Enzymatic Pyran Formation Involved in Xiamenmycin Biosynthesis

The pyran ring is a very common structural unit of many natural, bioactive molecules that are widely found in plants, bacteria, and fungi. However, the enzymatic processes by which many of these pyran-containing molecules are formed are unclear. Herein, we report the construction of the pyran ring catalyzed by the cooperation of a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, XimD, and a SnoaL-like cyclase, XimE, in the biosynthesis of xiamenmycins. XimD catalyzes the formation of an epoxide intermediate that spontaneously transforms to furan and pyran products (43:1) in vitro. XimE then catalyzes the formation of the pyran ring in a 6-endo configuration from the epoxide to yield a benzopyran, xiamenmycin B. Further, we obtained the crystallographic structure of XimE, with and without product, which suggests a synergistic mechanism in which a group of four residues (Y46–Y90–H102–E136) acts cooperatively as the general acid and base. Subsequent structure-based analysis of possible viable substrates indicates that both XimD and XimE exhibit high promiscuity in their catalysis. Overall, this study reveals the mechanism of pyran ring formation in xiamenmycin biosynthesis and demonstrates the potential application of XimD and XimE in the biosynthesis of other benzoheterocycle scaffolds, including furano- and pyranocoumarins