Publications
2025
Krüger A, Weber U, Frunzke J (2025) Genome-Wide Analysis of DtxR and HrrA Regulons Reveals Novel Targets and a High Level of Interconnectivity Between Iron and Heme Regulatory Networks in Corynebacterium glutamicum Mol Microbiol
doi: 10.1111/mmi.15376
de Witt J, Luthe T, Wiechert J, Jensen K, Polen T, Wirtz A, Thies S, Frunzke J, Wynands B, Wierckx N (2025) Upcycling of polyamides through chemical hydrolysis and engineered Pseudomonas putida Nat Microbiol doi: 10.1038/s41564-025-01929-5
2024
Ernst P, Zlati F, Kever L, Wirtz A, Goldbaum R, Pietruszka J, Wynands B, Frunzke J, Wierckx N (2024) Selective production of the itaconic acid-derived compounds 2-hydroxyparaconic and itatartaric acid. Metab Eng Commun doi: 10.1016/j.mec.2024.e00252
Krüger A, Göddecke J, Osthege M et al. (2024) Biosensor-based growth-coupling as an evolutionary strategy to improve heme export in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Microb Cell Fact doi:10.1186/s12934-024-02556-1
Erdrich SH, Luthe T, Kever L, Badia Roigé B, Arsova B, Davoudi E & Frunzke J. (2024) Expanding the Phage Galaxy: Isolation and Characterization of Five Novel Streptomyces Siphoviruses Ankus, Byblos, DekoNeimoidia, Mandalore, and Naboo. Phage (New Rochelle) doi: 10.1089/phage.2024.0012
Erdrich SH, Schurr U, Frunzke J, Arsova B. (2024) Seed coating with phages for sustainable plant biocontrol of plant pathogens and influence of the seed coat mucilage. Microb Biotechnol doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.14507
Frunzke J and Lavigne R. (2024) Editorial overview: There and back again: a phage's tale. Curr Opin Microbiol doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102518
Kever L, Zhang Q, Hardy A, Westhoff P, Yu Y, Frunzke J. (2024) Resistance against aminoglycoside antibiotics via drug or target modification enables community-wide antiphage defense. Microlife doi: 10.1093/femsml/uqae015
Rackow B, Rolland C, Mohnen I, Wittmann J, Müsken M, Overmann J, Frunzke J. (2024) Isolation and characterization of the new Streptomyces phages Kamino, Geonosis, Abafar, and Scarif infecting a broad range of host species. Microbiol Spectr doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00663-24
2023
Luthe T, Kever L, Hänsch S, Hardy A, Tschowri N, Weidtkamp-Peters S and Frunzke J. (2023) Streptomyces development is involved in the efficient containment of viral infections. microLife, https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqad002
Luthe T, Kever L, Thormann K, Frunzke J. (2023) Bacterial multicellular behavior in antiviral defense. Curr Opin Microbiol, doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102314
Sharma V, Hünnefeld M, Luthe T, Frunzke J. (2023) Systematic analysis of prophage elements in actinobacterial genomes reveals a remarkable phylogenetic diversity. Sci Rep, doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-30829-z
2022
Krüger A, Frunzke J (2022) A pseudokinase version of the histidine kinase ChrS promotes high heme tolerance of Corynebacterium glutamicum. Front Microbiol, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.997448
Hardy A, Kever L, Frunzke J (2022) Antiphage small molecules produced by bacteria - beyond protein-mediated defenses. Trends Microbiol, doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.08.001
Erdrich SH, Sharma V, Schurr U, Arsova B, Frunzke J (2022) Isolation of Novel Xanthomonas Phages Infecting the Plant Pathogens X. translucens and X. campestris. Viruses, doi: 10.3390/v14071449
Kever L, Hardy A, Luthe T, Hünnefeld M, Gätgens C, Milke L, Wiechert J, Wittmann J, Moraru C, Marienhagen J, Frunzke J (2022) Aminoglycoside Antibiotics Inhibit Phage Infection by Blocking an Early Step of the Infection Cycle. mBio, doi: 10.1128/mbio.00783-22
Krüger A, Keppel M, Sharma V, Frunzke J (2022) The diversity of heme sensor systems - heme-responsive transcriptional regulation mediated by transient heme protein interactions. FEMS Microbiol Rev, doi: 10.1093/femsre/fuac002
2021
Stella RG, Baumann P, Lorke S, Münstermann F, Wirtz A, Wiechert J, Marienhagen J, and Frunzke J (2021) Biosensor-based isolation of amino acid-producing Vibrio natriegens strains. Metab Eng Commun, doi: 10.1016/j.mec.2021.e00187
Sharma V, Hardy A, Luthe T, and Frunzke J (2021) Phylogenetic Distribution of WhiB- and Lsr2-Type Regulators in Actinobacteriophage Genomes. Microbiol Spectr, doi: 10.1128/Spectrum.00727-21
Stella RG, Gertzen CGW, Smits SHJ, Gätgens C, Polen T, Noack S, and Frunzke J (2021) Biosensor-based growth-coupling and spatial separation as an evolution strategy to improve small molecule production of Corynebacterium glutamicum. Metab Eng, doi: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.10.003
Kever L, Hünnefeld M, Brehm J, Heermann R, and Frunzke J (2021) Identification of Gip as a novel phage-encoded gyrase inhibitor protein of Corynebacterium glutamicum. Mol Microbiol, doi: 10.1111/mmi.14813
Hünnefeld M, Viets U, Sharma V, Wirtz A, Hardy A, Frunzke J, (2021) Genome Sequence of the Bacteriophage CL31 and Interaction with the Host Strain Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032. Viruses, doi: 10.3390/v13030495
Tenhaef N, Stella R, Frunzke J, Noack S, (2021) Automated Rational Strain Construction Based on High-Throughput Conjugation. ACS Synth Biol, doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00599
2020
Hardy A, Sharma V, Kever L, and Frunzke J (2020) Genome Sequence and Characterization of Five Bacteriophages Infecting Streptomyces Coelicolor and Streptomyces Venezuelae: Alderaan, Coruscant, Dagobah, Endor1 and Endor2. Viruses, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/v12101065
Wiechert J, Gätgens C, Wirtz A, and Frunzke J, (2020) Inducible expression systems based on xenogeneic silencing and counter-silencing and design of a metabolic toggle switch. ACS Synth Biol, doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00111
Keppel M, Hünnefeld M, Filipchyk A, Viets U, Davoudi C-F, Krüger A, Mack C, Pfeifer E, Polen T, Baumgart M, Bott M, and Frunzke J, (2020) HrrSA orchestrates a systemic response to heme and determines prioritization of terminal cytochrome oxidase expression. Nucleic Acids Res, doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaa415
Wiechert J, Filipchyk A, Hünnefeld M, Gätgens C, Brehm J, Heermann R and Frunzke J, (2020) Deciphering the Rules Underlying Xenogeneic Silencing and Counter-Silencing of Lsr2-like Proteins Using CgpS of Corynebacterium glutamicum as a Model. mBio, doi: 10.1128/mBio.02273-19
2019
Pfeifer E, Michniewski S, Gätgens C, Münch E, Müller F, Polen T, Millard A, Blombach B, Frunzke J (2019) Generation of a Prophage-Free Variant of the Fast-Growing Bacterium Vibrio natriegens. Appl Environ Microbiol, doi 10.1128/AEM.00853-19
Krüger A, Wiechert J, Gätgens C, Polen T, Mahr R, Frunzke J (2019) The impact of CO2/HCO3 - availability on anaplerotic flux in PDHC-deficient Corynebacterium glutamicum strains. J Bacteriol, doi: 10.1128/JB.00387-19
Hünnefeld M, Persicke M, Kalinowski J, Frunzke J (2019) The MarR-Type Regulator MalR Is Involved in Stress-Responsive Cell Envelope Remodeling in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Front Microbiol, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01039
Keppel M, Piepenbreier H, Gätgens C, Fritz G, Frunzke J. (2019) Toxic but tasty - Temporal dynamics and network architecture of heme-responsive two-component signalling in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Mol Microbiol, doi: 10.1111/mmi.14226
Pfeifer E, Hünnefeld M, Popa O, Frunzke J. (2019) Impact of Xenogeneic Silencing on Phage-Host Interactions. J Mol Biol, doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.02.011
Stella RG, Wiechert J, Noack S, Frunzke J. (2019) Evolutionary engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum. Biotechnol J, doi: 10.1002/biot.201800444
2018
Freiherr von Boeselager R, Pfeifer E, Frunzke J (2018)Cytometry meets next-generation sequencing - RNA-Seq of sorted subpopulations reveals regional replication and iron-triggered prophage induction in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Sci Rep, doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32997-9
Wiechert J and Frunzke J (2018) Lichtblicke in der mikrobiellen Stammentwicklung. Nachrichten aus der Chemie, https://doi.org/10.1002/nadc.20184067195.
