Complexity generation in fungal peptidyl alkaloid biosynthesis: a two-enzyme pathway to the hexacyclic MDR export pump inhibitor ardeemin.

Ardeemins are hexacyclic peptidyl alkaloids isolated from Aspergillus fischeri as agents that block efflux of anticancer drugs by MultiDrug Resistance (MDR) export pumps. To evaluate the biosynthetic logic and enzymatic machinery for ardeemin framework assembly, we sequenced the A. fischeri genome and identified the ardABC gene cluster. Through both genetic deletions and biochemical characterizations of purified ArdA and ArdB we show this ArdAB enzyme pair is sufficient to convert anthranilate (Ant), L-Ala, and L-Trp to ardeemin. ArdA is a 430 kDa trimodular nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) that converts the three building blocks into a fumiquinazoline (FQ) regioisomer termed ardeemin FQ. ArdB is a prenyltransferase that takes tricyclic ardeemin FQ and dimethylallyl diphosphate to the hexacyclic ardeemin scaffold via prenylation at C2 of the Trp-derived indole moiety with intramolecular capture by an amide NH of the fumiquinazoline ring. The two-enzyme ArdAB pathway reveals remarkable efficiency in construction of the hexacyclic peptidyl alkaloid scaffold.