Elucidation of Final Steps of the Marineosins Biosynthetic Pathway through Identification and Characterization of the Corresponding Gene Cluster SalemShaimaa M. KancharlaPapireddy FlorovaGalina GuptaShweta LuWanli ReynoldsKevin A. 2015 The marine <i>Streptomyces</i> sp. CNQ-617 produces two diastereomers, marineosins A and B. These are structurally related to alkyl prodiginines, but with a more complex cyclization and an unusual spiroaminal skeleton. We report the identification of the <i>mar</i> biosynthetic gene cluster and demonstrate production of marineosins through heterologous expression in a <i>S. venezuelae</i> host named JND2. The <i>mar</i> cluster shares the same gene organization and has high homology to the genes of the <i>red</i> cluster (which directs the biosynthesis of undecylprodiginine) but contains an additional gene, named <i>marA</i>. Replacement of <i>marA</i> in the JND2 strain leads to the accumulation of premarineosin, which is identical to marineosin with the exception that the middle pyrrole (Ring B) has not been reduced. The final step of the marineosin pathway is thus a MarA catalyzed reduction of this ring. Replacement of <i>marG</i> (a homologue of <i>redG</i> that directs undecylprodiginine cyclization to give streptorubin B) in the JND2 strain leads to the loss of all spiroaminal products and the accumulation of 23-hydroxyundecylprodiginine and a shunt product, 23-ketoundecylprodiginine. MarG thus catalyzes the penultimate step of the marineosin pathway catalyzing conversion of 23-hydroxyundecylprodiginine to premarineosin. The preceding steps of the biosynthetic marineosin pathway likely mirror that in the <i>red</i>-directed biosynthetic process, with the exception of the introduction of the hydroxyl functionality required for spiroaminal formation. This work presents the first experimentally supported scheme for biosynthesis of marineosin and provides a new biologically active molecule, premarineosin.