Yu, J., Ushimaru, R.* "Genome mining-driven discovery of enzymes catalyzing stereodivergent transformations" J. Antibiot., in press.
Ushimaru, R., Chen, R., Fan, P.-H., Liu, X., Ruszczycky, M., Liu, H.-w.* "Refining the substrate-cofactor disposition model of hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase catalysis using hyoscyamine analogs" J. Am. Chem. Soc., in press.
Zheng, Z.,† Ushimaru, R.†,* Mori, T. Ruszczycky, M. W., Abe, I.,* Liu H.-w.* "Biosynthesis of the thiofuranose core in albomycin requires a versatile enzyme AbmG that catalyzes net dehydration via cryptic phosphorylation" J. Am. Chem. Soc., in press (2025)
Zheng, Z., Ushimaru, R., Thomas, C., Liu, H.-w.* "Radical propagation via σ-cleavage mediates radical SAM catalyzed sulfur-for-oxygen swapping reaction during the biosynthesis of albomycin δ2." J. Am. Chem. Soc., 147, 32118–32123 (2025)
Zhang, W., Ushimaru, R.* “Biosynthesis of guanidine-containing natural products in cyanobacteria.“ J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol., in press (2025)
Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.* “Nitrogen-centered radicals driving unusual enzyme reactions in biosynthetic pathways.“ Chem. Soc. Rev., 54, 6385-6411 (2025)
Ushimaru, R.,* Zheng, Z., Xiong, J., Mori, T., Abe, I.,* Guo, Y.,* Liu, H.-w.* “Radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine FeS-cluster implicated as the sulfur donor during albomycin biosynthesis.“ Nat. Catal., 8, 760–770 (2025)
Zhang, W.,† Ushimaru, R.,†,* Kanaida, M., Abe, I.* “Pyrroline ring assembly via N-prenylation and oxidative carbocyclization during biosynthesis of aeruginosine derivatives.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 147, 10853−10858 (2025)
Zheng, Y.-C., Li, X., Cha, L., Paris, J., Michael, C., Ushimaru, R., Ogasawara, Y.,* Abe, I.,* Guo, Y.,* Chang, W.-c.* “Comparison of a non-heme iron cyclopropanase with a homologous hydroxylase reveals mechanistic features associated with distinct reaction outcomes.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 147, 6162-6170 (2025)
Mori, T.,* Sakurada, K., Awakawa, T., He, H., Ushimaru, R., Abe, I.* "Structure-function analysis of 2-sulfamoylacetic acid synthase in altemicidin biosynthesis" J. Antibiot., 78, 149-158 (2025)
Awakawa, T., Mori, T., Barra, L., Ahmed, Y., Ushimaru, R., Gao, Y., Adachi, N., Senda, T., Terada, T., Tantillo, D. J., Abe, I. “The structural basis of pyridoxal 5’-phosphate dependent β-NAD alkylating enzyme.” Nature Catalysis 7, 1099-1108 (2024)
Wenger, E., Martinie, R., Ushimaru, R., Pollock, C., Sil, D., Li, A., Hoang, N., Palowitch, G., Graham, B., Schaperdoth, I., Burke, E., Maggiolo, A., Chang, W.-C., Allen, B., Krebs, C., Silakov, A., Boal, A., Bollinger, J. M. Jr, “Optimized substrate positioning enables switches in C–H cleavage site and reaction outcome in the hydroxylation-epoxidation sequence catalyzed by hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 146, 24271- 24287 (2024)
Zhou, L., Awakawa, T., Ushimaru, R., Kanaida, M., Abe, I., “Characterization of aziridine-forming α-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenase in L-isovaline biosynthesis.” Org. Lett. 26, 724-727 (2024)
Ushimaru, R.* "Functions and mechanisms of enzymes assembling lignans and norlignans." Curr. Opi. Chem. Biol. 80, 102462 (2024)
Ushimaru, R.* “Three-membered ring formation catalyzed by a-ketoglutarate- dependent nonheme iron enzymes.” J. Nat. Med. 78, 21-32 (2024)
Ushimaru, R.,* Cha, L., Shimo, S., Li, X., Paris, J., Mori, T., Miyamoto. K., Coffer, L., Uchiyama, M., Guo, Y.,* Chang, W-c.,* Abe, I.* “Mechanistic analysis of the stereodivergent nitroalkane cyclopropanation catalyzed by nonheme iron enzymes.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 24210-24217 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.,* Ding, Y., Mori, T., Miyamoto, K., Uchiyama, M., Abe, I.* “Structural and mechanistic insights into the C–C bond forming rearrangement reaction catalyzed by heterodimeric hinokiresinol synthase.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 21966-21973 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.,* Lyu, J., Ling, M., Abe, I.* “Multiple C–C bond cleavage reactions catalyzed by tolyporphin tetrapyrrole biosynthetic enzymes.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 9834-9839 (2023)
