@article{772c7264baa24df7a54554a0c618a48f,
title = "Structure elucidation of colibactin and its DNA cross-links",
abstract = "Colibactin is a complex secondary metabolite produced by some genotoxic gut Escherichia coli strains. The presence of colibactin-producing bacteria correlates with the frequency and severity of colorectal cancer in humans. However, because colibactin has not been isolated or structurally characterized, studying the physiological effects of colibactin-producing bacteria in the human gut has been difficult. We used a combination of genetics, isotope labeling, tandem mass spectrometry, and chemical synthesis to deduce the structure of colibactin. Our structural assignment accounts for all known biosynthetic and cell biology data and suggests roles for the final unaccounted enzymes in the colibactin gene cluster.",
author = "Mengzhao Xue and Kim, {Chung Sub} and Healy, {Alan R.} and Wernke, {Kevin M.} and Zhixun Wang and Frischling, {Madeline C.} and Shine, {Emilee E.} and Weiwei Wang and Herzon, {Seth B.} and Crawford, {Jason M.}",
note = "Funding Information: Financial support from the National Institutes of Health (R01GM110506 to S.B.H., 1DP2-CA186575 to J.M.C., and R01CA215553 to S.B.H. and J.M.C.), the Chemistry Biology Interface Training Program (T32GM067543 to K.M.W.), the Charles H. Revson foundation (postdoctoral fellowship to A.R.H.), the NSF graduate research fellowship program (E.E.S), and Yale University is gratefully acknowledged. The structure of colibactin (17) was first disclosed by S.B.H. on 3 December 2018 at the Merck Lecture, Department of Chemistry, The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; by J.M.C. on 11 February 2019 at a Departmental Symposium, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and by M.X. on 11 March 2019 during a lecture entitled “Characterization of natural colibactin nucleobase adducts by tandem MS and isotopic labeling” at the Keystone Symposia meeting “Microbiome: Chemical mechanisms and biological consequences.” Funding Information: Funding: Financial support from the National Institutes of Health Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved.",
year = "2019",
month = sep,
day = "6",
doi = "10.1126/science.aax2685",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "365",
journal = "Science",
issn = "0036-8075",
publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
number = "6457",
}