Unusual biosynthetic pathways provide the key to future natural product discovery

Bacteria are the main engineers of biologically useful small molecules. A new study by Nature Communications reveals a technique for this microbial trade: synthesis then inserts nitrogen-nitrogen bonds (such as prefabricated parts) into larger molecules.

The discovery was done by a collaboration team of chemists at the University of Illinois and Harvard University. Together they confirmed that two unrelated, bacterially produced compounds share an unusual set of steps in their biosynthetic pathway. Interpreting this type of biochemical process will help to find other useful biological compounds.

"If you want to pursue other new molecules that people haven't discovered before, then it's molecular processing or genetic processing," said Wilfred van der Donk, chairman of Richard E. Heckert Endowed, chemistry and researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.