University Chemistry ›› 2019, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (12): 45-53.doi: 10.3866/PKU.DXHX201909006

Special Issue:

• Special Subject • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Biosynthesis of Natural Products: Exploring the Secret of How Nature Produces the Secondary Metabolites

Lei GAO,Xinshui YU,Xiaoguang LEI*()   

  • Received:2019-09-02 Accepted:2019-09-16 Published:2019-09-19
  • Contact: Xiaoguang LEI E-mail:xglei@pku.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    国家自然科学基金(21625201);国家自然科学基金(21661140001);国家自然科学基金(91853202);国家自然科学基金(21521003)

Abstract:

Natural products (the secondary metabolites) are the gifts from mother nature to human beings. Because of their complex skeletons and promising pharmaceutical values, structural identification and chemical synthesis of natural products have drawn much attention from synthetic community. Although remarkable achievements have been made in the total synthesis of natural products, there still remain significant challenges concerning long synthetic route, low yield and the lack of selectivity in chemical synthesis. Nature is the best chemist, and it uses various enzymes as catalysts to efficiently synthesize natural products. Exploring the mystery of how nature produces complex and diverse natural products at the genetic level not only provides inspiration for the further development of organic synthesis, but also lays the foundation for the vast utilization of effective enzymes to produce medicine and functional material for humans.

Key words: Natural product, Alkaloids, Biosynthesis, Enzyme