Enzymes activated by synthetic components

摘要

As our knowledge of biosynthetic pathways evolves, experiments that interfere at specific points in these molecular assembly lines may be judiciously designed. On page 66 of this issue, Berggren et al. report just such a strategy in their study of a [FeFe] -hydrogenase enzyme called HydAl, which mediates the remarkably efficient production of hydrogen gas from water-derived hydrogen ions. The authors' findings increase our understanding of how the enzymes active site is constructed.