Mannosidase catches the boat
A boat conformation of the Michaelis complex of beta-mannosidase Man2A has been demonstrated by a collaboration of scientists in the UK and Canada.
Gideon Davies and Wendy Offen at the University of York and colleagues from Newcastle University, worked with scientists from Queen’s University, Ontario and University of British Columbia, Vancouver in a major collaborative, multi-disciplined effort. They have provided an intriguing snapshot of a boat shaped Michaelis complex, which provides a useful ‘missing-link’ in the conformational itinerary and also illustrates why sugar imidazoles are often such good glycosidase inhibitors.
The conformational itinerary of enzyme catalysed glycosyl transfer is a central topic in understanding conformational control of substitution. Mannosidases, biological catalysts that breakdown alpha- and beta-mannosides, have to overcome identical problems when directing displacement reactions at the anomeric centre. ‘Dissecting and understanding the reaction coordinate of enzymes is of great importance both fundamentally and to help aid the design of transition state mimicking inhibitors,’ Davies explains. ‘In this work we trap the Michaelis complex of an unhydrolysed substrate poised for catalysis in the active centre of beta-mannosidase, an enzyme that hydrolyses beta-mannosides.’
Mannose chemistry has always been a challenging area of research as synthesis of beta-mannosides are made difficult by unsympathetic anomeric and anchimeric effects, as well as steric hindrance.
The work presented here by the Davies group is valuable as it sheds new light on the related alpha-mannosidase transition states and will help aid inhibitor design, as alpha-mannosidases are particularly useful therapeutic targets. However future challenges facing the group include designing specific mannosidase inhibitors and their application in living cells.
Original article: Wendy A. Offen et al.; Chem. Commun. 2009
Other news from the department science
Get the chemical industry in your inbox
From now on, don't miss a thing: Our newsletter for the chemical industry, analytics, lab technology and process engineering brings you up to date every Tuesday and Thursday. The latest industry news, product highlights and innovations - compact and easy to understand in your inbox. Researched by us so you don't have to.
Most read news
More news from our other portals
Possible trigger of Crohn’s disease discovered
Dysfunctional mitochondria disrupt the gut microbiome
Cost-effective modular system for optical imaging from the 3D printer
Like building with Lego bricks
See the theme worlds for related content
Topic world Synthesis
Chemical synthesis is at the heart of modern chemistry and enables the targeted production of molecules with specific properties. By combining starting materials in defined reaction conditions, chemists can create a wide range of compounds, from simple molecules to complex active ingredients.
Topic world Synthesis
Chemical synthesis is at the heart of modern chemistry and enables the targeted production of molecules with specific properties. By combining starting materials in defined reaction conditions, chemists can create a wide range of compounds, from simple molecules to complex active ingredients.
