Enzyme is a key biological catalyst, which can accelerate the reaction speed by reducing the activation energy of the reaction, but does not change the equilibrium point of the reaction. Enzyme research is an important research direction in the field of life science. Recently, researchers from Germany and the United States have obtained new results in this field: bacterial N2O reductase, and enzymes related to nicotine and alcohol addiction.
In the first article, researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany discovered the X-ray crystal structure of N2OR in the presence of N2O in Pseudomonas stutzeri, thus revealing the matrix The nature of the "copper-sulfur group" at the junction.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) gas produced by natural processes and man-made processes is a potentially important greenhouse gas because of its endothermic effect and its long-lasting presence in the atmosphere. Some bacteria use nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) to convert N2O into nitrous oxide gas.
In this article, the researchers determined that the X-ray crystal structure of Pseudomonas stutzeri's N2O has been determined in the presence of N2O, and that in the absence of O2, an active, purple form was generated This enzyme. These results reveal the nature of the "copper-sulfur group" at the matrix junction and also show how N2O interacts with this complex metal center.
In another article, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco found that nicotine and alcohol responses are closely related to protein kinase Cε (PKCε).
Nicotine and alcohol addiction are widely distributed and often occur at the same time, but the molecular cause of their co-occurrence is still elusive.
In this article, the researchers analyzed whether protein kinase Cε (PKCε), an enzyme known to affect mice's response to ethanol, also determines rodent responses to nicotine. They previously found that mice lacking protein kinase Cε (PKCε) drank less ethanol and were more disgusted than mice with this enzyme.
In this study, the researchers allowed mice to obtain bottles with or without nicotine, and found that after the first week, mice with protein kinase Cε (PKCε) gradually increased than mice lacking this enzyme Nicotine intake reaches 26%.
In addition, the researchers managed to get the mice to connect the two rooms with nicotine or salt injections, and then provided access to the two rooms. They believe that the majority of mice with protein kinase Cε (PKCε) chose to spend their time in nicotine-related rooms, which is why nicotine is more rewarding for them than mice lacking protein kinase Cε (PKCε) A sign. Compared with other mice, mice lacking protein kinase Cε (PKCε) possess fewer messenger RNAs for specific nicotine receptor subunits. This finding is related to the weakening of the brain's reward system.
The researchers suggest that inhibitors of protein kinase Cε (PKCε) may be useful in reducing nicotine intake, and protein kinase Cε (PKCε) may represent a target for the treatment of combined nicotine and alcohol addiction.
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N2O binding at a [4Cu: 2S] copper–sulphur cluster in nitrous oxide reductase
Nature Volume: 477, Pages: 234–237 Date published: (08 September 2011)
DOI: doi: 10.1038 / nature10332 Received 17 September 2010 Accepted 23 June 2011 Published online 14 August 2011
Protein kinase C epsilon modulates nicotine consumption and dopamine reward signals in the nucleus accumbens, Anna M. Lee and Robert O. Messing
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