Rational design of artificial metalloenzymes using protein metal complexes

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H01954
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 34010:Inorganic/coordination chemistry-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022-2023); Osaka Prefecture University (2021)
• Principal Investigator: Fujieda Nobutaka 大阪公立大学, 大学院農学研究科, 教授 (00452318)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 人工金属酵素 / タンパク質配位子 / 立体分岐型合成 / 不斉反応 / 生体触媒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we found a simple method to create artificial enzymes by modifying the active center of the cupin protein. In highly selective proteins which was screened using this method, slight movement of the metal center was observed. Although it is a common theory that the metal centers of proteins are spacially fixed, it is becoming clear that they indeed move slightly in position thanks to the improvement of analytical techniques. The observations obtained in this study illustrate that we have succeeded in artificially installing such an important factor in the function of a natural enzyme into a protein.

Free Research Field

生物無機化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では人為酵素を簡便に作成する方法の一端を見いだした。また、実際に様々なファインケミカルの材料に含まれる不斉炭素合成することにも成功した。今後は、さらなる展開を目指して、望みの化学機能を付与できる分子設計法として、新しい酵素工学の分野を開拓していくことで、物質変換技術に対しての重要な鍵手法になると期待される。