Cell-Free Biosynthesis of Fluoroacetate and 4-Fluorothreonine in Streptomyces cattleya

The biosynthesis of organofluorine compounds, for example, fluoroacetate, was demonstrated from (S)-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and fluoride ions in a cell-free extract of Streptomyces cattleya. Incubation of 5′-fluoro-5′-deoxyadenosine (5′-FDA), the first organofluorine product formed in the fluoroacetate pathway, with the cell-free extract resulted in the transient accumulation of fluoroacetaldehyde, thus confirming its role as an intermediate in the synthesis of fluorometabolites (see scheme).