Biosynthesis: a sulfonate relay revealed.

Biological sulfonate incorporation is mediated by 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate-dependent sulfotransferases and, to a lesser extent, arylsulfate sulfotransferases. An unusual two-enzyme strategy for sulfonate mobilization involving both types of sulfotransferases has been revealed during antibiotic biosynthesis, which uses a new polyketide as the sulfonate shuttle.