Discovery and biosynthesis of thioviridamide-like compounds

Thioviridamide-like compounds are a unique subfamily of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide and contain characteristic thioamide bonds and S-[(Z)-2-aminovinyl]-d-cysteine (AviCys). Members of this family are active against a number of cancer cell lines. As a unique subgroup of RiPPs, the distribution, biosynthetic machinery and the mode of action of thioviridamide and related compounds remain largely unknown. In this review, we outlined recent advances in the discovery of thioviridamide-like peptide natural products and the effort in the elucidation of their biosynthetic origin.