Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40893210›Full record

ArticleACS catalysis2025

Studies of Isonitrile Synthases Help Elucidate the Mechanism of Isonitrile Installation.

Tzu-Yu Chen, Wantae Kim, Mo Guo, Angela Yao, Y Jessie Zhang, Wei-Chen Chang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ACS catalysis, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Tzu-Yu ChenDepartment of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Wantae KimMcKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Mo GuoDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Angela YaoDepartment of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Y Jessie ZhangDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Wei-Chen ChangDepartment of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.

Funding

Understanding How Nonheme Iron-Dependent Enzymes Assemble Pharmacophores: Studies of Cyclopropane, Aziridine, and Isonitrile FormationR01GM127588 · NIGMS · NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH · PI Wei-chen Chang · 2018 to 2026
$3.3M
Deciphering the phosphorylation pattern of RNA polymerase II for eukaryotic transcriptionR35GM148356 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI Yan Jessie Zhang · 2023 to 2026
$2.3M
NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM127588NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM148356
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Isonitrile functional group is abundant in natural products and associated with various biological properties. To date, two pathways are known for isonitrile group installation. One is catalyzed by mononuclear nonheme iron dependent isonitrilases in which the reaction mechanism involves consecutive desaturation and decarboxylation processes. The other pathway includes isonitrile synthases, however, how isonitrile synthases enable the condensation of a sugar phosphate and an aromatic amino acid to install isonitrile group remains understudied. In this study, we examine substrate analogs and quantify reaction products using isotopologues to establish the substrate requirements of two isonitrile synthases, WelI1 and PIsnA, providing insights into their spatial and substrate requirements. Under experimental conditions, isonitrile synthases can only enable single turnover, with product binding likely associated with this observation. To reveal the reaction mechanism, we solved substrate- and product-bound protein structures. Furthermore, using a sequential soaking approach, we successfully trapped a plausible intermediate in crystallo. Observation of the plausible C2-imine intermediate in the active site suggests the reaction starts from the imine installation between the carbonyl group of the sugar phosphate and the amine group of the amino acid. Altogether, these studies provide insights into substrate recognition, i.e., pentose phosphate and L-aromatic amino acid, and the reaction mechanism of isonitrile synthases.

Indexed as

biosynthesisenzyme mechanismisonitrileproduct inhibitionsubstrate recognition

Identifiers

PMID40893210
PMCPMC12393152

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.