Undergraduate authors are highlighted (underline), # indicates authors contributed equally, * indicates corresponding authors.
45. Mou et al. (2026) in preparation
44. Chai et al. (2026) in preparation
43. Xi et al. (2026) submitted
42. Batool et al. (2026) submitted
41. Ping Y et al. (2026) accepted
40. Chai W,# Luo S,#, Xi W, He X, Zhang T, Zou Y*, Hai Y*. (2026) Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate-Dependent Enzymatic Decarboxylative Annulation. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 148, 9, 9709–9719 LINK
39. Mou S, and Hai Y*. (2026) Advances in artificial biosynthesis of bioactive plant natural products. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 97,103425. LINK
38. Liu S, and Hai Y*. (2025) Engineering a PLP-dependent Mannichase. Methods Enzymol. 721, 121-133. LINK
37. Liu S, Batool Z, and Hai Y*. (2026) Biosynthesis of the α-D-mannosidase inhibitor (−)-Swainsonine. Nat. Chem. Biol. 22(2):284-292. LINK bioRxiv
36. Forana M, Aucklooa N, Candace Hoa Y, Liu S, Hai Y and Jenner M* (2025) Biochemical dissection of a fungal highly reducing polyketide synthase condensing region reveals basis for acyl group selection. Chem. Sci. 16 (29), 13173-13182 LINK
35. Lara D, Zeng T, Hai Y*. (2025) A self-sufficient β-Methylarginine Biosynthetic Pathway in Planctomycetes. ChemBioChem 26, 16, e202500331 LINK
34. Gao J,# Liu D,# Nguyen C, McCormick S, Proctor HR, Luo S, Zou Y and Hai Y* (2025) Biosynthesis of the Central Tricyclic Skeleton of Trichothecene Mycotoxins. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 12, 10331–10338. LINK
33. Gao J, Xu Y, Yeh C, Zou Y, and Hai Y* (2025) Cysteine S-conjugate sulfoxide β-lyase activity for human ACCS. FEBS J. 292, 2272-2286 LINK.
32. Xu Y, Liu S, Gao J, and Hai Y*. (2024)Molecular Basis for Cγ-N Bond Formation by PLP-Dependent Enzyme LolC. Biochemistry 63, 24, 3348-3356. LINK
31. Liu S, Gao J, Zou Y, and Hai Y* (2024) Enzymatic synthesis of unprotected a,b-diamino acids via direct asymmetric Mannich reaction. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 146, 29, 20263–20269. LINK
30. Liu S, Yeh C, Reavill C, Jones B, Zou Y, and Hai Y* (2023) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63 (13),
e202317161. LINK
29. Liu S, and Hai Y* (2023) Chemoenzymatic Approaches to Izidine Alkaloids: An Efficient Total Synthesis of (+)-Absouline and Laburnamine. ACS Catal. 13, 15725-15729. LINK This paper is highlighted by OPR&D.
28. Liu S, Lara D, and Hai Y*. (2023) Mining the noncanonical terpenome. Nat. Chem. Biol. (News and Views) LINK
27. Gao J, Zhou C, and Hai Y*. (2023) Stereoselective Biocatalytic α-Deuteration of L-Amino Acids by a Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate Dependent Mannich Cyclase. ChemBIoChem 24, 23, e202300561. LINK This paper is highlighted by ChemistryNews.
26. Gao J,# Liu S,# Zhou C, Lara D, Zou Y,* and Hai Y* (2023) A pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent Mannich cyclase. Nat. Catal. 6, 476-486. LINK
25. Jenner M,#* Hai Y,#* Nguyen HH, Passmore M, Skyrud W, Kim J, Garg N, Zhang W, Loo RRO, and Tang Y. (2023) Elucidating the molecular programming rule of a nonlinear non-ribosomal peptide synthetase responsible for fungal siderophore biosynthesis. Nat. Commun. 14, 2832. LINK Behind the paper story by Matt
24. Hai Y,#* Chen M,#* Huang A, and Tang Y* (2020) Biosynthesis of mycotoxin fusaric acid and application of a PLP-dependent enzyme for chemoenzymatic synthesis of substituted L-pipecolic acids. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 142, 46, 19668-19677. LINK
Prior to UCSB:
23. Hai Y, Jenner M, Tang Y. (2020) Fungal siderophore biosynthesis catalysed by an iterative nonribosomal peptide synthetase. Chem. Sci. 11, 11525-11530. LINK
22. Hai Y, Huang A, Tang Y. (2020) Biosynthesis of amino acid-derived alpha-pyrones by an NRPS-NRPKS hybrid megasynthetase in fungi. J. Nat. Prod. 83, 593-600. LINK
21. Yee DA, Kakule T, Cheng W, Chen M, Chong C, Hai, Y.; Hang L, Hung Y, Liu N, Ohashi M, Okorafor I, Song Y, Tang M-C, Zhang Z, Tang Y. (2020) Genome mining of alkaloidal terpenoids from a hybrid terpene and nonribosomal peptide biosynthetic pathway. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 142, 710-714. LINK
20. Hai Y.; Jenner M, Tang Y. (2019) Complete stereoinversion of L-tryptophan by a fungal single-module nonribosomal peptide synthetase. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 8198-8206. LINK
