Characterization of Unexpected Self-Acylation Activity of Acyl Carrier Proteins in a Modular Type I Apicomplexan Polyketide Synthase. 2023

Aaron M Keeler, and Hannah K D'Ambrosio, and Jack G Ganley, and Emily R Derbyshire
Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.

Natural products play critical roles as antibiotics, anticancer therapeutics, and biofuels. Polyketides are a distinct natural product class of structurally diverse secondary metabolites that are synthesized by polyketide synthases (PKSs). The biosynthetic gene clusters that encode PKSs have been found across nearly all realms of life, but those from eukaryotic organisms are relatively understudied. A type I PKS from the eukaryotic apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii,TgPKS2, was recently discovered through genome mining, and the functional acyltransferase (AT) domains were found to be selective for malonyl-CoA substrates. To further characterize TgPKS2, we resolved assembly gaps within the gene cluster, which confirmed that the encoded protein consists of three distinct modules. We subsequently isolated and biochemically characterized the four acyl carrier protein (ACP) domains within this megaenzyme. We observed self-acylation─or substrate acylation without an AT domain─for three of the four TgPKS2 ACP domains with CoA substrates. Furthermore, CoA substrate specificity and kinetic parameters were determined for all four unique ACPs. TgACP2-4 were active with a wide scope of CoA substrates, while TgACP1 from the loading module was found to be inactive for self-acylation. Previously, self-acylation has only been observed in type II systems, which are enzymes that act in-trans with one another, and this represents the first report of this activity in a modular type I PKS whose domains function in-cis. Site-directed mutagenesis of specific TgPKS2 ACP3 acidic residues near the phosphopantetheinyl arm demonstrated that they influence self-acylation activity and substrate specificity, possibly by influencing substrate coordination or phosphopantetheinyl arm activation. Further, the lack of TgPKS2 ACP self-acylation with acetoacetyl-CoA, which is utilized by previously characterized type II PKS systems, suggests that the substrate carboxyl group may be critical for TgPKS2 ACP self-acylation. The unexpected properties observed from T. gondii PKS ACP domains highlight their distinction from well-characterized microbial and fungal systems. This work expands our understanding of ACP self-acylation beyond type II systems and helps pave the way for future studies on biosynthetic enzymes from eukaryotes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008316 Malonyl Coenzyme A A coenzyme A derivative which plays a key role in the fatty acid synthesis in the cytoplasmic and microsomal systems. Malonyl CoA,CoA, Malonyl,Coenzyme A, Malonyl
D000213 Acyl Carrier Protein Consists of a polypeptide chain and 4'-phosphopantetheine linked to a serine residue by a phosphodiester bond. Acyl groups are bound as thiol esters to the pantothenyl group. Acyl carrier protein is involved in every step of fatty acid synthesis by the cytoplasmic system. Myristoyl-ACP,Carrier Protein, Acyl,Myristoyl ACP,Protein, Acyl Carrier
D000215 Acylation The addition of an organic acid radical into a molecule.
D000217 Acyltransferases Enzymes from the transferase class that catalyze the transfer of acyl groups from donor to acceptor, forming either esters or amides. (From Enzyme Nomenclature 1992) EC 2.3. Acyltransferase
D014122 Toxoplasma A genus of protozoa parasitic to birds and mammals. T. gondii is one of the most common infectious pathogenic animal parasites of man. Toxoplasma gondii,Toxoplasma gondius,Toxoplasmas,gondius, Toxoplasma
D048630 Polyketide Synthases Large enzyme complexes composed of a number of component enzymes that are found in STREPTOMYCES which biosynthesize MACROLIDES and other polyketides. Polyketide Synthase,6-Deoxyerythronolide-B Synthase,Epothilone Polyketide Synthase,Erythromycin Polyketide Synthase,Griseusin Polyketide Synthase,Niddamycin Polyketide Synthase,Polyketide Synthase L1,Polyketide Synthase WA,Rifamycin Polyketide Synthase,Sterigmatocystin Polyketide Synthase,Type I Polyketide Synthase,Type II Polyketide Beta-Ketoacyl Synthase,Urdamycin Polyketide Synthase,WdPKS1 Protein,WhiE Polyketide Synthase,6 Deoxyerythronolide B Synthase,Polyketide Synthase, Epothilone,Polyketide Synthase, Erythromycin,Polyketide Synthase, Griseusin,Polyketide Synthase, Niddamycin,Polyketide Synthase, Rifamycin,Polyketide Synthase, Sterigmatocystin,Polyketide Synthase, Urdamycin,Polyketide Synthase, WhiE,Protein, WdPKS1,Synthase L1, Polyketide,Synthase WA, Polyketide,Synthase, 6-Deoxyerythronolide-B,Synthase, Epothilone Polyketide,Synthase, Erythromycin Polyketide,Synthase, Griseusin Polyketide,Synthase, Niddamycin Polyketide,Synthase, Polyketide,Synthase, Rifamycin Polyketide,Synthase, Sterigmatocystin Polyketide,Synthase, Urdamycin Polyketide,Synthase, WhiE Polyketide,Synthases, Polyketide,Type II Polyketide Beta Ketoacyl Synthase

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