A new family of iron-dependent halogenases acts on freestanding substrates

Nat Chem Biol. 2014 Nov;10(11):921-3. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.1625. Epub 2014 Sep 14.

Abstract

Regio- and stereospecific incorporation of a halogen atom to an unactivated sp(3) carbon in a freestanding molecule is a challenging transformation that is currently missing in the inventory of enzyme-mediated reactions. Here we report what is to our knowledge the first example of a nonheme iron enzyme (WelO5) in the welwitindolinone biosynthetic pathway that can monochlorinate an aliphatic carbon in 12-epi-fischerindole U and 12-epi-hapalindole C, substrates that are free from peptidyl or acyl carrier protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Halogens / chemistry
  • Halogens / metabolism*
  • Indole Alkaloids / metabolism
  • Iron / metabolism*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Oxidoreductases / chemistry
  • Oxidoreductases / classification
  • Oxidoreductases / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism*
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Halogens
  • Indole Alkaloids
  • welwitindolinone A
  • Iron
  • Oxidoreductases