GAS MIGRATION PATHWAYS IN HYDROGENASE AND OTHER PROTEINS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Many proteins perform their function by interacting with gas molecules such as oxygen and carbon monoxide. Unlike in the case of most other ligands, the protein reactive sites for these gases are often buried deep inside the proteins, with no obvious entry pathway. Describing the locations of the gas pathways and the mechanism of gas migration is an essential step towards understanding how proteins such as globins, oxygenases, oxidases work. The knowledge can then be directly applied to solve concrete and relevant problems. One example is the commercial production of hydrogen gas for use as an energy fuel, using hydrogenase: knowing the gas migration pathways inside hydrogenase provides crucial guidance to the re-design of the enzyme through targeted mutations, which can then be used to affordably produce H2.