Collaborative Research: The Chemistry of Riboflavin Biosynthesis

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Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is essential in all organisms, facilitating biological reactions that include cellular energy production, photosynthesis, DNA repair and response to oxidative stress. With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division provides funding to Dr. Graham Moran (Loyola University Chicago) and Dr. Audrey Lamb (University of Kansas) to study the ways enzymes function to in the critical biosynthesis of riboflavin. This collaborative project will systematically determine detailed molecular structures of and chemical steps catalyzed by these enzymes. The basic science knowledge learned here may provide strategies for the development of antimicrobial drugs. The experiments are the foundation for the training of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers at these two institutions. In addition, Drs. Lamb and Moran collaborate to co-write articles for the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology magazine ASBMB Today. These OpEd-style articles provide guidance on professional development that may strengthen the scientific community and promote inclusivity.This research project is undertaken to define the structure-function relationships of the enzymes of riboflavin biosynthesis (specifically RibA, RibB, and RibD). Riboflavin biosynthesis includes five enzymatic activities that are unparalleled in nature. This pathway has been studied in sufficient detail to establish the chemical transformations performed by each enzyme and the salient characteristics of the enzymes. The focus of this research is to define the mechanisms of the unusual deformylation reactions of RibA and RibB and the unconventional multi-activity of RibD. The kinetic and chemical mechanistic work (in the steady and pre-steady states) are supported by structural biology investigations (X-ray crystallography). The results provide valuable fundamental knowledge for the field of enzymology and future biocatalysis research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.