PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Blocking the active site of thiolase

2013-11-07
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Dr. Manfred Weiss
manfred.weiss@helmholtz-berlin.de
49-308-062-13149
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie
Blocking the active site of thiolase

This news release is available in German.

Scientists at the University of Oulu, Finland, and at the Helmholtz Center Berlin (HZB) have shown the way to new directions in drug development against African sleeping sickness and other tropical parasitic infections. This was based on the structural analysis of the enzyme thiolase, which plays a central role in lipid metabolism in the parasite that causes sleeping sickness. The researchers examined the biomolecule's structure at the MX beamline of electron storage ring, BESSY II, at the HZB. (Biochemical J. 2013, DOI: 10.1042/BJ20130669)

Sleeping sicknesses – african trypanosomiasis, kala-azar, indian leishmaniasis – are infections caused by tropical parasites. Millions get sick from them each year and thousands end up dying. Anti-parasitic drugs are expensive and often have a host of unwanted side effects. In decades, there have been no new effective therapies. Reason enough for the World Health Organization (WHO) to consider research, which can lead to the development of new anti-parasitic drugs, a top priority.

Now, Prof. Rik Wierenga and his team at Oulu University have paved the way for this type of research by shedding light on the structure of the enzyme thiolase. Thiolase figures prominently in parasitic lipid metabolism. According to Wierenga, "key is knowing the geometry of the enzyme's active site. This is the place where lipids that play a central role in parasitic metabolism attach and where chemical reactions that convert lipids into other substances take place." Which is why it's important to investigate the active site's structure and function: "It enables us to develop lipid-like substances that firmly attach to the active site and block it." The molecules that are involved represent the ideal starting points for new drug development.

Studies at BESSY of the enzyme thiolase have yielded a highly detailed image of thiolase's active site. "We now have a much clearer idea of thiolase's role in all this," says Wierenga. "It would appear that the enzyme catalyzes the first step in the sterol biosynthesis pathway, which is important in a number of parasites."

"The measurements of crystalline thiolase proteins we obtained at our MX beamline has helped to unravel the active site's geometry," says HZB's own Dr. Manfred Weiss. One particular region of the protein called the HDCF loop turns out to be key. The structure, which lies deep within thiolase's interior, was previously unknown. "Understanding the HDCF loop is the ideal starting point for the development of new anti-parasitic drugs," adds Wierenga.



INFORMATION:

Original publication:

Harijan, R.K., Kiema, T.R., Karjalainen, M.P., Janardan, N., Murthy, M.R., Weiss. M.S., Michels, P.A., Wierenga, R.K. (2013) Crystal structures of SCP2-thiolases of Trypanosomatidae, human pathogens causing widespread tropical diseases: the importance for catalysis of the cysteine of the unique HDCF loop. Biochem J., 455, 119-130.

Additional information:

Prof. Dr. Rik Wierenga
Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Fon: +35 829448119 rik.wierenga@oulu.fi



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Online course improves physicians skill level for detecting skin cancer

2013-11-07
Online course improves physicians skill level for detecting skin cancer DETROIT – Primary care physicians who took an online training course about skin cancer detection significantly improved their skill to properly diagnose and manage benign and malignant ...

Vitamin C could ease muscle fatigue in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

2013-11-07
Vitamin C could ease muscle fatigue in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients Bethesda, Md. (Nov. 7, 2013)—Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—a health problem in which the lungs lose their inherent springiness, making it progressively harder to breathe—can ...

1 worm, 2 mouths

2013-11-07
1 worm, 2 mouths A devious evolutionary path between genetics and environment Depending on the environment in which the worm grows, the larva of the roundworm Pristionchus pacificus develops into either a wide-mouthed predator or a narrow-mouthed bacteria ...

Crown of Venezuelan paramos: A new species from the daisy family, Coespeletia palustris

2013-11-07
Crown of Venezuelan paramos: A new species from the daisy family, Coespeletia palustris A joint research led by the Smithsonian Institution (US), Saint Louis University (US) and Universidad de Los Andes (Venezuela) resulted in the discovery of an exciting new species from ...

For obese teen girls, aerobic exercise may trump resistance training in health benefits

2013-11-07
For obese teen girls, aerobic exercise may trump resistance training in health benefits Bethesda, Md. (Nov. 7, 2013)—Obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the United States in the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control ...

When is a comet not a comet?

2013-11-07
When is a comet not a comet? Hubble astronomers observe bizarre 6-tailed asteroid Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have observed a unique and baffling object in the asteroid belt that looks like a rotating lawn sprinkler or badminton ...

If a tree falls in Brazil…? Amazon deforestation could mean droughts for western US

2013-11-07
If a tree falls in Brazil…? Amazon deforestation could mean droughts for western US In research meant to highlight how the destruction of the Amazon rainforest could affect climate elsewhere, Princeton University-led researchers report that the total deforestation ...

Oxygen levels in tumors affect response to treatment

2013-11-07
Oxygen levels in tumors affect response to treatment The genetic make-up of a patient's tumor could be used to personalize their treatment, and help to decide whether they would benefit from receiving additional drugs as part of their radiotherapy ...

Alcohol-related aggression: Social and neurobiological factors

2013-11-07
Alcohol-related aggression: Social and neurobiological factors One-third of all acts of violence are perpetrated under the influence of alcohol. They give rise not only to personal suffering, but also to socio-economic costs. What are the causes of alcohol-related ...

Potential for added medical benefits uncovered for widely used breast cancer drug

2013-11-07
Potential for added medical benefits uncovered for widely used breast cancer drug Lab tests show it protects cells from UV radiation, inflammation and oxidative damage Exemestane, a synthetic steroid drug widely prescribed to fight breast cancers that thrive on estrogens, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

[Press-News.org] Blocking the active site of thiolase