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Nature 461, 1068-1069 (22 October 2009) | doi:10.1038/4611068a; Published online 21 October 2009

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Biochemistry: Enzyme's black box cracked open

David H. Sherman1

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Polyketide synthase enzymes make compounds from molecules that synthetic chemists can't easily control. The basis of the enzymes' ability to use such unstable precursors has been laid bare.

Polyketides form a structurally diverse — and often medicinally useful — family of compounds derived from bacteria, fungi and plants. These compounds include the antibiotic erythromycin, the anticancer agent epothilone and the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin.

  1. David H. Sherman is at the Life Sciences Institute and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2216, USA.
    Email: davidhs@umich.ed

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