Maritta Kunert

The paper shows that beetle larvae mimic floral scents to attract bees by biosynthesizing volatile compounds similar to those of flowers.

The paper identifies an auxiliary protein, FoGS, that enhances the activity of geissoschizine synthase in producing alkaloid intermediates and controls product stereochemistry.

The paper identifies and characterizes stemmadenine acetate pathway genes from Tabernanthe iboga, reconstitutes the biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana, and identifies shunt products affecting pathway flux.

This study shows that ipecac alkaloid biosynthesis evolved independently in two plant species using different monoterpene precursors and non-enzymatic reactions.

The paper investigates how three cytochrome P450 enzymes in Catharanthus roseus transform 19E-geissoschizine into four distinct alkaloid scaffolds through oxidative transformations.