Crystallization and structural studies of an aldo-keto reductase from opium poppy

Acceleration of an aldo-keto reductase by minimal loop engineering

Aldo-keto reductases tighten coenzyme binding by forming a hydrogen bond across the pyrophosphate group of NAD(P)(H). Mutation of the hydrogen bonding anchor Lys24 in Candida tenuis xylose reductase prevents fastening of the "safety belt" around NAD(H). The loosened NAD(H) binding leads to increased turnover numbers (k(cat)) for reductions of bulky-bulky ketones at constant substrate and coenzy...

Identification of a novel NADH-specific aldo-keto reductase using sequence and structural homologies.

The AKRs (aldo-keto reductases) are a superfamily of enzymes which mainly rely on NADPH to reversibly reduce various carbonyl-containing compounds to the corresponding alcohols. A small number have been found with dual NADPH/NADH specificity, usually preferring NADPH, but none are exclusive for NADH. Crystal structures of the dual-specificity enzyme xylose reductase (AKR2B5) indicate that NAD+ ...

Comparative anatomy of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily.

The aldo-keto reductases metabolize a wide range of substrates and are potential drug targets. This protein superfamily includes aldose reductases, aldehyde reductases, hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases and dihydrodiol dehydrogenases. By combining multiple sequence alignments with known three-dimensional structures and the results of site-directed mutagenesis studies, we have developed a structure/...

AFLP Analysis of Opium Poppy

There are several different DNA analysis procedures that have been used to identify and characterize plant Amplified restriction fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) DNA cultivars to determine genetic diversity. Each procedure analysis was performed on leaf samples of 40 accessions of opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) and two other control genera (Pahas it own requirements, sensitivity, and rel...

History of the Opium Habit, and Opium-Poppy Culture