Novel <i>α</i> ‐KG/Fe(II)‐Dependent Dioxygenases Catalyzing C1 <i>β</i> ‐Hydroxylation and Construction of 5/7/6‐Skeleton of Highly Oxygenated Taxoids

C Changkang Li (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China) Y Yuxin Wang (Department of Chemistry) X Xinxin Yin (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China) X Xincheng Sun (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China) S Songyang Sui (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China) J Jimei Liu (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China) R Ridao Chen (Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy) K Kebo Xie (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China) D Dawei Chen (State Key Laboratory of Chemo and Biosensing, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education) Y Yaotian Han (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China) J Jungui Dai (State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China)

Abstract

Abstract Here, we report the discovery and functional characterization of one novel taxane C1 β ‐hydroxylase ( Tm T1 β H), belonging to the α ‐ketoglutarate ( α ‐KG)/Fe(II)‐dependent dioxygenase family from Taxus × media cell cultures. The incubation of recombinant Tm T1 β H with 1 β ‐dehydroxybaccatin IV ( 1 ) as a substrate led to the production of a major C1‐hydroxylated product, baccatin IV ( 1a ), and a minor product, 15‐hydroxy‐11(15→1) abeo ‐baccatin IV ( 1b ), a non‐classical 5/7/6‐type taxane. Moreover, in vitro biochemical assays, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation combined with site‐directed mutagenesis revealed the critical amino acid residues for Tm T1 β H catalysis. Substrate specificity investigations revealed that Tm T1 β H preferred taxoids with high oxygenation level. Notably, we have also discovered a novel specific enzyme ( Tm 576) belonging to α ‐KG/Fe(II)‐dependent dioxygenase that was able to convert 1 to 1b independently. A mechanism that the 5/7/6‐membered carbon framework arises from prototypical 6/8/6‐type taxane skeleton via radical rearrangement was proposed based on DFT calculations. More importantly, we artificially reconstructed the biosynthetic pathway of two important taxanes, baccatin IV, and baccatin VI, from GGPP in tobacco system. This work not only fully characterizes the role of C1 β ‐hydroxylase of taxoids, but also offered new insights into the formation of taxane structural diversity.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 64, Issue 51
Published December 15, 2025
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (11)

C

Changkang Li

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China

Y

Yuxin Wang

Department of Chemistry

X

Xinxin Yin

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China

X

Xincheng Sun

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China

S

Songyang Sui

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China

J

Jimei Liu

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China

R

Ridao Chen

Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy

K

Kebo Xie

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China

D

Dawei Chen

State Key Laboratory of Chemo and Biosensing, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education

Y

Yaotian Han

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China

J

Jungui Dai

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Non‐Clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China