Navigation Links
Scientists take 'snapshots' of enzyme action

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, the New York Structural Biology Center, and SGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., have determined the atomic crystal structure and functional mechanism of an enzyme essential for eliminating unwanted, non-nutritional compounds such as drugs, industrial chemicals, and toxic compounds from the body. The detailed mechanism of action will help scientists understand how these compounds are eliminated and what goes wrong in cases where normal metabolism fails. The research will be published online the week of June 12, 2006, by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to Brookhaven biologists Eswaramoorthy Subramaniam, the lead author, and Subramanyam Swaminathan, who led the research, most non-nutritional, foreign substances such as drugs and industrial chemicals are insoluble in water. The body uses two main groups of enzymes -- flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) and cytochrome P450s -- to convert these compounds to soluble forms that can be easily excreted.

"For FMOs, the end result -- that an oxygen atom gets added to make these compounds soluble -- is simple," Swaminathan says, "but the reactions require additional participants, or cofactors." In order to understand the molecular mechanism, the scientists used high-intensity x-ray beams at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) to identify the positions of individual atoms and produce crystal structures of the enzyme, the enzyme plus its cofactor, and the enzyme plus the cofactor plus the compound to be oxidized (the substrate).

"These crystal structures give step-by-step snapshots of different stages of the catalytic action," Swaminathan says, "and reveal a mechanism that is different from what had been known about this process."

Previously, it had been believed that all the "players" -- the enzyme, cofactor, and substrate -- came together at a particular time to perform the function of t
'"/>

Source:DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory


Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Scientists ID molecular switch in liver that triggers harmful effects of saturated and trans fats
2. Scientists Replicate Hepatitis C Virus in Laboratory
3. Scientists detect probable genetic cause of some Parkinsons disease cases
4. Scientists find missing enzyme for tuberculosis iron scavenging pathway
5. Scientists seek answers on what activates deadly anthrax spores
6. Yale Scientists Find MicroRNA Regulates Ras Cancer Gene
7. Scientists collaborate to assess health of global environment
8. Scientists decipher genome of fungus that can cause life-threatening infections
9. Scientists discover the cellular roots of graying hair
10. Scientists rid stem cell culture of key animal cells
11. Scientists develop new color-coded test for protein folding
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Scientists take snapshots enzyme action

(Date:5/17/2013)... a group of proteins in the brain responsible for ... target that could increase cell survival. , The discovery, ... and published in the EMBO journal with ... new therapies for stroke and other brain diseases. , ... which identified a protein, known as SUMO, responsible for ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) ... of Health (NIH) funding trends highlighting the devastating impact ... research. The FASEB analysis follows a May 15th Senate ... PhD, who testified that the $1.6 billion cut the ... "having a substantial impact on the scientific community." ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... to Research Careers) Program has announced the travel ... (SDB) 72nd Annual Meeting in Cancun, Mexico from ... promote the entry of students, postdoctorates and scientists ... basic science community and to encourage the participation ... Meeting. , Awards are given to poster/platform presenters ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):SUMO wrestling cells reveal new protective mechanism target for stroke 2
... condition of the nation,s coastal waters has improved slightly, ... Coastal Condition Report III (NCCRIII) is the third in ... Great Lakes waters. The report, a ... National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); the U.S. Geological ...
... 2008 - Shakespeare wrote "a rose by any other ... molecules that generate its,fragrance were to change their shape? ... Chemistry at The City,College of New York (CCNY) and ... Biology at Columbia University, set out to,investigate. Their findings, ...
... of socioeconomic status and children,s educational environment. Nevertheless, ... spite of high parental education and support for ... Boulder psychologists Angela Friend, John C. DeFries and ... influences on reading disability, the most commonly identified ...
Cached Biology News:Shape changes in aroma-producing molecules determine the fragrances we detect 2The effect of parental education on the heritability of children's reading disability 2
(Date:5/17/2013)... This news release is available in German . ... all too well: with the naked eye, you can see ... bird in the blur of branches through the telephoto lens ... story for researchers who are looking to study proteins, the ... at ETH Zurich,s Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, and her ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... New interactive learning forums ... leaders of the medical device industry at the ... expo, from June 18-20 in Philadelphia ... ) , These all-new MedTech ... practical presentations and implementable solutions on the most ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... , May 17, 2013  Insero Health, Inc., a ... in epilepsy and related neurological disorders, is today reporting ... lead compound INS001 in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.  The ... Device Trials (AED) Xll meeting by Dr. ... Chairman of Insero,s Scientific Advisory Board.  In this study, ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... Rust removal is one of home maintenance's essential processes. Without ... To help rust contractors make it less expensive, My Cleaning ... it called Rusterizer. It announced that for this month, ... Cleaning Products explained that rust could damage items in two ... The first one, it said, happens when rust forms in ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Proteome atlas for the tuberculosis pathogen 2Proteome atlas for the tuberculosis pathogen 3MedTech Innovate Seminars: New Interactive Learning Forums at 2013 MD&M East 2Insero Health Reports Positive Data on Phase I Trial of Novel Therapy for Drug-resistant Epilepsy 2Organic-Based Rust Remover Cuts Down Price by 10%, My Cleaning Products Details Mechanics How to Get the Discount 2
... topic of economic crisis comes up, an area that seldom ... the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Milwaukee ... and a long history as a manufacturing center, the area ... big business. , ,However, factors such as the gradual ...
... , ,MADISON If you stand on your tiptoes ... in the lobby of UW Madison's new $35.6 million biochemistry ... Hector Floyd DeLuca and colleagues back in 1971 ... Those patents are responsible for the money that built this ...
... has traveled to London and taken the tube (the subway for New ... of mind the gap, which is a warning for the dark hole ... one gets on or off the tube. , ,In other words, ... , ,In last weeks column, we explored the void of seed ...
Cached Biology Technology:A cry for unity for the economy of southeast Wisconsin 2A cry for unity for the economy of southeast Wisconsin 3A cry for unity for the economy of southeast Wisconsin 4DeLuca speaks out on entrepreneurialism, tech transfer, and WARF 2DeLuca speaks out on entrepreneurialism, tech transfer, and WARF 3Five seed-stage funding groups filling Midwest Life Science void 2Five seed-stage funding groups filling Midwest Life Science void 3Five seed-stage funding groups filling Midwest Life Science void 4Five seed-stage funding groups filling Midwest Life Science void 5Five seed-stage funding groups filling Midwest Life Science void 6Five seed-stage funding groups filling Midwest Life Science void 7Five seed-stage funding groups filling Midwest Life Science void 8
... are predominantly used for labeling proteins, the ... peptides and nucleotides because they give better ... required in the conjugation processes. 5-TAMRA is ... peptides and proteins. 6-TAMRA is predominately used ...
anti-Lactate Dehydrogenase...
Mouse monoclonal [6E10] to LAP2 ( Abpromise for all tested applications). entrezGeneID: 7112 SwissProtID: P42166...
Alkali soluble casein is the recommended blot blocking reagent for use with the HisTag Monoclonal Antibody (Novagen) on Western blots....
Biology Products: