From Genes to Molecules: Mining Bacterial Genomes for New Enzyme Reactions

从基因到分子：挖掘细菌基因组以实现新的酶反应

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-03695
• 负责人: Zechel, David
• 金额: $ 4.44万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=632749
• 关键词: Genes; Molecules; Mining; Bacterial; Genomes

The aim of this proposal is to use bacterial genome sequence data to identify new enzymes that can be used for the development of industrial biocatalysts. Bacteria comprise one of the largest and diverse forms of life on earth. Because of their relatively fragile structures and limited mobility, bacteria rely on novel chemical reactions, catalyzed by enzymes, to synthesize molecules for defence as well as obtain scarce nutrients from the environment. Therefore, harnessing the catalytic power of such enzymes will allow us to degrade pollutants or synthesize valuable molecules in an environmentally friendly manner. One half of this proposal will focus on a new enzyme pathway discovered by our lab, called PhnY-PhnZ, that degrades phosphonates, a class of molecule that include herbicides and chemical warfare agents. We will study the inner workings and structures of the enzymes PhnY and PhnZ so that we can engineer them to degrade phosphonates of environmental concern into harmless phosphate. We will first focus on engineering the PhnY-PhnZ pathway to degrade RoundUp

该提案的目的是利用细菌基因组序列数据来鉴定可用于开发工业生物催化剂的新酶。细菌是地球上最大和最多样化的生命形式之一。由于它们相对脆弱的结构和有限的流动性，细菌依赖于酶催化的新化学反应来合成防御分子，并从环境中获得稀缺的营养物质。因此，利用这种酶的催化能力将使我们能够以环境友好的方式降解污染物或合成有价值的分子。这项提案的一半将集中在我们实验室发现的一种新的酶途径上，称为PhnY-PhnZ，它可以降解膦酸酯，这是一类包括除草剂和化学战剂的分子。我们将研究PhnY和PhnZ酶的内部工作原理和结构，以便我们可以设计它们将环境问题的膦酸盐降解为无害的磷酸盐。我们将首先专注于工程化PhnY-PhnZ途径来降解RoundUp