Impact of ancestral sequence reconstruction on mechanistic and structural enzymology
Callum R. Nicoll, Marta Massari, Marco W. Fraaije, María Laura Mascotti, Andrea Mattevi
Abstract
Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) provides insight into the changes within a protein sequence across evolution. More specifically, it can illustrate how specific amino acid changes give rise to different phenotypes within a protein family. Over the last few decades it has established itself as a powerful technique for revealing molecular common denominators that govern enzyme function. Here, we describe the strength of ASR in unveiling catalytic mechanisms and emerging phenotypes for a range of different proteins, also highlighting biotechnological applications the methodology can provide.
Topics & Concepts
Sequence (biology)Computational biologyBiologyPhenotypeEvolutionary biologyFunction (biology)Protein sequencingProtein functionProtein familySequence alignmentPeptide sequenceGeneticsGeneEnzyme Structure and FunctionMicrobial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionRNA and protein synthesis mechanisms