Analogue biosynthesis

Biosynthetically-patterned microbiological transformations exploit the substrate flexibility of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabohtes. These biotransformations are sometimes known as analogue biosynthesis or precursor-directed biosynthesis. This approach to biotransformation can be useful in preparing analogues of biologically-active microbial metabolites for structure-activity studies, a feature that has been exploited with penicillins using a cloned isopenicillin N synthase. The structures of the substances that are transformed and of their products can also shed light on the stereo-electronic constraints of enzymatic steps and on the nature of biosynthetic intermediates, a feature that has been exploited in studies on the cyclization of squalene to the triterpenes and steroids. 

Occurrence, Fermentation, and Biosynthesis. Although a large number of Streptomjces species have been shown to produce carbapenems, only S. cattkja (2) and S. penemfaciens (11) have been reported to give thienamycin (2). Generally the antibiotics occur as a mixture of analogues or isomers and are often co-produced with penicillin N and cephamycin C. Yields are low compared to other P-lactams produced by streptomycetes, and titres are of the order of 1—20 p-g sohdusmL despite, in many cases, a great deal of effort on the optimization of the media and fermentation conditions. The rather poor stabiUty of the compounds also contributes to a low recovery in the isolation procedures. The fermentation and isolation processes for thienamycin and the olivanic acids has been reviewed in some detail (12). 

Nebularine. Nebularine(44) is a naturaHy occurring purine riboside isolated from S.jokosukanensis (1,3,4). It is phosphorylated, and inhibits purine biosynthesis and RNA synthesis, but is not incorporated into RNA by E. coli RNA polymerase. It has also found appHcation as a transition state analogue for treatment of schistosomiasis and as a substrate for the restriction endonuclease, Hindll (138—141). 

Octosyl Acids. Three octosyl uronic acid nucleosides, produced by S. cacaoi sub sp. asoensis are shown in Figure 3. The biosynthesis of (172) and (173) has been reported (1). The replacement of the pyrimidine chromophore of (171) with adenine results in a nucleoside analogue that is a competitive inhibitor of cAMP. 

Nucleoside antibiotics biosynthesis, 1, 88-90 Nucleosides oxa analogues, 3, 1085 as pharmaceuticals, 1, 153 protected, 5, 316 Nucleosidin occurrence, 5, 603 Nupharolutine synthesis, 2, 393 Nybomycin applications, 6, 667 Nybomycin, deoxy-applications, 6, 667 Nystatin antifungal agent veterinary use, 1, 211... 

Fosfomycin is an antibiotic produced by several Streptomyces species [95, 96] as well as by the Gram-negative Pseudomonas syringiae and Pseudomonas viridiflava. dl, 98] As an analogue of phosphoenolpyruvate, it irreversibly inhibits UDP-N-acetylglu-cosamine-3-O-enolpymvyltransferase (MurA), the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in peptidoglycan biosynthesis [99]. 

A number of mitomycin analogues have been prepared by precursor-directed biosynthesis [104]. A range of amines were fed to S. caespitosus, and novel derivatives of mitomycin C (type I analogues) and mitomycin B (type II analogues) were identified and in some cases (42-46 and 52-56 Scheme 11.4) isolated and characterized. Antibiotic and antitumor activities were comparable to those of mitomycin C, with the type I analogues more active than the type II analogues. 

This synthetic allylamine derivative inhibits the enzyme squalene epoxidase at an early stage in fungal sterol biosynthesis. Acting as a structural analogue of squalene, naffidine causes the accumulation of this unsaturated hydrocarbon, and a decrease in ergosterol in the fungal cell membrane. 

Laursen, J.B and Nielsen, J., Phenazine natural products biosynthesis, synthetic analogues, and biological activity, Chem. Rev., 104, 1663, 2004. 

Haase, R. et al., The phospholipid analogue hexadecylphosphatidylcholine inhibits phosphatidyl biosynthesis in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells, FEBS Lett. 288, 129-132 (1991). 

Salicylic acid analogues are often active as nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents because they interfere with biosynthesis of prostaglandins. Diflunisal (3) appears to be such an agent. It is synthesized from the nitrobiphenyl 1 by catalytic reduction to... 

Ward, S.L., Desai, R.P., Hu, Z. et al. (2007) Precursor-directed biosynthesis of 6-deoxyerythronolide B analogues is improved by removal of the initial catalytic sites of the polyketide synthase. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, 34, 9-15. 

An antimetabolite interferes with the normal cellular metabolites. For instance, it can act as an inhibitor of one or more enzymes whose substrates are metabolites. Others are incorporated into macromolecules instead of the metabolites. Development of antimetabolites exhibiting anti-cancer activity met with the greatest success for analogues of metabolites involved in the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and of cofactors containing nitrogenous bases. Compounds such as 5-fluorouracyl and methotrexate are remarkably effective against human cancers, even though they feature host toxicity. 

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