{"title":"Nitrile biosynthesis in nature: how and why?","authors":"Mingyu Liu , Shengying Li","doi":"10.1039/d3np00028a","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Covering: up to the end of 2023</p></div><div><p>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.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94,"journal":{"name":"Natural Product Reports","volume":"41 4","pages":"Pages 649-671"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Natural Product Reports","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S0265056824000217","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
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.
期刊介绍:
Natural Product Reports (NPR) serves as a pivotal critical review journal propelling advancements in all facets of natural products research, encompassing isolation, structural and stereochemical determination, biosynthesis, biological activity, and synthesis.
With a broad scope, NPR extends its influence into the wider bioinorganic, bioorganic, and chemical biology communities. Covering areas such as enzymology, nucleic acids, genetics, chemical ecology, carbohydrates, primary and secondary metabolism, and analytical techniques, the journal provides insightful articles focusing on key developments shaping the field, rather than offering exhaustive overviews of all results.
NPR encourages authors to infuse their perspectives on developments, trends, and future directions, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas within the natural products research community.