Nitrile biosynthesis in nature: how and why?

Autor: Liu, Mingyu, Li, Shengying
Předmět:
Zdroj: Natural Product Reports; Apr2024, Vol. 41 Issue 4, p649-671, 23p
Abstrakt: Covering: up to the end of 2023 Natural nitriles comprise a small set of secondary metabolites which however show intriguing chemical and functional diversity. Various patterns of nitrile biosynthesis can be seen in animals, plants, and microorganisms with the characteristics of both evolutionary divergence and convergence. These specialized compounds play important roles in nitrogen metabolism, chemical defense against herbivores, predators and pathogens, and inter- and/or intraspecies communications. Here we review the naturally occurring nitrile-forming pathways from a biochemical perspective and discuss the biological and ecological functions conferred by diversified nitrile biosyntheses in different organisms. Elucidation of the mechanisms and evolutionary trajectories of nitrile biosynthesis underpins better understandings of nitrile-related biology, chemistry, and ecology and will ultimately benefit the development of desirable nitrile-forming biocatalysts for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index