Daniel Leichnitz

Daniel Leichnitz

Email: daniel.leichnitz@leibniz-hki.de

Exploitation and total synthesis of new microbial sphingolipid-type signaling molecules

This comprehensive project combines multidisciplinary approaches to analyze novel microbial signaling molecules modulating specific interkingdom interactions and to sheet light into the rules of community assembly and evolution. The proposed research aspects will particularly focus on the chemical characterization of rare bacterial sphingo- and sulfonolipids, which regulate an onset of development in one of the closest living relatives of animals, the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta. Leveraging interdisciplinary techniques, inspired by state-of-the-art organic, natural product and analytical chemistry, this project will undertake the research initiative to (1) proof the structural assignment of isolated unprecedented microbial sphingo- and sulfonolipids by a flexible, modular and atom-economic total synthesis, (2) enable synthetic access to functionalized derivatives, and (3) promote the isolation of novel microbial sphingo- and sulfonolipids from preselected bacterial strains.

Publications

Leichnitz D, Peng CC, Raguz L, Rutaganira F, Jautzus T, Regestein L, King N, Beemelmanns C (2021) Structural and functional analysis of bacterial sulfonosphingolipids and rosette-inducing factor 2 (RIF-2) by mass spectrometry-guided isolation and total synthesis. Chemistry , Details PubMed

Braga D, Last D, Hasan M, Guo H, Leichnitz D, Uzum Z, Richter I, Schalk F, Beemelmanns C, Hertweck C, Lackner G (2019) Metabolic Pathway Rerouting in Paraburkholderia rhizoxinica Evolved Long-Overlooked Derivatives of Coenzyme F420. ACS Chem Biol 14(9), 2088-2094. Details PubMed

Leichnitz D, Pflanze S, Beemelmanns C (2019) Stereoselective synthesis of unnatural (2S,3S)-6-hydroxy-4-sphingenine-containing sphingolipids. Org Biomol Chem 17(29), 6964-6969. Details PubMed

Guo H, Benndorf R, König S, Leichnitz D, Weigel C, Peschel G, Berthel P, Kaiser M, Steinbeck C, Werz O, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2018) Expanding the Rubterolone Family - Intrinsic Reactivity and Directed Diversification of PKS-derived Pyrans. Chemistry 24, 11319-11324. Details PubMed

Guo H, Benndorf R, Leichnitz D, Klassen JL, Vollmers J, Görls H, Steinacker M, Weigel C, Dahse HM, Kaster AK, de Beer ZW, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2017) Isolation, Biosynthesis and Chemical Modifications of Rubterolones A-F: Rare Tropolone Alkaloids from Actinomadura sp. 5-2. Chemistry , Details PubMed

Supervisor

Christine Beemelmanns

Start of PhD

September 24, 2015

Doctoral Disputation

April 28, 2023

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