Substrate specificity of a ketosynthase domain involved in bacillaene biosynthesis

• Zhiyong Yin and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 734–740, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.67

• Zhiyong Yin Jeroen S. Dickschat Kekulé-Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany 10.3762/bjoc.20.67 Abstract An isotopic labelling method was developed to investigate substrate binding by ketosynthases, exemplified by the

Functions of enzyme domains in 2-methylisoborneol biosynthesis and enzymatic synthesis of non-natural analogs

• Binbin Gu,
• Lin-Fu Liang and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1452–1459, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.104

• unpleasant off-flavour [19][20]. The biosynthesis of 1 has been extensively studied. The initial hypothesis that 1 could be a degraded sesquiterpene [3] was not confirmed through isotopic labelling experiments that rather pointed to a methylated monoterpene [10][21]. Based on these experiments a biosynthetic

Group 13 exchange and transborylation in catalysis

• Dominic R. Willcox and
• Stephen P. Thomas

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 325–348, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.28

• [58]. The alkyne 1 and dialkylborane reacted to give an alkenylborane 2. Transborylation with HBpin gave the alkenyl boronic ester 3 and regenerated the catalyst, HBR2. Isotopic labelling (H10Bpin) confirmed B–C(sp2)/B–H transborylation proceeded by σ-bond metathesis, and not ligand exchange. Using

• H-B-9-BBN, followed by B‒O/B‒H transborylation with HBpin to give the Bpin-enolate 52 and regenerate H-B-9-BBN (Scheme 12). Isotopic labelling with DBpin and H10Bpin supported this proposal. Fontaine reported that boric acid could be used as a precatalyst for the BH3-catalysed hydroboration of

• isotopic labelling and proposed to proceed by hydroboration of the allene 62 by the borane catalyst (H-B-9-BBN or 10-phenyl-9-borabicyclo[3.3.2]decane [Ph-BBD]) followed by rapid isomerisation from the (Z)-63 to (E)-allylborane 64 which underwent allylation of the ketone 65 to give an allylic borinic ester

The enzyme mechanism of patchoulol synthase

• Houchao Xu,
• Bernd Goldfuss,
• Gregor Schnakenburg and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 13–24, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.2

• Chemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany 10.3762/bjoc.18.2 Abstract Different mechanisms for the cyclisation of farnesyl pyrophosphate to patchoulol by the patchoulol synthase are discussed in the literature. They are based on isotopic labelling experiments, but the

• results from these experiments are contradictory. The present work reports on a reinvestigation of patchoulol biosynthesis by isotopic labelling experiments and computational chemistry. The results are in favour of a pathway through the neutral intermediates germacrene A and α-bulnesene that are both

• ), seychellene (11) and pogostol (12) as further side products [8]. The biosynthetic mechanism of the formation of compound 3 was investigated by several groups through isotopic labelling experiments. In 1987, Croteau et al. have suggested a pathway through 1,10-cyclisation of FPP to the (E,E)-germacradienyl

¹⁹F NMR as a tool in chemical biology

• Diana Gimenez,
• Aoife Phelan,
• Cormac D. Murphy and
• Steven L. Cobb

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 293–318, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.28

• -phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) methods (15 and 16, Figure 1). A second well-established methodology for the 19F isotopic labelling of protein and peptides involves the post-translational chemical conjugation of an 19F probe to specific amino acids present within the protein, typically cysteine and

On the mass spectrometric fragmentations of the bacterial sesterterpenes sestermobaraenes A–C

• Anwei Hou and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2807–2819, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.231

• reaction proceeds in reverse order of a thermal reaction promoted by the thermal conditions of the gaschromatographic analysis) [14]. The fragmentation reactions of structurally simple compounds such as fatty acid methyl esters have been well investigated by isotopic labelling experiments [15][16] and the

• isotopic labelling experiments can give more detailed and conclusive insights. We have recently investigated the MS fragmentation mechanisms of several sesqui- and diterpenes in a series of studies that made use of 13C-labelled terpene precursors to systematically introduce single labellings into each

Mechanistic investigations on multiproduct β-himachalene synthase from Cryptosporangium arvum

• Jan Rinkel and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1008–1019, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.99

• , Supporting Information File 1). The absolute configuration of 1 was determined as the (+)-enantiomer, unanimously by optical rotary power measurement and an isotopic labelling strategy, which involved conversion of stereoselectively deuterated and at the same position 13C-labelled FPPs by the TS to yield

A stereoselective and flexible synthesis to access both enantiomers of N-acetylgalactosamine and peracetylated N-acetylidosamine

• Bettina Riedl and
• Walther Schmid

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 856–860, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.71

• approach opens up new perspectives for additional modifications: meso-tartaric acid as possible starting material or different epoxide opening protocols, as well as, the selective isotopic labelling are only a few to mention. This convertible synthetic route brings us a step closer to access the whole

18-Hydroxydolabella-3,7-diene synthase – a diterpene synthase from Chitinophaga pinensis

• Jeroen S. Dickschat,
• Jan Rinkel,
• Patrick Rabe,
• Arman Beyraghdar Kashkooli and
• Harro J. Bouwmeester

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1770–1780, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.171

• reaction were addressed by isotopic labelling experiments. Heterologous expression of the diterpene synthase in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the production of 18-hydroxydolabella-3,7-diene also in planta, while the results from the heterologous expression in E. coli were shown to be reproducible

• been included in this study. It is difficult to judge what the correct structure for the compounds isolated from the brown algae and from A. odorata is, but the NMR data and isotopic labelling experiments presented here clearly point to the structure of 3 for the material obtained by us from the

