Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), also known as ribosomal natural products, are a diverse class of natural products of ribosomal origin. Consisting of more than 20 sub-classes, RiPPs are produced by a variety of organisms, including prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and archaea, and they possess a wide range of biological functions.

As a consequence of the falling cost of genome sequencing and the accompanying rise in available genomic data, scientific interest in RiPPs has increased in the last few decades. Because the chemical structures of RiPPs are more closely predictable from genomic data than are other natural products (e.g. alkaloids, terpenoids), their presence in sequenced organisms can, in theory, be identified rapidly. This makes RiPPs an attractive target of modern natural product discovery efforts.

RiPPs consist of any peptides (i.e. molecular weight below 10 kDa) that are ribosomally-produced and undergo some degree of enzymatic post-translational modification (i.e. chemical transformations occurring after translation). This combination of peptide translation and modification is referred to as “post-ribosomal peptide synthesis” (PRPS) in analogy with nonribosomal peptide synthesis (NRPS).

Historically, the current sub-classes of RiPPs were studied individually, and common practices in nomenclature varied accordingly in the literature. More recently, with the advent of broad genome sequencing, it has been realized that these natural products share a common biosynthetic origin. In 2013, a set of uniform nomenclature guidelines were agreed upon and published by a large group of researchers in the field. Prior to this report, RiPPs were referred to by a variety of designations, including post-ribosomal peptides, ribosomal natural products, and ribosomal peptides.

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