How does IspH control the IPP/DMAPP ratio?
Contrary to the MVA pathway that only produces IPP which then must be converted into DMAPP by a isomerase, the last enzyme of the MEP pathway, ispH, simultaneously produces IPP and DMAPP. However, the ratio of the two isomers varies significantly between different ipsH enzymes from different species. It appears that this variation correlates with the chain-length requirements of the host species isoprenoid production profile.
Using newly generated structural information and analysis we aim to understand how the arrangement of the active site of the enzyme determines the faith of the substrate to a specific ratio of products. This will help us understand the molecular features that determine the ratio of IPP/DMAPP produced by the last enzyme of the MEP pathway, ispH.
Chief Investigators
Project team
- Andrew Douw (QUT)
- Irfan Farabi (QUT)
- Ezgi Tosun (QUT)
- Professor Gary Schenk (UQ)
- Dr Jordi Perez Gil (Macquarie University)
