Enhancing Enzyme Activity through Cofactor Engineering

CD Biosynsis is dedicated to provide our customers with best-in-class enzyme discovery and design services. We can expand the specificity of enzyme cofactors through our enzyme rational design service, where you can use enzymes for reactions that were not previously possible, or improve the efficiency and selectivity of enzyme reactions through the use of alternative cofactors.

Overview

Cofactor is the non-protein compound that assists enzymes in catalytic reactions, which plays an important role for the enzyme's catalytic function. Cofactor engineering is an emerging subfield of metabolic engineering, which focuses on enhancing the metabolic flow by regulating the concentration and form of cofactors, such as ATP/ADP, NADH/NAD+, NADPH/NADP+. It is worth noting that cofactor engineering is closely related to a variety of factors such as enzyme structure, function, and cofactor specificity. Therefore, the cofactor engineering strategy needs to take into account the target enzyme and its specific application during practical use.

Fig 1. Schematic representation of the Moco biosynthesis pathway coupled to the nitrate assimilation pathway. (Perli T, et al., 2021)

Application for Cofactor Engineering

• Identifying Target Enzymes
  Cofactor engineering can be applied to the design and screening of enzymes for specific application areas, such as industrial processes, biocatalysts or therapeutic purposes.
• Understanding Cofactor Roles
  In addition, cofactor engineering allows for a comprehensive analysis of enzyme structures and mechanisms, helping researchers to understand the role of cofactors in enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
• Designing Mutations
  Moreover, cofactor engineering can be used for rational enzyme design or directed evolutionary approaches. For example, predicting changes in the binding affinity or catalytic efficiency of an enzyme to a cofactor after a fixed-point mutation.

CD Biosynsis is a company that specializes in the rational design of enzyme cofactors to meet the specific research requirements of customers across various industries globally. Our expertise lies in expanding the specificity of these cofactors, allowing for enhanced enzymatic activity and improved performance in various applications. If you are interested in our services, please contact us today.

Reference

1. Perli, T.; et al. Engineering of molybdenum-cofactor-dependent nitrate assimilation in Yarrowia lipolytica. FEMS Yeast Res. 2021, 21(6):foab050.