SPP 1152:  Evolution of Metabolic Diversity

• Subject Area: Biology
• Term: from 2003 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5471923

Plant and microbial secondary metabolites form an immense reservoir of natural chemical diversity. The structures of more than 200,000 secondary metabolites have been elucidated so far. In contrast to primary metabolism, which is essential to the growth and development of an organism, secondary metabolism is essential to the interaction of an organism with its environment. Fascinating examples of this exist in the area of defence against pathogens or competitors. The dynamic exchange between competing organisms further reflects the functional variety found in secondary metabolism. The natural plasticity of secondary metabolism underlies the ease with which microorganisms develop resistance to antibiotics and with which parasites and insects resist long-term chemical control. The manifold survival strategies of organisms have resulted in an arsenal of natural products with pharmacological, antibiotic, herbicidal, nematocidal and insecticidal activities. These compounds often have commercial relevance in direct use or serve as lead compounds for the development of new industrial products.Within this Priority Programme, we are investigating the evolution of this diversity of secondary metabolites. Two principle questions are being addressed:-- What is the evolutionary origin of the biosynthetic enzymes/genes and regulatory elements of secondary metabolism?-- How are the catalytic and regulatory properties modified and functionally optimized during the course of evolution?Secondary metabolite-producing organisms ranging from bacteria to fungi and plants are being investigated in order to establish general principles of the evolution of the biosynthesis and regulation of secondary metabolite formation. We have joined together the previously separate efforts of natural product chemists, plant and microbial biochemists and molecular biologists to address the above questions with a multidisciplinary approach. The results obtained in this Priority Program have not only value in understanding basic natural principles, but also have a potential for practical application. A better understanding of the secondary metabolite biosynthetic enzymes can form the basis for directed enzyme evolution and combinatorial biochemistry, each useful in the synthesis of novel metabolites. A better understanding of the factors regulating secondary metabolism will be requisite to metabolic engineering of microorganism and plants with tailored natural product profiles.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• International Connection: Czech Republic, France

