Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenase Kmy13 Mediates Formation of the Carbocyclic ansa System during Kendomycin B Biosynthesis

Kendomycin B is distinguished from other ansamycins by its unique, fully carbogenic ansa scaffold. We show here that FAD-dependent monooxygenase Kmy13 is solely responsible for installing the rare ansa structural framework; in vivo gene disruption/complementation experiments and in vitro enzymatic assays are described in detail. Moreover, the compound with a β-keto ester, kendolactone A (2), was confirmed as the natural substrate of Kmy13 and a bona fide biosynthetic intermediate en route to kendomycin B. Further structural prediction and biochemical assays have provided significant insights into the catalytic mechanism of Kmy13.