  Decoding and reprogramming fungal iterative nonribosomal peptide synthetases

  Nonribosomal peptides are important bioactive molecules that are synthetized by enzymes containing several catalytic domains. Here the authors describe the catalytic mechanism of fungal nonribosomal peptide synthetases and present an approach to modify these enzymes to produce specific nonribosomal peptides.

  • Dayu Yu
  • , Fuchao Xu
  •  & Jixun Zhan

• Article
  28 April 2017 | Open Access

  Antibiotic-producing symbionts dynamically transition between plant pathogenicity and insect-defensive mutualism

  Observations of recent or dynamic transitions between parasitism and mutualism are scarce. Here, Flórezet al. provide evidence that Burkholderia gladiolibacteria can protect the eggs of herbivorous beetles by producing antimicrobial compounds, while retaining their ancestral ability to infect plants.

  • Laura V. Flórez
  • , Kirstin Scherlach
  •  & Martin Kaltenpoth

• Article
  07 October 2016 | Open Access

  Non-enzymatic pyridine ring formation in the biosynthesis of the rubrolone tropolone alkaloids

  The biosynthesis of pyridine rings is still poorly understood. Here the authors propose a biosynthetic pathway for pyridine-containing rubrolones, which is characterized by a non-enzymatic condensation and cyclization of the pyridine moiety.

  • Yijun Yan
  • , Jing Yang
  •  & Sheng-Xiong Huang

• Article
  16 February 2016 | Open Access

  Discovery of cahuitamycins as biofilm inhibitors derived from a convergent biosynthetic pathway

  Pathogenic microbes can often attach to surfaces and form biofilms that display increased antibiotic resistance. Here, the authors characterize the biosynthesis of a new class of natural products, the cahuitamycins, that inhibit formation of biofilms by the pathogenic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii.

  • Sung Ryeol Park
  • , Ashootosh Tripathi
  •  & David H. Sherman

• Article
  04 November 2015 | Open Access

  Total synthesis of palau’amine

  Thanks to its immunosuppressive activity and complex molecular architecture, the natural product palau’amine has attracted continuous attention over a number of years. Here, the authors report a new synthetic strategy which includes the formation of multiple rings in a single key step.

  • Kosuke Namba
  • , Kohei Takeuchi
  •  & Keiji Tanino

• Article
  12 October 2015 | Open Access

  FR171456 is a specific inhibitor of mammalian NSDHL and yeast Erg26p

  FR171456 is a bioactive chemical produced by some microorganisms. Here, the authors identify the enzyme NSDHL of the sterol synthesis pathway as the molecular target of FR171456, rendering it the first compound to specifically target this class of enzyme in yeast and mammalian cells.

  • Stephen B. Helliwell
  • , Shantanu Karkare
  •  & Christian N. Parker

• Article
  12 October 2015 | Open Access

  The thiostrepton A tryptophan methyltransferase TsrM catalyses a cob(II)alamin-dependent methyl transfer reaction

  Cobalamin-dependent radical SAM enzymes are proposed as methyltransferases in many biosynthetic pathways. Here, the authors study a pathway involving the methylation of tryptophan, showing that methylcob(III)alamin is the most likely cofactor and propose a radical-based C-methylation mechanism.

  • Alhosna Benjdia
  • , Stéphane Pierre
  •  & Olivier Berteau

• Article
  01 October 2015 | Open Access

  Asymmetric synthesis of syn-propargylamines and unsaturated β-amino acids under Brønsted base catalysis

  Propargylamines are of interest both as biologically active compounds and versatile synthetic intermediates. Here, the authors report a method for the organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of propargylamines through addition of carbon nucleophiles to alkynyl imines.

  • Yingcheng Wang
  • , Mingjie Mo
  •  & Zhihui Shao

• Article
  28 September 2015 | Open Access

  An automated Genomes-to-Natural Products platform (GNP) for the discovery of modular natural products

  Microbial natural products represent a large reservoir of potential pharmaceutical agents. Here, Johnston et al. describe a computer-automated programme for connecting genome sequences with identified and isolated natural products.

