E. Balskus

Publications155
h-index40
Citations5,584
Highly Influential Citations125
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Microbial conversion of choline to trimethylamine requires a glycyl radical enzyme
TLDR
This work has identified a gene cluster responsible for anaerobic choline degradation within the genome of a sulfate-reducing bacterium and verified its function using both a genetic knockout strategy and heterologous expression in Escherichia coli.
The Genetic and Molecular Basis for Sunscreen Biosynthesis in Cyanobacteria
TLDR
The identification of a MAA biosynthetic gene cluster in a cyanobacterium and the discovery of analogous pathways in other sequenced organisms are reported.
Predicting and Manipulating Cardiac Drug Inactivation by the Human Gut Bacterium Eggerthella lenta
TLDR
The inactivation of the cardiac drug digoxin by the gut Actinobacterium Eggerthella lenta is dissect, revealing a cytochrome-encoding operon up-regulated by digoxin, inhibited by arginine, absent in nonmetabolizing E. lenta strains, and predictive of digoxin inactivation by the human gut microbiome.
Characterization and Detection of a Widely Distributed Gene Cluster That Predicts Anaerobic Choline Utilization by Human Gut Bacteria
TLDR
This work established the link between a bacterial gene cluster, the choline utilization (cut) cluster, and anaerobic choline metabolism in human gut isolates by combining transcriptional, biochemical, bioinformatic, and cultivation-based approaches and developed a degenerate PCR-based method for detecting the key functional gene choline TMA-lyase (cutC) in genomic and metagenomic DNA.
Discovery and inhibition of an interspecies gut bacterial pathway for Levodopa metabolism
TLDR
The major proposed pathway involves an initial decarboxylation of l-dopa to dopamine, followed by conversion of dopamine to m-tyramine by means of a distinctly microbial dehydroxylation reaction.
Characterization of choline trimethylamine-lyase expands the chemistry of glycyl radical enzymes.
TLDR
In vitro characterization of CutC and its activating protein CutD is described and it is established that CutC is a GRE of unique function and a molecular marker for anaerobic choline metabolism.
Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene cluster.
TLDR
This work proposes the Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG) data standard, to facilitate consistent and systematic deposition and retrieval of data on biosynthetic gene clusters.
A prodrug resistance mechanism is involved in colibactin biosynthesis and cytotoxicity.
TLDR
The biochemical characterization of the prodrug synthesis, elongation, and cleavage enzymes from the colibactin biosynthetic pathway is described and suggests that cytotoxicity requires amide bond cleavage.
Investigating the initial steps in the biosynthesis of cyanobacterial sunscreen scytonemin.
  • E. Balskus, C. Walsh
  • Chemistry, Medicine
    Journal of the American Chemical Society
  • 19 November 2008
TLDR
The cyanobacterial natural product scytonemin functions as a sunscreen, absorbing harmful UV-A radiation, and a biosynthetic route to this pigment is proposed, using information from a recently identified gene cluster.
Metabolic, Epigenetic, and Transgenerational Effects of Gut Bacterial Choline Consumption.
TLDR
The results reveal an underappreciated effect of bacterial choline metabolism on host metabolism, epigenetics, and behavior, and suggest that interpersonal differences in microbial metabolism should be considered when determining optimal nutrient intake requirements.
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