RESEARCH: Β-GALACTOSIDASE
FOLDING PROJECT #16925 PROFILE

This project explores how tiny changes in a special enzyme from Antarctica help it work best in freezing cold salty water. By looking at computer simulations of the enzyme, scientists hope to learn how these changes make the enzyme super efficient and could even be used to design better enzymes for various applications.

Note: This TLDR is a simplication and may not be 100% accurate.

Halorubrum lacusprofundi is a microorganism found in the extremely cold and hypersaline Deep Lake, Antarctica.

This microorganism has a polyextremophilic β-galactosidase that works to break down carbohydrates.

Recent work from the DasSarma group identified six key amino acid residues in β-galactosidase which, when mutated with amino acids conserved in homologs from mesophilic haloarchaea, induced significant changes to the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme and its temperature dependence (1).

We are running molecular simulations of β-galactosidase and its mutated variants to explore how these subtle sequence changes affect the behavior of this enzyme at various temperatures.

We will analyze the trajectory data to formulate explanations for the mechanisms that cause differences in catalytic efficiencies.

In the future, a better understanding of how evolved mutations help optimize enzyme efficiency may lead to improved methods for computational enzyme design. References

1. Laye, V.

   J., Karan, R., Kim, J.-M., Pecher, W.

   T., DasSarma, P., & DasSarma, S.

   (2017).

   Key amino acid residues conferring enhanced enzyme activity at cold temperatures in an Antarctic polyextremophilic β-galactosidase.

   Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(47), 12530–12535.

   http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1711542114

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Halorubrum lacusprofundi

A halophilic archaea found in Antarctic Lake

Halorubrum lacusprofundi is a type of extremophile microorganism that thrives in extremely cold and salty environments like Antarctica's Deep Lake. It's known for its ability to survive in harsh conditions.

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microorganism

A microscopic living organism.

A microorganism is any tiny living thing that can only be seen with a microscope. They include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and algae.

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β-galactosidase

An enzyme that breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose.

β-galactosidase is an enzyme that helps break down lactose, a sugar found in milk. It's used by many organisms to digest dairy products.

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amino acid

The building blocks of proteins.

Amino acids are the tiny units that make up proteins. There are 20 different types of amino acids that combine in various ways to create the many different proteins our bodies need.

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mutation

A change in the DNA sequence.

A mutation is a change in the genetic code that makes up our DNA. These changes can be small or large and can sometimes affect how our bodies work.

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enzyme

A protein that speeds up chemical reactions.

Enzymes are like tiny biological machines that help speed up chemical reactions in our bodies. They're essential for many processes, from digesting food to building new cells.

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molecular simulations

Computer models that simulate molecular behavior.

Molecular simulations use computer programs to recreate the interactions of atoms and molecules. This helps scientists understand how things work at a very small scale.

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trajectory data

Data recorded during a molecular simulation.

Trajectory data is like a movie of how atoms and molecules move over time. Scientists use it to analyze the results of molecular simulations.

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computational enzyme design

Using computer models to design new enzymes.

Computational enzyme design uses computer simulations and algorithms to create new enzymes with desired properties. This can lead to the development of more efficient biocatalysts for various applications.