  • Chad W. Johnston
  • , Michael A. Skinnider
  •  & Nathan A. Magarvey

• Article
  03 July 2015 | Open Access

  Asymmetric synthesis of N-allylic indoles via regio- and enantioselective allylation of aryl hydrazines

  N-allylic indoles are important in medicinal and synthetic chemistry, but selective N-allylation of indoles can be difficult to achieve. Here, the authors report a catalytic asymmetric synthesis of these compounds through an enantioselective addition of aryl hydrazines to allenes, followed by indole formation.

  • Kun Xu
  • , Thomas Gilles
  •  & Bernhard Breit

• Article
  02 July 2015 | Open Access

  Identification of Alp1U and Lom6 as epoxy hydrolases and implications for kinamycin and lomaiviticin biosynthesis

  Kinamycins, fluostatins and lomaiviticins are naturally occurring antibiotics that possess unique diazofluorene structures and exhibit potent anti-tumour activity. Here the authors identify the epoxy hydrolases in the biosynthetic pathways of kinamycins and lomaiviticins, suggesting the existence of epoxy-intermediates in their biosynthesis.

  • Bin Wang
  • , Fang Guo
  •  & Keqian Yang

• Article
  23 June 2015 | Open Access

  Ganoderma lucidum reduces obesity in mice by modulating the composition of the gut microbiota

  Ganoderma lucidumis a medicinal mushroom used in Traditional Chinese Medicine with putative anti-diabetic properties. Here, the authors show that polysaccharides from a water extract of this mushroom exert beneficial metabolic effects by modulating the composition of the gut microbiota in mice.

  • Chih-Jung Chang
  • , Chuan-Sheng Lin
  •  & Hsin-Chih Lai

• Article
  17 June 2015 | Open Access

  Tandem C–H oxidation/cyclization/rearrangement and its application to asymmetric syntheses of (−)-brussonol and (−)-przewalskine E

  The ability to form complex molecular architectures from simpler precursors is important for drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. Here, the authors report a cascade reaction giving access to tricyclic products and apply it in the total synthesis of two natural products.

  • Zhi-Wei Jiao
  • , Yong-Qiang Tu
  •  & Sen Jiang

• Article
  21 May 2015 | Open Access

  New peptide architectures through C–H activation stapling between tryptophan–phenylalanine/tyrosine residues

  Macrocyclic, constrained peptides show promise in therapeutic applications due to the stable and defined conformations that can be produced. Here, the authors report a method to form macrocyclic peptides through C–H activation on tryptophan and coupling with iodo-substituted aryl amino acids

  • Lorena Mendive-Tapia
  • , Sara Preciado
  •  & Rodolfo Lavilla

• Article
  11 May 2015 | Open Access

  Atomistic mechanisms of nonstoichiometry-induced twin boundary structural transformation in titanium dioxide

  Grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials strongly influence their mechanical properties. Here, the authors investigate polycrystalline TiO₂by high-resolution electron microscopy and observe that structural defects form ordered structures at grain boundaries influencing their properties.

  • Rong Sun
  • , Zhongchang Wang
  •  & Yuichi Ikuhara

• Article
  24 April 2015 | Open Access

  Deoxynybomycins inhibit mutant DNA gyrase and rescue mice infected with fluoroquinolone-resistant bacteria

  Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are widely used to treat serious bacterial infections, but resistance is an increasing problem. Here the authors describe the synthesis and characterization of novel deoxynybomycin derivatives that exhibit activity against fluoroquinolone-resistant infections in an in vivomodel.

  • Elizabeth I. Parkinson
  • , Joseph S. Bair
  •  & Paul J. Hergenrother

• Article | 14 April 2015

  Honokiol blocks and reverses cardiac hypertrophy in mice by activating mitochondrial Sirt3

  The chemical honokiol is found in the bark of magnolia trees, which are used for traditional medicine in Asian countries. Here, Pillai et al, show honokiol protects the heart from hypertrophic remodelling in mice, and even reverses established cardiac hypertrophy, by activating the deacetylase Sirt3.

  • Vinodkumar B. Pillai
  • , Sadhana Samant
  •  & Mahesh P. Gupta

• Article
  31 March 2015 | Open Access

  Structural basis for full-spectrum inhibition of translational functions on a tRNA synthetase

  Borrelidin is an antibiotic with antimicrobial, antifungal, antimalarial and immunosuppressive activity that targets threonyl-tRNA synthetase. Here the authors show that borrelidin functions by preventing binding of all three ThrRS substrates and inducing a distinct, non-productive, conformation of the enzyme.

