External structure can affect the function of enzymes
Wednesday, November 7, 2018 - 07:30
in Biology & Nature
A research team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and from South Africa has analysed two enzymes with identical substrate binding pockets that nevertheless convert different substrates. In the process, it emerged that changes to the enzyme surface affect its substrate specificity by modifying how densely it is packed inside. These findings might pave the way for manipulating the enzyme function. The researchers published their report in the journal Communications Biology on 2 November 2018.