A team of researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and University of the Free State (UFS) has achieved a remarkable feat in the field of structural biology by determining the structure of an enzyme that could be a key component in producing valuable commodity chemicals in greener, sustainable processes.
Known as cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), the enzyme has received much attention – not only for its ability to perform difficult chemistry, but also for its role as drug target.
“The task was enormous,” said team member Naadia van der Bergh, a PhD student in UCT’s Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER). “CPR is a massive enzyme. It contains 679 amino acids and there were two molecules in the asymmetric unit. Added to that, our initial structure was determined and solved on the basis of a low-resolution map. Interpreting this structure was a truly gruelling effort.”
The results of the research were published on 27 December 2019 in the journal Scientific Reports (9:20088) by the Nature Publishing Group.
International exposure
With support from the Global Challenges Research Fund’s (GCRF) Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology (START) programme, the team was given the opportunity to conduct parts of their research at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron in Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom (UK)
Read more on the University of Cape Town News.
Image: Ana Ebrecht (left) and Naadia van der Bergh are part of a team of researchers from UCT and UFS that achieved a remarkable feat in the field of structural biology.
