Publications 2021 - present

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see Blog page for recent preprints

Biosynthetic origin of the methoxy group in quinine and related alkaloids.

Lombe, B.K., Zhou, T., Caputi, L., Ploss, K., O'Connor, S.E.* (2024)) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 202418306. doi: 10.1002/anie.202418306.

Streamlined screening platforms lead to the discovery of pachysiphine synthase from Tabernanthe iboga.

Kamileen, M.O., Nakamura, Y., Luck, K., Heinicke, S., Hong, B, Colinas, M., Lichman, B.R., O'Connor, S.E.* (2024) New Phytol. 244, 1437-1449. doi.org/10.1111/nph.20133.

Independent evolution of plant natural products: Formation of benzoxazinoids in Consolida orientalis (Ranunculaceae).

Florean M., Schultz H., Wurlitzer J., O'Connor S.E.*, Koellner, T.G.* (2024) J. Biol. Chem. 108019. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.108019.

Quantitative single-cell mass spectrometry provides a highly resolved analysis of natural product biosynthesis partitioning in plants.

Vu, A.H., Kang, M., Wurlitzer, J., Heinicke, S., Li, C., Wood, J.C., Grabe, V., Buell C.R.*,Caputi, L.*, O'Connor, S.E.* (2024) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 146, 23891-23900. doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c06336.

Metabolic engineering of vitamin D3 in Solanaceae plants.

Boccia, M., Ploss, K., Kunert, M., Keshan, R., Hatam, M., Grabe, V., O'Connor, S.E.*, Sonawane, P.D.* (2024) Plant Biotechnol. J. 3389-3391. doi: 10.1111/pbi.14459.

Incorporation of nitrogen in antinutritional Solanum alkaloid biosynthesis.

Grzech, D., Smit, S.J., Alam, R.M., Boccia, M., Nakamura, Y., Hong, B., Barbole, R., Heinicke, S., Kunert, M., Seibt, W., Grabe, V., Caputi, L., Lichman, B.R., O'Connor, S.E.*, Aharoni, A,.* Sonawane, P.D.* (2024) Nat. Chem. Biol. doi: 10.1038/s41589-024-01735-w.

Cell-type-aware regulatory landscapes governing monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis in the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus.

Li, C., Colinas, M., Wood, J.C., Vaillancourt, B., Hamilton, J.P., Jones, S.L., Caputi, L.*, O'Connor, S.E.*, Buell, C.R.* (2024) New Phytol. 245, 347-362. doi: 10.1111/nph.20208.

Genome-based pachysiphine synthases in Tabernaemontana elegans.

Lezin, E., Durand, M., Birer Williams, C., Lopez Vazquez, A.L., Perrot, T., Gautron, N., Potrignet, J., Cuello, C., Jansen, H.J., Magot, F., Szwarc, S., Le Pogam, P., Beniddir, M.A., Koudounas, K., Oudin, A., St-Pierre, B., Giglioli-Guivarc'h, N., Sun, C., Papon, N., Jensen, M.K., Dirks, R.P., O'Connor, S.E., Besseau, S., Courdavault, V.* (2024) Plant J. doi:10.1111/tpj.17085.

A scaffold protein manages the biosynthesis of steroidal defense metabolites in plants.

Boccia, M., Kessler, D., Seibt, W., Grabe, V., Rodriguez Lopez, C.E., Grzech, D., Heinicke,

S., O'Connor, S.E.*, Sonawane, P.D.* (2024) Science. eado3409. doi:10.1126/science.ado3409.

Steroidal scaffold decorations in Solanum alkaloid biosynthesis.

Lucier, R., Kamileen, M.O., Nakamura, Y., Serediuk, S., Barbole, R., Wurlitzer, J.,

Kunert, M., Heinicke, S., O'Connor, S.E.*, Sonawane, P.D.* (2024) Mol. Plant. 17, 1236-1254. doi:10.1016/j.molp.2024.06.013.

Roles of three cytochrome P450 monooxygenases in triterpene biosynthesis and their potential impact on growth and development.