Ueno, K., Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.* “Photoinduced reductive dehalogenation of phenacyl bromides with pyridoxal-5′-phosphate.” Chem. Pharm. Bull. 71, 675-677 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.* "Characterization of enzymes catalyzing unusual C–C bond formation and cleavage reactions during natural product biosynthesis." Chem. Pharm. Bull. 72, 241-247 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.* “Back-to-back cycloadditions in nature.” Nature Chemistry 15, 1056-1057 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.* “Assembling neuroactive alkaloids.” Nature Plants 9, 1946- 1947 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.* “Unusual dioxygen-dependent reactions catalyzed by nonheme iron enzymes in natural product biosynthesis.” ACS Catalysis 13, 1045-1076 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.* “C–N and C–S bond formation by cytochrome P450 enzymes.” Trends in Chemistry 5, 526-536 (2023)
Ushimaru, R.,* Lyu, J., Abe, I.* “Diverse enzymatic chemistry for propionate side chain cleavages in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis.” J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 50, Article number: kuad016 (2023)
Awakawa, T., Mori, T., Ushimaru, R., Abe, I. “Structure-based engineering of α- ketoglutarate dependent oxygenases in fungal meroterpenoid biosynthesis.” Nat. Prod. Rep. 40, 46-61 (2023)
Tao, H.,† Ushimaru, R.,†,* Awakawa, T., Mori, T., Uchiyama, M., Abe, I.* “Stereoselectivity and substrate specificity of the Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenase TqaL.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 144, 21512-21520 (2022)
Li, X., Chen, H.-P., Zhou, L., Fan, J., Awakawa, T., Mori, T., Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.,* Liu, J.-K.* “Cordycicadins A–D, antifeedant polyketides from the entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps cicadae JXCH1.” Org. Lett. 23, 8627–8632 (2022)
Lyu, J., Ushimaru, R.,* Abe, I.* “Characterization of enzymes catalyzing the initial steps of the β-lactam tabtoxin biosynthesis.” Org. Lett. 24, 3337-3341 (2022)
Shimo, S.,† Ushimaru, R.,†,* Engelbrecht, A., Harada, M., Miyamoto, K., Andreas, K., Uchiyama, M., Kaysser, L.,* Abe, I.* “Stereodivergent nitrocyclopropane formation during biosynthesis of belactosins and hormaomycins.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143, 18413- 18418 (2021)
Ushimaru, R., Chen, Z., Zhao, H., Fan, P.-h., Liu, H.w. “The enzymes mediating maturation of the seryl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor SB-217452 during biosynthesis of albomycins.” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 59, 3558-3562 (2020)
Wang, S. A., Lin, C. I., Zhang, J., Ushimaru, R., Sasaki, E, Liu, H.-w. “Studies of lincosamide formation complete the biosynthetic pathway for lincomycin A.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 116, 24794-24801 (2020)
Ushimaru, R., Liu, H.w. “Biosynthetic origin of the atypical stereochemistry in the thioheptose core of albomycin nucleoside antibiotics.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 2211- 2214 (2019)
Ushimaru, R., Ruszczycky, M. W., Liu, H.w. “Changes in regioselectivity of H atom abstraction during the hydroxylation and cyclization reactions catalyzed by hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase.” J. Am. Chem. Soc.141,1062-1066(2019)
Ushimaru, R., Ruszczycky, M. W., Chang, W.-c., Yan, F., Liu, Y.-n., Liu, H.w. “Substrate conformation correlates with the outcome of hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase catalyzed oxidation reactions.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 140, 7433-7436 (2018)
Ushimaru, R., Nishimura, T., Iwatsuki, T., Naka, H. “A fluorinated cobalt(III) porphyrin complex for hydroalkoxylation of alkynes.” Chem. Pharm. Bull. 65, 1000-1003 (2017)
Ushimaru, R., Lin, C.-I., Sasaki, E., Liu, H.w. “Characterization of enzymes catalyzing transformations of cysteine S-conjugated intermediates in the lincosamide biosynthetic pathway.” ChemBioChem 17, 1606-1611 (2016)
Tsarev, V. N., Morioka, Y., Caner, J., Wang, Q., Ushimaru, R., Kudo, A., Naka, H., Saito, S. “N-Methylation of amines with methanol at room temperature.” Org. Lett. 17, 2530- 2533 (2015)
Tachinami, T., Nishimura, T., Ushimaru, R., Noyori, R., Naka, H. “Hydration of terminal alkynes catalyzed by water-soluble cobalt porphyrin complexes.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 50-53 (2013)