3‐Hydroxy‐3‐Methylglutaryl‐CoA‐Like Synthases Direct the Formation of Methyl and Ethyl Side Groups in the Biosynthesis of the Antibiotic Myxovirescin A

Deletion of taF, a homologue of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase (HMGS), causes a switch in the myxovirescin programming algorithm and leads to the production of a novel myxovirescin analogue with a shorter side chain. These results provide the first in vivo evidence for the role of HMGS-like enzymes in the incorporation of both acetate- and propionate-derived units into polyketide scaffolds.