On the biosynthetic origins of the hydrogen atoms in the macrotetrolide antibiotics: and their mode of assembly catalysed by a nonactin polyketide synthase

Abstract

The biosynthetic origins of the hydrogen atoms in the macrotetrolide antibiotic nonactin have been studied by following the incorporations of deuterium and carbon-13 enriched acetate, propionate, and succinate into the antibiotic, using whole cell cultures of Streptomyces griseus. Based on these and other data two plausible mechanisms are proposed to explain the formation of (+)- and (–)-nonactic acids from these precursors, catalysed by a putative nonactin polyketide synthase multienzyme complex.