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Polyketide Synthases: Mechanisms and Models

  • Conference paper
Biocombinatorial Approaches for Drug Finding

Part of the book series: Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop ((SCHERING FOUND,volume 51))

3.7 Conclusions

The modular structure of the multienzyme PKSs makes them particularly attractive targets for combinatorial biosynthesis aimed at generating novel polyketide medicines. We are beginning to understand those features of subunit organization and structure and their linking and docking elements, which are critical for productive engineering efforts. Although mechanistic and specificity studies have shown that natural PKS domains are generally not best-suited to serve as universal combinatorial units, recent insights such as those afforded by the mycolactone PKS should allow progress towards this goal.

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  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK

    K. J. Weissman

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  1. Microbiology/Biotechnology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    W. Wohlleben

  2. Corporate Research, Research Center Europe, Proteinchemistry, Schering AG, Müllerstr. 178, 13342, Berlin, Germany

    T. Spellig  & B. Müller-Tiemann  & 

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Weissman, K.J. (2005). Polyketide Synthases: Mechanisms and Models. In: Wohlleben, W., Spellig, T., Müller-Tiemann, B. (eds) Biocombinatorial Approaches for Drug Finding. Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop, vol 51. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27055-8_3

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