Work

Structure of a fungal form of aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase fromCryptococcus neoformans

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: Aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ASADH) functions at a critical junction in the aspartate-biosynthetic pathway and represents a valid target for antimicrobial drug design. This enzyme catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reductive dephosphorylation of β-aspartyl phosphate to produce the key intermediate aspartate semialdehyde. Production of this intermediate represents the first committed step in the biosynthesis of the essential amino acids methionine, isoleucine and threonine in fungi, and also the amino acid lysine in bacteria. The structure of a new fungal form of ASADH from Cryptococcus neoformans has been determined to 2.6 Å resolution. The overall structure of CnASADH is similar to those of its bacterial orthologs, but with some critical differences both in biological assembly and in secondary-structural features that can potentially be exploited for the development of species-selective drugs.

Source: Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology Communications

DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x15017495

Authors: Gopal Dahal, Ronald E. Viola

Institution: University of Toledo

Language: English

Topic: Enzyme Structure and Function

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Science and Technology Facilities Council, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Awards: Development of Aspartate Pathway Inhibitors as Novel Antibiotics, G8227359947, G9000269905