Our latest paper just out in Nature Chemical Biology describes highly unexpected cryptic enzymology, not seen before in nature, and provides a new way to synthesise peptides (future therapeutics) using ligase enzymes.
Cryptic enzymatic assembly of peptides armed with β-lactone warheads. Nature Chem Biol (2024): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-024-01657-7
A Research Briefing “Enzymatic synthesis of peptide therapeutics” includes a summary of the results, author insight, along with opinions from the reviewer and editors: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-024-01658-6
This blog provides further insight into the discovery “Elucidating how nature installs reactive warheads onto peptides.”
For more news commentary read, “Manchester scientists pave way for greener cancer treatments with new enzyme discovery“