Biotech Updates

Researchers Produce Most Complete Functional Map of a Sucrose-Degrading Enzyme Family

May 27, 2015

Researchers at the US Department of Energy (DOE) have developed and analyzed high-resolution crystal structures of an enzyme from the cellulose-degrading GH55 family. The team used a variety of techniques that resulted in the "most complete functional mapping of an entire GH family available to date."

The researchers from the Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have described the structure and function of another GH55 protein, SacteLam55A, which is encoded by the gene SACTE_4363. Through gene synthesis and cell-free protein translation, the research team was able to describe the biochemistry and structure of the GH55 family.

More details are available at the DOE JGI website.