Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41597663›Full record

ArticleMicroorganisms2026

Evolutionary Reprogramming of Acyltransferase Domains in Polyene Macrolide Pathways.

Liran Zhang, Jinwei Ren, Chengyu Zhang, Lixin Zhang, Bin Wang, Jingyu Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Microorganisms, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Liran ZhangState Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
Jinwei RenState Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity and Innovative Utilization, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Chengyu ZhangState Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
Lixin ZhangState Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
Bin WangState Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity and Innovative Utilization, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Jingyu ZhangState Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.

Funding

111 project B18022Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Project Z241100007724009National Key Research and Development Program of China 2020YFA0907200National Key Research and Development Program of China 2020YFA0907800National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFC2303100National Natural Science Foundation of China 32571667Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai 24ZR1417000the Funds for International Cooperation and Exchange of the National Natural Science Foundation of China W2412094
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The evolution of type I polyketide synthase (T1PKS) assembly lines remains poorly understood. Through systematic mining of polyene biosynthetic gene clusters, we identified a novel eurocidin biosynthetic pathway capable of producing identical compounds with divergent loading module architectures, thereby capturing an evolutionary transitional state. Biochemical analysis revealed unprecedented functional reprogramming of acyltransferase (AT) domains, shifting substrate specificity from extender units (malonyl-CoA) to starter units (acyl-CoA). This paradigm shift enables direct initiation of polyketide chain assembly via AT-mediated loading of starter units, thereby elucidating the origin of extant AT-initiated assembly lines and establishing AT functional plasticity as a novel mechanism for polyketide structural diversification. Parallel evolution of ketosynthase (KS) domains through KSS→KSQ mutations further diversified initiation strategies. Applying this evolutionary insight, we engineered the candicidin pathway by replacing its native aromatic-starting bimodule with a starter-selective monomodule from eurocidin, generating aliphatic-starting analogs. This demonstrates that evolution-inspired AT reprogramming provides a rational framework for modifying polyketide starter units, expanding structural diversity, and enhancing therapeutic potential.

Indexed as

acyltransferaseassembly line biosynthesiseurocidinevolutionpolyenepolyketide synthaserimocidin

Identifiers

PMID41597663
PMCPMC12843615

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.