TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kehr, Jan-Christoph
A1  - Picchi, Douglas Gatte
A1  - Dittmann-Thünemann, Elke
T1  - Natural product biosyntheses in cyanobacteria a treasure trove of unique enzymes
JF  - Beilstein journal of organic chemistry
N2  - Cyanobacteria are prolific producers of natural products. Investigations into the biochemistry responsible for the formation of these compounds have revealed fascinating mechanisms that are not, or only rarely, found in other microorganisms. In this article, we survey the biosynthetic pathways of cyanobacteria isolated from freshwater, marine and terrestrial habitats. We especially emphasize modular nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) pathways and highlight the unique enzyme mechanisms that were elucidated or can be anticipated for the individual products. We further include ribosomal natural products and UV-absorbing pigments from cyanobacteria. Mechanistic insights obtained from the biochemical studies of cyanobacterial pathways can inspire the development of concepts for the design of bioactive compounds by synthetic-biology approaches in the future.
KW  - cyanobacteria
KW  - natural products
KW  - NRPS
KW  - PKS
KW  - ribosomal peptides
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.7.191
SN  - 1860-5397
VL  - 7
IS  - 2
SP  - 1622
EP  - 1635
PB  - Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften
CY  - Frankfurt, Main
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dittmann-Thünemann, Elke
A1  - Fewer, David P.
A1  - Neilan, Brett A.
T1  - Cyanobacterial toxins biosynthetic routes and evolutionary roots
JF  - FEMS microbiology reviews
N2  - Cyanobacteria produce an unparalleled variety of toxins that can cause severe health problems or even death in humans, and wild or domestic animals. In the last decade, biosynthetic pathways have been assigned to the majority of the known toxin families. This review summarizes current knowledge about the enzymatic basis for the production of the hepatotoxins microcystin and nodularin, the cytotoxin cylindrospermopsin, the neurotoxins anatoxin and saxitoxin, and the dermatotoxin lyngbyatoxin. Elucidation of the biosynthetic pathways of the toxins has paved the way for the development of molecular techniques for the detection and quantification of the producing cyanobacteria in different environments. Phylogenetic analyses of related clusters from a large number of strains has also allowed for the reconstruction of the evolutionary scenarios that have led to the emergence, diversification, and loss of such gene clusters in different strains and genera of cyanobacteria. Advances in the understanding of toxin biosynthesis and evolution have provided new methods for drinking-water quality control and may inspire the development of techniques for the management of bloom formation in the future.
KW  - microcystin
KW  - cylindrospermopsin
KW  - anatoxin
KW  - saxitoxin
KW  - cyanobacteria
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.12000.x
SN  - 0168-6445
SN  - 1574-6976
VL  - 37
IS  - 1
SP  - 23
EP  - 43
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -