Publications

* denotes corresponding authors

Refereed Publications from Independent Research at UNC-Chapel Hill

25. Guo, Q., Chen, X., & Li, B.* “Purification and characterization of tomato arginine decarboxylase and its inhibition by the bacterial small molecule phevamine A,” Protein Expression and Purification (2023): 106326. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pep.2023.106326

 

24. Chen, X., Johnson, R. M., & Li, B.* “A Permissive Amide N-Methyltransferase for Dithiolopyrrolones,” ACS Catalysis 13.3 (2023): 1899-1905. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.2c05439

 

23. Acken, K. A., & Li, B.* “Pseudomonas virulence factor controls expression of virulence genes in Pseudomonas entomophila,” Plos one 18.5 (2023): e0284907. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284907

 

22. Lescallette, A. R., Dunn, Z. D., Manning, V. A., Trippe, K. M., & Li, B.* “Biosynthetic origin of formylaminooxyvinylglycine and characterization of the formyltransferase GvgI,” Biochemistry, 61.19 (2022): 2159-2164. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00374

 

21. Patteson, J.B., Fortinez, C.M., Putz, A.T., Rodriguez-Rivas, J., Bryant III, L.H., Adhikari, K., Weigt, M., Schmeing, T.M. & Li, B.* “Structure and Function of a Dehydrating Condensation Domain in Nonribosomal Peptide Biosynthesis,” Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144.31 (2022): 14057-14070. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c13404

 

20. Patteson, J. B., Putz, A. T., Tao, L., Simke, W. C., Bryant III, L. H., Britt, R. D., & Li, B.* “Biosynthesis of fluopsin C, a copper-containing antibiotic from Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” Science 374.6570 (2021): 1005-1009. doi: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.abj6749

 

PfvCool

19. Morgan, G. L., Li, K., Crawford, D. M., Aubé, J., & Li, B.* “Enzymatic synthesis of diverse heterocycles by a noncanonical nonribosomal peptide synthetase,” ACS chemical biology 16.12 (2021): 2776-2786. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.1c00623

 

Max-i-mus

18. Johnson, R. A., Chan, A. N., Ward, R. D., McGlade, C. A., Hatfield, B. M., Peters, J. M., & Li, B.* “Pseudomonas Virulence Factor Pathway Synthesizes Autoinducers That Regulate the Secretome of a Pathogen,” Journal of the American Chemical Society 143(31), 12003-12013. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c02622

 

pvf-posse

17. Kretsch, A. M., Morgan, G. L., Acken, K. A., Barr, S. A., & Li, B.* “Pseudomonas Virulence Factor Pathway Synthesizes Autoinducers That Regulate the Secretome of a Pathogen,” ACS Chemical Biology 16 (3), 501-509 doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.0c00901

 

GeeMoneyinthehizouse

16. Morgan, G. L., Li, B.* “In vitro reconstitution reveals a central role for the N‐oxygenase PvfB in (dihydro)pyrazine‐N‐oxide and valdiazen biosynthesis,” Angew. Chemie. Int. Ed. ASAP doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202005554

 

azetidamonamideafeefifofannaazetidamonamanananabatman

15. Patteson, J. B., Lescallette, A. R., Li, B.* “Discovery and Biosynthesis of Azabicyclene, a Conserved Nonribosomal Peptide in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” Org. Lett. 13, 4955-4959 doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.9b01383

 

pee_vee_eff

14. Morgan, G. Kretsch, A. M., Santa Maria, K., Weeks, S. J., Li, B.* “Specificity of nonribosomal peptide synthetases in the biosynthesis of the Pseudomonas virulence factor,” Biochemistry ASAP doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00360

 

pepticumin

13. Santa Maria, K. C., Chan, A. N., O'Neill, E. M., Li, B.* “Targeted Rediscovery and Biosynthesis of the Farnesyl‐Transferase Inhibitor Pepticinnamin E,” ChemBioChem 20, 1387-1393 (2019) doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.201900025

 

oxo

12. Chan, A.N., Wever, W.J., Massolo, E., Allen, S.E., Li, B.* “Reducing holomycin thiosulfonate to its disulfide with thiols,” Chem. Res. Toxicol. (2019), 32, 400-404 doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.8b00243

 

plants

11. O’Neill, E.M., Mucyn, T.S., Patteson, J.B., Finkel, O.M., Chung, E-H., Baccile, J.A., Massolo, E., Schroeder, F.C., Dangl, J.L., Li, B.* “Phevamine A, a bacterial small molecule that suppresses plant immune responses,” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 41, 9514-9522 (2018). doi: 10.1073/pnas.1803779115

 

Kretsch Org lett 2018

10. Kretsch, A.M., Morgan, G.L., Tyrrell, J., Mevers, E., Vallet-Gély, E., Li, B.* “Discovery of (dihydro)pyrazine N-oxides via genome-mining in Pseudomonas,” Org. Lett., 20, 4791–4795 (2018). DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b01944

 

9. Pellock, S., Creekmore, B., Walton, W., Mehta, N., Biernat, K., Cesmat, A., Ariyarathna, Y., Dunn, Z.D., Li, B., Jin, J., James, L., Redinbo, M.* “Piperazine-containing inhibitors intercept the catalytic cycle of gut microbial β-glucuronidases,” ACS Cent. Sci., 4, 868–879 (2018). doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00239

 

Jon Angewandte 2018

8. Patteson, J.B., Dunn, Z.D., Li, B.* "In Vitro Biosynthesis of the Nonproteinogenic Amino Acid Methoxyvinylglycine," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 57, 6780-6785. doi: 10.1002/anie.201713419

 

Jon Biochem 2017

7. Patteson, J.B., Cai, W., Johnson, R.A., Santa Maria, K.C., Li, B.* "Identification of the Biosynthetic Pathway for the Antibiotic Bicyclomycin," Biochemistry, 57, 61–65 (2018). doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00943

Published in the “Future of Biochemistry” Special Issue

Highlighted in Viewpoint article: Chekan J.R., Moore B.S. “Biosynthesis of the antibiotic bicyclomycin in soil and pathogenic bacteria,” Biochemistry, 57, 897–898 (2018).

