Electron transport catalysis in organohalide pollutant respiration

本项目旨在了解有机卤化物呼吸细菌（organohalide respiratory bacteria， ORB）中脱卤酶的底物特异性与基因序列之间的联系，以及电子通过蛋白-蛋白相互作用转移到脱卤酶上的机制。有机卤化物在地球早期历史中就存在，现在污染着全球的环境。有机卤化物呼吸细菌（ORB）在其呼吸代谢中利用这些污染物作为终端电子受体来降解这些污染物。这代表了地球上最古老的呼吸系统之一，人们对它知之甚少。该项目将增加我们对微生物进化和代谢系统的基础知识，并为下一代有机卤化物修复技术铺平道路。

This project aims to understand the link between substrate specificity and gene sequence of dehalogenating enzymes in organohalide respiring bacteria (ORB) and the mechanism by which electrons are transferred to dehalogenating enzymes through protein-protein interactions. Organohalides were present in Earth's early history and now pollute the environment globally. Organohalide respiring bacteria (ORB) can degrade these pollutants by using them as terminal electron acceptors in their respiratory metabolism. This represents one of the most ancient respiratory systems on Earth about which little is known. This project will add to our fundamental knowledge of microbial evolution and metabolic systems, and pave the way for next generation organohalide remediation technologies.