U.S.-Italy Cooperative Research: Structure and Function of Glutamate Synthase

该奖项将支持埃默里大学的戴尔·埃德蒙森教授， 与Bruno Curti博士和他的同事一起参加合作活动。 米兰大学的一个小组。 研究人员将专注于 谷氨酸合酶，它在 固氮微生物对氮的同化作用。 具体而言，他们将继续调查以下方面的作用： 催化机理中的黄素和铁硫中心 谷氨酸合酶分离自两种固氮细菌， 巴西固氮菌和棕色固氮菌， 它是微需氧的，与植物的根有关， 第二种是需氧自由生活的土壤细菌。 对酶的实验工作将在埃默里大学和 米兰。 将固氮菌谷氨酸合酶纯化， 在米兰进行表征，而固氮菌酶将在 在亚特兰大净化。 美国实验室将提供以下方面的专业知识 对酶系统的物理测量。 的相互作用 埃德蒙森博士，谁拥有广泛的背景领域， 一般的生物物理化学和具体的黄素蛋白， 柯蒂博士的研究小组， 合酶几年，应该是互惠互利的。 此外，它有可能产生实质性成果 关于谷氨酸合成酶的基本结构和机制 以及有关氮代谢的新信息。

This award will support Prof. Dale Edmondson of Emory University to engage in collaborative activities with Dr. Bruno Curti and his group at the University of Milan. The researchers will focus on the enzyme glutamate synthase, which plays a key role in the assimilation of nitrogen in nitrogen-fixing microorganisms. Specifically, they will pursue the investigation of the roles of the flavin and iron-sulfur centers in the catalytic mechanisms of glutamate synthase isolated from two nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense and Azotobacter vinelandii, the first of which is microaerophilic and associated with plant roots while the second is an aerobic free-living soil bacterium. Experimental work on the enzymes will be conducted at both Emory and Milan. Azospirillum glutamate synthase will be purified and characterized in Milan while the Azotobacter enzyme will be purified in Atlanta. The U.S. lab will provide the expertise in physical measurements on the enzyme systems. The interaction between Dr. Edmondson, who has an extensive background in areas of biophysical chemistry in general and flavoproteins in particular, and Dr. Curti's group, which has worked with the enzyme glutamate synthase for several years, should be of mutual benefit. Furthermore, it has the potential for yielding substantial results concerning the basic structure and mechanism of glutamate synthase as well as new information concerning nitrogen metabolism.