Robert P. Hausinger Research Interests continued
In addition, we are exploring the roles for four accessory
proteins that function in urease metallocenter assembly. Urease characterization
has important medical and agricultural implications. For example, bacterial
urease is often associated with the formation of urinary deposits (kidney
stones) during human infection, and uncontrolled hydrolysis of urea-based
fertilizers can lead to crop damage. Thus, a detailed understanding of the
urease mechanism and metallocenter assembly process may allow the design
of pharmacologically or agriculturally effective inhibitors of this enzyme.
A second area of emphasis in the laboratory centers on the characterization
of several ferrous ion and alpha-keto glutarate dependent hydroxylases.
One of these enzymes, TfdA, catalyzes the initial step in mineralization
of the herbicide 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid). A second enzyme,
TauD, functions in bacterial metabolism of sulfonated compounds. Finally,
the most recent project centers on AlkB, a unique DNA-repair enzyme. Current
work with these enzymes includes metallocenter analysis by spectroscopic
methods, characterization of site-directed mutant proteins and examination
of alternate substrates and inhibitors.
Full text of research interests