Professor Jesko Koehnke

Honorary Senior Research Fellow (School of Chemistry)

Research interests

Research Interests

Microbial natural products are an invaluable source of novel bioactive molecules. The Koehnke group focusses on elucidating biosynthetic steps from selected natural product pathways through a combination of biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology. We then apply these data to generate (semisynthetic) natural product derivatives with improved properties or to derivatize (semi)synthetic molecules for drug discovery.

In addition, we collaborate with diverse groups, mainly as structural biologists, to understand biological problems, such as antibiotic resistance development or the infection process and to aid in drug design and optimization.

Research Topics

Natural product biosynthesis and derivatization

Enzymatic reaction mechanisms

Host-pathogen interactions

Natural product discovery

Publication Highlights

Sikandar A, Franz L, Melse O, Antes I, Köhnke J (2019): Thiazoline-Specific Amidohydrolase PurAH Is the Gatekeeper of Bottromycin Biosynthesis. J Am Chem Soc. doi 10.1021/jacs.8b12231
Sikandar A, Cirnski K, Testolin G, Volz C, Brönstrup M, Kalinina OV, Müller R, Köhnke J (2018): Adaptation of a Bacterial Multidrug Resistance System Revealed by the Structure and Function of AlbA. J Am Chem Soc. 140(48), pp. 16641-49.
Franz L, Adam S, Santos-Aberturas J, Truman AW, Köhnke J (2017): Macroamidine formation in bottromycins is catalyzed by a divergent YcaO enzyme. J Am Chem Soc. 139(50), pp. 18158-61.
Fu C, Sikandar A, Donner J, Zaburannyi N, Herrmann J, Reck M, Wagner-Döbler I⁺, Köhnke J⁺, Müller R⁺ (2017): The natural product carolacton inhibits folate-dependent C1 metabolism by targeting FolD/MTHFD. Nat Comm, 8(1): 1529
Köhnke J, Mann G, Bent AF, Ludewig H, Shirran S, Botting C, Lebl T, Houssen WE, Jaspars M, Naismith JH (2015): Structural analysis of leader-peptide binding enables leader-free cyanobactin processing. Nat Chem Biol., 11(8), pp. 558-63.

Research groups

Chemical Biology & Organic Synthesis

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2010 | 2008 | 2007 | 2004

Number of items: 41.

2024

Masclef, Jean-Baptiste, Acs, Emmanuelle M. N., Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Prunet, Joëlle ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9075-971X and Schmidt, Bernhard V.K.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3580-7053 (2024) PEGose block poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles for cargo delivery. Macromolecules, 57(13), pp. 6013-6023. (doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.4c00528) (PMID:39005948) (PMCID:PMC11238580)

Dell, Maria, Tran, Mai Anh, Capper, Michael J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0102-6993, Sundaram, Srividhya, Fiedler, Jonas, Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Hellmich, Ute A. and Hertweck, Christian (2024) Trapping of a polyketide synthase module after C−C bond formation reveals transient acyl carrier domain interactions. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), 63(9), e202315850. (doi: 10.1002/anie.202315850) (PMID:38134222)

2023

Mcguire, K. et al. (2023) Supramolecular click chemistry for surface modification of quantum dots mediated by Cucurbit[7]uril. ACS Nano, 17(21), pp. 21585-21594. (doi: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06601) (PMID:37922402)

Sikandar, A. et al. (2023) Revision of the absolute configurations of chelocardin and amidochelocardin. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 62(40), e202306437. (doi: 10.1002/anie.202306437) (PMID:37466921)

Kolling, Dominik, Haupenthal, Jörg, Hirsch, Anna and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2023) Facile production of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor LasB in Escherichia coli for structure‐based drug design. ChemBioChem, 24(17), e202300185. (doi: 10.1002/cbic.202300185) (PMID:37195753)

Adam, Sebastian, Zheng, Dazhong, Klein, Andreas, Volz, Carsten, Mullen, William ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5685-1563, Shirran, Sally L., Smith, Brian O. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3363-4168, Kalinina, Olga V., Müller, Rolf and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2023) Unusual peptide-binding proteins guide pyrroloindoline alkaloid formation in crocagin biosynthesis. Nature Chemistry, 15(4), pp. 560-568. (doi: 10.1038/s41557-023-01153-w) (PMID:36894702) (PMCID:PMC10070186)

Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2023) Caught in the act. Nature Chemical Biology, 19(1), pp. 7-8. (doi: 10.1038/s41589-022-01180-7) (PMID:36280793)

2022

She, Shan, Bell, Nicola L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7497-9667, Zheng, Dazhong, Mathieson, Jennifer S., Castro, Maria D., Long, De-Liang ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3241-2379, Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757 (2022) Robotic synthesis of peptides containing metal-oxide-based amino acids. Chem, 8(10), pp. 2734-2748. (doi: 10.1016/j.chempr.2022.07.007)

Sikandar, Asfandyar, Lopatniuk, Maria, Luzhetskyy, Andriy, Müller, Rolf and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2022) Total in vitro biosynthesis of the thioamitide thioholgamide and investigation of the pathway. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144(11), pp. 5136-5144. (doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c00402) (PMID:35263083)

2021

Franz, Laura, Kazmaier, Uli, Truman, Andrew W. and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2021) Bottromycins - biosynthesis, synthesis and activity. Natural Product Reports, 38(9), pp. 1659-1683. (doi: 10.1039/D0NP00097C) (PMID:33621290)

Axer, Alexander, Jumde, Ravindra P., Adam, Sebastian, Faust, Andreas, Schäfers, Michael, Fobker, Manfred, Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Hirsch, Anna K. H. and Gilmour, Ryan (2021) Enhancing glycan stability via site-selective fluorination: modulating substrate orientation by molecular design. Chemical Science, 12, pp. 1286-1294. (doi: 10.1039/D0SC04297H)

Montalbán-López, M. et al. (2021) New developments in RiPP discovery, enzymology and engineering. Natural Product Reports, 38(1), pp. 130-239. (doi: 10.1039/D0NP00027B) (PMID:32935693)

Franz, Laura and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2021) Leader peptide exchange to produce hybrid, new-to-nature ribosomal natural products. Chemical Communications, 57, pp. 6372-6375. (doi: 10.1039/D0CC06889F) (PMID:34075907)

2020

Adam, Sebastian, Franz, Laura, Milhim, Mohammed, Bernhardt, Rita, Kalinina, Olga V. and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2020) Characterization of the stereoselective P450 enzyme BotCYP enables the in vitro biosynthesis of the Bottromycin Core Scaffold. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 142(49), pp. 20560-20565. (doi: 10.1021/jacs.0c10361)

Sikandar, Asfandyar, Lopatniuk, Maria, Luzhetskyy, Andriy and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2020) Non-heme monooxygenase ThoJ catalyzes thioholgamide β-hydroxylation. ACS Chemical Biology, 15(10), pp. 2815-2819. (doi: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00637) (PMID:32965102)

Sikandar, Asfandyar, Franz, Laura, Adam, Sebastian, Santos-Aberturas, Javier, Horbal, Liliya, Luzhetskyy, Andriy, Truman, Andrew W., Kalinina, Olga V. and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2020) The bottromycin epimerase BotH defines a group of atypical α/β-hydrolase-fold enzymes. Nature Chemical Biology, 16(9), pp. 1013-1018. (doi: 10.1038/s41589-020-0569-y) (PMID:32601484)

Keller, L. et al. (2020) Tutuilamides A–C: vinyl-chloride-containing cyclodepsipeptides from marine cyanobacteria with potent elastase inhibitory properties. ACS Chemical Biology, 15(3), pp. 751-757. (doi: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00992) (PMID:31935054)

2019

Sikandar, Asfandyar, Franz, Laura, Melse, Okke, Antes, Iris and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2019) Thiazoline-specific amidohydrolase PurAH is the gatekeeper of bottromycin biosynthesis. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 141(25), pp. 9748-9752. (doi: 10.1021/jacs.8b12231) (PMID:31192589)

Sikandar, Asfandyar and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2019) The role of protein–protein interactions in the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides. Natural Product Reports, 36, pp. 1576-1588. (doi: 10.1039/C8NP00064F) (PMID:30920567)

2018

Sikandar, Asfandyar, Cirnski, Katarina, Testolin, Giambattista, Volz, Carsten, Brönstrup, Mark, Kalinina, Olga V., Müller, Rolf and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2018) Adaptation of a bacterial multidrug resistance system revealed by the structure and function of AlbA. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140(48), pp. 16641-16649. (doi: 10.1021/jacs.8b08895) (PMID:30422653)

Kany, Andreas M., Sikandar, Asfandyar, Yahiaoui, Samir, Haupenthal, Jörg, Walter, Isabell, Empting, Martin, Köhnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 and Hartmann, Rolf W. (2018) Tackling pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence by a hydroxamic acid-absed LasB inhibitor. ACS Chemical Biology, 13(9), pp. 2449-2455. (doi: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00257) (PMID:30088919)

2017

Franz, Laura, Adam, Sebastian, Santos-Aberturas, Javier, Truman, Andrew W. and Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 (2017) Macroamidine formation in bottromycins is catalyzed by a divergent YcaO enzyme. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 139(50), pp. 18158-18161. (doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b09898) (PMID:29206037)

Kjaerulff, Louise, Sikandar, Asfandyar, Zaburannyi, Nestor, Adam, Sebastian, Herrmann, Jennifer, Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 and Müller, Rolf (2017) Thioholgamides: thioamide-containing cytotoxic RiPP natural products. ACS Chemical Biology, 12(11), pp. 2837-2841. (doi: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00676) (PMID:28981254)

Fu, Chengzhang, Sikandar, Asfandyar, Donner, Jannik, Zaburannyi, Nestor, Herrmann, Jennifer, Reck, Michael, Wagner-Döbler, Irene, Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365 and Müller, Rolf (2017) The natural product carolacton inhibits folate-dependent C1 metabolism by targeting FolD/MTHFD. Nature Communications, 8, 1529. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01671-5) (PMID:29142318) (PMCID:PMC5688156)

Viehrig, Konrad, Surup, Frank, Volz, Carsten, Herrmann, Jennifer, Abou Fayad, Antoine, Adam, Sebastian, Köhnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Trauner, Dirk and Müller, Rolf (2017) Structure and biosynthesis of crocagins: polycyclic posttranslationally modified ribosomal peptides from chondromyces crocatus. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), 56(26), pp. 7407-7410. (doi: 10.1002/anie.201612640) (PMID:28544148)

Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Naismith, James and van der Donk, Wilfred A. (Eds.) (2017) Cyclic Peptides: From Bioorganic Synthesis to Applications. Royal Society of Chemistry: Cambridge. ISBN 9781782625285

2015

Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Mann, Greg, Bent, Andrew F., Ludewig, Hannes, Shirran, Sally, Botting, Catherine, Lebl, Tomas, Houssen, Wael E., Jaspars, Marcel and Naismith, James H. (2015) Structural analysis of leader peptide binding enables leader-free cyanobactin processing. Nature Chemical Biology, 11(8), pp. 558-563. (doi: 10.1038/nchembio.1841) (PMID:26098679) (PMCID:PMC4512242)

2014

Houssen, W. E. et al. (2014) An efficient method for the in vitro production of azol(in)e-based cyclic peptides. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), 53(51), pp. 14171-14174. (doi: 10.1002/anie.201408082) (PMID:25331823) (PMCID:PMC4282754)

Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Bent, Andrew F., Houssen, Wael E., Mann, Greg, Jaspars, Marcel and Naismith, James H. (2014) The structural biology of patellamide biosynthesis. Current Opinion in Structural Biology, 29, pp. 112-121. (doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.10.006) (PMID:25460274) (PMCID:PMC4268494)

Mann, Greg, Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Bent, Andrew F., Graham, Rachael, Houssen, Wael, Jaspars, Marcel, Schwarz-Linek, Uli and Naismith, James H. (2014) The structure of the cyanobactin domain of unknown function from PatG in the patellamide gene cluster. Acta Crystallographica. Section F: Structural Biology Communications, 70, pp. 1597-1603. (doi: 10.1107/s2053230x1402425x) (PMID:25484206) (PMCID:PMC4259220)

2013

Koehnke, J. et al. (2013) The cyanobactin heterocyclase enzyme: a processive adenylase that operates with a defined order of reaction. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), 52(52), pp. 13991-13996. (doi: 10.1002/anie.201306302) (PMID:24214017) (PMCID:PMC3995012)

Koehnke, J. et al. (2013) An enzymatic route to selenazolines. ChemBioChem, 14(5), pp. 564-567. (doi: 10.1002/cbic.201300037) (PMID:23483642) (PMCID:PMC3625746)

Bent, Andrew F., Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Houssen, Wael E., Smith, Margaret C.M., Jaspars, Marcel and Naismith, James H. (2013) Structure of PatF from Prochloron didemni. Acta Crystallographica. Section F: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications, 69, pp. 618-623. (doi: 10.1107/S1744309113012931) (PMID:23722837) (PMCID:PMC3668578)

2012

Houssen, Wael E., Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Zollman, David, Vendome, Jeremie, Raab, Andrea, Smith, Margaret C. M., Naismith, James H. and Jaspars, Marcel (2012) The discovery of new cyanobactins from Cyanothece PCC 7425 defines a new signature for processing of patellamides. ChemBioChem, 13(18), pp. 2683-2689. (doi: 10.1002/cbic.201200661) (PMID:23169461)

Koehnke, J. et al. (2012) The mechanism of patellamide macrocyclization revealed by the characterization of the PatG macrocyclase domain. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, 19(8), pp. 767-772. (doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2340) (PMID:22796963) (PMCID:PMC3462482)

2010

Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Katsamba, Phinikoula S., Ahlsen, Goran, Bahna, Fabiana, Vendome, Jeremie, Honig, Barry, Shapiro, Lawrence and Jin, Xiangshu (2010) Splice form dependence of β-neurexin/neuroligin binding interactions. Neuron, 67(1), pp. 61-74. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.06.001) (PMID:20624592) (PMCID:PMC2910870)

2008

Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Jin, Xiangshu, Trbovic, Nikola, Katsamba, Phinikoula S., Brasch, Julia, Ahlsen, Goran, Scheiffele, Peter, Honig, Barry, Palmer, Arthur G. and Shapiro, Lawrence (2008) Crystal structures of β-neurexin 1 and β-neurexin 2 ectodomains and dynamics of splice insertion sequence 4. Structure, 16(3), pp. 410-421. (doi: 10.1016/j.str.2007.12.024) (PMID:18334216) (PMCID:PMC2750865)

Bowne, W. B. et al. (2008) The penetratin sequence in the anticancer PNC-28 peptide causes tumor cell necrosis rather than apoptosis of human pancreatic cancer cells. Annals of Surgical Oncology, 15(12), pp. 3588-3600. (doi: 10.1245/s10434-008-0147-0) (PMID:18931881)

Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Jin, Xiangshu, Budreck, Elaine C., Posy, Shoshana, Scheiffele, Peter, Honig, Barry and Shapiro, Lawrence (2008) Crystal structure of the extracellular cholinesterase-like domain from neuroligin-2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105(6), pp. 1873-1878. (doi: 10.1073/pnas.0711701105) (PMID:18250328) (PMCID:PMC2538853)

2007

Jakobs, Astrid, Koehnke, Jesko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Himstedt, Fabian, Funk, Martin, Korn, Bernhard, Gaestel, Matthias and Niedenthal, Rainer (2007) Ubc9 fusion–directed SUMOylation (UFDS): a method to analyze function of protein SUMOylation. Nature Methods, 4(3), pp. 245-250. (doi: 10.1038/nmeth1006) (PMID:17277783)

2004

Hellenbroich, Y., Schulz-Schaeffer, W., Nitschke, M.F., Kohnke, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-1365, Handler, G., Burk, K., Schwinger, E. and Zuhlke, C. (2004) Coincidence of a large SCA12 repeat allele with a case of Creutzfeld-Jacob disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 75(6), pp. 937-938. (doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2003.028381) (PMID:15146023) (PMCID:PMC1739067)

This list was generated on Thu Jul 3 23:00:19 2025 BST.

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