Nonribosomal peptide
synthetases (NRPSs) are sophisticated molecular
machines that biosynthesize peptide drugs. In attempts to generate
new bioactive compounds, some parts of NRPSs have been successfully
manipulated, but especially the influence of condensation (C-)domains
on substrate specificity remains enigmatic and poorly controlled.
To understand the influence of C-domains on substrate preference,
we extensively evaluated the peptide formation of C-domain mutants
in a bimodular NRPS system. Thus, we identified three key mutations
that govern the preference for stereoconfiguration and side-chain
identity. These mutations show similar effects in three different
C-domains (GrsB1, TycB1, and SrfAC) when di- or pentapeptides are
synthesized in vitro or in vivo.
Strikingly, mutation E386L allows the stereopreference to be switched
from d- to l-configured donor substrates. Our findings
provide valuable insights into how cryptic specificity filters in
C-domains can be re-engineered to clear roadblocks for NRPS engineering
and enable the production of novel bioactive compounds.