Contact: Diana Lutz
dlutz@wustl.edu
314-935-5272
Washington University in St. Louis

Hammer-and-anvil Proteins Catalyze 2-Step Reactions

Caption: All of the GH3 enzymes examined so far have the same hammer-and-anvil structure. Reactants (green) are clamped into an active site in the ”anvil” (blue), and the “hammer“ (purple) swivels over the active site. The enzymes catalyze a two-step reaction: The first step takes place when the active site is open and the second when it is closed.

Credit: Jez Lab/WUSTL

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