A5036545419- Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
- Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Microbial Metabolism and Applications
- Chemical Synthesis and Analysis
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Natural product bioactivities and synthesis
- Computational Drug Discovery Methods
- Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
- RNA modifications and cancer
- Enzyme Production and Characterization
- Fungal Biology and Applications
Wageningen University & Research
2022-2025
Goethe University Frankfurt
2021-2025
LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics
2021-2024
Abstract Microorganisms produce small bioactive compounds as part of their secondary or specialised metabolism. Often, such metabolites have antimicrobial, anticancer, antifungal, antiviral other bio-activities and thus play an important role for applications in medicine agriculture. In the past decade, genome mining has become a widely-used method to explore, access, analyse available biodiversity these compounds. Since 2011, ‘antibiotics metabolite analysis shell—antiSMASH’...
Abstract With an ever-increasing amount of (meta)genomic data being deposited in sequence databases, (meta)genome mining for natural product biosynthetic pathways occupies a critical role the discovery novel pharmaceutical drugs, crop protection agents and biomaterials. The genes that encode these are often organised into gene clusters (BGCs). In 2015, we defined Minimum Information about Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG): standardised format describes minimally required information to...
Abstract Specialized or secondary metabolites are small molecules of biological origin, often showing potent activities with applications in agriculture, engineering and medicine. Usually, the biosynthesis these natural products is governed by sets co-regulated physically clustered genes known as biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). To share information about BGCs a standardized machine-readable way, Minimum Information Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG) data standard repository was initiated...
Abstract Biomacromolecules are known to feature complex three‐dimensional shapes that essential for their function. Among natural products, ambiguous molecular a rare phenomenon. The hexapeptide tryptorubin A can adopt one of two unusual atropisomeric configurations. Initially hypothesized be non‐ribosomal peptide, we show is the first characterized member new family ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) named atropopeptides. sole modifying enzyme encoded...
Many complex terpenoids, predominantly isolated from plants and fungi, show drug-like physicochemical properties. Recent advances in genome mining revealed actinobacteria as an almost untouched treasure trove of terpene biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). In this study, we characterized a BGC with unusual architecture. The selected includes, among others, genes encoding cyclase fused to truncated reductase domain cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) that is split over three fragments....
Natural products are structurally highly diverse and exhibit a wide array of biological activities. As result, they serve as an important source new drug leads. Traditionally, natural have been discovered by bioactivity-guided fractionation. The advent genome sequencing technology has resulted in the introduction alternative approach towards novel product scaffolds: Genome mining. mining is in-silico discovery strategy which sequenced genomes analyzed for potential associated organism to...
Abstract Microorganisms synthesize small bioactive compounds through their secondary or specialized metabolism. Those play an important role in microbial interactions and soil health, but are also crucial for the development of pharmaceuticals agrochemicals. Over past decades, advancements genome sequencing have enabled identification large numbers biosynthetic gene clusters directly from genomes. Since its inception 2011, antiSMASH (https://antismash.secondarymetabolites.org/), has become...
Natural products, also known as specialized or secondary metabolites, show extraordinary chemical diversity and potent biological activities. Their biosynthesis usually first encompasses scaffold generation, followed by additional tailoring maturation steps, leading to the mature compound. The latter steps are often performed accessory enzymes maturases. While knowledge about reaction substrate specificities of these is essential for natural product biosynthesis, it scattered in literature,...
A machine learning-based algorithm was developed to map the biosynthetic space of a peptide family characterized by intricate 3D shapes, and facilitated characterization complex peptides with varying length, complexity types modifications.
Microbes produce structurally diverse natural products to interact with their environment. Many of the biosynthetic involved in this “metabolic small talk” have been exploited for treatment various diseases.
Abstract Natural products are molecules that fulfil a range of important ecological functions. Many natural have been exploited for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. In contrast to many other specialised metabolites, the modular nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) polyketide synthase (PKS) systems can often (partially) be predicted from DNA sequence biosynthetic gene clusters. This is because pathways NRPS PKS adhere consistent rulesets. These universal rules leveraged...
Abstract Ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) constitute a diverse class of natural products. Atropopeptides are recent addition to the fast-growing number RiPP families. Characterized members peptide family feature particular intricate three-dimensional shape. Here we developed AtropoFinder, machine learning-based algorithm chart biosynthetic landscape atropopeptides. AtropoFinder identified more than 650 atropopeptide gene clusters (BGCs). Through...
Abstract Biomacromolecules are known to feature complex three‐dimensional shapes that essential for their function. Among natural products, ambiguous molecular a rare phenomenon. The hexapeptide tryptorubin A can adopt one of two unusual atropisomeric configurations. Initially hypothesized be non‐ribosomal peptide, we show is the first characterized member new family ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) named atropopeptides. sole modifying enzyme encoded...