Yang, C., Halitschke, R., O'Connor, S.E., Baldwin, I.T.* (2024) Plant Physiol. 196, 1407-1425. doi:10.1093/plphys/kiae399.

OXIDOSQUALENE CYCLASE 1 and 2 influence triterpene biosynthesis and defense in Nicotiana attenuata.

Yang, C., Halitschke, R., O’Connor, S.E.* (2024). Plant Physiol. 194, 2580-2599. doi:10.1093/plphys/kiad643.

Reduction hits the sweet spot: A revised biosynthesis of dolichol.

O'Connor, S.E.* (2024) Cell. 187, 3502-3503. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.006.

Integration of cell differentiation and initiation of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid metabolism in seed germination of Catharanthus roseus.

Uzaki, M., Mori, T., Sato, M., Wakazaki, M., Takeda-Kamiya, N., Yamamoto, K., Murakami, A., Guerrero, D. A. S., Shichijo, C., Ohnishi, M., Ishizaki, K., Fukaki, H., O’Connor, S. E., Toyooka, K., Mimura, T., Hirai, M. Y. (2024). New Phytologist. doi:10.1111/nph.19662.

Evolution and diversification of carboxylesterase-like [4+2] cyclases in aspidosperma and iboga alkaloid biosynthesis.

DeMars II, M. D., O’Connor, S. E.* (2024). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 121, e2318586121.

The Madagascar palm genome provides new insights on the evolution of Apocynaceae specialized metabolism.

Cuello, C., Jansen, H. J., Abdallah, C., Mbadinga, D.-L.-Z., Williams, C. B., Durand, M., Oudin, A., Papon, N., Giglioli-Guivarc'h, N., Dirks, R. P., Jensen, M. K., O’Connor, S. E., Besseau, S., Courdavault, V. (2024). Heliyon, 10, e28078.

A chromosome-scale genome assembly of Rauvolfia tetraphylla facilitates the identification of the complete ajmaline biosynthetic pathway.

Lezin, E., Carqueijeiro, I., Cuello, C., Durand, M., Jansen, H. J., Vergès, V., Williams, C. B., Oudin, A., De Bernonville, T. D., Petrignet, J., Celton, N., St-Pierre, B., Papon, N., Sun, C., Dirks, R. P., O’Connor, S. E., Jensen, M. K., Besseau, S., Courdavault, V. (2024). Plant Communications, 100784.

Engineered biosynthesis of plant heteroyohimbine and corynantheine alkaloids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Dror, M. J., Misa, J., Yee, D. A., Chu, A. M., Yu, R. K., Chan, B. B., Aoyama, L. S., Chaparala, A. P., O’Connor, S. E., Tang, Y. (2024). J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotech. 51, kuad047.

A BAHD-type acyltransferase concludes the biosynthetic pathway of non-bitter glycoalkaloids in ripe tomato fruit.

Sonawane, P. D., Gharat, S. A., Jozwiak, A., Barbole, R., Heinicke, S., Almekias-Siegl, E., Meir, S., Rogachev, I., O’Connor, S. E., Giri, A. P., Aharoni, A. (2023). Nature Commun. 14, 4540.

OXIDOSQUALENE CYCLASE 1 and 2 influence triterpene biosynthesis and defense in Nicotiana attenuata.

Yang, C.*, Halitschke, R., O'Connor, S.E.* (2023) Plant Physiol. kiad643.

Single-cell multi-omics in the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus.

Li, C., Wood, J.C., Vu, A.H., Hamilton, J.P., Rodriguez Lopez, C.E., Payne, R.M.E., Serna

Guerrero, D.A., Gase, K., Yamamoto, K., Vaillancourt, B., Caputi, L.*, O'Connor, S.E.*, Buell, C.R.* (2023) Nat. Chem. Biol. 19, 1031-1041.

Reinventing metabolic pathways: Independent evolution of benzoxazinoids in flowering plants.

Florean, M., Luck, K., Hong, B., Nakamura, Y., O'Connor, S.E.*, Koellner, T.G.* (2023)

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2120, e2307981120.

