- Gut microbiota and health
- Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Dermatology and Skin Diseases
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Diet and metabolism studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Algal biology and biofuel production
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
- Crystallization and Solubility Studies
- X-ray Diffraction in Crystallography
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Cleft Lip and Palate Research
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Pediatric Urology and Nephrology Studies
- Natural product bioactivities and synthesis
- Tracheal and airway disorders
Princeton University
2010-2025
Vanderbilt University
2023
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2023
University of Pennsylvania
2023
Alexandria University
2022
Kafrelsheikh University
2022
Aswan University
2013-2019
University of New Hampshire
2017
University of New Hampshire at Manchester
2017
QB3
2013-2015
A wide variety of enzymatic pathways that produce specialized metabolites in bacteria, fungi and plants are known to be encoded biosynthetic gene clusters. Information about these clusters, is currently dispersed throughout the literature, making it difficult exploit. To facilitate consistent systematic deposition retrieval data on we propose Minimum a Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG) standard.
Tolerogenic T cells need probiotics CD4 + CD8αα double-positive intraepithelial lymphocytes (DP IELs) are a recently discovered class of intestinal believed to take part in variety immune responses, including oral tolerance. These absent germ-free mice, but the mechanisms driving their development unclear. Cervantes-Barragan et al. found that particular species probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus reuteri , induces DP IELs. This does not occur by stimulating system directly. Instead, L....
Secondary metabolites are ubiquitous in bacteria, but by definition, they thought to be nonessential. Highly toxic secondary such as patellazoles have been isolated from marine tunicates, where their exceptional potency and abundance implies a role chemical defense, biological source is unknown. Here, we describe the association of tunicate Lissoclinum patella with symbiotic α-proteobacterium, Candidatus Endolissoclinum faulkneri, present evidence that bacterium synthesizes patellazoles. We...
The relationship between tunicates and the uncultivated cyanobacterium Prochloron didemni has long provided a model symbiosis. P. is required for survival of animals such as Lissoclinum patella also makes secondary metabolites pharmaceutical interest. Here, we present metagenomes, chemistry, microbiomes four related L. tunicate samples from wide geographical range tropical Pacific. remarkably similar genomes are most complex so far assembled organisms. Although not been stably cultivated...
Cutimycin, a thiopeptide antibiotic produced by the skin commensal Cutibacterium acnes , reduces Staphylococcus colonization of human hair follicles.
Prospecting for drugs in the microbiome The is an important source of natural products that can profoundly influence health and disease host. Sugimoto et al. constructed a modular, probabilistic strategy called MetaBGC to uncover biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) human samples (see Perspective by Henke Clardy). authors found geographic strain-specific distributions BGCs. By zeroing on two type II aromatic polyketides, native organisms were identified, BGCs reconstructed Streptomyces ,...
The enzymatic basis of ribosomal peptide natural product prenylation has not been reported. Here, we characterize a prenyltransferase, LynF, from the TruF enzyme family. LynF is first characterized representative protein family, which responsible for both reverse- and forward-O-prenylation tyrosine, serine, threonine in cyclic peptides known as cyanobactins. We show that reverse O-prenylates tyrosine macrocyclic peptides. Based upon these results, propose family prenylates mature peptides,...
The cyanobactin ribosomal peptide (RP) natural product pathway was manipulated to incorporate multiple tandem mutations and non-proteinogenic amino acids, using eight heterologous components simultaneously expressed in Escherichia coli . These studies reveal the potential of RPs for rational synthesis complex, new small molecules over multiple-step biosynthetic pathways simple genetic engineering.
Consumption of glucosinolates, pro-drug-like metabolites abundant in Brassica vegetables, has been associated with decreased risk certain cancers. Gut microbiota have the ability to metabolize generating chemopreventive isothiocyanates. Here, we identify a genetic and biochemical basis for activation glucosinolates isothiocyanates by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, prominent gut commensal species. Using genome-wide transposon insertion screen, identified an operon required glucosinolate...
Microbial natural products constitute a wide variety of chemical compounds, many which can have antibiotic, antiviral, or anticancer properties that make them interesting for clinical purposes. Natural product classes include polyketides (PKs), nonribosomal peptides (NRPs), and ribosomally synthesized post-translationally modified (RiPPs). While variants biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) known are easy to identify in genome sequences, BGCs new compound escape attention. In particular,...
Chemical defense against predators is widespread in natural ecosystems. Occasionally, taxonomically distant organisms share the same chemical. Here, we describe an unusual tripartite marine symbiosis, which intracellular bacterial symbiont ("Candidatus Endobryopsis kahalalidefaciens") uses a diverse array of biosynthetic enzymes to convert simple substrates into library complex molecules (the kahalalides) for chemical host, alga Bryopsis sp., predation. The kahalalides are subsequently...