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Enzyme catalysis

C–H activation is a Reiske business

Enzymes that selectively oxidize unactivated C–H bonds are capable of constructing complex molecules with high efficiency. A new member of this enzyme family is RedG, a Reiske-type oxygenase that catalyses chemically challenging cyclizations in the biosynthesis of prodiginine natural products.

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Figure 1: Late stages of the biosynthesis of the prodiginine natural products, undecylprodigiosin, streptorubin B and metacycloprodigiosin.

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Correspondence to Steven D. Bruner.

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Bruner, S. C–H activation is a Reiske business. Nature Chem 3, 342–343 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1038

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