An enzyme is a type of protein that acts as a catalyst in various biochemical reactions, making them occur much more rapidly than they would otherwise. These reactions are crucial to life, supporting processes such as digestion, metabolism, and energy production in cells. Each enzyme is specific to a particular reaction or type of reaction due to the shape of its active site, where the substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical transformation. This specificity follows the “lock and key” model where only the correctly sized and shaped substrate fits into the enzyme, similar to a key fitting into a specific lock. Enzymes are involved in nearly all cellular activities, including DNA replication, repair, and transcription, protein synthesis, and signal transduction pathways. The efficiency and regulation of enzymes are central to the control of biological processes, and their malfunction can lead to diseases and metabolic disorders.
A new enzyme engineering method uses evolutionary data to enhance enzyme performance, promising significant advances in health care and industrial applications. Researchers have developed a…
Ubiquitin-related enzymes USP28 and USP25 play critical roles in cell processes, but their similar structures lead to challenges in cancer treatment with current inhibitors. Research…
A Johns Hopkins study revealed that an enzyme in fruit fly testes could hinder insect reproduction by managing bromotyrosine accumulation, presenting a novel method for…
Researchers at University of Virginia Health have uncovered a potential explanation for some of the most puzzling aspects of COVID-19 and long COVID. These surprising…
Studying the role of a particular bacterial enzyme has paved the way for the biotechnological breakdown of styrene. Polystyrene, composed of styrene units, is the…
Boronic acid has been utilized in organic chemistry for decades, despite not being found in any living organism. ‘It gives rise to different chemical reactions…
For the first time, scientists have precisely characterized the enzyme styrene oxide isomerase, which can be used to produce valuable chemicals and drug precursors in…
New study sheds light on the structure and evolution of an enzyme in psychoactive fungi. The psychoactive substance psilocybin is the most important natural product…
Scientists at Scripps Research have developed atomic-level structural models of enzymes linked to autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as lupus and Alzheimer’s disease. When nucleic…
Scientists have successfully engineered an enzyme capable of breaking down the stubborn man-made bonds between silicon and carbon that exist in widely used chemicals known…
Biologists from Konstanz have unveiled a unique and ancient phosphorus-based bacterial metabolism. Central to this discovery are four elements: an analytical calculation dating back to…
In a recently published study, researchers at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) at Karolinska Institutet have questioned the old paradigm surrounding isotopes…
In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers have identified the enzyme responsible for urine’s yellow color, shedding light on the crucial role of the gut microbiome…
Scientists at the University of Bath have used nature as inspiration in developing a new tool that will help researchers develop new pharmaceutical treatments in…
Recent research has illuminated the longstanding question of how starch granules develop in the seeds of Triticeae crops – including wheat, barley, and rye. This…
Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine and Sanford Burnham Prebys have demonstrated a new way to accelerate recovery from peripheral nerve injury. They did…
The newly designed CRISPR enzyme offers a more compact DNA editing solution, maintaining the efficiency of existing tools and could improve patient treatment. A new…
Professor René Ketting’s team at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, Germany, along with Dr. Sebastian Falk’s group at the Max Perutz Labs…