The taxol pathway 10-O-acetyltransferase shows regioselective promiscuity with the oxetane hydroxyl of 4-deacetyltaxanes.

The 10-deacetylbaccatin III:10β-O-acetyltransferase isolated from Taxus cuspidata regiospecifically transfers short-chain alkanoyl groups from their corresponding CoA thioesters to the C10 hydroxyl of 10-deacetylbaccatin III. This 10-O-acetyltransferase along with five other Taxus acyltransferases on the paclitaxel (Taxol) biosynthetic pathway and one additional Taxus-derived acyltransferases of unknown function were screened for 4-O-acetyltransferase activity against 4-deacetylbaccatin III, 7-acetyl-, 13-acetyl-, and 7,13-diacetyl-4-deacetylbaccatin III. These 4-deacyl derivatives were semisynthesized from the natural product baccatin III via silyl protecting group manipulation, regioselective reductive ester cleavage with sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride, and regioselective acetylation with acetic anhydride. Assays with the 4-deacetylated diterpene substrates and acetyl CoA revealed the taxane 10β-O-acetyltransferase was able to catalyze the 4-O-acetylation of 4-deacetylbaccatin III to baccat...