  • Pengfei Fang
  • , Xue Yu
  •  & Min Guo

• Article
  27 March 2015 | Open Access

  Ainsliadimer A selectively inhibits IKKα/β by covalently binding a conserved cysteine

  IKK is a key inducer of NF-κB, and has been targeted by several small molecule drugs. Here the authors show that a natural product from a Chinese medical herb inhibits NF-κB via covalent binding to a unique conserved region of IKK, and efficiently inhibits tumour growth and sepsis in mice.

  • Ting Dong
  • , Chao Li
  •  & Xiaoguang Lei

• Article
  04 February 2015 | Open Access

  Total synthesis and antiviral activity of indolosesquiterpenoids from the xiamycin and oridamycin families

  Using a single strategy to make a number of related intermediates is a useful strategy in the total synthesis. Here, the authors report the synthesis of a number of natural products, employing two diastereomerically complementary metal-catalyzed cyclizations as the key step to access a number of frameworks.

  • Zhanchao Meng
  • , Haixin Yu
  •  & Ang Li

• Article | 12 January 2015

  Late-stage C–H functionalization of complex alkaloids and drug molecules via intermolecular rhodium-carbenoid insertion

  The ability to functionalize a C–H bond is useful in complex organic syntheses, but the scope of this approach is sometimes limited by its sensitivity to basic amines. Here, the authors achieve functionalization of amine-containing natural products by site-selective rhodium-carbene-mediated C–H insertion.

  • Jing He
  • , Lawrence G. Hamann
  •  & Rohan E. J. Beckwith

• Article | 03 December 2014

  Photochemical formation of intricarene

  Photochemical reactions are rarely observed at late stages in the biosynthesis of natural products. Here, the authors show that in the case of intricarene, instead of a concerted cycloaddition in the electronic ground state, the key step of the synthesis proceeds photochemically.

  • Desiree Stichnoth
  • , Patrick Kölle
  •  & Dirk Trauner

• Article | 01 August 2014

  Diversity-oriented synthesis of Lycopodium alkaloids inspired by the hidden functional group pairing pattern

  Structural diversity and complex molecular frameworks are important for small molecule screening libraries, yet these are some of the most difficult features to introduce. Here, the authors show a strategy to make a number of natural products and complex non-natural analogues from simple building blocks.

  • Jing Zhang
  • , Jinbao Wu
  •  & Xiaoguang Lei

• Article
  07 April 2014 | Open Access

  The seco-iridoid pathway from Catharanthus roseus

  The (seco)iridoids and their monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA) derivatives are plant-derived compounds with pharmaceutical applications. Here, the authors identify the last four missing steps of the (seco)iridoid pathway, which they reconstitute in an alternative plant host to produce the complex MIA, strictosidine.

  • Karel Miettinen
  • , Lemeng Dong
  •  & Danièle Werck-Reichhart

• Article | 24 March 2014

  A unified strategy for the synthesis of highly oxygenated diaryl ethers featured in ellagitannins

  Ellagitannins are a class of polyphenols widely distributed in natural products, and thus are high-value targets in organic synthesis. Here the authors present a unified strategy for the synthesis of these compounds based on a key orthoquinone building block.

  • Tsukasa Hirokane
  • , Yasuaki Hirata
  •  & Hidetoshi Yamada

• Article | 05 December 2013

  Activation and characterization of a cryptic polycyclic tetramate macrolactam biosynthetic gene cluster

  Polycyclic tetramate macrolactams (PTMs) are natural products with important antifungal, antibiotic and antioxidant properties. Here, the authors apply a synthetic biology strategy to activate a cryptic PTM biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces griseusand identify three putative PTMs.

  • Yunzi Luo
  • , Hua Huang
  •  & Huimin Zhao

• Article | 04 September 2012

  Naphthol radical couplings determine structural features and enantiomeric excess of dalesconols in Daldinia eschscholzii

  The dalesconol natural products are biosynthesised in an enantiomeric excess of 67%, rather than as a single enantiomer or a racemate. Tanet al. report that this unusual enantioselectivity is a result of the dominance of particular conformers of naphthol dimer intermediates.

  • Wei Fang
  • , Shen Ji
  •  & Ren Xiang Tan