Project overview
This project aims to understand how E. coli assembles the cyclic thiazole portion of thiamine from acyclic precursors, 1- deoxyxylulose, cysteine and tyrosine. A novel radical dependent mechanism for the cyclisation leading to the thiazole is proposed. To test this hypothesis, the key biosynthetic enzymes required for thiazole formation and the reactions that they catalyse will be investigated. An in vitro assay for thiamine biosynthesis will be used to identify the essential substrates, cofactors and proteins. A combination of biochemical and spectroscopic approaches will be used to determine the mechanism of the sulphur insertion and the cyclisation steps leading to the thiazole.
Staff
Lead researchers
Other researchers
Research outputs
2009, FEBS Letters, 583(8), 1358-1362
Type: article
2007, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 46(48), 9223-9226
Type: article
2007, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282(24), 17413-17423
Type: article