title: Evolutionary markers in the (beta/alpha)8-barrel fold.
abstract: Enzymes with the (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel fold are involved in the catalysis of a wide variety of biochemical reactions. The active sites of these enzymes are located on the C-terminal face of the central beta-barrel. Conserved amino acid sequence, as well as secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure patterns are providing a rich body of data to support the premise of a common ancestry of many members of the (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel fold family of enzymes. Recent data indicate that there is at least one example of a bienzyme that functions as an ammonia channel, adding a new level of functional diversity to the (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel fold. These proteins have become ideal tools that can be used in conjunction with directed evolution techniques to engineer novel catalytic activities.
authors.affiliation: EMBL-Hamburg c/o DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22603 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Esben
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lorentzen
authors.forename: Anni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilmanns
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004798:Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017510:Protein Folding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes