Polyketide Synthases: Mechanisms and Models.

The modular structure of the multienzyme PKSs makes them particularly attractive targets for combinatorial biosynthesis aimed at generating novel polyketide medicines. We are beginning to understand those features of subunit organization and structure and their linking and docking elements, which are critical for productive engineering efforts. Although mechanistic and specificity studies have shown that natural PKS domains are generally not best-suited to serve as universal combinatorial units, recent insights such as those afforded by the mycolactone PKS should allow progress towards this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]