Mutagenesis supports AlphaFold prediction of how modular polyketide synthase acyl carrier proteins dock with downstream ketosynthases

The docking of an acyl carrier protein (ACP) domain with a downstream ketosynthase (KS) domain in each module of a polyketide synthase (PKS) helps ensure accurate biosynthesis. If the polyketide chain bound to the ACP has been properly modified by upstream processing enzymes and is compatible with gatekeeping residues in the KS tunnel, a transacylation reaction can transfer it from the 18.1-Å phosphopanthetheinyl arm of the ACP to the reactive cysteine of the KS. AlphaFold-Multimer predicts a general interface for these transacylation checkpoints. Half of the solutions obtained for 50 ACP/KS pairs show the KS motif TxLGDP forming the first turn of an a-helix, as in reported structures, while half show it forming a type I b-turn not previously observed. Solutions with the latter conformation may represent how these domains are relatively positioned during the transacylation reaction, as the entrance to the KS active site is relatively open and the phosphopantetheinylated ACP serine and the reactive KS cysteine are relatively closer - 17.2 Å vs. 20.9 Å, on average. To probe the predicted interface, 20 mutations were made to KS surface residues within the model triketide lactone synthase P1 - P6 - P7 . The activities of these mutants are consistent with the proposed interface.