carbon-metabolism
Carbon metabolism encompasses the biochemical pathways plants use to fix, transport, and allocate carbon compounds—from photosynthetic CO₂ assimilation to the synthesis of sugars, starch, and structural molecules. These processes are central to plant growth, yield, and stress responses, making them a key focus for research into crop improvement and understanding how plants adapt to changing environmental conditions.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-01
Scientists solved the precise 3D shape of a bacterial enzyme that processes sugar in a pathway shared by all living things — including plants — revealing a unique molecular locking mechanism that controls the enzyme's activity.
A high-resolution (2.0 Å) crystal structure revealed the enzyme uses a novel 'latch and lock' mechanism involving two C-terminal protein elements to grip its substrate, rather than the domain-folding motion seen in related enzymes.
A single amino acid, His328, was identified as the linchpin: removing it through mutagenesis sharply reduced the enzyme's catalytic efficiency, confirming its central role.
Thermodynamic measurements showed substrate binding is strongly enthalpy-driven, meaning the reaction releases heat as it forms a tight, ordered network of chemical bonds — a hallmark of a highly specific, evolved binding pocket.