Bach’s new paper on the mechanism of the radical SAM oxygenase DarE, in collaboration with the Dave Britt lab (UC Davis) and the Alex Smirnov lab (NC State University), is now published in JACS. DarE catalyzes ether cross-link formation between two tryptophan residues during darobactin antibiotic RiPP biosynthesis. In this study, we trapped and characterized a key tryptophan Cβ-centered radical, illuminating a mechanism for enzyme-catalyzed de novo ether formation via a radical-mediated O₂ addition reaction. Congratulations, Bach!!
Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine
