Eric J. N. Helfrich
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View article: antiSMASH 8.0: extended gene cluster detection capabilities and analyses of chemistry, enzymology, and regulation
antiSMASH 8.0: extended gene cluster detection capabilities and analyses of chemistry, enzymology, and regulation Open
Microorganisms synthesize small bioactive compounds through their secondary or specialized metabolism. Those compounds play an important role in microbial interactions and soil health, but are also crucial for the development of pharmaceut…
View article: The role and mechanisms of canonical and non-canonical tailoring enzymes in bacterial terpenoid biosynthesis
The role and mechanisms of canonical and non-canonical tailoring enzymes in bacterial terpenoid biosynthesis Open
This review explores recent insights into the roles and enzymatic mechanisms of canonical and non-canonical tailoring enzymes in shaping and modifying terpene hydrocarbon scaffolds during bacterial terpene biosynthesis.
View article: Phylogeny-guided discovery of a promiscuous P450 macrocyclase for the production of diverse atropopeptides
Phylogeny-guided discovery of a promiscuous P450 macrocyclase for the production of diverse atropopeptides Open
Our findings establish a substrate promiscuous atropopeptide-modifying P450 macrocyclase as a versatile biocatalyst for the biosynthesis of bioactive, C–C or C–N biaryl-bridged macrocyclic peptides with antiviral and anti-inflammatory prop…
View article: MIBiG 4.0: advancing biosynthetic gene cluster curation through global collaboration
MIBiG 4.0: advancing biosynthetic gene cluster curation through global collaboration Open
Specialized or secondary metabolites are small molecules of biological origin, often showing potent biological activities with applications in agriculture, engineering and medicine. Usually, the biosynthesis of these natural products is go…
View article: Functional Redundancy and Dual Function of a Hypothetical Protein in the Biosynthesis of Eunicellane-Type Diterpenoids
Functional Redundancy and Dual Function of a Hypothetical Protein in the Biosynthesis of Eunicellane-Type Diterpenoids Open
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 c…
View article: RAIChU: automating the visualisation of natural product biosynthesis
RAIChU: automating the visualisation of natural product biosynthesis Open
Natural products are molecules that fulfil a range of important ecological functions. Many natural products have been exploited for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. In contrast to many other specialised metabolites, the produc…
View article: 3‐Hydroxypropionate production from <i>myo</i> ‐inositol by the gut acetogen <i>Blautia schinkii</i>
3‐Hydroxypropionate production from <i>myo</i> ‐inositol by the gut acetogen <i>Blautia schinkii</i> Open
Species of the genus Blautia are not only abundant in the human gut but also contribute to human well‐being. Our study demonstrates that the gut acetogen Blautia schinkii can grow on myo ‐inositol. We identified the pathway of myo ‐inosito…
View article: Chromosome-level genome assembly of the sacoglossan sea slug<i>Elysia timida</i>(Risso, 1818)
Chromosome-level genome assembly of the sacoglossan sea slug<i>Elysia timida</i>(Risso, 1818) Open
Background Sequencing and annotating genomes of non-model organisms helps to understand genome architecture, the genetic processes underlying species traits, and how these genes have evolved in closely-related taxa, among many other biolog…
View article: Genombasierte Wege zur Identifikation bioaktiver bakterieller Naturstoffe
Genombasierte Wege zur Identifikation bioaktiver bakterieller Naturstoffe Open
Bacteria produce natural products to interact with their environment. These structurally diverse small molecules exhibit various bioactivities and have been exploited for the treatment of many diseases. The discovery pace of truly novel na…
View article: Exploration, expansion and definition of the atropopeptide family of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides
Exploration, expansion and definition of the atropopeptide family of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides Open
A machine learning-based algorithm was developed to map the biosynthetic space of a peptide family characterized by intricate 3D shapes, and facilitated the characterization of complex peptides with varying length, complexity and types of …
View article: Machine learning-based exploration, expansion and definition of the atropopeptide family of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides
Machine learning-based exploration, expansion and definition of the atropopeptide family of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides Open
Ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) constitute a diverse class of natural products. Atropopeptides are a recent addition to the fast-growing number of RiPP families. Characterized members of the peptid…
View article: Artificial intelligence for natural product drug discovery
Artificial intelligence for natural product drug discovery Open
Developments in computational omics technologies have provided new means to access the hidden diversity of natural products, unearthing new potential for drug discovery. In parallel, artificial intelligence approaches such as machine learn…