Keppel M, Davoudi E, Gätgens C, Frunzke J (2018) Membrane Topology and Heme Binding of the Histidine Kinases HrrS and ChrS in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Front Microbiol, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00183.
2017
Pfeifer E, Gätgens C, Polen T, Frunzke J (2017) Adaptive laboratory evolution of Corynebacterium glutamicum towards higher growth rates on glucose minimal medium. Sci Rep, doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-17014-9.
Huber I, Palmer DJ, Ludwig KN, Brown IR, Warren MJ, Frunzke J. (2017) Construction of Recombinant Pdu Metabolosome Shells for Small Molecule Production in Corynebacterium glutamicum. ACS Synth Biol., doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00167.
Baumgart M, Unthan S, Kloß R, Radek A, Polen T, Tenhaef N, Müller MF, Küberl A, Siebert D, Brühl N, Marin K, Hans S, Krämer R, Bott M, Kalinowski J, Wiechert W, Seibold G, Frunzke J, Rückert C, Wendisch VF, Noack S. (2017) Corynebacterium glutamicum Chassis C1*: Building and Testing a Novel Platform Host for Synthetic Biology and Industrial Biotechnology. ACS Synth Biol., doi:10.1021/acssynbio.7b00261.
Baumgart M, Huber I, Abdollahzadeh I, Gensch T, Frunzke J. (2017) Heterologous expression of the Halothiobacillus neapolitanus carboxysomal gene cluster in Corynebacterium glutamicum. J Biotechnol. 2017 doi: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2017.03.019.
2016
Pfeifer E., Hünnefeld M., Popa O., Polen T., Kohlheyer D., M. Baumgart and J. Frunzke (2016) Silencing of cryptic prophages in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Nucleic Acids Res, doi: 10.1093/nar/gkw692
Baumgart M., Schubert K., Bramkamp M. and J. Frunzke, (2016) Impact of LCP proteins on cell wall biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum. J Bacteriol, doi: 10.1128/JB.00406-16.
This article was selected as Spotlight.
Binder D., Frohwitter J., Mahr R., Bier C., Grünberger A., Loeschcke A., Peters-Wendisch P., Kohlheyer D., Pietruszka J., Frunzke J., Jaeger K.E., Wendisch V.F., Drepper T. (2016) Light-Controlled Cell Factories: Employing Photocaged Isopropyl-β-d-Thiogalactopyranoside for Light-Mediated Optimization of lac Promoter-Based Gene Expression and (+)-Valencene Biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Appl Environ Microbiol 82(20):6141-6149.
Mahr, R., Frhr. v. Boeselager, R., Wiechert, J. and J. Frunzke*, (2016) Screening of an Escherichia coli promoter library for a phenylalanine biosensor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100: 6739-53.
Francez-Charlot A., Frunzke J., Zingg J., Kaczmarczyk A., Vorholt J.A., (2016) Multiple σEcfG and NepR Proteins Are Involved in the General Stress Response in Methylobacterium extorquens. PLoS one 11(3):e0152519
Mahr, R., and J. Frunzke, (2016) Transcription factor-based biosensors in biotechnology: current state and future prospects. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100:79-90. doi: 10.1007/s00253-015-7090-3.
Frunzke, J., (2016) Die Sensorik der Zelle für die Biotechnologie nutzen. BioSpektrum 22: 247; Beitrag anlässlich des VAAM Forschungspreis 2016.
