Chemists first synthesized acylsulfenic acids in the 1990s, but natural products containing this labile moiety have so far not been isolated. The identification of a new natural product, sulfenicin, and the characterization of its biosynthesis now suggest this functional group is widespread among bacteria, hinting at an undiscovered subclass of natural products.
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Maurer, S.J., McCallum, M.E. Biosynthesis of an elusive sulfur-containing functional group. Nat. Chem. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01862-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01862-4
