Publication: Investigating the Initial Steps in the Biosynthesis of Cyanobacterial Sunscreen Scytonemin
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Date
2008
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American Chemical Society (ACS)
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Balskus, Emily P., and Christopher T. Walsh. 2008. “Investigating the Initial Steps in the Biosynthesis of Cyanobacterial Sunscreen Scytonemin.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 130 (46) (November 19): 15260–15261.
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Abstract
The cyanobacterial natural product scytonemin (1) functions as a sunscreen, absorbing harmful UV-A radiation. Using information from a recently identified gene cluster, we propose a biosynthetic route to this pigment. We also report the characterization of two enzymes, NpR1275 and NpR1276, which are involved in the initial stages of this pathway. A regioselective acyloin reaction between indole-3-pyruvic acid (4) and p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid (5) is a key step in assembling the carbon framework of a proposed monomeric scytonemin precursor (2).
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