Aryl polyene (APE) pigments are a widely distributed class of bacterial polyketides. So far, little is known about the biosynthesis of these compounds, which are produced by a novel type II polyketide synthase (PKS). We have identified all enzymes involved in APE biosynthesis and determined their peculiar functions. The biosynthesis was reconstituted in vitro, and ACP-bound intermediates were assigned for each reaction step by HPLC-MS. Native mass spectrometry experiments identified four stable complexes: the acyl-carrier proteins ApeE and ApeF bound to the thioesterase ApeK, the dehydratases ApeI and ApeP, and the ketosynthase ApeO in complex with its chain-length factor ApeC. X-ray structures of the heterodimeric ApeO:ApeC and ApeI:ApeP complexes depict striking protein-protein interactions. Altogether, our study elucidated mechanistic aspects of APE biosynthesis that unifies elements of type II fatty acid and PKS systems, but in addition includes novel enzyme complexes.