RESEARCH: Β-GALACTOSIDASE
FOLDING PROJECT #16927 PROFILE

This project studies a special enzyme from a cold and salty Antarctic lake that breaks down sugar. Scientists changed the enzyme's code to see how it affects how well it works at different temperatures. They hope to learn how changes in enzymes can make them more efficient, which could help scientists 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 species of halophilic archaea found in Antarctica.

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

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β-galactosidase

An enzyme that breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose.

β-galactosidase is an important enzyme used to break down the sugar lactose. It's found in many organisms, including bacteria and mammals. This enzyme plays a crucial role in digesting dairy products.

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Amino acid

The building blocks of proteins.

Amino acids are the fundamental units that make up proteins. There are 20 different types of amino acids, each with a unique chemical structure and function. They link together in chains to form proteins, which carry out a wide variety of tasks in living organisms.

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Homologs

Genes or proteins that share a common ancestor.

Homologs are genes or proteins in different species that have evolved from a shared ancestral gene. They often retain similar functions but can also diverge over time to acquire new roles.

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Mutated

Changed or altered in the genetic sequence.

Mutation refers to a change in the DNA sequence. These changes can be spontaneous or induced by external factors. Mutations can have various effects on organisms, ranging from being harmless to causing disease.

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Catalytic Efficiency

The rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

Catalytic efficiency describes how effectively an enzyme speeds up a chemical reaction. It's a measure of the enzyme's ability to convert substrates into products.

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Molecular Simulations

Computer models used to study the behavior of molecules.

Molecular simulations use computer algorithms to simulate the movement and interactions of atoms and molecules. They are valuable tools for understanding complex biological processes at a molecular level.

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Trajectory Data

Recorded movements of molecules over time.

Trajectory data captures the path and changes in position of atoms or molecules during a molecular simulation. Analyzing this data provides insights into the dynamics and interactions within biological systems.