View article: antiSMASH 7.0: new and improved predictions for detection, regulation, chemical structures and visualisation
antiSMASH 7.0: new and improved predictions for detection, regulation, chemical structures and visualisation Open
Microorganisms produce small bioactive compounds as part of their secondary or specialised metabolism. Often, such metabolites have antimicrobial, anticancer, antifungal, antiviral or other bio-activities and thus play an important role fo…
View article: Navigating and expanding the roadmap of natural product genome mining tools
Navigating and expanding the roadmap of natural product genome mining tools Open
Natural products are structurally highly diverse and exhibit a wide array of biological activities. As a result, they serve as an important source of new drug leads. Traditionally, natural products have been discovered by bioactivity-guide…
View article: MIBiG 3.0: a community-driven effort to annotate experimentally validated biosynthetic gene clusters
MIBiG 3.0: a community-driven effort to annotate experimentally validated biosynthetic gene clusters Open
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 in the discovery of novel pharmaceutical drugs, crop protect…
View article: Atropopeptides are a Novel Family of Ribosomally Synthesized and Posttranslationally Modified Peptides with a Complex Molecular Shape
Atropopeptides are a Novel Family of Ribosomally Synthesized and Posttranslationally Modified Peptides with a Complex Molecular Shape Open
Biomacromolecules are known to feature complex three‐dimensional shapes that are essential for their function. Among natural products, ambiguous molecular shapes are a rare phenomenon. The hexapeptide tryptorubin A can adopt one of two unu…
View article: Atropopeptides are a Novel Family of Ribosomally Synthesized and Posttranslationally Modified Peptides with a Complex Molecular Shape
Atropopeptides are a Novel Family of Ribosomally Synthesized and Posttranslationally Modified Peptides with a Complex Molecular Shape Open
Biomacromolecules are known to feature complex three‐dimensional shapes that are essential for their function. Among natural products, ambiguous molecular shapes are a rare phenomenon. The hexapeptide tryptorubin A can adopt one of two unu…
View article: Complex peptide natural products: Biosynthetic principles, challenges and opportunities for pathway engineering
Complex peptide natural products: Biosynthetic principles, challenges and opportunities for pathway engineering Open
Complex peptide natural products exhibit diverse biological functions and a wide range of physico-chemical properties. As a result, many peptides have entered the clinics for various applications. Two main routes for the biosynthesis of co…
View article: Bacillimidazoles A−F, Imidazolium-Containing Compounds Isolated from a Marine Bacillus
Bacillimidazoles A−F, Imidazolium-Containing Compounds Isolated from a Marine Bacillus Open
Chemical investigations of a marine sponge-associated Bacillus revealed six new imidazolium-containing compounds, bacillimidazoles A–F (1–6). Previous reports of related imidazolium-containing natural products are rare. Initially unveiled …
View article: Hidden Treasures: Microbial Natural Product Biosynthesis off the Beaten Path
Hidden Treasures: Microbial Natural Product Biosynthesis off the Beaten Path Open
Microbes produce structurally diverse natural products to interact with their environment. Many of the biosynthetic products involved in this “metabolic small talk” have been exploited for the treatment of various diseases.
View article: Specialized Metabolites Reveal Evolutionary History and Geographic Dispersion of a Multilateral Symbiosis
Specialized Metabolites Reveal Evolutionary History and Geographic Dispersion of a Multilateral Symbiosis Open
Fungus-growing ants engage in a multilateral symbiosis: they cultivate a fungal garden as their primary food source and host symbiotic actinobacteria (Pseudonocardia spp.) that provide chemical defenses. The bacterial symbionts produce sma…
View article: Sharing and community curation of mass spectrometry data with Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking
Sharing and community curation of mass spectrometry data with Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking Open
The potential of the diverse chemistries present in natural products (NP) for biotechnology and medicine remains untapped because NP databases are not searchable with raw data and the NP community has no way to share data other than in pub…
View article: A multiproducer microbiome generates chemical diversity in the marine sponge <i>Mycale hentscheli</i>
A multiproducer microbiome generates chemical diversity in the marine sponge <i>Mycale hentscheli</i> Open
Bacterial specialized metabolites are increasingly recognized as important factors in animal–microbiome interactions: for example, by providing the host with chemical defenses. Even in chemically rich animals, such compounds have been foun…
View article: CCDC 1972904: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
CCDC 1972904: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination Open
An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available …
View article: CCDC 1972902: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
CCDC 1972902: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination Open
An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available …