Comparative Investigation into Formycin A and Pyrazofurin A Biosynthesis Reveals Branch Pathways for the Construction of -Nucleoside Scaffolds.

Formycin A (FOR-A) and pyrazofurin A (PRF-A) are purine-related -nucleoside antibiotics in which ribose and a pyrazole-derived base are linked by a -glycosidic bond. However, the logic underlying the biosynthesis of these molecules has remained largely unexplored. Here, we report the discovery of the pathways for FOR-A and PRF-A biosynthesis from diverse actinobacteria and propose that their biosynthesis is likely initiated by a lysine -monooxygenase. Moreover, we show that and (involved in FOR-A and PRF-A biosynthesis, respectively) mutants are correspondingly capable of accumulating the unexpected pyrazole-related intermediates 4-amino-3,5-dicarboxypyrazole and 3,5-dicarboxy-4-oxo-4,5-dihydropyrazole. We also decipher the enzymatic mechanism of ForT/PrfT for -glycosidic bond formation in FOR-A/PRF-A biosynthesis. To our knowledge, ForT/PrfT represents an example of β-RFA-P (β-ribofuranosyl-aminobenzene 5'-phosphate) synthase-like enzymes governing -nucleoside scaffold construction in natural product biosynthesis. These data establish a foundation for combinatorial biosynthesis of related purine nucleoside antibiotics and also open the way for target-directed genome mining of PRF-A/FOR-A-related antibiotics. FOR-A and PRF-A are -nucleoside antibiotics known for their unusual chemical structures and remarkable biological activities. Deciphering the enzymatic mechanism for the construction of a -nucleoside scaffold during FOR-A/PRF-A biosynthesis will not only expand the biochemical repertoire for novel enzymatic reactions but also permit target-oriented genome mining of FOR-A/PRF-A-related -nucleoside antibiotics. Moreover, the availability of FOR-A/PRF-A biosynthetic gene clusters will pave the way for the rational generation of designer FOR-A/PRF-A derivatives with enhanced/selective bioactivity via synthetic biology strategies.