Archive for December, 2012

Ribosomally synthesised natural products: a new name for a new year

A large collection of leading researchers in the field of natural product synthesis have come together to propose a communal nomenclature system for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesised and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs).

The number of ribosomally synthesised natural products is rapidly increasing, and currently there is no uniform nomenclature being applied across the different compound classes. The classifications currently being used are starting to break down with the increasing number of available genome sequences; the nomenclature used in the various communities investigating subgroups of natural products of ribosomal origin can be confusing, and in some cases even contradictory.

Following on from several discussion groups, the authors of this review (who are working on different classes of RiPPs) present recommendations for a common nomenclature that encompasses all classes, and hope that such a nomenclature will be supported by the rest of the community with the classification of new classes.

In addition to this nomenclature recommendation the authors also present an overview of the current knowledge of the structures and biosynthesis of more than twenty distinct compound classes with examples from bacteria, plants and fungi.

Read this highly informative review today and help sculpt and direct the future of RiPP research.

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products: overview and recommendations for a universal nomenclature
DOI: 10.1039/C2NP20085F

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Welcome to NPR issue 1, 2013 – beta-lactams, flavoenzymes, and much more

Welcome to NPR Issue 1, 2013!

At NPR we’re kick-starting the New Year with a selection of exciting Highlight and Review articles we think you will like…

Interested in antibiotics? Read works by Yeo Joon Yoon et al. highlighting aminoglycosides, the review by Christopher J. Schofield et al. on biosynthetic pathways leading to the different classes of β-lactam antibiotics (cover article), or learn all about the tiacumicin odyssey in this overview by Jieping Zhu et al. of the chemistry and biology of tiacumicins since their discovery to the marketed drug.

Speaking of ribosomally synthesized natural products? Wilfred van der Donk led an impressive international multiauthored article on establishing a uniform and readily recognized nomenclature for ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified natural products. The whole community came together and made a recommendation, the results of which you can read in this article. Read more about it in this post.

This issue wouldn’t be complete without Christopher Walsh and Timothy A. Wencewicz’s work on flavoenzymes as versatile catalysts in biosynthetic pathways, that enable the many chemical transformations building complexity in the biosynthesized natural products architecture.

All these articles are Free to Access for an unlimited period  – enjoy and spread the word!

 Want to see your work in NPR?

Reviews, Highlights and Viewpoints in NPR are generally solicited by members of the editorial board; however we are happy to consider submission enquiries from authors. If you are interested in writing an article for NPR please contact the editorial office with a brief synopsis.

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Natural Products in OBC – access our latest selection

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, our sister journal, publishes many articles that cover a variety of natural product chemistry.

We try to keep you updated here, although your best bet is for you to sign up to OBC’s e-alert (free service), and receive the tables of content directly in your inbox every time an issue is published.

Hand-picked for you from the latest issues are:

Intramolecular nitrone dipolar cycloadditions: control of regioselectivity and synthesis of naturally-occurring spirocyclic alkaloids
Alastair J. Hodges, Joseph P. Adams, Andrew D. Bond, Andrew B. Holmes, Neil J. Press, Stephen D. Roughley, John H. Ryan, Simon Saubern, Catherine J. Smith, Michael D. Turnbull and Annabella F. Newton
DOI: 10.1039/C2OB26333E, Paper

You will have spotted in this article’s authors list Annabella Newton, who contributes to the OBC blogs as a guest web-writer. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher based in Melbourne, Australia. Why not read some of her posts here:
One for all and all for one: shape-shifting organic molecules that spontaneously resolve
Supramolecular chemistry: synthetic ion channels

A furan Diels–Alder cycloaddition approach to scyphostatin analogues
Calum J. Fraser, Gareth P. Howell and Joseph P. A. Harrity
DOI: 10.1039/C2OB26793D, Paper

Spiralisones A–D: acylphloroglucinol hemiketals from an Australian marine brown alga, Zonaria spiralis
Hua Zhang, Xue Xiao, Melissa M. Conte, Zeinab Khalil and Robert J. Capon
DOI: 10.1039/C2OB26988K, Paper

Total syntheses of pamamycin 607 and methyl nonactate: stereoselective cyclisation of homoallylic alcohols that had been prepared with remote stereocontrol using allylstannanes
Olivier Germay, Naresh Kumar, Christopher G. Moore and Eric J. Thomas
DOI: 10.1039/C2OB26801A, Paper

We hope you enjoy this selection! Let us know what you think…

… and why not submit your latest natural product research to OBC today?

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