A radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine enzyme and a methyltransferase catalyze cyclopropane formation in natural product biosynthesis

Abstract

The biosynthesis of the antitumour antibiotic CC-1065 includes formation of a cyclopropane. Here, the authors identify the two enzymes that work together to catalyze this reaction, a radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine enzyme and a methyltransferase, and propose a mechanism for the cyclopropanation.