Type II Thioesterase ScoT, Associated with Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) Modular Polyketide Synthase Cpk, Hydrolyzes Acyl Residues and Has a Preference for Propionate▿ †

Type II thioesterases (TE IIs) were shown to maintain the efficiency of polyketide synthases (PKSs) by removing acyl residues blocking extension modules. However, the substrate specificity and kinetic parameters of these enzymes differ, which may have significant consequences when they are included in engineered hybrid systems for the production of novel compounds. Here we show that thioesterase ScoT associated with polyketide synthase Cpk from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) is able to hydrolyze acetyl, propionyl, and butyryl residues, which is consistent with its editing function. This enzyme clearly prefers propionate, in contrast to the TE IIs tested previously, and this indicates that it may have a role in control of the starter unit. We also determined activities of ScoT mutants and concluded that this enzyme is an α/β hydrolase with Ser90 and His224 in its active site

Type II thioesterase from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Type I polyketide synthases (PKSs) are complexes of large, multimodular enzymes that catalyse biosynthesis of polyketide compounds via repetitive reaction sequences, during which each step is catalysed by a separate enzymic domain. Many type I PKSs, and also non-ribosomal peptide synthetase clusters, contain additional thioesterase genes located adjacent to PKS genes. These are discrete proteins called type II thioesterases (TE IIs) to distinguish them from chain-terminating thioesterase (TE I) domains that are usually fused to the terminal PKS module. A gene of a new TE II, scoT, associated with the cluster of putative type I PKS genes from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), was found. The deduced amino acid sequence of the gene product shows extensive similarity to other authentic thioesterase enzymes, including conservation of characteristic motifs and residues involved in catalysis. When expressed in the heterologous host Streptomyces fradiae, scoT successfully complemented the resident TE II gene (tylO), and, by restoring a significant level of macrolide production, proved to be catalytically equivalent to the TylO protein. S1 nuclease mapping of scoT revealed a single potential transcription start point with expression being switched on for a short period of time during a transition phase of growth.