19. Cai Y, Hai, Y.; Ohashi M, Jamieson CS, Garcia-Borras M, Houk KN, Zhou J, Tang Y. (2019) Structural basis for stereoselective dehydration and hydrogen-bonding catalysis by the SAM-dependent pericyclase LepI. Nat. Chem. 11, 812-820. LINK
18. Hai Y.; Huang A, Tang Y. (2019) Structure-guided function discovery of an NRPS-like glycine betaine reductase for choline biosynthesis in fungi. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 116, 10348-10353. LINK
17. Hai Y.; and Tang Y. (2018) Biosynthesis of long-chain N-acyl amide by a truncated polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase hybrid megasynthase in fungi. J. Am. Chem. Soc.140, 1271-1274. LINK
16. Ohashi M, Liu F, Hai, Y.; Chen M, Tang MC, Yang Z, Sato M, Watanabe K, Houk KN, Tang Y. (2017) SAM-dependent enzyme-catalysed pericyclic reactions in natural product biosynthesis. Nature 549, 502-506. LINK
15. Bitler BG, Wu S, Park PH, Hai, Y.; Aird KM, Wang Y, Zhai Y, Kossenkov AV, Vara-Ailor A, Rauscher Iii FJ, Zou W, Speicher DW, Huntsman DG, Conejo-Garcia JR, Cho KR, Christianson DW, Zhang R. (2017) ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancers depend on HDAC6 activity. Nat. Cell Biol. 19, 962-973. LINK
14. Kasznel AJ, Zhang Y, Hai, Y.; Chenoweth DM. (2017) Structural basis of for aza-glycine stabilization of collagen. J. Am. Chem. Soc.139, 9427-9430. LINK
13. Hai, Y.; Shinsky SA, Porter NJ, Christianson DW. (2017) Histone deacetylase 10 structure and molecular function as a polyamine deacetylase. Nat. Commun.8, 15368. LINK
12. Gao SS, Garcia-Borràs M, Barber JS, Hai, Y.; Duan A, Garg NK, Houk KN, Tang Y. (2017) Enzyme-catalyzed intramolecular enantioselective hydroalkoxylation. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139, 3639-3642. LINK
11. Hai, Y.; and Christianson DW. (2016) Histone deacetylase 6 structure and molecular basis of catalysis and inhibition. Nat. Chem. Biol. 12, 741-747. Highlighted by Chem. & Eng. News. “Biological structures of the year” LINK
10. Hai, Y.; and Christianson DW. (2016) Crystal structures of Leishmania mexicana arginase complexed with α,α-disubstituted boronic amino acid inhibitors. Acta Cryst. F72, 300-306. LINK
9. Hai, Y.; Kerkhoven EJ, Barrett MP, Christianson DW. (2015) Crystal structure of an arginase-like protein from Trypanosoma brucei that evolved without a binuclear manganese cluster. Biochemistry 54, 458-471. LINK
8. Hai, Y.; Edwards JE, Van Zandt MC, Hoffmann KF, Christianson DW. (2014) Crystal structure of Schistosoma mansoni arginase, a potential drug target for the treatment of schistosomiasis. Biochemistry 53, 4671-4684. LINK
7. Hai, Y.; Dugery RJ, Healy D, Christianson DW. (2013) Formiminoglutamase from Trypanosoma Cruzi is an arginase-like manganese metalloenzyme. Biochemistry 52, 9294-9309. LINK
6. D’Antonio EL, Ullman B, Roberts SC, Dixit UG, Wilson ME, Hai, Y.; Christianson DW. (2013) Crystal structure of arginase from Leishmania mexicana and implications for the inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis in parasitic infections. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 535, 163-176. LINK
5. D’Antonio EL, Hai, Y.; Christianson DW. (2012) Structure and function of non-native metal clusters in human arginase I. Biochemistry 51, 8399-8409. LINK
4. Chen JJ, Jing J, Chang H, Rong Y, Hai, Y.; Tang J, Zhang JL, Xu P. (2013) A sensitive and quantitative autolysosome probe for detecting autophagic activity in live and prestained fixed cells. Autophagy 9, 894-904. LINK
3. Jing J, Chen JJ, Hai, Y.; Zhan J, Xu P, Zhang, J.-L. (2012) Rational design of ZnSalen as a single and two photon activatable fluorophore in living cells. Chem. Sci. 3, 3315-3320. LINK
2. Cai YB, Zhan J, Hai, Y. Zhang JL. (2012) Molecular assembly directed by metal–aromatic interactions: control of the aggregation and photophysical properties of Zn–Salen complexes by aromatic mercuration. Chem. Eur. J. 18, 4242-4249. LINK
1. Hai, Y., Chen JJ, Zhao P, Lv H, Yu Y, Xu P, Zhang JL. (2011) Luminescent zinc salen complexes as single and two-photon fluorescence subcellular imaging probes.Chem. Commun. 47, 2435-2437. LINK
PATENT APPLICATIONS
Hai, Y.; Gao, J.; Liu, S. “Compositions, Systems, and Methods for Performing a Mannich Cyclization Reaction”, Patent US20250027123A1.
Hai, Y.; & Tang, Y. “Methods for producing D-tryptophan and substituted D-tryptophans”, Patent WO2021055696.
Hai Lab UCSB 