Promiscuous CYP87A enzyme activity initiates cardenolide biosynthesis in plants.

Kunert, M., Langley, C., Lucier, R., Ploss, K., Rodriguez Lopez, C.E., Serna Guerrero,

D.A., Rothe, E., O'Connor, S.E.*, Sonawane, P.D.* (2023) Nat Plants. 9, 1607-1617.

"Magic Mushroom" multi-product sesquiterpene synthase.

Schaefer, E., Seibold, P.S., Bartram, S., Trottmann, F., Haensch, V.G., Gressler, M.,

Chadeayne, A.R., Hertweck, C., O'Connor, S.E., Hoffmeister, D.A (2023) Chembiochem 24, e202300511.

The Rauvolfia tetraphylla genome suggests multiple distinct biosynthetic routes for yohimbane monoterpene indole alkaloids.

Stander, E.A., Lehka, B., Carqueijeiro, I., Cuello, C., Hansson, F.G., Jansen, H.J., De

Bernonville, T., Birer Williams, C., Vergos, V., Lezin, E., Lorensen, M.D.B.B., Dang, T.T.,

Oudin, A., Lanoue, A., Durand, M., Giglioli-Guivarc'h, N., Janfelt, C., Papon, N., Dirks, R.P., O'Connor, S.E., Jensen, M.K., Besseau, S., Courdavault, V. (2023) Commun. Biol. 6, 1197.

Biosynthesis of natural and halogenated plant monoterpene indole alkaloids in yeast.

Bradley, S.A., Lehka, B.J., Hansson, F.G., Adhikari, K.B., Rago, D., Rubaszka, P., Haidar A.K., Chen, L., Hansen, L.G., Gudich, O., Giannakou, K., Lengger, B., Gill, R.T., Nakamura, Y., de Bernonville, T.D., Koudounas, K., Romero-Suarez, D., Ding, L., Qiao, Y., Frimurer, T.M., Petersen, A.A., Besseau, S., Kumar, S., Gautron, N., Melin, C., Marc, J., Jeanneau, R., O'Connor, S.E., Courdavault, V., Keasling, J.D., Zhang, J., Jensen, M.K. (2023) Nat. Chem. Biol. 19, 1551-1560.

Transcriptome-based identification and functional characterization of iridoid synthase involved in monotropein biosynthesis in blueberry.

Lawas, L.M.F., Kamileen, M.O., Buell, C.R., O'Connor, S.E., Leisner, C.P. (2023) Plant Direct. 7, e512.

Directed evolution of piperazic acid incorporation by a nonribosomal peptide synthetase.

Stephan, P., Langley, C., Winkler, D., Basquin, J., Caputi, L., O'Connor, S.E., Kries, H. (2023) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 62, e202304843.

Metabolite and molecular characterization of Mitragyna speciosa identifies developmental and genotypic effects on monoterpene indole and oxindole alkaloid composition.

Laforest, L.C., Kuntz, M.A., Kanumuri, S.R.R., Mukhopadhyay, S., Sharma, A., O'Connor, S.E., McCurdy, C.R., Nadakuduti, S.S. (2023) J. Nat. Prod. 86, 1042-1052.

Spatial localization of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids in Rauvolfia tetraphylla by high resolution mass spectrometry imaging.

Lorensen, M.D.B.B., Bjarnholt, N., St-Pierre, B., Heinicke, S., Courdavault, V., O'Connor,

S., Janfelt, C. (2023) Phytochemistry. 209, 113620.

Directed biosynthesis of Mitragynine stereoisomers.

Schotte, C., Jiang, Y., Grzech, D., Dang, T.T., Laforest, L.C., Len, F., Mottinelli, M.,

Nadakuduti, S.S., McCurdy, C.R., O'Connor, S.E.* (2023) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 4957-4963.

An updated version of the Madagascar periwinkle genome.

Cuello, C., Stander, E.A., Jansen, H.J., De Bernonville, T., Oudin, A., Birer

Williams, C., Lanoue A., Giglioli Guivarc'h N., Papon N., Dirks R.P., Jensen K.,

O'Connor, S.E., Besseau, S., Courdavault, V. (2023) F1000Res. 11, 1541.

