Biosynthesis articles from across Nature Portfolio

N-acyl tyrosines are key biomolecules produced by diverse bacterial phyla, yet their biosynthetic pathways remain largely unknown. Here, the authors identify a pathway for N-acyl dehydrotyrosine biosynthesis in members of the phylum Planctomycetota based on conserved genes encoding a putative adenylyltransferase/cyclase, nitroreductase and the hallmark protein N-acyl amino acid synthase (NasY).

Many animals display brilliant colors thanks to the precise formation of guanine crystals within specialized organelles. Here, the authors demonstrate that dynamic pH shifts orchestrate this process: an initially acidic lumen stabilizes amorphous, protonated guanine and subsequent alkalinization triggers its crystallization.

Myxobacteria, particularly Sorangium strains, are rich sources of bioactive natural products but are challenging to genetically engineer. Here, the authors present an efficient electroporation method for multiple Sorangium strains and reveal a revised model of ambruticin biosynthesis.

Engineering of modular polyketide synthases (PKS) can create natural product derivatives, however, de novo generation of defined structures with good productivity remains challenging. Here, the authors employ a gene conversion-driven strategy to reprogram the cinnamomycin biosynthetic gene cluster, successfully generating a series of new macrolides with designed structural features and highlighting the role of the KS domain in extender unit proofreading.

Combining hydrogen-atom transfer for prochiral radical formation, organic-dye-modulated single-electron transfer and an engineered thiamine-dependent enzyme, a photobiocatalytic platform is developed for assembling C(sp²)–C(sp³) bonds via benzylic C(sp³)–H and aldehyde C(sp²)–H oxidative cross-coupling under mild conditions.

A systematic screening of biosynthetic genes largely clarifies the intricate biosynthetic mechanisms by which diversification of carboxylesterases generates a complex blend of modular signaling pheromones in Pristionchus pacificus.

The discovery of seven soybean genes completes the biosynthetic pathway to major glyceollins, granting access to heterologous production and exploration of their antimicrobial potential.

Synthetic and biological chemistry are traditionally seen as separate fields. Now, a biocompatible chemical reaction enables an engineered microbe to convert plastic waste into valuable compounds under mild, cell-friendly conditions.

Chemists first synthesized acylsulfenic acids in the 1990s, but natural products containing this labile moiety have so far not been isolated. The identification of a new natural product, sulfenicin, and the characterization of its biosynthesis now suggest this functional group is widespread among bacteria, hinting at an undiscovered subclass of natural products.