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DepR, a LysR-type transcriptional regulator encoded by the last gene of the putative min operon (orf21-20-19-depR) located at the downstream region of the anticancer agent FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster in Chromobacterium violaceum No. 968, positively regulates the biosynthesis of FK228. In this work, the mechanism underlining this positive regulation was probed by multiple approaches. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and DNase I footprinting assay (DIFA) identified a conserved 35-nt DNA segment in the orf21-orf22 intergenic region where the purified recombinant DepR binds to. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) promoter probe assays established that transcription of phasin gene orf22 increases in the depR deletion mutant of C. violaceum (CvΔdepR) compared to the wild-type strain. FK228 production in the orf22-overexpressed strain C. violaceum was reduced compared with the wild-type strain. DepR has two conserved cysteine residues C199 and C208 presumed to form a disulfide bridge upon sensing oxidative stress. C199X point mutations that locked DepR in a reduced conformation decreased the DNA-binding affinity of DepR; T232A or R278A mutation also had a negative impact on DNA binding of DepR. Complementation of CvΔdepR with any of those versions of depR carrying a single codon mutation was not able to restore FK228 production to the level of wild-type strain. All evidences collectively suggested that DepR positively regulates the biosynthesis of FK228 through indirect metabolic networking.

The Chromobacterium sp. Panama bacterium has in vivo and in vitro anti-Plasmodium properties. To assess the nature of the Chromobacterium-produced anti-Plasmodium factors, chemical partition was conducted by bioassay-guided fractionation where different fractions were assayed for activity against asexual stages of P. falciparum. The isolated compounds were further partitioned by reversed-phase FPLC followed by size-exclusion chromatography; high resolution UPLC and ESI/MS data were then collected and revealed that the most active fraction contained a cyclic depsipeptide, which was identified as romidepsin. A pure sample of this FDA-approved HDAC inhibitor allowed us to independently verify this finding, and establish that romidepsin also has potent effect against mosquito stages of the parasite's life cycle. Genomic comparisons between C. sp. Panama and multiple species within the Chromobacterium genus further demonstrated a correlation between presence of the gene cluster responsible for romidepsin production and effective antiplasmodial activity. A romidepsin-null Chromobacterium spp. mutant loses its anti-Plasmodium properties by losing the ability to inhibit P. falciparum HDAC activity, and romidepsin is active against resistant parasites to commonly deployed antimalarials. This independent mode of action substantiates exploring a chromobacteria-based approach for malaria transmission-blocking.

Spiruchostatins A and B are members of the FK228-family of natural products with potent histone deacetylase inhibitory activities and antineoplastic activities. However, their production in the wild-type strain of Pseudomonas sp. Q71576 is low. To improve the yield, the spiruchostatin biosynthetic gene cluster (spi) was first identified by rapid genome sequencing and characterized by genetic mutations. This spi gene cluster encodes a hybrid biosynthetic pathway similar to that encoded by the FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster (dep) in Chromobacterium violaceum No. 968. Each gene cluster contains a pathway regulatory gene (spiR vs. depR), but these two genes encode transcriptional activators of different classes. Overexpression of native spiR or heterologous depR in the wild-type strain of Pseudomonas sp. Q71576 resulted in 268 or 1,285 % increase of the combined titer of spiruchostatins A and B, respectively. RT-PCR analysis indicates that overexpression of heterologous depR upregulates the expression of native spiR.

The disulfide bond is unusual in natural products and critical for thermal stability, cell permeability and bioactivity. DepH from Chromobacterium violaceum No. 968 is an FAD-dependent enzyme responsible for catalyzing the disulfide bond formation of FK228, an anticancer prodrug approved for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Here we report the crystal structures of DepH and DepH complexed with a substrate analogue S,S'-dimethyl FK228 at 1.82 Å and 2.00 Å, respectively. Structural and biochemical analyses revealed that DepH, in contrast to the well characterized low molecular weight thioredoxin reductases (LMW TrxRs), is an NADP(+)-independent dithiol oxidase. DepH not only lacks a conserved GGGDXAXE motif necessary for NADP(+) binding in the canonical LMW TrxRs, but also contains a 11-residue sequence which physically impedes the binding of NADP(+). These observations explain the difference between NADP(+)-independent small molecule dithiol oxidases and NADP(+)-dependent thioredoxin reductases and provide insights for understanding the catalytic mechanism of dithiol oxidases involved in natural product biosynthesis.

The biosynthetic gene cluster of FK228, an FDA-approved anticancer natural product, was identified and sequenced previously. The genetic organization of this gene cluster has now been delineated through systematic gene deletion and transcriptional analysis. As a result, the gene cluster is redefined to contain 12 genes: depA through depJ, depM, and a newly identified pathway regulatory gene, depR.

Functional cross talk between fatty acid biosynthesis and secondary metabolism has been discovered in several cases in microorganisms; none of them, however, involves a modular biosynthetic enzyme. Previously, we reported a hybrid modular nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)-polyketide synthase (PKS) pathway for the biosynthesis of FK228 anticancer depsipeptide in Chromobacterium violaceum strain 968. This pathway contains two PKS modules on the DepBC enzymes that lack a functional acyltransferase (AT) domain, and no apparent AT-encoding gene exists within the gene cluster or its vicinity. We report here that, through reconstitution of the FK228 biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli cells, two essential genes, fabD1 and fabD2, both encoding a putative malonyl coenzyme A (CoA) acyltransferase component of the fatty acid synthase complex, are positively identified to be involved in FK228 biosynthesis. Either gene product appears sufficient to complement the AT-less PKS modules on DepBC for polyketide chain elongation. Concurrently, a gene (sfp) encoding a putative Sfp-type phosphopantetheinyltransferase was identified to be necessary for FK228 biosynthesis as well. Most interestingly, engineered E. coli strains carrying variable genetic components produced significant levels of FK228 under both aerobic and anaerobic cultivation conditions. Discovery of the trans complementation of modular PKSs by housekeeping ATs reveals natural product biosynthesis diversity. Moreover, demonstration of anaerobic production of FK228 by an engineered facultative bacterial strain validates our effort toward the engineering of novel tumor-targeting bioagents.

A gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of anticancer agent FK228 has been identified, cloned, and partially characterized in Chromobacterium violaceum no. 968. First, a genome-scanning approach was applied to identify three distinctive C. violaceum no. 968 genomic DNA clones that code for portions of nonribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase. Next, a gene replacement system developed originally for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was adapted to inactivate the genomic DNA-associated candidate natural product biosynthetic genes in vivo with high efficiency. Inactivation of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase-encoding gene completely abolished FK228 production in mutant strains. Subsequently, the entire FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster was cloned and sequenced. This gene cluster is predicted to encompass a 36.4-kb DNA region that includes 14 genes. The products of nine biosynthetic genes are proposed to constitute an unusual hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase-polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase assembly line including accessory activities for the biosynthesis of FK228. In particular, a putative flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase is proposed to catalyze disulfide bond formation between two sulfhydryl groups of cysteine residues as the final step in FK228 biosynthesis. Acquisition of the FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster and acclimation of an efficient genetic system should enable genetic engineering of the FK228 biosynthetic pathway in C. violaceum no. 968 for the generation of structural analogs as anticancer drug candidates.