Yokohama City University

Kyoto University

The University of Tokyo

RIKEN

Osaka University

University of Tsukuba

Tohoku University

Summary

A research group led by Associate Professor Akikazu Jaso of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Yokohama City University, and by Professor Yoshinobu Akiyama and Assistant Professor Yohei Hihizaku of the Institute for Medical Biology, Kyoto University, in collaboration with the Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, RIKEN, the Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, the Research Center for Dynamics of Cell Biology, the University of Tsukuba, and the Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, has revealed the structure of a complex between RseP The research revealed the complex structure of RseP, a special proteolytic enzyme that works in cell membranes, and its inhibitor.

This study not only deepened our understanding of the mechanism by which RseP cleaves substrate proteins, but also demonstrated the possibility that RseP has a gate for substrate incorporation. Further investigation of the function of this gate based on its steric structure will make it possible to specifically inhibit RseP, which is expected to lead to the development of new treatments for bacterial infections and other diseases.

The research results have been published in Science Advances. (August 25, 2022, 3:00 a.m. Japan time)

Figure: Model of substrate uptake and cleavage inferred from X-ray crystallography of RseP from E. coli and its homologous protein from marine bacteria (KkRseP).

Professor Osamu Nureki of the Department of Biological Sciences participated in the research results.

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