Protein engineering peptide synthetases

Bacitracin biosynthesis requires a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase with three major protein components, BacABC. This synthetase has a modular structure. There are associated regulatory and transport systems. Biosynthesis of bacitracin has been engineered in the surrogate host, B. subtilis, by genetic techniques. A strain, B. subtilis KE 350, expresses the entire 49-kb bacitracin... 

Fig. 9.11. Organizational overview and summary of protein engineering efforts on the poly-ketide synthetase (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) framework, a) In both systems, the complete synthetases consist of multiple subunits encoded on individual genes. The subunits themselves are divided in modules which each catalyze the addition of one acylbuilding block (PKS) or amino acid (NRPS). The minimal module for PKSs is made up of three domains - a keto synthase (KS), an acyl transferase (AT), and an acyl carrier protein (ACP). In addition, modules can contain up to three modifying domains to derivatize (S-carbons on the...

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