So Iwata

Nov 21, 2024 | nature.com | Kano Suzuki |Akihiro Otomo |Satoshi Yasuda |Naruhiko Adachi |So Iwata |Toshiya Senda | +2 more

AbstractVancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) is a major cause of nosocomial infections, particularly endocarditis and sepsis. With the diminishing effectiveness of antibiotics against VRE, new antimicrobial agents are urgently needed. Our previous research demonstrated the crucial role of Na+-transporting V-ATPase in Enterococcus hirae for growth under alkaline conditions. In this study, we identified a compound, V-161, from 70,600 compounds, which markedly inhibits E.

Sep 18, 2023 | nature.com | Alexander Wolff |Eriko Nango |Aaron Brewster |Minoru Kubo |Benjamin A. Barad |Kazutaka Ito | +9 more

AbstractUnderstanding and controlling protein motion at atomic resolution is a hallmark challenge for structural biologists and protein engineers because conformational dynamics are essential for complex functions such as enzyme catalysis and allosteric regulation. Time-resolved crystallography offers a window into protein motions, yet without a universal perturbation to initiate conformational changes the method has been limited in scope.

Aug 10, 2023 | nature.com | James Baxter |Ann Fitzpatrick |Douglas Garratt |Rhodri Morgan |Chi-Yun Lin |Jon P. Marangos | +21 more

AbstractThe photoisomerization reaction of a fluorescent protein chromophore occurs on the ultrafast timescale. The structural dynamics that result from femtosecond optical excitation have contributions from vibrational and electronic processes and from reaction dynamics that involve the crossing through a conical intersection. The creation and progression of the ultrafast structural dynamics strongly depends on optical and molecular parameters.