20. N. Guo#, J. Gu#, Q. Zhou, F. Liu, H. Dong, Q. Ding, Q. Wang, D. Wu, J. Yang, J. Fan, L. Gao*, K. N. Houk*, and X. Lei*. Aspartic acid residues in BBE-like enzymes from Morus alba promote a function shift from oxidative cyclizationto dehydrogenation. PNAS 2025, 122, e2504346122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2504346122
19. X. Guo#, L. Gao#, S. Li#, J. Gao, Y. Wang, J. Lv, J. Wei, J. Yang, H. Ke, Q. Ding, J. Yang, F. Guo, H. Zhang, X. Lei* & L. Kang*. Decoding 4-vinylanisole biosynthesis and pivotal enzymes in locusts. Nature 2025, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09110-y.
Prior to WHU
1. Ding, Q.#, Guo, N.#, Gao, L.*, McKee, M., Wu, D., Yang, J., Fan, J., Weng, J.-K., Lei, X. * The evolutionary origin of naturally occurring intermolecular Diels-Alderases from Morus alba. Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 2492. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46845-0
2. Jiang, B.#, Gao, L.#, Wang, H. #, Sun, Y. #, Zhang, X., Ke, H., Liu, S., Ma, P., Liao, Q, Wang, Y., Wang, H., Liu, Y., Du, R., Rogge, T., Li, W., Shang, Y., Houk, K. N., Xiong, X., Xie, D., Huang, S., Lei, X. *, Yan, J. * Characterization and heterologous reconstitution of Taxus biosynthetic enzymes leading to baccatin III. Science 2024, 383, 622-629.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj3484
3. Zhang, H., Xie, S., Yang, J., Ye, N., Gao, F., Gallou, F., Gao, L. *, Lei, X.* Chemoenzymatic synthesis of 2-aryl thiazolines from 4- hydroxybenzaldehydes using vanillyl alcohol oxidases. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, e202405833.
4. Gao, L.#, Zou, Y. #, Liu, X. #, Yang, J. #, Du, X., Wang, J., Yu, X., Fan, J., Jiang, M., Li, Y., Houk, K. N. *, Lei, X. * Enzymatic control of endo and exo stereoselective Diels-Alder reactions with broad substrate scope. Nat. Catal. 2021, 4, 1059-1069. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41929-021-00717-8
5. Gao, L.#, Su, C.#, Du, X.#, Wang, R.#, Chen, S., Zhou, Y., Liu, C., Liu, X., Tian, R., Zhang, L., Xie, K., Chen, S., Guo, Q., Guo, L., Hano, Y., Shimazaki, M., Minami, A., Oikawa, H., Huang, N., Houk, K. N., Huang, L.*, Dai, J.*, Lei, X*. FAD-dependent enzyme-catalysed intermolecular [4+2] cycloaddition in natural product biosynthesis. Nat. Chem. 2020, 12, 620-628.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-020-0467-7
6. Guo, Q.#, Wu, D.#, Gao, L.#, Bai, Y., Liu, Y., Guo, N., Du., X., Yang, J., Wang, X. Lei, X.* Identification of the AMA synthase from the Aspergillomarasmine A biosynthesis and evaluation of its biocatalytic potential. ACS. Catal. 2020, 10, 6291-6298.https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscatal.0c01187
7. Wang, J. Ke, H., Yang, J. Guo, N., Hu, K., Tang, R., Ding, Q., Gao, L.*, Lei, X.* Diversity-oriented synthesis of cyclohexenes by combining enzymatic intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions and decarboxylative functionalizations. Chem. Catal. 2023, 3, 100451.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667109322006042
8. Gao, L., Ding, Q., Lei, X. Hunting for the intermolecular Diels–Alderase. Acc. Chem. Res. 2024, 57, 2166. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00315
9. Gao, L., Yang, J., Lei, X.* Enzymatic intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions in synthesis: From nature to design. Tetrahedron Chem 2022, 2,100013. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666951X22000092
10. Gao, L., Han, J. Lei, X.* “Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Kuwanons X and Y, Kuwanol A” Org. Lett., 2016, 18, 360-363. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.orglett.5b03285
11. Gao, L*. Lei. X*. Biosynthetic intermediate probes for visualizing and identifying the biosynthetic enzymes of plant metabolites. ChembioChem, 2021, 22, 982. https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cbic.202000530
12. Liu, X. #, Yang, J.#. Gao, L.#, Zhang, L. Lei, X*. Chemoenzymatic total syntheses of artonin I with an intermolecular Diels-Alderase. Biotechnol. J. 2020, 15, 2000119. https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.202000119
13. Gao, L.; Narita, K.; Ozaki, Kumakura, N.; Gan, P.; Minami, A.; Liu, C.; Lei, X.; Shirasu, K.; Oikawa, H.* “Identification of novel sesterterpenes by genome mining of phytopathogenic fungi Phoma and Colletotrichum sp”. Tetrahedron Lett. 2018, 59, 1136-1139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.02.022
14. Zhang, J.,# Liao, D.,# Chen, R.,# Zhu, F., Ma, Y., Gao, L., Qu, G., Cui, C., Sun, Z., * Lei, X., * Gao, S.-S.* Tuning an Imine Reductase for the Asymmetric Synthesis of Azacycloalkylamines by Concise Structure-Guided Engineering. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202201908. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202201908.
15. Ozaki, T.#; Shinde, S. S.#; Gao, L.; Okuizumi, R.; Liu, C.; Ogasawara, Y.; Lei, X.; Dairi, T.; Minami, A.; Oikawa, H.* “Enzymatic formation of a skipped methyl-substituted octaprenyl side chain of longestin (KS-505a): Involvement of homo-IPP as a common extender unit”. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 6629-6632. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201802116
16. Narita, K.; Sato, H.; Minami, A.; Kudo, K.; Gao, L.; Liu, C.; Ozaki, T.; Kodama, M.; Lei, X.; Taniguchi, T.; Monde, K.; Yamazaki, M.; Uchiyama, M.; Oikawa, H.* “Focused Genome Mining of Structurally Related Sesterterpenes: Enzymatic Formation of Enantiomeric and Diastereomeric Products”. Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 6696-6699. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.7b03418
17. Wang, J.#; Zhao, J. #; Yu, Z.; Wang, S.; Guo, F.; Yang, J.; Gao, L.; Lei, X. Concise and modular chemoenzymatic total synthesis of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids. 2025, 64, e202414340.
18. Yang, J. #; Liang, K. #; Ke, H.; Zhang, Y.; Meng, Q.; Gao, L.; Fan, J.; Li, G.; Zhou, H.; Xiao, J. *; Lei X.* Enzymatic degradation of deoxynivalenol with the engineered detoxification enzyme Fhb7. JACS Au 2024, 4, 619–634.
