Cytochrome P450-catalyzed L-tryptophan nitration in thaxtomin phytotoxin biosynthesis

Thaxtomin phytotoxins produced by plant-pathogenic Streptomyces species contain a nitro group that is essential for phytotoxicity. The N,N'-dimethyldiketopiperazine core of thaxtomins is assembled from L-phenylalanine and L-4-nitrotryptophan by a nonribosomal peptide synthetase, and nitric oxide synthase-generated NO is incorporated into the nitro group, but the biosynthesis of the nonproteinogenic amino acid L-4-nitrotryptophan is unclear. Here we report that TxtE, a unique cytochrome P450, catalyzes L-tryptophan nitration using NO and O-2.