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Hypeptin is a cyclodepsipeptide antibiotic produced by Lysobacter sp. K5869, isolated from an environmental sample by the iChip technology, dedicated to the cultivation of previously uncultured microorganisms. Hypeptin shares structural features with teixobactin and exhibits potent activity against a broad spectrum of gram‐positive pathogens. Using comprehensive in vivo and in vitro analyses, we show that hypeptin blocks bacterial cell wall biosynthesis by binding to multiple undecaprenyl pyrophosphate‐containing biosynthesis intermediates, forming a stoichiometric 2:1 complex. Resistance to hypeptin did not readily develop in vitro. Analysis of the hypeptin biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) supported a model for the synthesis of the octapeptide. Within the BGC, two hydroxylases were identified and characterized, responsible for the stereoselective β‐hydroxylation of four building blocks when bound to peptidyl carrier proteins. In vitro hydroxylation assays corroborate the biosynthetic hypothesis and lead to the proposal of a refined structure for hypeptin., The nonribosomal peptide hypeptin blocks cell wall biosynthesis of gram‐positive bacteria by binding to lipid II. It kills pathogens even in late exponential growth phase without detectable development of resistance. Investigation of the biosynthesis in vitro, combined with bioinformatic and NMR analyses led to the proposal of a refined structure.

d -Phenyllactate (PLA) is a component of the selective Gq protein inhibitor and nonribosomal cyclic depsipeptide FR900359 (FR). Here we perform a detailed biochemical investigation of PLA biosynthesis and its incorporation into the natural product FR. The enzyme FrsC, member of the lactate/malate dehydrogenase superfamily, was shown to catalyze the formation of l -PLA from phenylpyruvate. FrsC was kinetically characterized and its substrate specificity determined. Incorporation of l -PLA was probed by assaying the adenylation domain FrsE-A3 and feeding studies to a Chromobacterium vaccinii ΔfrsC mutant, confirming preferred activation of l -PLA followed by on-line epimerisation to d -PLA. Finally, detailed bioinformatic analyses of FrsC revealed its close relation to malate dehydrogenases from primary metabolism and suggest extensions in the substrate binding loop to be responsible for its adaptation to accept larger aromatic substrates with high specificity.

Direct targeting of intracellular Gα subunits of G protein-coupled receptors by chemical tools is a challenging task in current pharmacological studies and in the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In this study we analyzed novel FR900359-based analogs from natural sources, synthetic cyclic peptides, as well as all so-far known Gq α inhibitors in a comprehensive study to devise a strategy for the elucidation of characteristics that determine interactions with and inhibition of Gq in the specific FR/YM-binding pocket. Using 2D NMR spectroscopy and molecular docking we identified unique features in the macrocyclic structures responsible for binding to the target protein correlating with inhibitory activity. While all novel compounds were devoid of effects on Gi and Gs proteins, no inhibitor surpassed the biological activity of FR. This raises the question of whether depsipeptides such as FR already represent valuable chemical tools for specific inhibition of Gq and, at the same time, are suitable natural lead structures for the development of novel compounds to target Gα subunits other than Gq .

Salinipyrones and pacificanones are structurally related polyketides from Salinispora pacifica CNS-237 that are proposed to arise from the same modular polyketide synthase (PKS) assembly line. Genome sequencing revealed a large macrolide PKS gene cluster that codes for the biosynthesis of rosamicin A and a series of new macrolide antibiotics. Mutagenesis experiments unexpectedly correlated salinipyrone and pacificanone biosynthesis to the rosamicin octamodule Spr PKS. Remarkably, this bifurcated polyketide pathway illuminates a series of enzymatic domain- and module-skipping reactions that give rise to natural polyketide product diversity. Our findings enlarge the growing knowledge of polyketide biochemistry and illuminate potential challenges in PKS bioengineering.