Heterologous expression reveals the biosynthesis of the antibiotic pleuromutilin and generates bioactive semi-synthetic derivatives

Abstract

Pleuromutilin derivatives are potent antibacterial drugs obtained from Basidiomycete fungi. Here, the authors report the genetic characterisation of the steps involved in pleuromutilin biosynthesis through heterologous expression and generate a semi-synthetic pleuromutilin derivative with enhanced antibiotic activity.