The bifunctional glyceryl transferase/phosphatase OzmB belonging to the HAD superfamily that diverts 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate into polyketide biosynthesis.

The HAD superfamily protein OzmB from the oxazolomycin biosynthetic pathway is shown to divert the primary metabolite 1,3-diphosphoglycerate into the polyketide biosynthetic pathway as glycerate via loading of a carrier protein. Each of the steps-activation of d-3-phosphoglycerate, dephosphorylation while attached to a cysteine on OzmB, and subsequent transfer of glycerate to the phosphopantetheinyl thiol of an acyl carrier protein-was monitored by nanospray Fourier transform mass spectrometry. This activation of phosphoglycerate represents a general mechanism of diverting glycolytic metabolites into glyceryl-derived polyketides.