# Microbially Derived P=S and P=Se Bond Formation

## TL;DR

This paper shows that bacteria can form P=S and P=Se bonds using their natural metabolism, offering a new way to use microbes for chemical synthesis.

## Contribution

First biochemical and genetic study of microbial P=S and P=Se bond formation for chemical synthesis.

## Key findings

- Bacteria form P=S bonds (Ph3P to Ph3PS) via sulfur metabolism and nonenzymatic chemistry.
- Microbial metabolites can also be used to form P=Se bonds (Ph3PSe).
- This is the first use of microbial systems for P=Se bond formation in chemical synthesis.

## Abstract

Microbial metabolism
is a diverse and sustainable source
of synthetic
reagents that can be programmed for controlled and high-level production
via synthetic biology. However, despite the chemical diversity of
metabolism, the chemical utility of metabolites, and the available
tools to control metabolic chemistry, there remain few examples of
the use of cellular metabolites directly for chemical synthesis. Herein,
we report that diverse bacteria perform P=S bond formation
(Ph3P to Ph3PS) via central sulfur metabolism
and nonenzymatic chemistry in vivo, which can also
be applied to affect microbial P=Se bond formation (Ph3PSe). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first biochemical
and genetic investigation of P=S bond formation in a microbial
cell and the first use of microbial metabolites for P=Se bond
formation in chemical synthesis.