Posttranslational modifications in natural product biosynthesis

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a rapidly growing group of natural products. Lanthipeptides are the most abundant group of RiPPs encoded in the currently sequenced bacterial genomes. The manner by which the characteristic lanthionine crosslinks are installed in a region- and stereoselective during the posttranslational modification process is still unclear. This presentation will discuss the molecular mechanism of the dehydration step catalyzed by NisB during the biosynthesis of the food preservative nisin. In addition, new insights into the combinatorial biosynthesis of groups of lanthipeptides in marine cyanobacteria will be presented.