Presented By: Department of Chemistry
Mighty Chemistry of Bacterial Small Molecules
Bo Li (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
Bacteria live a rich metabolic life. They synthesize a remarkable array of small molecules that exhibit intriguing chemical structures and potent biological activities. As a result, these molecules have found wide use as life-saving medicine and tools to study biology. This talk will discuss our work on deciphering the chemistry in the mode of action and biosynthesis of antimicrobial small molecules. A new mode of action has been identified for a broad-spectrum antimicrobial compound called holomycin produced by a soil bacterium. The action of holomycin involves chelating metal ions in the target bacterial cell and inhibiting the activity of metalloenzymes. This mechanism may be explored to control multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. The biosynthesis of antimicrobial nonproteinogenic amino acids will also be discussed.
Bo Li (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
Bo Li (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
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