 

Andy PNAS 2017

6. Chan, A.N., Shiver, L.S., Wever, W.J., Razvi, S.Z.A., Traxler, M.F., Li, B.* "Role for dithiolopyrrolones in disrupting bacterial metal homeostasis," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 10, 2717-2722 (2017). doi: 10.1073/pnas.1612810114

Highlighted in Chemical and Engineering News: “Mode of action for unusual antibiotic found,” 95, 10 (2017).

 

5. Shiver, A.L., Osadnik, H., Kritikos, G., Li, B., Krogan, N., Typas, A., Gross, C.A*. “A chemical-genomic screen of neglected antibiotics reveals illicit transport of kasugamycin and blasticidin S”, PLoS Genet., 12, e1006124 (2016). doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006124

 

Zach 2015

4. Dunn, Z.D., Weaver, W.J., Economou, N.J., Bowers, A.A., Li, B.* "Enzymatic Basis of 'hybridity' in Thiomarinol Biosynthesis," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 5137-5141 (2015). doi: 10.1002/anie.201411667

 

Invited Reviews and commentary

3. Biernat, K.A., Li, B., Redinbo, M.R.* “Microbial unmasking of plant glycosides,” mBio, 9, e02433–17 (2018). (Commentary) doi: 10.1128/mBio.02433-17

 

Andy and Kevin review 2016

2. Chan, A.N., Santa Maria, K.C., Li, B. "Direct capture technologies for genomics-guided discovery of natural products," Curr. Top. Med. Chem. 15, 1695-1704 (2016). (Review) Link

 

Bo review 2014

1. Li, B., Weaver, W.J., Walsh, C.T., Bowers, A.A. “Dithiolopyrrolones: Biosynthesis, Synthesis, and Activity of a Unique Class of Disulfide-Containing Antibiotics,” Nat. Prod. Rep. 31, 905-23 (2014) (Review) doi: 10.1039/C3NP70106A

 

Refereed Publications Prior to UNC-Chapel Hill

9. Ortega, M.A., Cogan, D.P., Mukherjee, S., Garg, N., Li, B., Maffioli, S., Donadio, S., Sosio, M., Escano, J., Smith, J.L., Nair, S.K., and van der Donk, W.A. “Two flavoenzymes install 5-chlorotryptophan and 2-amionvinyl cysteine during the biosynthesis of the lantibiotic NAI-107”, ACS Chem. Bio. 12, 548–557 (2017).

8. Li, B., Forseth R.R., Bowers A.A., Schroeder F.C., Walsh, C.T. "A backup plan for self-protection: S-methylation of holomycin biosynthetic intermediates in Streptomyces clavuligerus." ChemBioChem, 13, 2521-6 (2012). Highlighted in Chem. Eur. J., 18, 15904 (2012).

7. Li, B., Walsh, C.T. "Streptomyces clavuligerus HlmI is an intramolecular disulfide-forming dithiol oxidase in holomycin biosynthesis." Biochemistry, 50, 4615-22 (2011).

6. Li, B., Walsh, C.T. "Identification of the gene cluster for the dithiolopyrrolone antibiotic holomycin in Streptomyces clavuligerus," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 107, 19731-5 (2010).

5. Li, B., Sher, D., Kelly, L., Shi, Y., Huang, K., Knerr, P.J., Joewono, I., Rusch, D. Chisholm, S.W., van der Donk, W.A. "Catalytic promiscuity in the biosynthesis of cyclic peptide secondary metabolites in planktonic marine cyanobacteria," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 107, 10430-5 (2010). Highlighted in "A Most Versatile Enzyme," Chemical and Engineering News, 88, 56 (2010). Also listed as the 5th most-read paper online at Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. in June, 2010

4. Goto, Y., Li, B., Claesen, J., Shi, Y., Bibb, M.J., van der Donk, W.A. "Discovery of unique lanthionine synthetases reveals new mechanistic and evolutionary insights," PLoS Biol., 8, e1000339 (2010).

3. Li, B., Cooper, L.E., van der Donk, W.A. "Chapter 21. In vitro studies of lantibiotic biosynthesis," Methods Enzymol., 458, 533-58 (2009). (Invited Review)

2. Li, B., van der Donk, W.A. "Identification of essential catalytic residues of the cyclase NisC involved in the biosynthesis of nisin," J. Biol. Chem., 282, 21169-75 (2007).

1. Li, B., Yu, J.P., Brunzelle, J.S., Moll, G.N., van der Donk, W.A., Nair, S.K. "Structure and mechanism of the lantibiotic cyclase involved in nisin biosynthesis," Science, 311, 1464-7 (2006). Highlighted in perspective "Five golden rings," Science, 311, 1382-3 (2006); "Antimicrobials: A ringing success," Nature Reviews Microbiol., 4, 322-3 (2006); "Resisting the resistance," ACS Chem. Biol., 1, 119 (2006); "Nisin engineered in test tube," Chemical and Engineering News, 84, 9 (2006).

Book Chapter

1. Cooper, L.E., Li, B., van der Donk, W.A. "Biosynthesis and mode of action of lantibiotics," In Comprehensive Natural Products Chemistry II, Eds. Mander, L., Liu, H-w., (May 2010). (Book Chapter)