2015
Unthan, S., Baumgart, M., Radek, A., Herbst, M., Siebert, D., Brühl, N., Bartsch, A., Bott, M., Wiechert, W., Marin, K., Hans, S., Krämer, R., Seibold, G., Frunzke, J., Kalinowski, J., Rückert, C., Wendisch, V. F., and Noack, S. (2015) Chassis organism from Corynebacterium glutamicum--a top-down approach to identify and delete irrelevant gene clusters. Biotechnol J 10, 290-301
Nanda, A. M., Thormann, K., and Frunzke, J. (2015) Impact of spontaneous prophage induction on the fitness of bacterial populations and host-microbe interactions. J Bacteriol 197, 410-419
Mahr, R., Gätgens, C., Gätgens, J., Polen, T., Kalinowski, J., and Frunzke, J. (2015) Biosensor-driven adaptive laboratory evolution of l-valine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Metab Eng 32, 184-194
Helfrich, S.1, Pfeifer, E.1, Krämer, C., Sachs, C. C., Wiechert, W., Kohlheyer, D., Nöh, K., and Frunzke, J. (2015) Live cell imaging of SOS and prophage dynamics in isogenic bacterial populations. Mol Microbiol 98, 636-650
Grünberger, A., Probst, C., Helfrich, S., Nanda, A., Stute, B., Wiechert, W., von Lieres, E., Nöh, K., Frunzke, J., and Kohlheyer, D. (2015) Spatiotemporal microbial single-cell analysis using a high-throughput microfluidics cultivation platform. Cytometry A
Donovan, C., Heyer, A., Pfeifer, E., Polen, T., Wittmann, A., Krämer, R., Frunzke, J., and Bramkamp, M. (2015) A prophage-encoded actin-like protein required for efficient viral DNA replication in bacteria. Nucleic Acids Res 43, 5002-5016
Baumgart, M., and Frunzke, J. (2015) The manganese-responsive regulator MntR represses transcription of a predicted ZIP family metal ion transporter in Corynebacterium glutamicum. FEMS Microbiol Lett 362, 1-10
2014
Schallmey, M., Frunzke, J., Eggeling, L., and Marienhagen, J. (2014) Looking for the pick of the bunch: high-throughput screening of producing microorganisms with biosensors. Curr Opin Biotechnol 26C, 148-154
Nanda, A. M., Heyer, A., Krämer, C., Grünberger, A., Kohlheyer, D., and Frunzke, J. (2014) Analysis of SOS-induced spontaneous prophage induction in Corynebacterium glutamicum at the single-cell level. J Bacteriol 196, 180-188
Mustafi, N.1, Grünberger, A.1, Mahr, R., Helfrich, S., Nöh, K., Blombach, B., Kohlheyer, D., and Frunzke, J. (2014) Application of a Genetically Encoded Biosensor for Live Cell Imaging of L-Valine Production in Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex-Deficient Corynebacterium glutamicum Strains. PLoS One 9, e85731
Mustafi, N., Bott, M., and Frunzke, J., (2014) Genetically-encoded biosensors for strain development and single cell analysis in Corynebacterium glutamicum. In: Corynebacterium glutamicum: Systems Biology, Biotechnological Applications and Control. A. Burkovski (ed). Norfolg, UK: Caister Academic Press, pp.
