F-dependent transformations in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.

Cofactor F has been historically known as the "methanogenic redox cofactor". It is now recognised that F has essential roles in the primary and secondary metabolism of archaea and bacteria. Recent discoveries highlight the role of F as a redox cofactor in the biosynthesis of various natural products, including ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides, and a new class of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-based secondary metabolites. With the vast availability of (meta)genomic data, the identification of uncharacterised F-dependent enzymes offers the potential for discovering novel secondary metabolites, presenting valuable prospects for clinical and biotechnological applications.