MIN YE

Professor of Pharmacognosy

Group website http://sklnbd.bjmu.edu.cn/k/e/action/ListInfo/?classid=41

Research Areas

§   Biosynthesis and biocatalysis of natural products

§   Effective components of Chinese herbal medicines

Education & Positions

§   Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, B.Sc. 1997, M.Sc. 2000

§   Peking University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ph.D. 2003

§   Peking University, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2003.7-2005.5

§   Louisiana State University, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2005.5-2006.1

§   Yale University, Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2006.1-2007.12

§   Peking University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Associate Professor 2007-2012, Professor 2012-

§   Deputy Director, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, 2012-

§   Vice Dean, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016-

Faculty Accolades & Academic Services

§   National Science and Technology Progress Award of China, 2016 (5th awardee)

§   Grand Challenges 2015-Young Scientists (MOST & Gates Foundation), 2015

§    National Natural Science Award of China, 2012 (2nd awardee)

§    Member, Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission, 2017-

§   Associate Editor, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Pharmaceutical Biology, Frontiers in Ethnopharmacology, 

§   Editorial Board Member, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica, Chinese Medicine  

Research Interests

I have been interested in elucidating the effective components of Chinese herbal medicines. We developed comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (2D-LC/MS) and other analytical methods, which could characterize hundreds of chemical constituents in a herbal medicine. We established a strategy (from single compounds to herbal extracts) to elucidate the in vivo metabolism and multi-component pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicines and their formulas. We also established the "chemical-bioactivity" correlations for licorice (Glycyrrhiza sp.), and clarified its effective components for several therapeutic effects including antitussive and hepatoprotective. In recent years, we have started to study key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of bioactive natural products from herbal medicines (medicinal plants). We have discovered a series of C-glycosyltransferases and prenyltransferases which show novel biocatalytic capabilities. 

Grants and Fundings

§  National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS OF CHINESE MATERIAL MEDICINES, RMB 3,500,000 (2018-2022), Principal Investigator

§  National Key Research and Development Program of China, EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS AND MODE OF ACTION OF CHINESE MEDICINE FORMULAS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE, RMB 2,800,000 (2018-2021), Principal Investigator

§  National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), RAPID AND EFFICIENT DISCOVERY OF NOVEL EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS IN CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINES BY 2D-LC/MS, RMB 730,000 (2015-2018), Principal Investigator

§  National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND IN VIVO METABOLISM OF THE COMPLEX SYSTEMS OF CHINESE MATERIAL MEDICINES, RMB 1,000,000 (2013-2015), Principal Investigator

Selected Publications

1.    He J^#, Zhao P^#, Hu Z, Liu S, Kuang Y, Zhang M, Li B, Yun CH*, Qiao X*, Ye M*. Molecular characterization and structural basis of a promiscuous C-glycosyltransferase from Trollius chinensis.Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2019,58, 11513-11520.

2.   Wang Z^#, Wang S^#, Xu Z^#, Li M, Chen K, Zhang Y, Hu Z, Zhang M, Zhang Z*, Qiao X*, Ye M*. Highly promiscuous flavonoid 3-O-glycosyltransferase from Scutellaria baicalensis. Org. Lett. 2019, 21, 2241？2245.

3.   Song W^#, Qiao X^#, Chen K, Wang Y, Ji S, Feng J, Li K, Lin Y, Ye M*. Biosynthesis- based quantitative analysis of 151 secondary metabolites of licorice to differentiate medicinal Glycyrrhiza species and their hybrids. Anal. Chem. 2017, 89, 3146-3153.

4.    Li K, Feng J, Kuang Y, Song W, Zhang M, Ji S, Qiao X, Ye M*. Enzymatic synthesis of bufadienolide O-glycosides as potent antitumor agents using a microbial glycosyltransferase. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2017, 359, 3765-3772. 

5.    Ji S, Li ZW, Song W, Wang YR, Liang WF, Li K, Tang SN, Wang Q, Qiao X, Zhou DM, Yu SW*, Ye M*. Bioactive constituents of Glycyrrhiza uralensis (licorice): Discovery of the effective components of a traditional herbal medicine. J. Nat. Prod. 2016, 79, 281-292.