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Review
. 2009 Feb;13(1):10-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2009.01.014. Epub 2009 Feb 23.

Enzyme (re)design: lessons from natural evolution and computation

John A Gerlt  1 , Patricia C Babbitt
Affiliations
Review

Enzyme (re)design: lessons from natural evolution and computation

John A Gerlt et al. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2009 Feb.

Abstract

The (re)design of enzymes to catalyze 'new' reactions is a topic of considerable practical and intellectual interest. Directed evolution (random mutagenesis followed by screening/selection) has been used widely to identify novel biocatalysts. However, 'rational' approaches using either natural divergent evolution or computational predictions based on chemical principles have been less successful. This review summarizes recent progress in evolution-based and computation-based (re)design.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Progenitors, (re)designed reactions, and kinetic constants for the “new” reactions obtained using evolution-based approaches.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Progenitors, (re)designed reactions, and kinetic constants for enhanced promiscuous reactions obtained using evolution-based approaches.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Progenitor, (re)designed reaction, and kinetic constants for a “new” reaction obtained using evolution-based grafting of loops.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Progenitors, (re)designed reactions, and kinetic constants for “new” reactions obtained using computation-based approaches.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Engineering enzymes by 'intelligent' design.
    Kazlauskas R, Lutz S. Kazlauskas R, et al. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2009 Feb;13(1):1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2009.02.022. Epub 2009 Mar 9. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2009. PMID: 19272831 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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