21. Making the World a Colourful Place: Exploration of the Key Condensation Enzymes in the Biosynthesis of Prodiginines and Tambjamines
Bacteria produce many natural products that have useful bioactivities such as antibiotic, anticancer and antifungal effects. In bacteria, these molecules are made in a step-by-step process using proteins called enzymes that assist in building the molecule at each step of the process. This research is focusing on the biosynthesis of two classes of natural products called prodiginines and tambjamines. The molecules in each class have different structures but follow similar construction steps. Both processes first form the same common intermediate, then in the final step this intermediate is combined with another unique intermediate to make the final product. In this study, the enzyme that is involved in the final step of the process will be characterized for both prodiginine and tambjamine-type molecules. By purifying the enzymes for both types of molecule properties such as their catalytic mechanism, substrate flexibility, and structure can be determined and compared.