Projects

• Beteiligung der Evolution von sekundärmetabolischen Aminotransferasen an der Entstehung der Biodiversität von Aminoglycosid Antibiotika. (Applicant Piepersberg, Wolfgang )
• Biochemie und Evolution der Glucosinolathydrolyse in Pflanzen - die Rolle spezifizierender Proteine (Applicant Wittstock, Ute )
• Biosynthesis of biphenyls and benzophenones: Evolution of benzoic acid-specific polyketide synthases in plants (Applicant Beerhues, Ludger )
• Comparative Evolutionary Analysis of Methylthioalkylmalate Synthase Genes and Enzymes in the Capparales (Applicant Kroymann, Jürgen )
• Das D-Lysergsäuremodul als Grundlage eines natürlichen Systems der kombinatorischen Biosynthese von D-Lysergylamiden und -peptiden in Claviceps purpurea und C. paspali. (Applicant Keller, Ullrich )
• Das Herbizid Phosphinothricin-Tripeptid, ein Modell zum Studium der Evolution einer Sekundärmetabolit-Biosynthese in Bakterien (Applicant Wohlleben, Wolfgang )
• Die Evolution Pinoresinol-Lariciresinol Reduktase in der Familie der Linaceae unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Stereospezifität (Applicant Fuss, Elisabeth )
• Evolution and diversity of the lignan biosynthesis in the genus linum (Applicant Schmidt, Thomas Jürgen )
• Evolution der Nitrilasen in glucosinolat-bildenden Pflanzen (Applicant Piotrowski, Markus )
• Evolution der Siderophor Synthetasen: Untersuchungen der Struktur-Funktionsbeziehungen (Applicant Marahiel, Mohamed A. )
• Evolution einer neuen Klasse von Prenyltransferasen des Sekundärstoffwechsels (Aromatische Prenyltransferasen Klasse II = ABA Prenyltransferasen) (Applicant Heide, Lutz )
• Evolution of benzoxazine biosynthesis (Applicant Gierl, Alfons )
• Evolution of non-ribosomal synthetases through structure-function relationships (Applicants Marahiel, Mohamed A. ;  Stubbs, Milton T. )
• Evolution of rosmarinic acid biosynthesis (Applicant Petersen, Maike )
• Evolution of tritrophic interaction: Perception and transduction of the signal in the induced indole biosynthesis in Zea mays (Applicant Frey, Monika )
• Evolution und Funktion monomodularer Polyketidsynthasen aus nichtkultivierten bakteriellen Symbionten mariner Schwämme (Applicant Piel, Jörn )
• Evolution und Funktion von cis-/trans-Elementen pilzlicher Sekundärmetabolismusgene am Beispiel der Penicillinbiosynthese in Aspergillus nidulans (Applicant Brakhage, Axel )
• Evolution von aromatischen Prenyltransferasen in der Biosynthese von Indolderivaten (Applicant Li, Shu-Ming )
• Evolution von Struktur und Funktion der Putrescin-N-methyltransferase (Applicant Dräger, Birgit )
• Evolution von Thiazolylindol-Verbindungen in Pflanzen und Bakterien (Applicant Glawischnig, Erich )
• Evolutiver Ursprung der Pyrrolizidinalkaloide in Angiospermen - vergleichend molekulare und biochemische Untersuchungen (Applicant Ober, Dietrich )
• Funktionale und phylogenetische Analyse von Genen und Genclustern der Diterpen-Biosynthese in Pilzen (Applicant Tudzynski, Bettina )
• Konvergenz in der Biosynthese acetat- oder prenylabgeleiteter Naturstoffe aus Pflanzen, Pilzen und Bakterien (Applicant Bringmann, Gerhard )
• Molecular analysis of ergotalkaloid biosynthesis in Claviceps purpurea (Applicant Tudzynski, Paul )
• Molecular genetics of acetate-derived naphtylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in the liane Triphyophyllum peltatum (Applicant Kutchan, Toni M. )
• Molekulare Evolution der Necinsäure-Biosynthese bei Pyrrolizidin-Alkaloiden des Lycopsamintyps (Applicant Ober, Dietrich )
• Molekulare und strukturelle Ursachen metabolischer Diversität vermittelt durch prenylierende Enzyme (Applicant Brandt, Wolfgang )
• Nicht-colineare Thiotemplat-Systeme als Modell für die Evolution von Polyketidsynthasen (Applicant Hertweck, Christian )
• Sequestrierung pflanzlicher Sekundärmetabolite durch Blattkäferlarven: Phylogenie und Mechanismus von Glucosid-Transportproteinen (Applicant Burse, Antje )
• Structure, function and evolution of 4-coumarate: Coenzyme A ligase (Applicant Ebel, Jürgen )
• Struktur, Funktion und Evolution von 4-Cumarat: Coenzym A-Ligase (Applicant Stubbs, Milton T. )
• The evolution of herbivore-regulated secondary metabolism during polyploid speciation in native Nicotiana (Applicant Qu, Nan )
• The evolution of mono and sesquiterpene formation in Zea mays (Applicant Degenhardt, Jörg )
• The role of b-carotene derivatives in speciation and communication in zygomycete fungi (Applicant Schimek, Christine )
• Thiazolstrukturen in Cyanobakterien - Evolutionäre Zusammenhänge zwischen Cyanobakterien und Myxobakterien (Applicant Dittmann-Thünemann, Elke )
• Untersuchung der Funktion und Evolution von Typ III und Typ II Polyketidsynthasen in Mikrooganismen und Pflanzen (Applicant Müller, Rolf )
• Untersuchung zur stereoselektiven oxidativen Phenolkupplung in filamentösen Pilzen (Applicant Müller, Michael )
• Untersuchungen zur Funktion und Spezifität von Glycosyltransferasen (Applicant Bechthold, Andreas )
• Vergleichende Genexpressionsanalyse in Papaver Spezies - Spezialisierung der Biosynthesegene (Applicant Brandt, Wolfgang )
• Von Hydrolasen zu Acyltransferasen: Struktur-Funktionsbeziehungen Serin-Carboxypeptidase-ähnlicher Acyltransferasen des pflanzlichen Phenylpropanstoffwechsels (Applicant Milkowski, Carsten )
• Von Moosen zu Angiospermen: Evolution divergierender Gene für 1-Desoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphat-Synthase (Applicant Walter, Michael H. )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Dieter Strack