Unique Chemistry of Cyclic Microbial Metabolites
Prof. Dr. Stephanie Grond
Universität Tübingen, Tübingen/DE
Mittwoch, 24. Juni 2026, 17:15 Uhr
HS H "Ulrich Santner"
Technische Universität Graz
Kopernikusgasse 24, EG, 8010 Graz
Abstract:
Our research work focuses on the elucidation of unusual microbial metabolites, their chemical synthesis, and collaborative studies of their biological effects.The tricyclic cyclodecatrienescollinolactoneA (1) and collinoketone are isolated from Streptomyces. They show unique structures and a non-linear biosynthetic gene cluster. Our chemical studies (2–4) raise questions of the biological target and reveal heat -and acid-induced rearrangements reactions towards new cyclic motifs (5).[2] We hypothesize, that the unusual architecture mediates the conformational behaviour.Isolates of Staphylococcus lugdunensisof the human nose prevent growth of the facultative pathogen S. aureus. Chemical synthesis delivered manifold lugdunins. The thiazolidine heterocycle is an indispensable structural motif (6), and more metabolites from the human nose microbiome arediscussedThe discovery of 7-deoxy-sedoheptulose (7dSh, 7) reveals an unusual C7-sugar which inhibits growth of cyanobacteria and plants. A chemoenzymatic synthesis of 7dSh using S. elongatus transketolase as catalyst allows biological profiling. 7dSh inhibits the shikimate pathway, the target pathway of glyphosate, which is absent in humans and animals. We propose 7dSh to be a natural antimicrobial and herbicidal agent.
Biography:
Stephanie Grond was born in Goslar and studied Chemistry and Biology at the University of Göttingen, where she received in 1997 a PhD for their work under the guidance of Prof. Axel Zeeck. After post-doctoral research with Prof. Heinz G. Floss at the University of Washington in Seattle/USA, she started in 2001 her independent research at the University of Göttingen. Since 2009 she is Professor of Organic Chemistry and Natural Product Research at the University of Tübingen. Prof. Grond ist also well known for editing the standard textbook “Zeeck - Chemie für das Medizinstudium”.