Expression, purification, and characterization of two N,N-dimethyltransferases, TylM1 and DesVI, involved in the biosynthesis of mycaminose and desosamine

Methylation catalyzed by an S-adenosylmethionine- (AdoMet-) dependent methyltransferase is an effective means to alter the hydrophilicity and/or nucleophilicity of a molecule. While a large number of enzymes capable of catalyzing methylation at carbon, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen atoms are known, only a few are able to catalyze N,N-dimethylation. Mycaminose and desosamine are aminohexoses found in several macrolide antibiotics, such as tylosin and methymycin, respectively. Both sugars contain a C-3 N,N-dimethylamino group which has been shown to confer the biological activity of these unusual sugars. Recently, sequence analysis as well as genetic studies has led to the assignment of tylM1 in the tylosin biosynthetic gene cluster and desVI in the methymycin biosynthetic gene cluster as genes encoding the corresponding N,N-dimethyltransferases. To verify the proposed roles of the tylM1 and desVI genes, we have overexpressed and purified their encoded products, synthesized the predicted substrates, and characterized the catalytic function of these proteins. Our studies showed that TylM1 and DesVI are homodimeric proteins and have nearly identical biochemical properties. These enzymes do not have strong preference for binding either the unmethylated substrate or the monomethylated intermediate. It is the chemical reactivity of the nitrogen functional group that determines the relative rate of a particular methylation step. Thus, our results not only establish TylM1 and DesVI as new members of a small family of enzymes that are capable of catalyzing N,N-dimethylation of an amino group but also provide evidence indicating that the methylation catalyzed by AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases proceeds in a stepwise manner and is nucleophilic in nature.