Engineering the biosynthesis of late-stage vinblastine precursors precondylocarpine acetate, catharanthine, tabersonine in Nicotiana benthamiana.
Grzech, D., Hong, B., Caputi, L., Sonawane, P.D., O'Connor, S.E.* (2023) ACS Synth. Biol. 12, 27-34.

Recycling Upstream Redox Enzymes Expands the Regioselectivity of Cycloaddition in Pseudo-Aspidosperma Alkaloid Biosynthesis.

Kamileen, M.O., DeMars, M.D. 2nd, Hong, B., Nakamura, Y., Paetz, C., Lichman, B.R., Sonawane, P.D., Caputi, L.*, O'Connor, S.E.* (2022)

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 144, 19673-19679.

Expansion of the catalytic repertoire of alcohol dehydrogenases in plant metabolism.

Langley, C., Tatsis, E., Hong, B., Nakamura, Y., Paetz, C., Stevenson, C.E.M., Basquin, J., Lawson, D.M., Caputi, L.*, O’Connor, S.E.* (2022) Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed. 61, e202210934

Reconstitution of monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Dudley, Q.M., Jo, S., Serna Guerrero, D.A., O’Connor, S.E., Caputi, L.*, Patron, N.J.* (2022)

Communications Biology, 5, 949.

Biosynthesis of iridoid sex pheromones in aphids.

Koellner, T.G.*, David, A., Luck, K., Kunert, G., Beran, F., Zhou, J.-J., Caputi, L., O’Connor, S.E.* (2022) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 119, e2211254119.

A biocatalytic toolkit for the control of iridoid stereochemistry.

Hernández Lozada, N.J., Hong, B., Wood, J.C., Caputi, L. Basquin, J., Chuang, L., Kunert, M., Rodríguez López, C.E., Langley, C., Zhao, D., Buell, C.R., Lichman, B.R., O'Connor, S.E.* (2022) Nature Commun. 13, 4718.

Biosynthesis of strychnine.

Hong, B., Grzech, D., Caputi, L., Sonawane, P., López, C.E.R., Kamileen, M.O., Hernández Lozada, N.J., Grabe, V., O'Connor, S.E.* (2022) Nature. 207, 617-622.

Directed biosynthesis of new to nature alkaloids in a heterologous Nicotiana benthamiana expression host.

Boccia, M., Grzech, D., Lopes, A.A., O'Connor, S.E.*, Caputi, L.* (2022) Front. Plant Sci. 13, 919443.

A microbial supply chain for production of the anti-cancer drug vinblastine.

Zhang, J., Hansen, L.G., Gudich, O., Viehrig, K., Lassen, L.M.M., Schrübbers, L., Adhikari, K.B., Rubaszka, P, Carrasquer-Alvarez, E., Chen, L., D'Ambrosio, V., Lehka, B., Haidar, A.K., Nallapareddy, S., Giannakou, K., Laloux, M., Arsovska, D., Jørgensen, M.A.K., Chan, L.J.G., Kristensen, M., Christensen, H.B., Sudarsan, S., Stander, E.A., Baidoo, E., Petzold, C.J., Wulff, T., O'Connor, S.E., Courdavault, V., Jensen, M.K.*, Keasling, J.D.* (2022) Nature. 609, 341-347.

Imaging MS Analysis in Catharanthus roseus.

Yamamoto, K., Takahashi, K., O'Connor, S.E., Mimura, T.* (2022) Methods Mol. Biol. 2505, 33-43.

More than a Catharanthus plant: A multicellular and pluri-organelle alkaloid-producing factory.

Kulagina, N., Méteignier, L.V., Papon, N., O'Connor, S.E., Courdavault, V.* (2022) Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 2022, 67, 102200.

Phylogeny-aware chemoinformatic analysis of chemical diversity in the Lamiaceae enables iridoid pathway assembly and discovery of aucubin synthase.

