Watanabe Research Lab
The azinomycins are anti-tumor antibiotics isolated from the culture broths of the terrestrial microorganism, Streptomyces sahachiroi. Their biological activity appears to reside in their ability to covalently alkylate and subsequently cross-link double stranded DNA.
One of the most common early characteristic features of AMD (the dry form) is the accumulation of yellow deposits in the eye called drusen. A more severe form of the disease, the wet form, is characterized by neovascularization (abnormal blood vessel formation). Cycloretinal is a non-degradable, toxic byproduct of the visual cycle. Photochemical activation of the metabolite leads to oxidative damage of the retinal pigment epithelium and adjacent photoreceptor cells.
Congratulations to the group for their two newly awarded Welch and NSF grants!
Congratulations to Dr. Watanabe for her LEAD Award for Leadership in Equity and Diversity!
Congratulations to Lauren Washburn and Thom Kelly for their recent publication, “Fate of Molecular Oxygen in Azinomycin Biosynthesis, J. Org. Chem. 2019, 84, 2991-2996!
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Department of Chemistry
Texas A&M University
PO Box 30012
College Station, TX
77842-3012
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Department of Chemistry
Texas A&M University
Ross St @ Spence St
College Station, TX 77843-3255
Campus Mail
Department of Chemistry
TAMU 3255
College Station, TX 77843-3255
