Generation of Hybrid Polyketides through Combinatorial Biosynthesis of Polyketide Synthase (PKS) and Modification of Post-PKS Tailoring Steps

Polyketides are a class of structurally diverse natural products which possess a wide range of biological activities. These compounds are used throughout medicine and agriculture as antimicrobials, immunosuppressants, antiparasitics, and anticancer agents. While structurally diverse, polyketides are assembled by a common mechanism of decarboxylative condensations of simple malonate derivatives by polyketide synthases (PKSs) in a manner very similar to fatty acid biosynthesis (Fig 1). (omitted)