Identification of the elusive hydronium ion exchanging roles with a proton in an enzyme at lower pH values

Andrey Y. Kovalevsky, B. L. Hanson, S. A. Mason, T. Yoshida, S. Z. Fisher, M. Mustyakimov, V. T. Forsyth, M. P. Blakeley, D. A. Keen, Paul Langan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

58 Scopus citations

Abstract

Visible to neutrons: Although thought to be involved in biological processes, hydronium ions had never been identified in biomacromolecular crystallographic structures. A hydronium ion has now been found by neutron and X-ray crystallography to interchange with metal cofactors in the active site of an enzyme. Under more acidic conditions, the hydronium ion is dehydrated to a proton, and the binding site collapses (see picture).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7520-7523
Number of pages4
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume50
Issue number33
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 8 2011

Funding

FundersFunder number
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEP/C015452/1

    Keywords

    • X-ray diffraction
    • enzymes
    • hydronium ions
    • neutron diffraction
    • protonation

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