A detailed view on 1,8-cineol biosynthesis by Streptomyces clavuligerus

• Jan Rinkel,
• Patrick Rabe,
• Laura zur Horst and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 2317–2324, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.225

• in both cases a syn addition, as could be shown by incubation of (2-13C)geranyl diphosphate in deuterium oxide. Keywords: biosynthesis; enzyme mechanisms; isotopic labelling; stereochemistry; terpenes; Introduction Among all classes of natural products the climax of structural diversity and

• either enantiomer of the α-terpinyl cation (6, Scheme 1). Isotopic labelling experiments currently experience a revival [15] and are a very powerful method to follow the enzyme mechanisms of terpene cyclases [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] including the stereochemical courses of the cyclisation

• reactions (reviewed in [25]). While the stereochemical course of the GPP cyclisation to 1 has been investigated for the 1,8-cineol synthase from Salvia officinalis [26][27], it is unknown for the bacterial enzyme that was recently reported from Streptomyces clavuligerus [28]. Here we describe isotopic

Mechanistic investigations on six bacterial terpene cyclases

• Patrick Rabe,
• Thomas Schmitz and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1839–1850, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.173

• cyclases, purification and full structure elucidation of their products by NMR and determination of optical rotary powers. Furthermore, the enzyme mechanisms of the investigated terpene cyclases were studied by isotopic labelling experiments [34] similar to recently reported investigations on other

• isotopic labelling experiments. The proposed biosynthesis of 7-epi-α-eudesmol (4) starts with a 1,10-cyclisation of FPP to the (E,E)-germacradienyl cation (B) which is attacked by water to form hedycaryol (4a). Its reprotonation at C-1 initiates a second cyclisation to cation C that undergoes deprotonation

The EIMS fragmentation mechanisms of the sesquiterpenes corvol ethers A and B, epi-cubebol and isodauc-8-en-11-ol

• Patrick Rabe and
• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1380–1394, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.132

• EIMS fragmentation mechanisms of the two sesquiterpene ethers corvol ethers A and B, and the sesquiterpene alcohols epi-cubebol and isodauc-8-en-11-ol. Keywords: bacteria; isotopic labelling; mass spectrometry; reaction mechanisms; terpenes; Introduction Gas chromatography coupled to electron impact

• radical cation K4+·. Another α-cleavage of the hydroxyisopropyl group results in L4+. Finally, the PMA59 demonstrates formation of this fragment ion from the hydroxyisopropyl group which is possible by a single α-cleavage from 4a+· to M4+ (Scheme 5F). Conclusion Isotopic labelling experiments continue to

• be a valuable source of information for many questions in natural product chemistry [23]. Many recent examples have shown how isotopic labelling experiments can unravel the complex and sometimes surprising cyclisation cascades that are catalysed by terpene cyclases in the conversion of simple linear

Natural products in synthesis and biosynthesis II

• Jeroen S. Dickschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 413–414, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.44

• methods such as isotopic labelling experiments [8] continue to be important. I thank all contributors that participated in this third Thematic Series on natural product chemistry in the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry and also the whole team at the Beilstein-Institut for their professional work. I

Tandem processes promoted by a hydrogen shift in 6-arylfulvenes bearing acetalic units at ortho position: a combined experimental and computational study

• Mateo Alajarin,
• Marta Marin-Luna,
• Pilar Sanchez-Andrada and
• Angel Vidal

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 260–270, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.28

• alternative was discarded by the isotopic labelling experiments commented above. In the following paragraphs we intend to discuss in a simplified way the results of our calculations on the potential surface of the transformations summarized in Scheme 9. The first step of path A consists of a [1,5]-H shift

Novel fatty acid methyl esters from the actinomycete Micromonospora aurantiaca

• Jeroen S. Dickschat,
• Hilke Bruns and
• Ramona Riclea

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 1697–1712, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.200

• -methylhexadecanoate (not shown). Methyl 15-methylhexadecanoate was only found during feeding of [2H10]leucine, similar to the formation of methyl 14-methylhexadecanoate found only during feeding of [2H10]isoleucine. Feeding of [2H8]valine Feeding of [2H8]valine resulted in the incorporation of the isotopic labelling

• the chain elongation with malonyl-CoA, followed by methylation with SAM by catalysis of a C-methyltransferase. Indeed the incorporation of isotopic labelling into the α- and γ-methyl branched FAMEs was observed with high incorporation rates (>90%, Figure S5 of Supporting Information File 1

Isotopic labelling studies for a gold-catalysed skeletal rearrangement of alkynyl aziridines

• Paul W. Davies,
• Nicolas Martin and
• Neil Spencer

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 839–846, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.96

• Paul W. Davies Nicolas Martin Neil Spencer School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom 10.3762/bjoc.7.96 Abstract Isotopic labelling studies were performed to probe a proposed 1,2-aryl shift in the gold-catalysed cycloisomerisation of alkynyl

• - and deuterium-labelled substrates. Keywords: 1,2-aryl shift; cycloisomerisation; gold; isotopic labelling; pyrrole; skeletal rearrangement; Introduction Gold-catalysed cycloisomerisation reactions have emerged as powerful methods to construct a diverse array of hetero- and carbocyclic motifs under

• 1,2-aryl shift in preference to either proton elimination or a 1,2-hydride shift. We therefore sought to validate this proposal experimentally by isotopic labelling. Results and Discussion A deuterium labelled precursor Alkynyl aziridine 4 was selected as the initial probe for the mechanism which