Biosynthesis of the industrial precursors alkyl resorcinol and acyl phloroglucinol through plant and cyanobacterial polyketide synthase enzymes

Derivatives of alkyl resorcinols and acyl phloroglucinols are known for their commercial use in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Additionally, some of them are being used as lead compounds for agricultural and drug purposes. These compounds have been produced through chemical synthesis over the years from fossil petrochemicals.
In this research plan, we are proposing to synthesize these commercially valuable compounds using plant and bacterial polyketide synthase enzymes.
Derivatives of alkyl resorcinols and acyl phloroglucinols have been reported to function as antibiotics, signaling molecules and, in some cases, even as pathogenicity factors in plant diseases, and have structural roles in the membranes of cyanobacteria and plant cells. In living cells, these compounds are synthesized through decarboxylative condensation of two carbon units to carboxylic acids and subsequent cyclization by polyketide synthases (PKSs). We are working towards synthesizing a range of derivatives of alkyl resorcinols and acyl phloroglucinols through PKSs of strawberry, hop, and cyanobacteria in heterologous host systems. We will also determine the substrate specificity of these enzymes along with synthesizing these compounds in the different organelles of the plant cell.
The aim of this research is to develop sustainable bio based methods for synthesizing these industrial precursors.

PKS, Polyketide synthase, Natural products, Secondary metabolites