In this week two members of our group (Ibolya Leveles and Kinga Nyíri) are visiting Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for measuring X-ray diffraction data of crystals from various projects, using sincrotron radiation of BESSY II. Hopefully they will come home with many valuable datasets recorded during the eight-hours shift.
Our paper entitled "Preventive DNA repair by sanitizing the cellular nucleotide triphosphate pool" has been published in FEBS Journal.
The molecular mechanism of substrate coordination and catalysis of enzymes removing unwanted nucleotides from the dNTP pool constitutes the long-standing interest of our research group. The review provides a comparative summary of structural and mechanistic novelties of housekeeping dNTP pyrophosphatase enzymes. dNTP PPase enzymes are organized into two main groups, depending on their catalytic mechanisms, featured by the nucleophilic attack centered on the α-phosphate or β-phosphate of the cognate nucleotide substrate. Revisiting the available biochemical and structural data enabled us to reveal characteristic differences between these two groups of enzymes has been highlighted that include coordination of the γ-phosphate of the substrate,the divalent metal cation, and the catalytic water nucleophile.
(FEBS Journal, 18 Aug 2014, DOI.: 10.1111/febs.12941)
Our paper “The Metagenomic Telescope” received widespread online coverage among Hungarian news sites. Below is a selection of the news articles concerning the Telescope.
Genome Metabolism and Biostruct Laboratory
Budapest University of Technology, Ch building
Budapest
Szt. Gellért square 4.
HUNGARY
H-1111
RCNS Institute of Enzymology
Budapest
Magyar tudosok korutja 2.
HUNGARY
H-1117