Hentschel, E., Mack, C., Gätgens, C., Bott, M., Brocker, M., and Frunzke, J. (2014) Phosphatase activity of the histidine kinases ensures pathway specificity of the ChrSA and HrrSA two-component systems in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Mol Microbiol 92, 1326-1342
2013
Neumeyer, A., Hübschmann, T., Müller, S., and Frunzke, J. (2013) Monitoring of population dynamics of Corynebacterium glutamicum by multiparameter flow cytometry. Microb Biotechnol 6, 157-167
Mahr, R., and Frunzke, J. (2013) Transkriptionsfaktoren im Dienste der Biotechnologie. BIOspektrum 19, 739-741
Hentschel, E., Will, C., Mustafi, N., Burkovski, A., Rehm, N., and Frunzke, J. (2013) Destabilized eYFP variants for dynamic gene expression studies in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Microb Biotechnol 6, 196-201
Gruenberger, A., Probst, C., Heyer, A., Wiechert, W., Frunzke, J., and Kohlheyer, D. (2013) Microfluidic Picoliter Bioreactor for Microbial Single-cell Analysis: Fabrication, System Setup, and Operation. J Vis Exp
Baumgart, M., Unthan, S., Rückert, C., Sivalingam, J., Grünberger, A., Kalinowski, J., Bott, M., Noack, S., and Frunzke, J. (2013) Construction of a prophage-free variant of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 for use as a platform strain for basic research and industrial biotechnology. Appl Environ Microbiol 79, 6006-6015
Baumgart, M., Luder, K., Grover, S., Gätgens, C., Besra, G. S., and Frunzke, J. (2013) IpsA, a novel LacI-type regulator, is required for inositol-derived lipid formation in Corynebacteria and Mycobacteria. BMC Biol 11, 122
2012
Mustafi, N., Grünberger, A., Kohlheyer, D., Bott, M., and Frunzke, J. (2012) The development and application of a single-cell biosensor for the detection of L-methionine and branched-chain amino acids. Metab Eng 14, 449-457
Mishra, A. K., Krumbach, K., Rittmann, D., Batt, S. M., Lee, O. Y., De, S., Frunzke, J., Besra, G. S., and Eggeling, L. (2012) Deletion of manC in Corynebacterium glutamicum results in a phospho-myo-inositol mannoside- and lipoglycan-deficient mutant. Microbiology 158, 1908-1917
Lange, C., Mustafi, N., Frunzke, J., Kennerknecht, N., Wessel, M., Bott, M., and Wendisch, V. F. (2012) Lrp of Corynebacterium glutamicum controls expression of the brnFE operon encoding the export system for L-methionine and branched-chain amino acids. J Biotechnol 158, 231-241
Heyer, A., Gätgens, C., Hentschel, E., Kalinowski, J., Bott, M., and Frunzke, J. (2012) The two-component system ChrSA is crucial for haem tolerance and interferes with HrrSA in haem-dependent gene regulation in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Microbiology 158, 3020-3031
2005-2011
Frunzke, J., Gätgens, C., Brocker, M., and Bott, M. (2011) Control of heme homeostasis in Corynebacterium glutamicum by the two-component system HrrSA. J Bacteriol 193, 1212-1221
Francez-Charlot, A., Frunzke, J., and Vorholt, J. (2010) General stress response in Alphaproteobacteria. In: Bacterial Stress Responses. G. Storz & R. Hengge (eds). Washington, D.C.: ASM Press, pp. 291-300
Gourion, B., Sulser, S., Frunzke, J., Francez-Charlot, A., Stiefel, P., Pessi, G., Vorholt, J. A., and Fischer, H. M. (2009) The PhyR-sigma(EcfG) signalling cascade is involved in stress response and symbiotic efficiency in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Mol Microbiol 73, 291-305
Francez-Charlot, A.1, Frunzke, J.1, Reichen, C., Ebneter, J. Z., Gourion, B., and Vorholt, J. A. (2009) Sigma factor mimicry involved in regulation of general stress response. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106, 3467-3472
Frunzke, J., Engels, V., Hasenbein, S., Gätgens, C., and Bott, M. (2008) Co-ordinated regulation of gluconate catabolism and glucose uptake in Corynebacterium glutamicum by two functionally equivalent transcriptional regulators, GntR1 and GntR2. Mol Microbiol 67, 305-322
Frunzke, J., Bramkamp, M., Schweitzer, J. E., and Bott, M. (2008) Population heterogeneity in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 caused by prophage CGP3. J Bacteriol 190, 5111-5119
Frunzke, J., and Bott, M., (2008) Regulation of iron homeostasis in Corynebacterium glutamicum. In: Corynebacteria: Genomics and molecular biology. A. Burkovski (ed). Norwich, UK: Horizon Scientific Press, pp. 241-266
Cramer, A., Auchter, M., Frunzke, J., Bott, M., and Eikmanns, B. J. (2007) RamB, the transcriptional regulator of acetate metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum, is subject to regulation by RamA and RamBv. J Bacteriol 189, 1145-1149
Wennerhold, J., and Bott, M. (2006) The DtxR regulon of Corynebacterium glutamicum. J Bacteriol 188, 2907-2918
Wennerhold, J.1, Krug, A.1, and Bott, M. (2005) The AraC-type regulator RipA represses aconitase and other iron proteins from Corynebacterium under iron limitation and is itself repressed by DtxR. J Biol Chem 280, 40500-40508
1) Both authors contributed equally to this work