Title:
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Structural studies of bacterial oxidoreductase enzymes
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Salmonella are a leading cause of food borne illnesses in humans. Even
though symptoms are often mild, these enterobacteria are responsible for
over 200,000 deaths worldwide every year. There is considerable concern
over the emergence of drug-resistant strains of Salmonella. Lactate
dehydrogenase (LDH) from Salmonella typhi is believed to be an essential
enzyme for the bacteria and hence a potential drug target. This enzyme is a
D-speCific LDH and hence belongs to a class of enzymes much less studied
than the more common L-specific LDHs. In this study the expression,
structural and functional characterisation of the Salmonella D-LDH enzyme is
reported. Crystal structures of the enzyme indicate a number ' of unusual
features within its active site that may facilitate specific targeting by novel
inhibitors . . Preliminary enzymatic activity data confirm the expected Dspecificity
of this enzyme, and that oxamic acid is a weak inhibitor with a Ki of
10.5 mM. The crystal 'structures and enzymatic analyses provide a basis for
structure-based design of novel inhibitors.
This thesis also describes preliminary studies aimed at determining the
structure of a cytochrome P450 enzyme from Jeotga/icoccussp. (oleTJE). This
enzyme, a member of the CYP152 family, has peroxygenase activity and can
be used to produce alkenes (olefins). It is therefore of interest for the
development novel biofuels. Its crystallization is reported, although initial
attempts to determine its crystal structure have so far been unsuccessful.
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