Rodríguez-López, C.E.*, Jiang, Y., Kamileen, M.O., Lichman, B.R., Hong, B., Vaillancourt, B., Buell, C.R., O'Connor, S.E.* (2022) Mol. Biol. Evol. 39, msac057.

Peroxisome Targeting of γ-tocopherol N-methyltransferase Homologs Involved in the Synthesis of Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids.

Koudounas, K., Guirimand, G., Rojas Hoyos, L.F., Carqueijeiro, I., Lemos Cruz, P., Stander, E., Kulagina, N., Perrin, J, Oudin, A., Besseau, S., Lanoue, A., Atehortùa, L., St-Pierre, B., Giglioli-Guivarc'h, N., Papon, N., O'Connor, S.E., Courdavault, V. (2022) Plant Cell Physiol. 63, 200-216.

Genome assembly of the medicinal plant Voacanga thouarsii.

Cuello, C., Stander, E.A., Jansen, H.J., Dugé de Bernonville, T., Lanoue, A., Giglioli-Guivarc'h, N., Papon, N., Dirks, R.P., Jensen, M.K., O'Connor, S.E., Besseau, S., Courdavault, V.* (2022) Genome Biol. Evol. 14, evac158.

In vivo characterization of key iridoid biosynthesis pathway genes in catnip (Nepeta cataria).

Palmer, L., Chuang, L., Siegmund, M., Kunert, M., Yamamoto, K., Sonawane, P.D., O’Connor, S.E.* (2022) Planta, 256, 99.

The Vinca minor genome highlights conserved evolutionary traits in monoterpene indole alkaloid synthesis.

Stander, E.A., Cuello C., Birer-Williams, C., Kulagina, N., Jansen, H., Carqueijeiro, I., Méteignier, L.V., Vergès, V., Oudin A., Papon, N., Dirks, R., Jensen, M.K., O'Connor, S.E., Dugé de Bernonville, T., Besseau, S., Courdavault, V.* (2022) . G3, jkac268.

Improved virus-induced gene silencing allows discovery of a serpentine synthase gene in Catharanthus roseus.

Yamamoto, K., Grzech, D., Koudounas, K., Stander, E.A., Caputi, L., Mimura, T., Courdavault, V., O'Connor, S.E. (2021) Plant Physiol. 187, 846-857.

Cell-free total biosynthesis of plant terpene natural products using an orthogonal cofactor regeneration system.

Bat-Erdene, U., Billingsley, J.M., Turner, W.C., Lichman, B.R., Ippoliti, F.M., Garg, N.K., O'Connor, S.E., Tang, Y.* (2021) ACS Catal. 11, 9898-9903.

Metabolic engineering for plant natural products biosynthesis: new procedures, concrete achievements and remaining limits.

Courdavault, V., O'Connor, S.E., Jensen, M.K., Papon, N. (2021) Nat Prod Rep. 38, 2145-2153.

Early and late steps of quinine biosynthesis.

Trenti, F., Yamamoto, K., Hong, B., Paetz, C., Nakamura, Y., O'Connor, S.E.* (2021) Org Lett. 23, 1793-1797.

The Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) genome: a resource for data-mining potent pharmaceuticals that impact human health.

Brose, J., Lau, K.H., Dang, T.T.T., Hamilton, J.P., Martins, L.D.V., Hamberger, B., Hamberger, B., Jiang, J., O'Connor, S.E., Buell, C.R.* (2021) G3, 11, jkab058.

Symbionts, peptides, and (no) iron: How ants defend their fungal crop.

O'Connor, S.E. (2021) ACS Cent. Sci. 7, 225-227.

Two bi-functional cytochrome P450 CYP72 enzymes from olive (Olea europaea) catalyze the oxidative C-C bond cleavage in the biosynthesis of secoxy-iridoids - flavor and quality determinants in olive oil.

Rodríguez-López, C.E., Hong, B., Paetz, C., Nakamura, Y., Koudounas, K., Passeri, V., Baldoni, L., Alagna, F., Calderini, O., O'Connor, S.E.* (2021) New Phytol. 229, 2288-2301.

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